Cozy up to these Sundance Festival inspired cocktails
As the celebrities descend on Utah, these Sundance Festival inspired cocktails from Ketel One and Charles Joly whisk away the wintry chill. Raise a glass to libations with warm, comforting flavors and a zesty boost.
The annual Sundance Film festival celebrates innovative films across genres. From highly anticipated launches to productions looking to get some buzz, the annual event has people talking about all the happenings beyond the base of the slopes.
As the official vodka of the Sundance Film Festival, Ketel One collaborated with Charles Joly to create some innovative cocktails for the annual event. While these special cocktails might require a few extra steps, the nuanced flavors shine as brightly as the celebrities during their step and repeat.
Ready to shake up these Sundance Festival inspired cocktails?
The Blaze
With this vodka cocktail, the tastebuds will be set on fire with zesty, bright flavors. While the spiced hibiscus tea brings some warmth, the overall vibe brings the feeling of comfort, like sitting around a warm fire while watching the snow fall.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Ketel One Vodka
¾ oz Orange Curacao
¾ oz Blood Orange & Lime Juice Blend*
¾ oz Spiced Hibiscus Tea*
Garnish: Torched Rosemary Sprig
Directions:
Combine Ketel One Vodka, Cointreau, Citrus Blend, and Spiced Hibiscus Tea in a mixing tin. Shake with cubed ice until cold. Double strain into old fashioned glass over a large format ice cube. Garnish with a torched sprig of rosemary.
*Blood Orange & Lime Juice Blend
50% Natalies Blood Orange Juice
50% Fresh Lime Juice
**Spiced Hibiscus Tea
Ingredients:
16 oz Water
65g Cane Sugar
10g Dried Hibiscus Flowers
1 Cinnamon Stick
3 Whole Clove Buds
Pinch Dried Lavender Buds
Directions:
Combine all ingredients except cane sugar in a small pot over low heat. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in cane sugar until completely dissolved and allow to cool. Store in an airtight vessel and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.
The Nightcap
Some people area always willing to have just one more sip before their head hits the pillow. For those willing to let the night linger, this cocktail will bring sweet dreams.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Ketel One Vodka
1 ½ oz Honey - lemon balm - chamomile- cordial*
3 oz Chilled champagne
Directions:
Combine Ketel One Vodka and cordial blend in a mixing glass over ice. Stir and strain into a champagne flute. Top with chilled champagne and garnish with sakura blossom.
*Honey - lemon balm - chamomile- cordial
Create a honey syrup, 2 parts honey to 1.5 parts warm water. Stir to combine.
Add an equal amount of 1:1 simple syrup.
Warm 750ml syrup blend and steep for 20 minutes with:
10g whole chamomile
10g dried lemon balm
Strain syrup.
Add .5 g citric acid per ounce of syrup
The Big Swing
While peanuts and Cracker Jack might be a ballgame favorite, popcorn and movies are always a perfect pairing. This cocktail appeals to the espresso martini lover and the person who wants a little whimsy in the glass.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Ketel One Vodka
1 oz Espresso
½ oz Cracker Jack Orgeat*
⅛ oz Cacao a la Vanille
Garnish: mini popcorn bag with Cracker Jacks
Glass: Coupe
Directions:
Combine Ketel One Vodka, chilled espresso (the fresher the better), Cracker Jack orgeat and cacao in a shaker tin with ice. Shake and double strain into a chilled cocktail coupe.
*Cracker Jack Orgeat
Create a peanut and popcorn “milk”
Soak 450g peanuts and 75g fresh popcorn in water for one hour. Strain liquid and reserve liquid. Add peanuts and popcorn to a blender, top with 750ml hot water and pulse to finely chop. Add original steeping liquid and extra water if needed to achieve a thick soup consistency. Strain through fine cheesecloth to obtain peanut-popcorn “milk”
Create a caramelized simple syrup
Add 500 grams white sugar to a heavy pot. Heat gently, raising the temperature to just beyond 330 degrees, occasionally stirring the sugar for even heat. The sugar will begin to caramelize and eventually liquify just beyond this point. Slowly and carefully add in water, stirring to create a syrup and remove from heat. Add water until you have 750ml finished syrup. Cool syrup.
To finish, combine 1 part syrup with 1 part peanut/popcorn milk.
*Quick homemade orgeat
Combine 1 cup almond milk with 1 cup store-bought caramel syrup.
Several brands are available wherever syrups for coffee are sold.
The Dessert Menu
Many people love a good dessert cocktail. This sweet, spicy libation has people putting down the fork and picking up the glass. A sweet ending is always a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients:
1 oz Ketel One Vodka
½ oz Amaro Montenegro
8 oz LOCOCO in oat milk*
Topped with coconut-banana-chai foam**
Glassware: tempered mug
Garnish: scraped cinnamon stick & orange zest
*Lococo in oat milk
Recommend full-fat Oatly oat milk. 1 Tablespoon of powder to every 4 oz of hot oat milk frothed together
**Coconut-banana-chai foam
Make a chai banana syrup.
Warm 4oz chai concentrate and add 4 oz sugar. Stir until dissolved (do not boil).
Chop one very ripe banana (90 grams), place into syrup and stir, breaking up the banana to get maximum flavor.
Steep in the syrup for 20 minutes.
Strain out solids and allow syrup to cool.
Foam:
Combine 14 oz unsweetened coconut cream with 2 oz of syrup and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum.
Place in a whipped cream canister, charge with whipped cream gas (NO2) and chill.
Alternatively, whip the mixture by hand or in an electric mixer.