Mixing it Up: Refresh Your Taste Buds this Spring with these Local Spirits
Two recipes for "springtime sips", inspired by award-winning Winston-Salem local distillers.
Warm weather calls for something cool to sip on. To get some help crafting a spring-inspired cocktail, we turned to Winston-Salem’s two award-winning distilleries — Sutler’s Spirit Co. and Broad Branch Distillery. Both were recently named North Carolina Distillery of the Year in back-to-back years (Sutler’s in 2021, Broad Branch in 2022.), so they know how to make a good drink.
Sutler’s Basil Lemonade
Distiller: Scot Sanborn, Sutler’s Gin
Sutler’s Gin
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of Sutler’s Gin
- 1 Simply Lemonade (52 oz bottle)
- 10 – 15 fresh basil leaves
- 1 – 2 lemons sliced into wheels
Preparation:
- Take the bottle of Simply Lemonade and add the 10-15 basil leaves to the jug.
- Tighten the lid and turn over to expose the lemonade to the basil leaves.
- Leave upside down and set on the counter to sit overnight or until the leaves start turning brown.
- Remove the leaves immediately when they start turning brown.
- In a carafe or bowl add the lemonade, bottle of gin, and garnish with the lemon wheels.
- Pour the drink over the ice and enjoy! (Please drink responsibly.)
Cocktail: Winston Collins
Distiller: Broad Branch Distillery
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Broad Branch Nightlab 1.0
- 1 oz lime juice
- .75 oz rosemary simple syrup (see below)
- 3 oz Club Soda
- 4 thin slices cucumber
You’ll need: Collins, double rocks or red wine glass
Preparation:
- Add Nightlab 1.0, lime juice, simple syrup and club soda to glass.
- Stir for 10 seconds.
- Top off glass with ice and cucumber.
Making Rosemary Syrup:
- Demerara or Turbinado Sugar
- Water
- Fresh Rosemary
You’ll need: Measuring cup or scale, small pot, fine mesh strainer, and jar or bottle.
- Heat a small pot to medium heat and combine equal parts sugar and water (1 cup : 1 cup is a good start).
- When sugar starts to dissolve, add 4-5 sprigs of rosemary.
- When sugar has fully dissolved and syrup just starts to bubble, remove from heat.
- Allow syrup to cool to room temp and strain through fine mesh strainer.
- Pour syrup into small jar or bottle. Store in fridge for up to two weeks.