Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 20 – Tropical Whisky Sour. The classic whisky sour gets a tropical takeover with a little Jungle Bird flair. Amaro Nonino brings a welcome bitterness to counter the sweet passionfruit juice.
I suspect for many of you, like me, this is your last day of work for 2024. CHEERS TO THAT! I’m celebrating with a pedicure, grocery shopping for Christmas, and a quiet night in. We might also demolish a wall in the basement today but TBD. We like to keep ourselves guessing.
One thing about me, as I’ve mentioned before, I can find any number of treasures on Facebook Marketplace. A recent triumph was a showroom kitchen from a local interior design company. We are intending to put a full kitchen and bar in the basement but weren’t planning to make any progress on that front until late 2025 at the earliest.
That being said, when I stumbled upon a Facebook Marketplace listing for a showroom coffee bar with complete with Miele coffee machine, dishwasher, bar fridge, sink, full lower cabinets, quartz countertop, and two floor-to-ceiling walnut cabinets – all for $5,000 – I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Not that we could *afford* to make this kind of investment in the midst of a comprehensive bathroom renovation but the same kitchen new would cost at least $30,000 – so we couldn’t afford *not* to.
Overall, it’s a huge head start on a comprehensive forthcoming renovation and will save us loads in the long run. We need to demolish a wall because the run of lower cabinets is about 10′ and we currently have a cramped little box of a kitchen in the basement separating it from the bar and living room areas. The wall is not structural and once it’s down, we’ll be able to fully assemble the cabinets, place the countertop on and connect the dishwasher/sink for an immediate increase in functionality.
If you’re planning a major kitchen renovation any time soon, always keep an eye on Marketplace for showroom kitchens that come up for sale more often than you might think. Stay tuned to my Instagram for updates on the progress of this major undertaking that we’ll be chipping away at for the foreseeable future.
Be sure to tune into my Instagram Stories tonight at 5 p.m. Eastern for a step-by-step cocktail tutorial on how to make this tropical tipple.
Cheers, friends!
Tropical Whisky Sour
The classic whisky sour gets a tropical takeover with a little Jungle Bird flair. Amaro Nonino brings a welcome bitterness to counter the sweet passionfruit juice.
- 1 oz rye
- 1 oz Amaro Nonino
- ½ oz spiced cranberry syrup
- ½ oz passionfruit juice
- ½ oz lemon juice
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- Garnish: rosemary sprig
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1¼ cups water
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 strips of orange peel 2-inch thick
- 1/8 tsp salt
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Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
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Strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube.
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Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
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Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not cook longer or the syrup will become jelly.
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Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
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Fine strain into an airtight container.
