Switchgrass Series: Sangria

I met Sarah and Nick from Switchgrass Spirits a few years ago on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s always all-hands-on-deck at the Irish bar where I work, so we call upon our generous friends to staff our satellite stations. Switchgrass was in its infancy at the time and it’s been so fun to see their operation grow into my favorite local distillery. When they reached out about a cocktail content partnership, being the fangirl that I am, I couldn't say yes quick enough.

I love the range of their offerings. The Apple Brandy is crisp and distilled with locally sourced Jonathan apples from Happy Apples. 

We wanted these recipes to be approachable for the home bartender, so you will see a well-rounded group of classics that don't require many additional ingredients. Home bartending doesn’t have to be intimidating. Have some fun and don't overthink it! There are really only a handful of base templates for a good cocktail. Once you have the right ratio (right meaning what tastes best for you), you can swap out ingredients and try elevating the recipe with other elements like flavored liqueurs or muddled herbs. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I've thrown plenty of experiments down the drain and I still do. The cocktails in this series are designed to play around with and the measurements are my suggestion, but should serve as a starting point for your preferred tastes.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Switchgrass Apple Brandy

• 3/4 oz red wine

• 1/2 oz gin

• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 oz maple syrup

Add the wine, Apple Brandy, gin, lemon juice, and maple syrup in a mixing glass with ice and stir until frosty. Strain into a snifter over fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and cranberries.