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Winter Cocktails Cookbook Review

Published on February 25, 2015 By Emily. Updated on February 25, 2015

Last fall, I entered a giveaway on my friend Julie’s blog, Savvy Eats and won.  The giveaway was a prize pack including preserves (they were yummy, Julie!), a game and other treats, but one of the items was a copy of Winter Cocktails: Mulled Ciders, Hot Toddies, Punches, Pitchers, and Cocktail Party Snacks by Maria Del Mar Sacasa.

winter_cocktails_72dpi

When I founf out I’d won, I didn’t think much about the book.  It sounded interesting, but I was way into beer at the time and I didn’t know how much use I’d actually get out of it.  Little did I know.

inside Winter Cocktails

This book is currently one of my favorite things on my cookbook shelf.   Not every recipe is illustrated, but the photos are plentiful and beautiful.  The text is clear and easy to read and the hardcover binding of the book is really nice.  Not to mention the multitude of delicious sounding recipes Winter Cocktails contains, many of which have non-alcoholic options.   I used to think that summer was the optimal season for alcohol, but my mind has been changed.

infused gin

I’ve spent the past few months trying out various recipes in the book.  There are still many I’m looking to create, including Liquid Gold (pineapple, rum and brandy), White Witch (chai and ginger) and the Nutella Melt, but we’ve found a couple favorites regardless.  The Hot Toddy has gotten a lot of play this winter, which is notable as I’d never had one before I won this book.   I even made a batch of the Chamomile-Pear infused gin found in the text.  The chamomile flavor seemed to overpower the pear,  but we plan on making it again.

earl grey lavender hot chocolate

I was also really excited by the Earl Grey Lavender Hot Chocolate.  I’m pretty sure Maria Del Mar Sacasa thought about all of my favorite things before creating it.  The recipe definitely took more work and time than basic hot chocolate, but it delivered on all fronts.  It was also one of the richest drinks I’ve ever had, so the second half of the mug was diluted some with milk.

earl grey lavender hot chocolate 2

If you’re looking to improve your cocktail creativity or are looking for a gift cookbook for someone, I’d highly recommend this one.  And heads up, the publisher (Quirk Books) will be releasing Summer Cocktails soon!

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Filed Under: books Tagged With: alcohol, books, review

« Highlights: Vegetarian/Vegan Soups for the Worst Winter
New Adventures: The Best Recipes I Tried In February 2015 »

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  1. Summer Cocktails Cookbook Review + Kentucky Mule Recipe says:
    June 9, 2015 at 8:26 pm

    […] in February when I wrote a glowing review of Winter Cocktails ?  Well, the awesome people at Quirk Books have done it again, publishing Summer Cocktails by […]

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Emily
Last week Brian and I finally got around to hiring Last week Brian and I finally got around to hiring a sitter for a rare night out. We went to dinner at @publicna and took advantage of the opportunity with drinks, appetizers and dessert.

Pictured:
- Citrus Braised Beef Tacos
- "Chicken and Waffles"
- House Fries with Garlic Aioli
- Fried Chickpeas
- Blood Orange Cheesecake
It was no surprise that Public was close to full on a Wednesday night - everything was so good. 

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#igers413_food #igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #NorthAdams #NAmazing #PublicEatAndDrink
New year, new theme word! This year's word is "enr New year, new theme word!
This year's word is "enrich" and I'm really excited about it.

I've written more about this year's theme on the blog. Click in the link in my profile or follow the link below to read the post.
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https://www.relishments.com/blog/my-2023-theme-word-enrich/
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#YearlyTheme #MyOneWord #2023 #enrich2023 #NewYearsResolution
It's not New Year's Eve without a Top 9 post. It's It's not New Year's Eve without a Top 9 post.
It's almost all #Berkshires content this year, which is great.
1. A pasta salad reel that took longer to create than the recipe took to make.
2. A reel from North Carolina where I could have watched birds all day.
3. The @thelazygenius book giveaway.
4.@plantconnector 
5. @berkshiremuseum 
6.@sculpture.now at @themountlenox 
7. @massmoca 
8. @mountainviewfarm413 
9. The #AshuwillticookRailTrail
New on the blog: My 2022 reflections on last year' New on the blog: My 2022 reflections on last year's theme word - resume. 

I was able to get back to many activities that were meaningful to me this year and I'm calling this theme a success. Follow the link below or click the link in my profile to read more.
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https://www.relishments.com/blog/reflections-on-resuming-in-2022/
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#resume2022 #newyearsresolution #myoneword #yearlytheme
New on the blog: My Favorite Recipes of 2022. For New on the blog: My Favorite Recipes of 2022.

For the fourth year, I've recapped the best new (to me) recipes I made this year in the hope that they'll give you some new dishes to try. This year's list is short, but delicious. It includes @budgetbytes My Favorite Recipes of 2022
Published on December 30, 2022 By Emily. Updated on December 30, 2022

It’s hard to believe that 2022 is basically behind us. Though overall this year found me getting back to the person I want to be (post-babies and “post”-pandemic), I did not try nearly as many new recipes this year as I used to. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I’d made note of any new-to-me recipes I wanted to share in this post. This year’s list is short, but delicious. It includes recipes from @budgetbytes, @smittenkitchen and @howsweeteats.
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Read the post by visiting the link in my profile or 
https://www.relishments.com/blog/my-favorite-recipes-of-2022/
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#RecipeRoundUp #BestRecipes2022 #FavoriteRecipes
@coastalmainebotanicalgardens continues to be one @coastalmainebotanicalgardens continues to be one of the highlights of all my return trips to Boothbay and their annual Gardens Aglow event continues to impress. It was great to be back to walking the gardens instead of the pandemic drive through and there seemed to be more lights than ever.  I'm already looking forward to next year.
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#Boothbay #BoothbayMaine #CoastalMaineBotanicalGardens #GardensAglow #BotanicalGarden #MidcoastMaine
It has been a while, but there is finally a new CS It has been a while, but there is finally a new CSA menu plan on the blog! Visit the link below or in my profile to see how I plan to make use of some of the @mightyfoodfarm produce seen here.
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https://www.relishments.com/blog/welcome-to-winter-farm-share-csa-menu-plan-148/
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#MightyFoodFarm #EatLocal #EatSeasonal #VermontGrown #CSApickup #CSAshare #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood #MenuPlanning #MealPlanning #igers413 #igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies
Fall in the Berkshires is always incredible, but t Fall in the Berkshires is always incredible, but this year we've had weather that has also been outstanding. The past 2 weekends have included time at Jaeschke Orchards, the Greylock Glen, and the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail as well as stopping to photograph any random foliage I see. 
Check out the last slide for video of some feathered friends we saw on a walk.
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#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #FallFoliage #FallColors #autumn #AshuwillticookRailTrail #JaeschkeOrchards #GreylockGlen
@freshgrassfestival continues to be one of my favo @freshgrassfestival continues to be one of my favorite events each year, and it doesn't hurt that it's just minutes away from home. Enjoying the festival with my kids is definitely a different experience than without, but it's still a good time. The weather was especially cooperative today which was great for all the laps I did around the @massmoca campus pushing a stroller. I'm already looking forward to next year.
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#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #NorthAdams #NAmazing #FreshGrass #FreshGrassFestival #MassMoCA #MusicFestival
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