MxMo LXXXV Roundup of Aw, Nuts!

Well, it looks like this month’s theme may have drove some of you..errr… nuts. Sorry about that. All of your nutty puns were much appreciated by this here goofball.

First, a big thanks to everyone who took up this challenge. We had some newbies, some regulars, and some of you dusting off a few cobwebs on your return back here. I appreciate you all for keeping this monthly gathering going. We had quite an interesting bunch of entries, from DIY infusions and syrups to hesitant scoops of Nutella to a handful of tasty liqueurs. You guys really got creative and now I need to go buy more bottles for more infusions (and seriously need to consider where the hell to store it all). But enough chatter from me, let’s get on to the roundup (after the jump)!

First in this time around was Nick from Strain Over Ice giving us the Nutty Chai Old-Fashioned. A newbie to the group (so let’s all say hello), Nick got his inspiration from a coffee bar. Chai-infused bourbon is the base  while hazelnuts and chestnuts give us the nut factor.

Taunting us with NSFW nut puns (I’d like to hear them sometime), Jessica from One Martini created the Noci Bruciate, a bourbon nocello cocktail. Nocello, a walnut liqueur from Italy, gives us the nut component along with some black walnut bitters. It sounds like a wonderful sipper with that bourbon and orange liqueur and the Cocchi Vermouth di Torino.

Winning the award for making a video post this month (actually, they make lots of videos, go check them out!!), Chris from A Bar Above created the electric Nuts and Bolts cocktail. A genever-based cocktail with lots of orange flavor, the nut factor comes at us in the form of orgeat. Turn up the volume, sit back, and watch a cocktail come to life!

Jumping into a more summery cocktail, Fred over at the cocktail virgin slut blog whipped up the Frog Splash. My first introduction to Gentian Liqueur, this Mai Tai inspired drink also includes Smith & Cross alongside the nutty component of orgeat. He even got to break into his garden’s new crop of mint for a garnish!

The Speakista jumps back into the MxMo game after a brief hiatus with a double dose of nuts! First up they give a variation on the perfect Manhattan a spin with the Upper East Sider, using Nux Alpina Nocino walnut liqueur for the nuts. And then make a pistachio-infused aquavit for their Hopelessly Devoted to You! cocktail. I’m hopelessly devoted to aquavit so I’ll have to give this a DIY try.

More pistachio goodness comes via the Booze Nerds in the first of their two cocktails (way to go all you twofers!) the Macedonian. An after-dinner cocktail with a cognac base, they make me want to go out and buy a bottle of chocolate vodka. Their second cocktail has me dreaming of shag carpeting and key parties (Ok, maybe just the shag rugs) with the drink New Year’s Eve 1977. A boozy concoction of rum, whisky, lots of walnut and a touch of cayenne!

The first of, surprisingly, several Nutella drinks, Chad from Stay at Home Cocktails brings us the Nu Manhattan. With a touch of mint, I was sold at “Peppermint Patty”.

Although my Finnish blood was quite intrigued with the idea  of eating a snack of dark chocolate and rye bread, Andrea over at the Ginhound presents us with our second Nutella cocktail, The Nut Job! An after-dinner drink with a more chocolate-y taste combines bourbon, orange juice and maraschino liqueur.

Tired of DIY Falernum taking days to make? Try this quick start recipe from The Tipicular Times! Light on the spice, but keeping that lovely almond and ginger flavor, you can then add it to their rummy Swan Ship cocktail.

The next entry required google translate and some rough translations from Christopher’s French lessons, but we cracked that nut (HA!) and discovered the Joan Blondell Cocktail from François Monti. In this pre-prohibition cocktail named for the American actress of the early 20th century, nocino is swapped out for Benedictine.

We welcome back Laura from Sass & Gin with her Under a Shady Tree cocktail, something that sounds like a lovely place to be whilst sipping on this drink. Homemade orgeat gets mixed with a wonderful sounding gin, lime, coconut water and apricots. Sounds like summer to me!

Frangelico gets a turn on the Swizzlestick site with the enticing sounding Eva cocktail. A spicy, rum-based cocktail that also gets a touch of almond from orgeat.

Walnut. Infused. Smith & Cross. Whoa! A double dose of cocktails comes to us from Tartines to Tikis AND some fun DIY projects to boot. First, the walnut-infused S&C is put to good use in the Rum DMC alongside some Appleton, Cynar, lime, maple syrup and orange bitters. Then those excess walnuts are put to good use in a Walnut Orgeat that becomes a star ingredient in the Mai Tai inspired Arrack and a Hard Place. I’m ready for summer Tiki entertaining with this one!

Joel over at Southern Ash tiptoed down the “-tini” road with his riff on the chocolate martini: No-Choc-O-Tini. Utilizing nocello and Nutella, hat’s off for making and describing a choco-nutty drink that sounds pretty tasty. Adult chocolate milk? Heck yes!

Welcome to another MxMo newbie, Morgan at FoodieTails! Morgan takes the spirit of an Old Fashioned and infuses it with the goodness of nuts via some pecan-infused bourbon and delicious hazelnut orgeat for the Pecan Old Fashioned. With a scotch rinse and coffee bitters, I’d totally down one of these at brunch.

The largest cashew tree was planted in 1888 and lives in Brazil. Now you can wow your cocktail guests with this nutty tidbit thanks to The Venture Mixologist and his offering the 1888! Cashew-infused Cruzan dark rum mixes up with Ramazzotti and triple dash of orange flavors.

Fact: I love an Amaretto Sour, and Sweet Tea and Bourbon makes one even better with key limes for the sour component in the Key Lime Amaretto Sour. Although, I must say that’s quite the drink your Nana is having too!

Using local flavors, Missy from 18.21 Bitters created the On the Trolley cocktail. A bourbon-based drink with brandy and the amazing sounding Georgia Peach and Salted Pecan syrup. Anyone else want to pour that syrup on some ice cream?

Kristen Rose transports us to a sunny day in a Paris garden with her Blueberry Macaron Tonic, which pairs the sweet almond flavor of Amaretto with a fresh blueberry infused vodka. Nutty and sweet does sound like a wonderful pair!

Kate over at Feu de Vie goes a bit nutty with the oft-overlooked hickory nut. Creating a from-scratch hickory syrup, that goes into a Hickory Daiquiri (Doc) and we all get the OK to break out the hammers and start taking our frustrations out on these nuts.

Andy at A Reasonable Guide to Horrible Poisons gives us some insight and tips on making nocino. He then proceeds to mix said nocino into a smart and simple cocktails that he warns is Not Effective as Hair Dye. I’d sip this in the bathtub too.

Giving us the final entry for this month is Barina Craft with their after-dinner sipper the Hazelnut Martini. Another fun party fact, Turkey is the largest producer of hazelnuts! Who knew?!

And since I’m such a gracious host, I’ve left my entry for last, the Vegan Cashew Milkshake with Vanilla Infused Bourbon. Look, it’s been pretty hot and this is like, adult ice cream. Cashew milk by the way is delicious on its own too.

First, if I somehow overlooked your entry and it’s not here, PLEASE contact me ASAP and I’ll fix that. Second, a huge thanks again to everyone for participating. I hope you all get a kick out of reading everyone’s entries and how they conquered this month’s theme. Looking forward to next month and hope to see you all there!