We’ve Got Something In Common

The We’ve got Something in Common duo is a love story, inspired by the R&B artists Bobby Brown & Whitney Houston’s track by the same name. It is a chat of dainty lightness and smooth ruggedness, utilizing common ground to bring it all together. The commonality in both beverages is the use of Orgeat (Almond) syrup & blackberry juice. The mocktail titled Passionate has berry notes with hints of mint. The cocktail titled Love features Maker’s Mark® smoothness to carry the lime-heavy simple beverage. Together this duo makes Passionate Love with their similar notes.

Ingredient Prep:

Orgeat Syrup: Place half a pound to 1 pound of almonds into a food processor & process until you get a fine powder. Add this powder to 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of water and cook for 30-45 minutes on medium until the mixture reduces by half. Place in strainer to remove the almond powder and store syrup in squeeze bottle. Set aside. One can also purchase Orgeat (Almond) syrup as well.

Blackberry juice: Add a pint of blackberries to a blender and blend well. Strain all the seeds out into a mason jar & seal. Refrigerate until needed.

Garnish directions:

               Candied berries: Take 2 cups of granulated sugar, 1 cup of water and ½ cup of light corn syrup and add to a pot. Cook until the mixture reaches 300 degrees via a candy thermometer. Upon reaching 300 degrees, place the pot into an ice bath until the mixture stops bubbling and then remove the pot from the ice bath. Carefully dip the berries (blackberries & strawberries with green still on) into the mixture, covering them completely, allowing the excess sugar to drip off. Cool on wax paper sprayed with oil for easy removal later.

               Lime Wedges: Cut a lime into 4-6 wedges and set aside.

               Lime Wedge Ice ball: place 1 lime wedge into a sphere ice mold, fill with water & freeze. Loosen from mold under warm water.

               Mint Leaves and stalks: Place a stalk of mint into a candied blackberry & set aside. Also prep some leaves to use as garnish.

Mocktail Glassware: Tall champagne flute

Mocktail Creation (Passionate):

Into your shaker place:

1 oz Blackberry Juice

1 oz Orgeat (Almond) Syrup

4-5 Mint Leaves

1-2 strawberries, stems removed

Muddle REALLY well.

Add 3-4 ice cubes & shake REALLY well. Pour into a tall champagne flute, drop a candied strawberry into the glass and push it down into the narrowing neck of the flute & top with Italian Blood Orange Soda with 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters. Garnish with candied blackberry with a stalk of mint inserted, floated in glass & a fresh blackberry placed on the side of the glass with a lime wedge. Enjoy!

Cocktail Glassware: Rocks Glass

Cocktail Creation (Love):

Into your shaker place:

2 oz Blackberry Juice

1 oz Orgeat (Almond) Syrup

1.5 oz Makers Mark

1 oz Lime Juice

Add 3-4 ice cubes & shake REALLY well.

Place your ice sphere, containing your lime wedge into your glass. Strain mixture into the rocks glass. Add a splash of the Italian Blood Orange Soda. Garnish side of glass with candied strawberry & blackberry.