Grand Finale Recipe

Say hello to your new favorite nightcap. This warm drink is so soothing, and the delightful floral notes of our Flora liqueur really sing in chamomile tea. An ideal companion for addressing holiday cards…

GRAND FINALE

By Chris Resnick, bartender at Cardinal Spirits in Bloomington

8 ounces warm chamomile tea

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Flora

Lemon wheel, for garnish

Brew the tea according to package directions. Combine Flora and the warm tea in a mug, then garnish with a lemon wheel.

Hot Hopscotch recipe

The easiest brunch drink you ever did see. 

HOT HOPSCOTCH 

Makes 1 cocktail

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Songbird Coffee Liqueur
6 ounces hot coffee
Whipped cream (optional garnish)

Add liqueur and coffee to a mug and give it a lil' stir. Top with whipped cream if you'd like.

Nocino Eggnog Recipe

This is easily one of our favorite 2-ingredient cocktails ever. Our earthy, nutty Nocino (a liqueur that we make using Indiana walnuts) plus top-notch eggnog (we go crazy for the luxuriously smooth one from Traders Point Creamery in Zionsville, Ind.) equals dreamy holiday heaven.

Nocino + Eggnog Cocktail

Makes 1 cocktail

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Nocino
3 ounces eggnog

Combine Nocino and eggnog in a mug or rocks glass filled with ice. Give it a stir. Top with a dusting of cinnamon or espresso powder — or nothing at all ... it's just that good on its own.

Chai Wallah recipe

The warming spices of chai plus the fresh, woodsy profile of Terra Botanical Gin is the loveliest combo. Unexpected and unforgettable!

CHAI WALLAH

By Kevin Hinkle, bartender at Cardinal Spirits

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Terra Botanical Gin
1.5 ounces ginger-chai tea (recipe follows)
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
Candied ginger, for garnish

Add all ingredients except for garnish to a shaker, then add ice. Shake well, then strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Garnish with candied ginger.

For the ginger-chai tea: Peel and chop a ½-inch knob of ginger. Prepare a cup of chai tea according to package directions, adding the chopped ginger to the cup. Allow to cool completely, then strain out the ginger before using.

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.

Copper Tone cocktail recipe

This vodka cocktail has the best backstory. It starts with Claire McInerny, a Bloomington woman who won a year's supply of something she's completely obsessed with — LaCroix Sparkling Water. This was a dream come true for Claire, who will receive 100 cases in a variety of flavors over the year. There's just one flavor she hates: Coconut. It tastes like sunscreen, she says, and inevitably LaCroix will send her some of it. Could we help her love Coconut LaCroix by adding our spirits, Claire wondered?

We invited Claire to our bar to mix Coconut LaCroix cocktails with our bartender Alex Utter, and this drink — cleverly named Copper Tone by a Facebook commenter — is something they came up with together: Bright and fruity with a kick from cayenne ... and definitely no sunscreen. 

COPPER TONE

Makes 1 cocktail

By Alex Utter and Claire McInerny

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Vodka
3/4 ounces passion fruit puree
1/2 ounce grapefruit juice
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce cayenne-honey syrup (recipe below)
Coconut LaCroix Sparkling Water, to taste
Lemon peel, for garnish

Add all ingredients except for LaCroix to a shaker, then add ice. Shake well, then strain into a large rocks glass filled with ice. Top with Coconut LaCroix, then garnish with a lemon peel.

(To make the cayenne-honey syrup, combine 1 cup honey, 1 cup water and a teaspoon of cayenne (more or less, depending on the amount of spice you like) in a saucepan. Heat and stir until honey has dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely before using. Store in refrigerator.)