As purveyors of the season’s much-anticipated winter-wonderland-inspired cocktails, we know there are many bottles that’ll keep spirits high when temperatures dip so cruelly low. For these months, the richer, brown spirits tend to corner the market on comfort (a standard that proved true when we dabbled in spice and sipped our way through Canada). But there’s also a crisp, uplifting side to the season that inspires just as much coziness and a glistening, crystal clear option to match.
Though its versatility allows for year-round enjoyment, gin’s profile of natural flavors has an extra special way of complementing the cold with woodsy roots, spices, and barks, bright citrus peels, and, most fittingly, piney juniper. Its production started in the streets of London but has steadily expanded to some of the farthest-reaching places on earth, and as those coordinates vary, so too does the roster of raw ingredients utilized to boast hometown pride. With that recognizable juniper taste remaining most pronounced, of course. For all the boundary pushing and creativity, though, it still comes down to those wild beginnings in nature.
Fortunately those elements have been expertly braved for us, so all that’s left to do is bask in the botanical bond . . . the coniferous connection, if you will, between season and spirit. To do so, we’ve got drinks to welcome you in from the inhospitable outdoors and ones that’ll make you thrilled to have not left in the first place.
It’s called Ginuary, a perfectly cozy way to offset the winter chill from the best seat in the house: your very own!
For skilled food foragers like Chris Elford, an afternoon in nature can rival any bountiful trip to the farmers market. His Right to Roam was inspired by one such trek through the forests of Finland, where berries, nuts, and so much more are plentiful for the pickin’. The icy cocktail combines gin (a bundle of botanicals in its own right) with brilliant blueberry and lime, the sharp rye taste of caraway seeds, and a touch of salt to make it all pop. May it delight you in your own neck of the woods!
Following successes at Amor y Amargo and Kings County Distillery, Chris was handed the keys to his first bar consulting project, creating the beer haven Proletariat in the East Village, NYC. He then made the move to Seattle and, with his partner Anu, opened No Anchor (James Beard semifinalist for best new restaurant and outstanding bar program) and Navy Strength (winner of Best New American Cocktail Bar at the 2018 Spirited Awards). His newest project, Here Today Brewery & Kitchen, will open on the Seattle waterfront in June 2021.
Gin and heat don’t often meet, but when they do they make an impact—for example in the 1820s when it was in vogue to write lengthy poems about a warmed-up sour called the gin twist. So fair warning: your inner wordsmith might just be unleashed when the Framboise Thaw hits the scene. Greg Mayer’s adaptation of the Clover Club bundles up the classic cocktail in a snug, heavy coat that has gin and a tart raspberry syrup steaming away with hot apple cider. Finished with cream (or not) and cinnamon, this sipper will handily defeat Jack Frost.
Greg began his career in the hospitality industry working in kitchens as a line cook and transitioned to roles behind the bars of many hot spots nationwide. Now based in NYC, he’s the National Brand Ambassador for LHK Spirits and in-house cocktail counsel for Shaker & Spoon.
If you set out to concoct a delectable gin old fashioned, the question that arises is which components of the spirit’s bouquet of botanicals to pinpoint and enhance. Kellie Thorn’s answer: Sepal & Spice. The name points to the delightfully aromatic combination of hibiscus and cinnamon, but there’s also a spiky surprise at play: prickly pear, which lends an herbal and slight melony quality to the cocktail. Swirl it up with bitters and serve this rosy-cheeked homage to gin that, despite the icy complexion, is in full bloom!
Kellie has been in the restaurant industry for nearly twenty years and bartending for the last seventeen. In 2010, she joined forces with star chef Hugh Acheson to open Empire State South and her success in the role soon led to being named beverage director for all of Acheson’s restaurants. In 2017 she was awarded the Les Dames D’Escoffier International Legacy Award, and in 2018 she was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s 40 under 40 Tastemakers.
Sign up today for cocktails at their most tasty and toasty. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, your home is about to shine brightest with the Ginuary Box!
🌲🍎🌺,
The Shaker & Spoon Team
*not vegan: nothing
Shaker & Spoon Blog 
Hello!
We are getting this as a Christmas gift and would like to buy the next bottle to gift with it. What type of gin do you recommend for Ginuary?
Thanks,
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Here are all of our recommendations for Ginuary, including the gins suggested by the cocktail creators: https://shakerandspoon.com/thebox-ginuary
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Hi! Where is the What to Have On Hand link for this amazing box?
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You can always find it in the bottom menu on our home page 🙂 Here’s the one for Ginuary: https://shakerandspoon.com/thebox-ginuary
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I also received a gift subscription and I’m very interested and curious about what comes in a box? I understand this box centers around gin and I have a bottle on hand and some mixing/shaker supplies. What else? Thanks!
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Here’s everything you’ll need to have on hand to make 12 drinks with the original recipes and ingredients that comes in the box! https://shakerandspoon.com/thebox-ginuary
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Just checking to see when my Gin box will be shipped?
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Per the info in this blog post, they’re all shipping next week! 🙂
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We received our Ginuary box today. The box says to refrigerate upon receipt, is this necessary? All of the bottles are labeled to refrigerate after opening. We are excited to use our Christmas gift and enjoy some new cocktails.
Thank you,
Sue
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Glad you’re excited! This particular box didn’t contain anything perishable upon receipt, so no need to worry about refrigeration until you open those bottles.
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Do you have nutritional information (aka calorie count) for the cocktails in this box? Are they posted anywhere?
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I just received my Ginuary box this week and I have a question about the suggested glass for one of the cocktails. The Right to Roam suggests a hurricane glass but the 3 1/4 oz. of actual drink do not nearly fill the glass, even a glass filled with crushed ice as per the recipe. I know the glass is just a suggestion but I wasn’t sure if I was misreading something from the recipe instructions, so I thought that I would check just in case.
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Hi! Chris here, creator of the Right to Roam. Assuming you made it correctly (and I’m sure you did) there are a few reasons your “wash line” might be low on your cocktail:
Your glass is large
It wasnt shaken long enough
Not enough ice in glass
Ice is stacked–i.e. needs to be packed down to displace more water. We use a traditional hurricane glass for serving the drink at Navy Strength and it does hit our wash line just right, so it’s gotta be one of those reasons!
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Looking to purchase the hibiscus/prickly pear syrup on its own. Are you going to offer it in the store at some point?
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Yes, it’s available in the store! https://shakerandspoon.com/shop/product/3521352973
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The Ginuary recipes were excellent. I loved the Sepal & Spice and made them daily until the syrup ran out! The ‘Thaw’ was very sweet but I adjusted it down. Cheers.
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Like Shannon, I also felt that the Right to Roam cocktail, while very tasty did not have the right ratio of liquid to ice. I’ll try your suggestions on my next drink.
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After sadly misplacing my set for a few months, I thankfully located but still can’t find the instructions! Are the menus printed anywhere or is it best to just try and catch with the youtube vids?
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You can reach out to our CS team for replacements: https://shakerandspoon.com/contact. Cheers!
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Help! Misplaced the recipe cards, where are they online?
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You can always head to our YouTube channel if you’re looking to step through any of our recipes online: https://www.youtube.com/c/shakerandspoon/videos
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