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Spiked Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew 

If you haven’t figured it out by now, we love our coffee. My family is originally from Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, so it’s kind of a big deal to me. Our ritual for making coffee is a little time consuming, but when you’re dealing with the best beans grown in the world you tend to take your time to truly experience it. Unfortunately life comes at you fast and we don’t always have the time to make it fresh so I got into the habit of batch making cold brew and it’s been a lifesaver! In the mornings I just pour a glass into my lucky mug and head out the door.

It’s the weekend though, and on the weekends I like to turn it up a notch and give it an extra kick because let’s be honest, coffee and booze go together like peanut butter & jelly. You really can’t say one without thinking of the other right? And with us coming into the home stretch of pumpkin spice season we thought it would only be appropriate to bring together a few of our favorite things for one final hurrah now that Thanksgiving has wrapped up. After all, the big box stores have been shoving it down your throat since August…AUGUST! But we promise this will be it from us as we’ll officially be packing up the pumpkin spice for the season, but we can’t make the same promises for Starbucks and Trader Joe’s.

For this recipe you can make cold brew the traditional way (below), the Ethiopian way, or if you want to cut out that step feel free to pick your favorite store bought brand (We love Stoked). If cold brew isn’t your thing, feel free to adjust the recipe to hot coffee, especially those of you experiencing the real “winter” right now while we’re still toasty down in Florida.

Spiked Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew 

  • 4 oz Cold Brew coffee (Recipe Below)
  • 2 oz Spiced Rum
  • 2 oz Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup (Frozen in ice cubes or used as is)
  • 4 oz Marshmallow Topping (For creamer)
  •  2 oz RumChata

Fill a mason jar with ice. If you choose to, freeze your pumpkin spice syrup in ice cubes a few hours in advance and star with those. In your jar, combine your cold brew, spiced rum (plus syrup if you didn’t freeze it first) leaving just about an inch of room at the top. Float your RumChata creamer on top and serve.

RumChata Cream Topping

  • 4 oz Marshmallow topping
  • 2 oz RumChata

Mix ingredients in a small bowl or cup until fully mixed together. This will be your cold brew cream topping. 

Cold Brew Coffee (Makes 2 quarts)

  • 8 ounces whole coffee beans
  • 8 cups (2 quarts) water, preferably filtered
  • Coffee grinder
  • 2 (3-quart) jars or pitchers with lids
  • Cheesecloth
  • Rubber band

Grind the coffee beans into a coarse grind. Combine the ground coffee and water in the 3-quart jar.  Next stir the coffee with the water until well blended. The coffee will float to the top as it sits, but that’s ok. Steep the coffee overnight in the fridge. Cover and refrigerate the cold brew for at least 18 hours or up to 24 hours. Strain the coffee concentrate. Line a small fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a large measuring cup. Slowly pour the coffee concentrate through the strainer. Depending on the size of your strainer, you may need to strain the coffee in batches. Do not squeeze or press the coffee grounds in the cheesecloth. Transfer to the cold brew to a clean jar for longer-term storage. Once strained, transfer the coffee to a clean, airtight jar for long-term storage. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Undiluted, the cold brew will last for up to 2 weeks while diluted cold brew lasts 2-3 days refrigerated. 

Cheers,

Alex

 

Disclaimer: RumChata sample provided courtesy of the brand, opinions are 100% mine.

It seems like pumpkin season comes earlier and earlier each year doesn’t it? We just wrapped up Summer with these DELICIOUS Pineapple Mango Smoothies with RumChata and here we are all set for Pumpkin season. When I worked in beer sales in my former life it was pretty amazing how every year Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Ales hit the shelves in early August. Just for reference, it’s still 90 degrees daily in Florida until about mid-September. And by the time October rolls around most of the beer companies have already sold out of their fall stocks. Pretty crazy right? I’ve always done my best to hold off on going pumpkin crazy too early, but we’re pretty much through September and that’s about as far as I can make it.  Every time I pass a Starbucks or walk into a donut shop, that pumpkin spice gets me in the mood… to drink. So I went to the liquor cabinet and brought out some of my Fall seasonal heavyweights.

So I went to the liquor cabinet and brought out one of my seasonal heavyweights; Hiram Walker Pumpkin Liqueur, it pretty much stays in rotation for the next few months. I also love the taste of Licor 43 in a lot of drinks this time of year so I brought that out as well. Over the past few months though, we’ve been working with RumChata and found that it’s an easy mix for just about any occasion. Iced coffee for breakfast, boozy milkshakes for a scorching hot summer day, and it’s clearly a no-brainer for some sweet drinks with a bit of Fall spice to them.If you like your drinks Pumpkin-y and strong, then that’s all you’ll need to make this one, but if you want to tame it down a bit, it’s as simple as adding milk. Check out our recipe below and tell us what you think!

Rumchata Pumpkin Pie

RumChata Pumpkin Pie 

  • 3 Parts RumChata
  • 1 Part Pumpkin Liqueur
  • 1/2 Part Licor 43
  • 1 Part Milk (optional for weaker taste)
  • Graham Cracker for garnish (optional)

Instructions: Combine the first 4 ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake. Separately rim a chilled glass with graham cracker crust. Strain your mixture into the glass, and optionally add graham cracker crust on top of the cocktail. Enjoy.

RumChata Pumpkin Pie

 

For more information on RumChata, including recipes and where you can grab a bottle, visit their website HERE or follow them on FACEBOOK.

Disclaimer: RumChata sample provided courtesy of the brand, opinions are 100% mine.

ChilaPumpkinPie

Who doesn’t love pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving? We’ve turned it up a notch with a boozy pumpkin pie recipe that will leave you feeling good this holiday. At a time where creative culinary is at an all time high It’s a classic that will always be served at my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners but I’m a sucker for some good booze infusion so when I stumbled on this recipe for pumpkin pie that adds in Chila Orchata liqueur I had to share it. Chila ’Orchata is a unique blend of Virgin Islands Rum, real dairy cream and a sprinkle of exotic cinnamon. We reviewed Chila Orchata Cinnamon Rum Cream earlier this year and it is bar far my new favorite liqueur of 2014. I mentioned back then that I knew this would be an awesome fall recipe spirit and sure enough we’ve gone through 3 bottles so far. Grab a bottle, try it and if you’re feeling adventurous try this pie recipe. Just in case make it early in the week, if you love it make it again for the family on Thursday.

Cheers

– 1/4 cup Chila ‘Orchata
– 1 pre-made pie crust
– 3 eggs
– 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
– 3/4 cup brown sugar
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat pumpkin and eggs in a medium bowl until creamy. Whisk in brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Add cream, Chila ‘Orchata and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour pumpkin mixture into pie crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.(If pie crust edges get too brown during baking, cover with aluminum foil.) Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Chila Orchata Cinnamon Rum Cream

IMG_4132Is it sweater weather yet where you live? Fall is our favorite time of year, and while we don’t get the extreme Winters here in Florida that I once loved growing up in Chicago (and Lori growing up in Boston), it does get a bit chilly here in Central Florida. The leaves have changed colors, our bodies are adjusting to daylight savings time (hopefully), and our favorite fall flavors are everywhere in the things we eat and drink.

Seasonal limited editions are a big hit every year, and coffee liqueur giant Kahlua is never one to be left out of the fun. In 2010 we saw the release of Kahlua Peppermint Mocha, a huge hit around my house, and they followed that up with Kahlua Cinnamon Spice in 2011. In 2012, Kahlua Gingerbread hit the shelves, and now they’re back in the holiday spirits in 2013 with the release of Kahlua Pumpkin Spice.

First Impression: When it ain’t broke, you don’t fix it. Kahlua Pumpkin comes with the signature Kahlua bottle, with a new label highlighting its flavor, and seasonal availability. On the nose it’s pretty inviting. That familiar coffee aroma is slightly overpowered by pumpkin, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

Review: Kahlua Pumpkin is by far our favorite of the limited edition seasonal releases from Kahlua. The Pumpkin flavor is very complimentary to the Arabic coffee and sugar cane rum blend, without being too over powering. One problem I had with previous flavors were if you weren’t an absolute fan of the gingerbread, peppermint, or cinnamon flavors, you weren’t going to tolerate that liqueur very long. They were overwhelmingly flavorful. With Kahlua Pumpkin the pumpkin itself is there, but not overly sweet. It’s the perfect balance, and at 40 proof, its perfect for all levels of drinkers.

Price: $16.99 (750/ML)

Overall: This is by far my favorite release from Kahlua over the past decade, and It wouldn’t be a stretch to say it’s in my top 10 releases of any liqueur brand over that same time span. I generally only drink Kahlua three ways: on the rocks, in my coffee, and in White Russians. While it’s always been a versatile spirit, this new flavor has inspired me to use it in so much more this holiday season, and not just exclusively in drinks. Over ice cream, in cake/pie recipes, the possibilities are pretty much endless.

If you’re wondering where to find Kahlua Pumpkin spice, be sure to visit Kahlua.com and check for the closest retailer near you. Don’t forget, it’s a limited edition run and the holiday season is midway through so hurry up and grab a bottle (or two) before they run out. If you’re like me, you’ll want to grab an extra bottle to last you past December.If you’re looking for a few Kahlua Pumpkin Spice recipes, check back with us later this week as we share several. For now, here’s one below to hold you over a few days.

Kahlua Pumpkin Martini

  • 1 ½ parts KAHLUA PUMPKIN SPICE
  • 1 ½ parts ABSOLUT® VODKA

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with orange zest.

Cheers!

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