In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream together the cheddar and cream cheese until well combined. Stir in pimentos, salt, pepper and bitters. Add additional spices and bitters to taste. Pimento cheese can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.
Created by @garnish_girl, Katie Stryjewski. The Bee’s Knees cocktail was created for Bee’s Knees Week – where bars around the country served this classic cocktail and donated the proceeds to local schools to fund the installation of beehives!
Bees Knees
• 2 oz. Gin (Katie used @barrhillgin)
• .75 oz. Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• .75 oz. honey syrup (1:1)
• 1 dash El Guapo® Cucumber Lavender Bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with every edible flower you can find. 💐
Created by Lane Primeaux, Beverage Director of Soji in Baton Rouge. We specially formulated watermelon cordial specifically for this cocktail (but we’ve included simplified instructions below for you to make at home!) This fruit-forward summer cocktail will cool you off in the summer heat.
SWEEP THE LEG
• 2 oz tequila
• 1 oz El Guapo® Watermelon Cordial (home recipe below)
• .75 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp Chareau Aloe Liqueur
• 1 pinch, cilantro
• Watermelon wedge, for garnish
In clean shaker filled with ice, combine tequila, cordial, juice, liqueur and cilantro. Shake thoroughly until well chilled. Double strain into a collins glass, and garnish with a watermelon wedge prior to serving.
To create watermelon cordial at home, juice fresh watermelon (pulp only, no rinds!) until 4 cups of juice are reserved. Pour juice and 2 pounds of sugar into a large heavy bottomed sauce pan, heating slowly and stirring until all sugar is dissolved. Simmer for up to two hours, until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain liquid through a cheese cloth and funnel into a mason jar or other storage container. The cordial will keep for up to three weeks if properly refrigerated.
Created by Lane Primeaux, Beverage Director of Soji in Baton Rouge. This is the perfect floral cocktail to survive the summer heat.
MOTHER OF PEARL
• 2 oz rose hip infused Shochu (directions below)
• .75 oz Black Rose Giffard Liqueur
• .5 oz fresh lemon juice
• .25 oz El Guapo® Classic Greek Rose cordial
• .5 oz egg white
• Dehydrated rose petals, for garnish
In clean shaker filled with ice, combine Shochu, liqueur, juice, cordial and egg white. Shake thoroughly until well chilled. Strain into a coupe, and garnish with dehydrated rose petals prior to serving.
To create infused Shochu, pour one 750 mL bottle of shochu over one cup of dehydrated rose petals in a non-reactive container to steep. Reserve empty bottle. Allow to infuse at room temperature for for up to 24 hours – knowing the longer you steep the stronger the floral notes in the alcohol will be. Strain mixture through cheese cloth, and re-bottle using funnel. The infused Shochu will keep for up to two months if properly refrigerated.
El Guapo Mai Tai
• 1 oz light rum
• 1 oz aged rum
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• .5 oz orange curaçao
• .5 oz El Guapo® Classic Almond Orgeat
• Edible flowers, mint, lime wheels, umbrellas for garnish
In a clean shaker filled with crushed ice, mix rums, juice, curaçao, and orgeat. Shake until well chilled, and pour unstrained into a lowball or tiki glass. Garnish with a lime wheel and sprig of mint, adding edible flowers, umbrellas, etc. as desired.
A refreshing summer take on our cities’ famous French 75, this recipe was created by Sac-a-Lait‘s head bartender Norton Christopher and featured in Wine Enthusiast.
• 2 oz gin, preferably Euphrosine #9
• .75 oz blueberry syrup (recipe below)
• .75 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 dashes El Guapo® Summer Berries bitters
• Cava, to top
• Lemon twist, for garnish
In a shaker filled with ice, combine gin, syrup, juice and bitters. Shake well, then strain into flute. Top with Cava. Garnish with lemon twist before serving.
Blueberry Syrup
Place ingredients in pot with water and cook on medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until syrupy, about 15 minutes. Let mixture cool, then purée and strain. If mixture becomes too thick to pour, thin with basic simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water). Extra syrup will keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Created by our friend and Emmy award winning chef Lara Lyn Carter, this take on a classic Bloody Mary is perfect for entertaining friends over the 4th! Fun Fact: Lara Lyn was our childhood dance teacher.
BLOODY SOUTHERN CAESAR
• 1 Tsp. celery salt
• 1 Tsp. coarse salt
• 3 Bacon slices
• 2 oz. 13th Colony Southern Vodka
• 7 dashes El Guapo® Crawfish Boil or Gumbo bitters
• 2 drops of Worcestershire
• Hot sauce to taste
• 4 oz. Clamato juice
• Limes, for rim of glass + garnish
DIRECTIONS
To make rim salt + garnish, sprinkle half the celery salt onto bacon & cook until crispy. Reserve two pieces of bacon for garnish & crush the third with the remaining salts to create “bacon” rim salt.
Coat the rim of each glass with lime & dip into bacon rim salt. Fill glasses ¾ full with ice. Pour vodka over ice & add Worcestershire, bitters, hot sauce + juice. Garnish with bacon + lime wedges just before serving.
