AUTUMN SMOKE COCKTAIL RECIPE

Lapsang souchong, a smoky black tea, combined with pear juice, cinnamon and our Tiki Rum gives this cocktail its amazing fireside flavor. Cardinal bartender Stella Snyder shows us how to shake it up.

AUTUMN SMOKE

By Stella Snyder

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Tiki Rum
1.5 ounces pear juice
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce lapsang souchong simple syrup* 
dash cinnamon bitters

Shake with ice; pour the liquid and ice into a cocktail glass and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

*To make lapsang souchong simple syrup: combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 2 bags of lapsang souchong tea in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool, then remove tea bags. 

THE SOURCE: Blu Boy Chocolate

From our bar stools to our cocktail ingredients, everything that we source here
at Cardinal Spirits has a story. Eventually, we'll tell you all of them.

Blu Boy chocolates filled with Cardinal Spirits vodka.

If you think they only way to enjoy our vodka is to drink it, then you've missed the corner of our menu where we offer chocolates filled with our vodka. Oh yes. It's a crazy-good idea. They're available only at the distillery and they're made just for us by Blu Boy Chocolate, a sweet little shop in downtown Bloomington that's known for hand-made gourmet chocolates and desserts, plus espresso drinks.

Some of the chocolates have patterned and hand-painted shells that are so pretty, you almost hate to take a bite — like ours, imprinted with tiny red cardinals. But you must bite, otherwise you'd miss out on superb ganache-filled chocolates scented with blood orange, jasmine and ancho chile, and hand-rolled truffles in flavors like raspberry dark-chocolate. Meanwhile, the pastry case at Blu Boy is stocked with French macarons, salted caramel brownies and layer cakes. And let's not forget the shop's signature ice cream sandwich, made with local honey ice cream.

We chatted with Dani Doyle, Blu Boy's COO, about Cardinal's specialty chocolates and more:

Cardinal chocolate shells

Cardinal chocolates filled with ganache

WITH THE CARDINAL CHOCOLATES, WHEN DOES THE VODKA COME INTO PLAY?

The vodka comes in with the ganache — the filling. Once the chocolate and heavy cream are all mixed up and you've got your traditional ganache, that's when we'll add the vodka in.  There's no set ratio, it's just what tastes right. 

AND CAN YOU ACTUALLY TASTE THE VODKA?

With Cardinal vodka, which has such a distinctive taste, you can definitely pick that up. And it makes the ganache a little more soft. 

Lavender and dark chocolate-ganache chocolates.

Hand-painted chocolate shells, ready to be filled with ganache.

BLU BOY'S GANACHE-FILLED CHOCOLATES WITH PRETTY PAINTED SHELLS ARE SO STRIKING — HOW ARE THOSE MADE?

Those are hand-painted with colored cocoa butter (by chocolatier and Blu Boy owner David Fletcher). He'll take a little paintbrush and brush the insides of the molds. That'll dry, and then he'll pour chocolate on top of that (to create the top of the shell). Then he'll pipe in the ganache, then pour more chocolate to seal them. 

The hand-painted chocolates take about three days to make. Hand painting the chocolate shells is one day, then filling them is another day, and then sealing them off is another day. You can't really rush that. It just takes three days to do. 

SAY IT IS SOMEONE'S FIRST VISIT TO BLU BOY. WHAT SHOULD THEY KNOW WHEN THEY WALK IN?

I describe this place as the gem of the from-scratch bakery. We don't use any mixes. All of our chocolates are made here. All the pastries are made here. The ice cream is made here. Everything we sell, we put a lot of love and pride into.

We get all of our honey from Hunter's Honey in Martinsville. We get eggs from Poplar Ridge Farm, and we get those hand delivered every week. And with our coffee, we partnered with Brown County Coffee Roasters for a special Blu Boy espresso blend that we use for all of our espresso beverages. 

Fleur de sel caramels

Honey ice cream sandwich.

IF SOMEONE WANTS TO TRY JUST ONE BLU BOY CHOCOLATE — JUST ONE — WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?

Fleur de sel caramel. It's hands down the most popular things we sell, and really encapsulates what we do here. These are dipped in chocolate individually and salted individually. Each little piece of chocolate is done singularly. It's not mass produced or anything you can rush through, and that's what we're all about: taking our time and making a really great product.

OK, LET'S MOVE ON TO DESSERTS. WHICH ONE IS A MUST-TRY?

An ice cream sandwich with our honey ice cream — you can't go wrong with that. Our chocolate chip cookies are rolled in cinnamon sugar, and it pairs nicely with honey ice cream. The honey ice cream in and of itself is unique. It's not a vanilla base with honey flavor, it's just honey ice cream.

Dani Doyle of Blu Boy.

A build-your-own box of chocolates.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BLU BOY CHOCOLATE?

Over Valentine's Day we'll do a chocolate called Love's True Kiss, which is aleppo pepper. Unlike like our ancho chile chocolate which we have on a regular basis (and doesn't have too much heat), this one is actually spicy, like really spicy. I think that's such a unique experience because when most people have chocolate they think of this smooth, sweet, mellow chocolate experience and Love's True Kiss just blows that out of the water. It's spicy but very, very good.

WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER, DID YOU EVER PICK A PIECE OF CHOCOLATE OUT OF A VARIETY BOX, TAKE A BITE AND FIND SOME GROSS GOO INSIDE? WASN'T THAT JUST THE WORST?

I am super allergic to peanut butter, so I never had the random chocolate thing happen because ... I couldn't. I was super paranoid. But, we do include a description of the chocolates with our boxes. 

CRAFTPACK, VOL.7

Links that make you go Hmmm.

This is so great: what men vs. women Tweet when they drink. #girlsnight

Would you drink this cocktail that is nearly half bitters?

Really amazing fall cocktail recipes to try this week: Yellow Jacket with cinnamon-honey syrup. Warm spiked apple cider, a classic. And Spice Island, with a dusting of fresh nutmeg.

On a branding note, did you see that Jeni's ice cream pints got a makeover?

YELLOW JACKET COCKTAIL RECIPE

Love our Standard Dry Gin? Then this Yellow Jacket cocktail by Cardinal bartender Stella is just for you. It's a fall twist on the classic Bees Knees.

YELLOW JACKET

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Standard Dry Gin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce cinnamon-honey simple syrup*

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe class.

*To make cinnamon-honey simple syrup: In a saucepan, simmer 1 cup water, 1 cup honey and 6 cinnamon sticks for 5 minutes. Cool completely then remove cinnamon sticks before using.

SPICE ISLAND COCKTAIL RECIPE

Today's secret ingredient: Nutmeg.

Cinnamon, cloves and other baking spices really hit the spot in cocktails this time of year, don't you think? For Cardinal bartender Baylee Pruitt, nutmeg is the real winner. It's one of her all-time favorite garnishes for fall drinks — she takes a whole seed and gives it a few passes on a fine grater right over the glass, letting the spice fall like snow.

"I like the look of it, I like the smell of it. I like the texture. I like everything about it," Baylee says. 

Pass on the powdery, pre-grated stuff and buy whole nutmeg seeds instead — they're right there in the spice aisle, or sometimes in the bulk area. It smells so amazing when you grate it fresh, and you'll get a whiff of it every time you take a sip of your drink.

Try freshly grated nutmeg as a garnish in Baylee's lovely fall cocktail called Spice Island, which crisply combines tart apples with flavors of cinnamon, raisin and brown sugar.

SPICE ISLAND

By Baylee Pruitt

Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Tiki Rum
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce raisin-brown sugar simple syrup*
1 dash cinnamon bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
4 slices of Pink Lady apple
Freshly-grated nutmeg, for garnish

1. Place apples and syrup in a shaker and muddle.
2. Add rum, lemon juice, both bitters and ice. Shake vigorously.
3. Double-strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice. 
4. Grate fresh nutmeg on top of the cocktail to garnish. 

*To make raisin-brown sugar simple syrup: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup water and 1/3 cup raisins. Heat until simmering, muddling the raisins as it's cooking. Cool completely and strain before using.

MEET OUR CREW: CHRIS RESNICK

We've got a spectacular crew here at Cardinal Spirits, and we'd like to introduce you to everybody one by one. Today, meet Chris Resnick, head bartender at Cardinal and one half of our talented Tiki Tuesday team. Here, Chris answers some Cardinal Qs.

CHRIS RESNICK

HOMETOWN
Bedford, Ind.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN BLOOMINGTON?
17 years

BEST PART ABOUT LIVING HERE?
I like the small town/but not TOO small town feel. Right now I'm loving the fall leaves.

HOW DO YOU TRAVEL ABOUT TOWN?
I used to walk but now I drive a pretty bitchin' mini van.

FAVORITE THING TO DRINK
Jamaican rum

GO-TO DRINK AT CARDINAL
The Stirred Bird is amazing.

FIRST JOB
My first job was at Little Caesars. I was in the pizza game for like 14 years.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO READ?
I read every cocktail book I can get my hands on. Aside from that, I do biographies and some fiction.

BEST ADVICE FOR MAKING BETTER DRINKS AT HOME
Always use fresh ingredients and always watch your proportions. Even a little bit more or less of anything can drastically change the balance and flavors of a drink.

FIND CHRIS
On Instagram  |  On Facebook

---

MEET MORE OF OUR FLOCK:

ALEX UTTER

ALYVIA CAIN

CRAFTPACK, VOL. 6

Links that make you go Hmmm.

This is such an interesting read about "The Sniffer," a woman whose job it is to smell liquor from craft distilleries. 

What it's really like to work at a hip Brooklyn beer bar (which serves ale in wine glasses).

Stylish DIY cocktails stirrers, if you're into that sort of thing. (And, if not, some ones to buy.)

Salmon-safe beer is a thing in Portland.

In case you missed it: Our very best spiked apple cider recipe for tailgating, camping, bonfiring this fall.

MORE CRAFTPACK:
VOL. 1  |  VOL. 2  |  VOL. 3  |  VOL. 4  |  VOL. 5

HOT SPIKED CIDER RECIPE

This weekend is homecoming at Indiana University in Bloomington, and we've got some tailgating in our future. And you know what feels awesome in your hand on one of those sunny yet brisk fall days? A warm drink to keep you toasty.

We asked our bar manager Logan Hunter to share his favorite apple cider recipe to make for a crowd — something we could spike with our delicious White Oak Whiskey and pour into a thermos or two to share on the go with friends. And trust us, when you roll in with spiked cider, you make a lot of friends.

We are running a special Saturday and Sunday at the distillery: Buy a bottle of White Oak Whiskey or Honey Vanilla Vodka + a half gallon of Musgrave's Apple Cider + a pack of spices for $28. We only have 24 half-gallons so this will go quick!

This recipe of spiked apple cider makes a big batch — enough to fill about 16 mugs — but it's easy to halve if that sounds like too much. (Hint: it's never too much.) Make it at home in the morning, pour it into a few thermoses or one big guy, and head out. 

HOT SPIKED CIDER

By Logan Hunter

Makes about 16 servings

1 gallon apple cider (We love the cider from Musgrave Orchard in Bloomington)
4 cinnamon sticks
12 cloves
12 allspice berries
1/2 ounce vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 cups Cardinal Spirits White Oak Whiskey (about 2/3 of a bottle)

1. Combine all ingredients except for the whiskey in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let the cider cool slightly, then strain if desired.
3. Add the whiskey and stir to combine. Pour cider into thermoses or a large insulated beverage container, working quickly to keep it warm. If you don't need it to-go, keep it warm on low heat on the stove or in a slow cooker.  

Variation: This cider is also stellar with our Honey Vanilla Vodka instead of White Oak Whiskey. Omit the vanilla extract and sugar if using Honey Vanilla Vodka. 

SLOW HAND COCKTAIL RECIPE

This Slow Hand cocktail by Cardinal bartender Jake Cifuentes is like a liquid version of Mexican chocolate — rich, smooth, spicy. Even though it's served over ice, it's naturally warming thanks to a kick from the cocoa-cayenne syrup. So good for fall.

SLOW HAND

By Jake Cifuentes

1 ounce cocoa-cayenne simple syrup*
2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur
2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Vodka
Whole coffee beans for garnish

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice; shake and strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with a few coffee beans.

*To make a the cocoa-cayenne simple syrup: Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cayenne powder, and 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer to dissolve ingredients. Remove from heat and let cool before using. Add more cayenne to taste if you like more heat!

Want more Cardinal cocktail recipes? Find them all right here. 

CRAFTPACK, VOL. 5

Links that make you go Hmmm.

This big index of simple syrup recipes is a handy thing to bookmark.

How to make a cocktail video, haha.

Cardinal Spirits cocktails and dining by candlelight? This is a dinner you don't want to miss.

Any food/drink bloggers out there? You might find this helpful:  39 blogging tools that'll make you work faster and write better. 

Is there a more perfect drink for Halloween than this?

MISSED A CRAFTPACK? CATCH UP HERE:
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