IMPROV kitchen: liquid courage

You guys, I have a confession to make. I’m obsessed. Obsessed with this indie magazine called Cherry Bombe and everything it stands for. It combines two things I’m passionate about, food and feminism. So when I found out they host an annual conference called the Jubilee, I knew I had to go. So I booked a ticket to the conference and went by myself.

It was a full day of inspiring women speaking about some really interesting and powerful stuff in a room filled with 300 bad ass women from all walks of life. And something weird happened.

I totally froze up. I walked in like a new girl on the first day of school completely overwhelmed, looking around all doe-eyed hoping someone, anyone would come up and want to be my friend. It was terrifying. Logically it made no sense. I knew that at the core, everyone was here because we have a common interest – A LOVE OF FOOD and this amazing magazine.

It didn’t matter, my brain when into super shy, reserved mode. Which if you know me is not really my style at all. Has this ever happened to you?

By lunch time I finally grew the courage to walk up to a group of strangers and asked if I could sit with them. I put my big girl panties on and just broke the ice. Shocker, I didn’t die and I met 3 incredible ladies and I’m so glad I pushed past that fear.

If you find yourself in a similar situation soon, try to push past it and conquer that fear. And if you need a little extra push, you can always grab a little liquid courage with this cocktail.

Inspired by Cherry Bombe Magazine, I came up with the idea for this drink. I’ve been super into bourbon & whiskey lately and I wanted to create a strong drink for a bad ass lady. It’s perfectly balanced, not too sweet and not too tart. And it packs quite the punch. The best part? It’s super easy to make.

cherry bombe cocktail

Yields 1 drink

ingredients:

1 oz Rye Whiskey (I like Wild Turkey Rye)

1 oz sweet vermouth

¼ tsp tart cherry juice concentrate

4 – 5 dashes grapefruit bitters

ice

boozy cherry for garnish

In a large mixing glass, combine the whiskey, vermouth and tart cherry juice. Add about ½ c. crushed ice and stir for 30 seconds so that the ice slightly dilutes the drink. Pour over a large rock (ice cube) or crushed ice and toss in a few cherries. Sip, mix and repeat – responsibly of course.

improv style:

don’t like rye? You can use your favorite type of whiskey. Don’t like whiskey, use white rum, vodka or gin. It will be a totally different drink but still a delish cocktail!

Can’t find tart cherry juice or don’t like it? This is a cherry bombe but you could substitute for pomegranate juice concentrate or even acai juice.

Grapefruit bitters is a specialty bitter I have in my cocktail kit. I do believe they make all the difference in this drink. If you don’t want to buy an obscure ingredient like this, try squeezing the peel of a fresh grapefruit into the drink. You’ll get some of the bitter and floral notes that the grapefruit bitters imparts.

Sometimes I like to squeeze an orange peel and drop it into this drink. It’s like a cherry old fashioned without the sugar cube.

If this drink is too stiff for you, try adding in some sparkling water. Lacroix makes a cherry lime flavor that would be so good with this drink. You could also try adding a sugar cube, a splash of honey or maple syrup to sweeten the cocktail if you like your drinks a little less strong/tart.