Blog — THE TIPSY MUSE

Winter Hibiscus Margarita

Here is a Winter Hibiscus Margarita with this affordable, high-quality Reposado. The flavor of hibiscus, lemony-tart, and berry-rich goes well with this soft and fruity Reposado with a hint of woodiness.

agave, cocktailsVivian CromwellFebruary 22, 2019tequila

Croft-y Pear Julep

The traditional way to poach pears has been using mulled wine, but I decided to use Croft Reserve Tawny Port given its rich flavors. For this classic Julep, I used a split of Armagnac, pear brandy, and Croft Tawny Reserve—all grape based spirits!

fortified wine, cocktailsVivian CromwellDecember 1, 2018port, armagnac

Exitus Wine in Cocktails

Recently, I had the opportunity to develop a few recipes for Exitus Wine from O’Neil Vintners & Distillers. Exitus Wine is not your typical bottle of red wine on the shelf. Fermented in American stainless steel and then aged for 3 months in Kentucky bourbon barrels, Exitus is a red wine with a bourbon soul, a bold blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel with aromas of blackberry compote, baking spices and loose-leaf tobacco. This new bourbon barrel aged wine brand tiptoes on the boundary with spirits, which makes it an interesting one to use in cocktails.

wine, brandy, whisky, cocktailsVivian CromwellNovember 27, 2018exitus

Penang Swizzle

The swizzle is a tiki style drink stirred with a swizzle stick to circulate ice and ingredients. The swizzle stick is made from the twigs of a species of trees native to the Caribbean. The drink is usually served in a tall Collins glass with crushed ice. Due to its island origin, rum is often used in the swizzled drinks.

rum, cocktailsVivian CromwellAugust 10, 2018angostura, swizzle

Smokie Sunshine

Many of us know Luxardo maraschino liqueur, but few know their new product Luxardo Bitter Bianco, which is based on a distilled infusion of bitter herbs (cardamom, rhubarb, quinine, bitter orange and a few secrets), aromatic plants and citrus fruits in water and alcohol.

agave, cocktailsVivian CromwellJuly 31, 2018mezcal, bitter

Rum Sour with Fève

This is my second experiment with the “magic bean.” This time, I infused one in 4 ounces of Smith & Cross Rum for 24 hours. My rum is now with this exotic aroma! Somehow it doesn’t overpower the S&C, but rather the rum is now coated with the extra dimension of the flavor.

rum, cocktailsVivian CromwellMay 28, 2018smithandcross, sour

Meriggiare

Summer is my favorite season: things are at a slower pace, not embarrassed to take a midday nap and it doesn’t get dark til 9PM. This drink, created for Cinzano, is my way to express my yearning for summer months and the excitement that I will travel through the mediterranean coast soon. It is floral, fruity with unexpected vegetal notes, not to mention the subtle complexity brought by the Jasmine tea.

gin, cocktailsVivian CromwellMay 18, 2018jasmin, summer

Siam Sour

I infused some gin with fresh lemongrass and pink peppercorn to make a gin sour that highlights the flavors of Thailand. This is also a drink for Sindre Sorhus, a developer who lives in Thailand. I did an interview with him that was pretty well received.

gin, cocktailsVivian CromwellApril 23, 2018lemongrass, sour

An Efflorescence of Spring

Embracing the week-long rain in Bay Area, and soon I will be rewarded with the blooming flowers of spring. With that in mind, during a brief break of the rain, I experimented with a new gin: Panda Gin.

gin, cocktailsVivian CromwellApril 15, 2018pandagin, sour

Iron Lady – Do It The French Way

I will be spending time in France this summer. While I can’t speak French and there is not enough time to learn, surely I speak some Pernod Absinthe, Byrrh, Lillet, Ricard and Suze . I picked up this little cute book named “Do It The French Way”, on my, what a wonderful history book about my favorite French apertif !

whisky, cocktailsVivian CromwellFebruary 27, 2018scotch

Pine Nuts Washed Old Fashioned

I made my pine nuts washed Old Fashioned again, but each time with improved techniques and subtle changes. This time, I adjusted the number of coffee filters, amount of pint nuts, number of washes. Most importantly, I chose Rye this time, half High West Rendezvous Rye and half Wild Turkey 101 Rye to get the right spice and heat.

whisky, cocktailsVivian CromwellFebruary 23, 2018oldfashioned, pinenut

Fuubutsushi

The typical lavender season is June to August and it is one of my favorite herbs and flowers. To my surprise, the lavender in my backyard is still thriving in this winter weather, well with just one sprig standing, not enough to make a cocktail, though.

gin, cocktailsVivian CromwellDecember 2, 2017infusion, elderflower, grenadine

Autumn in June

Made this autumn drink when the summer evening got a bit chilly. We have had lots of rain this year, even now with summer approaching, we get patches of cold days in the Bay Area. When Sukkah Hill Spirits sent me some samples, I knew I wanted to try their Besamim liqueur, which has the notes of vanilla, clove and cinnamon.

whisky, cocktailsVivian CromwellMay 26, 2017bourbon, coffee

Lemon Lavender Gin

Lavender blossom in my back yard and I know it will be all gone when I am back

gin, cocktailsVivian CromwellMay 23, 2017lavender

Minato Fog

Nikka coffey whisky is known for its sweet spice, mango aroma, perfect for a cold and moody evening. This drink reminds me a lot of the moody mornings in Tokyo.

whisky, cocktailsVivian CromwellApril 29, 2017japanesewisky