Summer Moonshine Cocktails to Rock You

Fresh_Cocktails_Mixed Drinks_in_summer_heat_14

(From newsday.com)

Holy mother of grain alcohol, these sound good. Gotta try some this weekend.

BLUE RICKEY SPRITZER

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Ice

1 ounce Rangpur gin

1 ounce blueberry moonshine

1/2 ounce lime juice

4 ounces seltzer water

1/4 cup fresh blueberries

Fresh mint, to garnish

Into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine the gin, moonshine and lime juice. Shake well, then strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with seltzer water and stir just to combine. Top with the blueberries and mint.

FULL MOON LEMONADE

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Ice

1 ounce limoncello

1 ounce lemon juice

1 ounce moonshine

1 teaspoon sugar

Lemon slice, to garnish

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients except the lemon slice. Shake to combine, then strain into a tall glass filled with ice and garnish with lemon.

LOW-HANGING FRUIT

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Ice

1 ounce blackberry moonshine

1/2 ounce Frangelico

1 ounce pear brandy

Fresh blackberries, to garnish

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine the moonshine, Frangelico and pear brandy. Shake well, then strain into a small cocktail glass and garnish with blackberries.

APPLE COBBLER

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

1 ounce apple pie moonshine

1 ounce apple honey wine or mead

1 ounce dark spiced rum

1/2 ounce ginger liqueur

1/2 ounce lemon juice

Cinnamon stick, to garnish

Lemon twist, to garnish

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine the moonshine, mead, rum, ginger liqueur and lemon juice. Shake until combined and chilled, then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and lemon twist.

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Beware the Arak

Arak Razzouk-500x500Coming out of Iran this week it’s been reported that there have been more than seven deaths, multiple cases of blindness and more than 300 illnesses after people consumed arak, a cheap and intoxicating moonshine made from raisins.

As is the case with corn-based moonshine, which can contain small amounts of methanol in the first 20 ounces or so of liquid that comes off the still, raisin-based moonshine can also produce methanol. Some in Iran believe the real culprit in the arak may be sawdust, which would contain the pectin that makes methanol poisonous. (Read more here.)

Deepest sympathies to those who’ve been hurt and killed in Iran by the poisonous arak. I can’t urge all of my readers enough to know where you’re getting moonshine from — there are plenty of legal ways to get it here in the states, at least — and how it was produced. If you’re living in Iran and are not sure, it’s probably best not to drink arak until authorities get to the bottom of what’s causing the illnesses.

Shot of Awesome

Dammit, Christmas just passed. Well someone better buy me these next year or else! They’re $12 a piece though — kinda pricey for a single shot glass, especially if you’re trying to stock your bar with them. Anyway, still purely awesome and hilarious. You can buy them online here.

mini-moonshine-jar-shot-glass

Moonshine Monikers and Nicknames

In its storied history, moonshine has been called a lot of things. Call it what you want, it’s pure goodness in a mason jar.