A trip to the mountains is full of fresh air and all of the scents of nature. Truly unforgettable, one trip to the Smokies will reel you with wanting more. If you can’t make it back just yet, here are some cocktails to remind you of all things mountain-esque.
Delight your senses with these 5 tasty cocktails of 2022:
Mountain Man
Similar to the ever-so-popular Penicillin, you’ll fall in love with the flavors of this Mountain Man cocktail. With ingredients like bourbon and maple syrup, it’s absolutely delicious.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Bourbon
- 1/4 oz Peach Liqueur
- 3/4 Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1/4 oz Maple Syrup
- 1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
- 1-2 Pieces of Candied Ginger as Garnish
Directions:
- Fill a shaker with ice and set a lowball glass aside
- Add Bourbon, Lemon Juice, Ginger Syrup, and Peach Liqueur to the shaker
- Shake for 10-20 seconds
- Fill lowball glass with fresh ice and strain shaker ingredients into lowball glass
- Garnish with Pieces of Candied Ginger
Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail
If you’re associating the mountains with fall time, what more could you ask for than an apple-cinnamon delight?
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Bourbon
- 1 oz Autumn Spice Simple Syrup
- 1 oz Apple Cider
- 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
- 1 Dash Orange Bitters
- 1-2 Apple slices as Garnish
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks as Garnish
Directions:
- Get a mixing glass and fill it with ice while setting aside an extra glass for the finished cocktail
- Pour the Bourbon, Autumn Spice Simple Syrup (can be bought or made in advance), Sweet Vermouth, Apple Cider, and Lemon Juice into the mixing glass
- Stir for 10-20 seconds
- Pour this combination into your finished glass
- Add a dash of orange bitters
- Garnish with Apple Slices and Cinnamon Sticks
Honey Orange Gin Cocktail
A riff off of a Bee’s Knees cocktail, this Honey Orange Gin Cocktail will remind you of summertime in the mountains.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Gin
- 1.5 oz Fresh Orange Juice
- 1 oz Honey Syrup
- .25 oz Pine Simple Syrup
- 2 Dashes of Orange Bitters
- .25 oz Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
- Pine Needles as Garnish
- Orange Slices as Garnish
Directions:
- Fill a shaker with ice and set a wine glass or coupe glass aside
- Pour the Gin, Fresh Orange Juice, Honey Syrup, Pine Simple Syrup (can be bought or made in advance), Orange Bitters, and Fresh Lime Juice into the shaker
- Shake for 10-20 seconds
- Fill wine glass with ice (if using a coupe, don’t fill with ice) and pour ingredients into glass
- Garnish with Pine Needle and Orange Wedges
Cranberry Vodka Spritzer
A flavorful delight that reminds you of summertime, fall, and winter! This Cranberry Vodka Spritzer is sure to refresh and open up your taste buds.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
- .25 Lime Juice
- Splash of Cranberry
- Splash of Prosecco
- Lime Wheel as Garnish
- Fresh Cranberries as Garnish
- Rosemary Sprig as Garnish
Directions:
- Fill a mixing glass with ice and set aside a lowball glass
- Pour the Vodka, Campari, Lime Juice, and Sweet Vermouth into Mixing Glass
- Stir for 1-20 seconds
- Fill lowball glass with fresh ice and strain the ingredients into glass
- Top off with a Splash of Cranberry and a Splash of Prosecco
- Garnish with a Lime Wheel, Rosemary Sprig, and Fresh Cranberries
Hot Buttered Rum
Warning: This is a HOT drink. Use glassware that is fine with warm temperatures. This Hot Buttered Rum cocktail is perfect for colder weather, but feel free to soak up this mountain-inspired cocktail throughout any season!
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Dark Rum
- 6 oz Hot Water
- .25 oz Honey
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
- 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Ground Allspice
- Pinch of Salt to Taste
- 1-2 Cinnamon Sticks as Garnish
Directions:
- In a mixing bowl, combine Butter, Vanilla Extract, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, and Salt. Mix it until seamlessly combined
- In a separate glass or mug, pour the Dark Rum and the mixing bowl mixture
- Top off the alcohol and mixture with hot water
- Stir for 20 seconds
- Garnish with Cinnamon Sticks
Now that you’ve got some cocktails to make, don’t forget to sip on it as you plan out your next visit to the Smoky Mountains. It’s time to relax and unwind in the mountains again.
