It seems every season around this time we see a spike in “trendy new flavors” of bourbons and whiskeys. It started off with cherry a few years ago, following closely behind was honey, apple, cinnamon, and more recently maple.  Recently I found a great price on Knob Creek Smoked Maple and figured I would give it a try and also wanted to post an excellent spring recipe.  

My first thought after tasting was Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon doesn’t really  need anything but french toast, eggs and a side of bacon.  It’s a much fuller and less sugary bourbon than others that have tried to duplicate or others that may have lead the pack.  Smoked Maple, is certainly a great bourbon and I am looking forward to seeing what else I can mix with it, until then enjoy this Chai Latte on a warm spring day.

• 6-8 oz Water
• 2-3 Bags (depending on how strong of a flavor you like) Chai Tea
• 2 oz Knob Creek Smoked Maple Small Batch
• Cream

Make tea as normal, fill a glass full of ice, once the tea is done cool to a room temperature you don’t want to pour the hot tea over the ice and water down the drink.  Add the Knob Creek Smoked Maple, add the tea (which at this point should be cooled off) and fill the glass with cream.  Garnish with cinnamon or with a cinnamon stick or two.  Sit back and enjoy the extra hour of daylight.

Coffee Liqueur aka Kahlua is one of the few spirits you should always have on hand in your home bar.  It is always great for desserts drinks as well as using it for a topping with desserts.  It’s also the key ingredient in many popular cocktails, most commonly are the White Russian, Black Russian and Mudslide.
Here is the issue that I have with the store bought “coffee liqueur” it has an uneccessary amount of corn syrup.  When you make it yourself you can eliminate that, though you would still be using sugar, you can adust how much of it is being added.  There are many coffee liqueurs on the market and pretty much taste the same ….. like coffee.  

My version will yield you about 2 quarts, and is super simple to make, and in my opinion it should keep for about 3 months before having to throw it away.  It’s so simple that you can make it the night before your guests arrive and you will have it on hand when needed.  

​Here is the recipe, please modify it to your liking and if you change anything please let me know, I would like to try the different variations.

• 1 Cup Good Quality Instant Coffee
• 2 Cups Water
• 4 Cups of Sugar
• 2.5 Cups Vanilla Vodka (or spirit of your choice)
• Optional:  Vanilla Extract (amount to your liking)

Mix first three ingredients into a medium saucepan.  Heat and stir until completely dissolved.  Cool to room temperature.  Add your spirit of choice and the vanilla extract.  Pour the entire mixture into bottles, jars, or the storage container of your choice.