Basil Hayden Bluegrass Punch

By Matt Domino Published April 15, 2014

Bluegrass punch — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s no secret that we at The Manual love a good cocktail. We take pride in making sure that we are on top of our mixology game at all times. Not only does it help keep things fresh (I mean, how boring is it to stick to one drink all the time?), but also it helps us know what cocktails work for the right occasions. With April half over and May rapidly approaching, we have a perfect drink for high spring: The Basil Hayden’s Bluegrass Punch.

We’ve already covered our love of Basil Hayden’s Bourbon, so if you don’t know how great it is already, we suggest that you step up your bourbon game right away. But the Bluegrass Punch is a new cocktail that we’re excited about serving to friends over the coming warm weather months.

Recommended Videos

For those of us in the cold weather states, April and May signals the start of barbecue season. The Basil Hayden’s Bluegrass Punch is the perfect drink to make in large batches for all of your buddies to sip in the backyard (or on the rooftop for you city dwellers). Plus, with the Kentucky Derby right around the corner, it’s tie-in to the Bluegrass State makes a nice alternative to the classic mint julep for a Derby Day gathering.

Below are the ingredients and steps to making this colorful cocktail, We always suggest using organic juices when you can. Oh and don’t wear white while drinking this concoction- blueberry’s and bleach aren’t fun.

Basil Hayden’s® Bluegrass Punch

Ingredients:

4 parts Basil Hayden’s ® Bourbon

8 parts Blueberry Juice

8 parts Passion Fruit Juice

Sparkling Wine or Club Soda

Fresh Mint Leaves

Method:

1. Add Basil Hayden’s, blueberry juice, passion fruit juice and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake.

2. Top with club soda or sparkling wine

Blueberry Ice Ring (for garnish)

Freeze one bag of frozen blueberries with water in a bunt cake pan. Dip frozen ring into hot water for a few seconds to unmold. Place in punch bowl with blueberry side up.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Matt Domino is a writer living in Brooklyn. His fiction has appeared in Slice and The Montreal Review, while his non-fiction…

Food & Drink

Town Branch is releasing the oldest bottled-in-bond American single malt whiskey ever

Town Branch is getting in on the American single malt whiskety trend

Town Branch

With the recent news that American Single Malt Whiskey is officially a recognized category, there’s a newfound enthusiasm for the whiskey style. This is excellent news for the distillers at Lexington, Kentucky’s Town Branch Distilling. Not only are they releasing a new American single malt whiskey, but they’re releasing the oldest bottle-in-bond American single malt ever.
Town Branch 15-Year Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey Archive Series Vol. 1

The first in its Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey Archive Series, this expression was made with 100% malted barley and distilled in a single season by one distiller at Town Branch. The barrels that comprise this limited-edition whiskey were hand-picked from the Town Branch Archive Series, which features some of the oldest American single malt whiskey ever made. Matured for at least fifteen years in ex-bourbon barrels, this 100-proof, bottled-in-bond, single-barrel barrel, non-chill filtered whiskey is truly special and not to be missed.

Food & Drink

How to make eggnog and mix into 6 cocktail recipes

A guide on how to mix and enjoy this holiday classic

Homemade eggnog

With the holiday season upon us, now is the time for cozy festive drinks like eggnog. While most of my experiences with this drink have been slightly underwhelming, using pre-made eggnog from the store, the experience of occasionally enjoying fresh homemade nog has changed my mind about this completely. In my experience it's well worth it make your own at home, and once you have it ready you can mix eggnog into cocktails for yourself and your guests. If you haven't made it before, don't worry -- it's easy to do at home and requires common ingredients you'll find in any store.

According to Tyson Buhler of the renowned bar Death & Co, you can make your eggnog even more memorable by aging it: "If you have the patience and refrigerator space, let this nog age for a few months, and the flavor and texture will change drastically over time."

Food & Drink

Laird Superfood launches new latte for enhanced energy and vitality

A healthier version of your favorite latte

Laird Maca Instant Latte

Just in time to support New Year's resolutions, functional coffee brand Laird Superfood has launched a new product: the Maca Instant Latte. The brand's Instant Lattes are already popular amongst health-conscious coffee drinkers, but this launch adds a new product to the Instant Latte product line. Made with plant-based superfoods and minimally processed ingredients, the Maca Latte is designed to boost vitality and energy to support your active lifestyle.

According to Laird, Maca is becoming "more popular but hasn't yet been incorporated into many mainstream and easy-to-use products. Our Maca Instant Latte is a delicious and nutritious way for consumers to restore their vitality every day. At Laird Superfood we are continually innovating with new ingredients that help enhance daily rituals – like a morning cup of coffee," said Jason Vieth, CEO of Laird Superfood. " The Maca Instant Latte also contains naturally occurring MCTs for sustained energy, along with the power of Laird’s beloved Performance Mushroom Blend to enhance energy.