The Spicy Bourbon And Beer Cocktail Giada De Laurentiis Serves At Parties
Giada De Laurentiis likes to set up a DIY bar for guests to help themselves at her parties, and she aims to include a featured drink that can get strangers talking. By setting out glasses, ingredients, and instructions for guests to refer to, De Laurentiis creates an ideal platform for friends and family to get hands-on and active throughout the course of the evening.
When choosing which kinds of drink recipes to offer her guests, De Laurentiis looks for something unique that can help break the ice in more ways than one. As she shared on Facebook, one of her go-to offerings, a maple bourbon and beer cocktail, lets guests enjoy all the flavors of fall and invites a bit of warmth to the party. The easy-to-make drink can be adjusted to suit the palates of each guest, and the pairing of quality whiskey with a chilled dark beer like a Negro Modelo builds a fizzy base that is at once celebratory, punchy, and flavorful.
Offering a party platform for guests
De Laurentiis instructs her guests to combine bourbon, beer, and maple syrup in an ice-filled shaker to mix and chill. Pure maple syrup can be added to the container for some sweetness while dried red chili peppers can invite a bit of heat to the recipe. De Laurentiis prefers to use dried Calabrian chilis and floats a piece of chili on top of each drink as a cocktail garnish.
De Laurentiis' spicy bourbon-beer-concoction is best served strained into chilled glasses. If guests aren't keen on the idea of sipping on drinks with peppers staring back at them, a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon powder can offer a quieter garnish that can still turn up the flavor volume of this effervescent drink and bring in a touch of warmth. For friends who can't be bothered shaking up drinks for themselves, the provided offerings of bourbon and beer can be enjoyed as standalone drinks and can equally get a party hopping.