Tag: Corks ‘n Crowns

DRINK OF THE WEEK: Alison Reide’s Two of Hearts

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Two of Hearts NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS
Two of Hearts
NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS

Chocolate and strawberries. Strawberries and chocolate. Is there a better traditional combo for Valentine’s Day?

We softies at Drink of the Week say no, precisely because even if our hearts are broken at least we have chocolate to eat and maybe some strawberries to blend into pancakes. So when we got to talking to Alison Reide, host of the cupcake and champagne tastings at Corks & Crowns, about her plans for V-Day, we had to have her design a cocktail. Last year, she made us the Valentini, but this time we challenged her to top that.

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Drink of the Week: Corks n’ Crowns’ Dark ‘n’Gory

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NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS
NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS

Pitch black is the new black. At least when it comes to Halloween cocktails. Just ask Alison Riede, who came up with our Drink of the Week — the Dark ‘n’ Gory, her twist on the classic Dark and Stormy cocktail, using one of the darkest rums out there: Whaler’s. Add to that, Riede uses a Black Lemonade from a company called Skeleteen. (Look for it at BevMo! because that’s the only place we’ve seen it.) There’s a skull on the label, so it’s easy to spot, and it’s not alcoholic, either.

Cupcake maven Ms. Riede, who hosts cupcake pairings — with alcohol — every Sunday at Corks n’ Crowns in Santa Barbara, also adds a little bit of brown sugar and lychee juice to sweeten it up, and a rim of red sugar … or is it blood sugar? And to make it all that more spooktacular, Ms. Riede made “eyes” from lychees with blueberries stuffed inside. Tip: Sprinkle some leftover red sugar on the “eyes” and soon they’ll be “bloodshot.” With two impaled eyes on a straw resting on the rim, you have a drink that seems to be checking out the drinker, perfect for your Halloween party!

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