Hello warmth and sun! You and your patio need some spring cocktail love. Making cocktails with a Bonne O is simple. The tough part is deciding what to make. Any cocktail combination is possible. When you combine the new possibilities added by fruit, herb and spice infusions the creative options are endless. Today we'll create a Pom Citrus Sangria, Hard Mint Lemonade and an Orange-Basil Gin Fizz.
Sangrias come in many different flavors. For a traditional sangria, you would use red wine, fruit and a bit of brandy. Since it is spring we'll do a fresher version and create a Pom Citrus Sangria using white wine. Using your Bonne O machine it is ready in minutes vs. the hours for normal preparation.
Fill the bottle with an ounce of brandy, an ounce of triple sec, a slice of orange, a slice of lemon and completely full the remainder of the bottle with any dry, chilled white wine. Fill the flavor chamber with pomegranate syrup and place a carbonator in the flavor chamber.
Push the button and watch as the white wine, pomegranate and citrus is pressure infused together and carbonated. For a video of the start of the creation process, click here. If your wine is insufficiently chilled, add a few ice cubes to the bottle before carbonating - it will rapidly chill the contents. Remember that the colder the bottle contents are, the better the carbonation.
Sangrias prepared with a Bonne O will remain sealed and fully carbonated until you are ready to enjoy. Fruit and wine combinations will create many bubbles. Top open easily, do the following. Press the vent on the top bottle cap to release some pressure, let the bubbles settle and repeat a couple times. After that the cap will be easy to open. Enjoy!
Next up is the Mint Hard Lemonade. Adding a bit of mint to hard lemonade is a nice optional touch.
Add 3/4 cup of chilled vodka (if not chilled, add some ice cubes as well) and a sprig of fresh mint to the bottle and top up with cold water. Fill the flavor chamber with lemon syrup and place a carbonator in the carbonation chamber.
Press the button and watch as the lemon and mint is pressure infused and all the bottle contents are carbonated. For a video of the start of the cycle, click here.
If you add a lot of mint, open this over the sink as the mint will encourage bubble creation. I recommend only one sprig as the flavor pressure infuses very strongly. Pour and enjoy! Perfect for a sunny spring day.
Finally the Basil-Orange Gin Fizz. We made this drink constantly at the 2015 IHA Chicago Show and it was a big hit. Here is how to make it at home.
Place a couple sprigs of basil in the bottle, add 3/4 cup of chilled gin (if not chilled add a few ice cubes as well) and top up the bottle with cold water. Fill the flavor chamber with orange syrup and place a carbonator in the carbonation chamber.
Press the button and watch as the basil is pressure infused into the drink. You will see the basil leaves become translucent as they are squeezed and the flavor enters the drink. For a video of the start of cycle, click here.
Pour and enjoy! We hope your patio, friends and tastebuds appreciate the cocktail love.
