Fresh 2 Death Cocktail Recipe

This fresh and fruity cocktail by our bartender Chris Resnick is refreshing and perfect to sip on in this spring weather. This has been a fan favorite from our spring menu, so now we've decided to share the recipe! Go ahead, give it a try.

FRESH 2 DEATH

By Chris Resnick of Cardinal Spirits

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Vodka
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce raspberry-mint syrup
Tonic water

To make the raspberry mint syrup, bring 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil. Then add 1 small package of raspberries and a handful of mint. Muddle until the sugar is dissolved, then let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a Collins glass and top with tonic water.

New Penzance Punch

This Penzance Punch will be a punch to your taste buds, but in the best way possible. Try making this delicious cocktail at home with this recipe, created by our bartender Chris Resnick.

NEW PENZANCE PUNCH

By Chris Resnick of Cardinal Spirits

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Terra Gin
1.25 ounces jasmine tea
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce mint-cilantro-honey syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash of orange bitters
Club soda

To make the cilantro honey lime syrup, combine 1 cup of honey and 1 cup of water with a small handful each of mint and cilantro, then fine strain it. 

Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a rocks glass and top with an ounce of soda.

Mango Papaya Daiquiri Cocktail Recipe

Springtime means tiki time (Tiki Rum, that is)! Channel some tropical vibes into this refreshing drink that's perfect for sipping under the hot sun.

MANGO PAPAYA DAIQUIRI

By Chris Resnick of Cardinal Spirits

2 ounces Tiki Rum infused with mango-papaya tea
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup

To make the mango papaya tea infused tiki rum, put 1 tablespoon of loose tea into 375 ml of rum and let it sit for 2 hours. 

Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish it with a lime.

Handsome Devil Cocktail Recipe

With just two ingredients, this cocktail by our bartender Chris Resnick couldn't be easier to make. Go on, give it a try!

HANDSOME DEVIL

By Chris Resnick of Cardinal Spirits

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Songbird Coffee Liqueur
3⁄4 ounce Cardinal Spirits Lake House Spiced Rum

Combine all ingredients into a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Limited-edition Class of 2017 vodka

Do you know someone who is about to graduate from IU? Looking for the perfect graduation gift? We can help you with that. Hint: It's not "Oh, The Places You'll Go!"

Class of 2017 Vodka — a special bottling of our signature Vodka — will be released this Friday at the distillery. Bottles are $25, available at the distillery and at Big Red Liquors in downtown Bloomington. Send them out into the real world with a commemorative bottle of a Bloomington-made product.

Cardinal Spirits Vodka is fermented and distilled on site entirely from white grapes. It earned 93 points from Wine Enthusiast, ranking it higher than Grey Goose, Tito's, Ketel One, Ciroc and about 900 other vodkas. It was also named one of the Top 100 Spirits of 2016 by Wine Enthusiast, and it has earned a Triple Gold Medal from the MicroLiquor Spirit Awards. Needless to say, we're pretty proud.

Our Vodka is gluten-free, and it's not your average tasteless, odorless vodka. It has character by design. A very light entry, a full rich body, and a bright floral finish. It's incredibly smooth — great for drinking straight — but it's also terrific in cocktails, especially those with fruit and citrus.

Are you the one who's about to graduate? Congrats! You've worked hard to get here. Treat yourself to a bottle and take a piece of Bloomington with you on your next adventure.

Now, let us show you some of our favorite ways to drink it. Below are four awesomely refreshing cocktails to make using your new bottle of Cardinal Spirits vodka. Click on the pictures for the recipes!

Moscow Mule

Feathered Friend

Old Glory

Blood Orange Punch

WE'RE HIRING!

Interested in working for Cardinal Spirits? Well, you're in luck because we're hiring! We are currently looking for hosts, servers and tour guides.

As Bloomington's 1st and oldest craft distillery, we are always focused on elevating customer service and providing exceptional cocktails. We also love to have a good time.

So, are you ready to join the flock? Apply here!

Limoncello Recipe featuring Prima Materia

Meet our newest spirit, Prima Materia: a gluten-free, high-proof spirit distilled from white grapes. We are releasing this limited edition spirit at the distillery only starting this Friday. At 190 proof and 95% ABV — whoa — Prima Materia is the highest proof that a spirit can be distilled, which means it's not meant to be drank straight.

So what exactly do you do with the thing?

Prima Materia is designed to be a high-quality base ingredient for infusions, tinctures, bitters and other DIY recipes calling for high-proof alcohol. 

We know what you're thinking: high-proof spirits are not particularly known for their quality, drinkability or craft. But, Prima Materia is a superior option. First, it's fermented and distilled on-site at our distillery, whereas other mass-produced options are simply bottled by a producer. Also, it's gluten-free (distilled from white grapes), providing a pure, clean base for the recipes you want to make at home.

Now that you know all this stuff about Prima Materia, you might wonder how to get started on your own infusions and tinctures at home.

We're here to help. A great place to start is Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur that is made by steeping lemon peels in Prima Materia. The result is a a bright, pleasantly sweet liqueur that is traditionally enjoyed chilled and straight as a digestif, or after-dinner drink.

The best part is that it only takes four ingredients to make a batch of this flavorful liqueur from scratch. 

 

LIMONCELLO

Recipe by Robert Hackett

Makes approximately 2.5 liters

4 large (or 6 medium or 8 small) lemons
1 liter of Cardinal Spirits Prima Materia high-proof alcohol (190 proof / 95% ABV)
800 grams of sugar
1.25 liters of water

1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peels from the lemons. (Note: The white, spongy layer between the peel and the fruit is called the pith. Try to minimize the amount of pith when peeling, as it will impart more bitterness on the final product.)

2. Add the lemon peels and the Prima Materia to an airtight container and let steep for 10 days, shaking every 2 days. Store container in a cool, dark place.

3. After 10 days, prepare a syrup. Bring the water to a boil and slowly add sugar, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

4. While the syrup is still warm, pour the lemon-infused alcohol through a strainer into the syrup. Be sure no solid particles pass through into the liquid.

5. Stir to thoroughly combine.

6. Let cool at room temperature, then it’s ready to drink. Salute!

Prima Materia will be released this Friday, Jan. 27, at noon at the distillery. Come by and taste the Limoncello that we've made with our Prima Materia, just for this weekend — a chilled, straight pour is $5. Plus, we'll be offering free distillery tours on Saturday at 1, 2 and 3pm. No need to RSVP, just show up!