Summer temperatures call for lighter alcohol cocktails, and Round Barn Distillery Vanilla Whiskey, part of “The Harvest Infusion Series,” has only 33% alcohol, and has luscious vanilla notes on the nose and the palate making it ideal for summer cocktail and culinary recipes. We created two refreshing summer cocktail recipes for Lavender Lemonade and Making Waves, and a culinary recipe, Tuna, Mushrooms, Peaches, and Crispy Rice, to share with you, and to inspire you to try them and also create your own recipes. Cheers, it’s cocktail time!
Round Barn Distillery’s tagline is “The Spirit of Michigan” and their delicious Vanilla Whiskey is part of their Harvest Infusion Series, which also includes Peach Whiskey, Apple Whiskey, and Cinnamon Whiskey. All delicious, all with lower alcohol content usually found in whiskeys. Located near Lake Michigan, Round Barn Distillery celebrates the fabulous fruits of the region in their creation of unique, artisan, small-batch spirits since 2001.
Always with an eye on the future, Matt Moersch, Ceo of Round Barn Winery, Distillery and Brewery notes, “These four new whiskeys reflect our mission to innovate while staying true to our roots. We’re excited to offer flavors that appeal to wider audiences and bring a taste of Michigan’s orchard and orchard-inspired creativity to every bottle.”
Bottle Information: Round Barn Distillery Vanilla Whiskey, 33% alcohol/750 ml bottle, $34/bottle
Tasting notes: The color is an attractive golden color. The nose is richly aromatic with notes of vanilla, honeysuckle, baking spices, and a touch of sweetness that follows through on the palate with a delicious cinnamon finish. The alcohol content is 33%, making Round Barn Distillery Vanilla Whiskey perfect for those looking for a delicious yet lower alcohol content (as whiskey usually has an alcohol content of 40% alcohol or higher).
Luxury Experience was “In The Kitchen and Behind The Bar®” crafting inspired cocktail and culinary recipes with Round Barn Distillery Vanilla Whiskey to show its versatility and to tempt your palate into creating your own special recipes.
Luxury Experience Recipes
The Cocktail Menu
Luxury Experience – Lavender Lemonade
Luxury Experience – Making Waves
The Culinary Menu
Luxury Experience – Tuna, Mushrooms, Peaches, and Crispy Rice
The Cocktail Recipes
Our recipe for Luxury Experience – Lavender Lemonade combines Round Hill Distillery Vanilla Whiskey with fresh lemon juice and homemade lavender simple syrup. This tasty and refreshing cocktail is finished with a lemon and vanilla sugar rim and garnished with a lemon “flower” or lemon wheel or wedge.
Luxury Experience – Lavender Lemonade
Luxury Experience – Lavender Lemonade
Yield: 1 Cocktail
Glass: Rocks Glass
Lavender Simple Syrup Ingredients:
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2
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Cups
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Water
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2
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Cups
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Sugar
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2
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Teaspoons
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Dried Culinary Lavender
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Method for the Lavender Simple Syrup: Pour 2 cups water, 2 cups of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of culinary lavender in a saucepan and boil until sugar is dissolved and liquid is clear. Remove from heat, let cool, then store in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cocktail Ingredients:
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2
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Ounces
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|
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1
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Ounce
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Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
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1
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Ounce
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Homemade Lavender Simple Syrup
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Lemon Peel, garnish
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||
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Vanilla Sugar*
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Note: Vanilla Sugar is available at grocery stores, European markets and also at Kalustyan’s in New York and on their website.
Lemon and Vanilla Sugar Rim: Pour 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Sugar on a small saucer. Rim the outside edge of the rocks glass with a lemon wedge, then twist the rim of the glass in the vanilla sugar. Set aside.
Method for the Cocktail: Mix all ingredients in a mixing glass, pour over ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with lemon peel “flower” or lemon wheel or wedge.
Nothing says Summer like watermelon, which is why Luxury Experience – Making Waves melds Round Barn Distillery Vanilla Whiskey with fresh watermelon juice, Clement Creole Shrub Orange Liqueur from Martinique, fresh Apple Mint leaves, and fresh lime juice. Garnished with three watermelon balls and fresh mint, this refreshing cocktail is the epitome of a Summer splash.
Luxury Experience – Making Waves
Luxury Experience – Making Waves
Yield: 1 Cocktail
Glass: Rocks Glass
Cocktail Ingredients:
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1.50
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Ounces
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0.25
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Ounce
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1
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Ounce
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Fresh Watermelon Juice
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0.253
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Ounce
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Fresh Lime Juice
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3
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Leaves
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Fresh Apple Mint
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Watermelon and Apple Mint Leaves, garnish
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Method for the Cocktail: Add the fresh apple mint leaves to a mixing glass. Add watermelon juice and muddle to gently bruise the mint. Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixing glass, stir, then strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with 3 watermelon balls and fresh mint skewered on a cocktail pick.
The Culinary Recipe
Our recipe for Luxury Experience – Tuna, Mushrooms, Peaches, and Crispy Rice is a delicious combination of flavors – the taste of the sea from the tuna, umami from the mushrooms, a hint of sweetness from the peaches that are pureed with Round Hill Distillery Vanilla Whiskey and served with crispy rice for the perfect mélange of textures. Garnished with a scallion flower, this recipe is summer perfect.
Luxury Experience – Tuna, Mushrooms, Peach Puree & Crispy Rice
Luxury Experience – Luxury Experience – Tuna, Mushrooms, Peaches, and Crispy Rice
2 Servings
Beautiful garnishes add sophistication and a luxurious finish to a dish. We made scallion flowers to garnish our recipe for the tuna, which are beautiful and easy to make.
Method for Scallion Flower Garnishes: Cut a scallion into 3-inch segments. Using a knife and sharp kitchen scissors, cut slits in the scallion three-quarters of the way down, do not cut all the way through. Cut as many strips in the scallion as you can to create a Chrysanthemum-like “flower.” Place the flowers in ice water so they will open up. The flowers can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Peach Puree Ingredients:
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2
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Large
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Ripe Peaches
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1
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Teaspoon
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Vanilla Sugar*
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0.5
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Teaspoon
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Honey
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1
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Ounce
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Salt and Pepper, to taste
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Note: Vanilla Sugar is available at grocery stores, European markets and also at Kalustyan’s in New York and on their website.
Method for the Peaches: Add all ingredients to a sauté pan and sauté until the peaches are very tender. Puree until very smooth. Keep warm until ready to plate.
Crispy Rice Ingredients:
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1
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Cup
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Long Grain Rice
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2
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Cups
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Water
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0.25
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Teaspoon
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Salt
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1
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Scallion (Green Onion), minced
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3
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Teaspoons
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Sesame Oil
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3
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Teaspoons
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Soy Sauce
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Method for the Rice: Rice can be cooked ahead of time and set aside. Add long grain rice, water, and salt to a boil, cover, and lower heat to very low and steam the rice until water evaporates. Remove from heat, add minced scallion, sesame oil, and soy sauce, and mix to thoroughly combine.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/218 degrees Celsius.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spray with vegetable oil. Mold rice into 4 rounds (we use a ring mold). Place the molded rice on the parchment. Spray tops of rice with vegetable oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes until rice is crispy, then turn the rice over, spray it with vegetable oil and bake until rice is golden and crispy.
Tuna Ingredients:
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2
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Filets
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Tuna
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Sesame Oil
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||
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Marhaba Shitake Mushroom Powder*
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Black Pepper, Salt
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Note: Marhaba Shitake Mushroom Powder is available at Kalustyan’s in New York and also on the website.
Method for the Tuna: Rub the tuna filets with sesame oil and black pepper. Add a small amount of the Marhaba Shitake Mushroom Powder to a plate (add more as needed). Dip the sesame oil coated tuna in the powder on all sides. Set aside so that the tuna can absorb the flavors and mushroom powder.
When the rice is almost done baking, start cooking the tuna. Add sesame oil to a sauté pan, sear tuna on all sides. Cook until medium (still pink in the center). Let tuna rest while you sauté the mushrooms. Slice the tuna when ready to plate.
Mushroom Ingredients:
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4
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Medium
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Baby Bella or Shitake Mushrooms, sliced
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1
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Clove
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Garlic, minced
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1
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Teaspoon
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Sesame Oil
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Salt and Pepper, to taste
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Method for the Mushrooms: Heat sauté pan, add sesame oil, then add the remaining ingredients. Sauté until mushrooms are tender and start to crisp. Remove from heat.
Plating Suggestion: Spoon peach puree on each plate. Top with crispy rice cake, add sliced tuna, and sauteed mushrooms. Garnish with a scallion flower if desired.
Until next time, cheers, it’s cocktail time!
About Round Barn Spirits
“Round Barn Distillery is home to an exclusive collection of small-batch artisan spirits. Handcrafted with care, these unique Lake Michigan shore spirits capture the flavors of Michigan’s Great Southwest. Round Barn Distillery, originally located in their estate’s round barn, was founded to create a family of exceptional artisan spirits. After all, as founder Rick Moersch used to say, the best spirits are distilled in a building with no corners for evil spirits to hide.”
“Located in the heart of Southwest Michigan’s wine country, Round Barn Distillery is part of the Moersch Hospitality Group family and has been crafting premium small-batch spirits since 2001. Known for innovation and a passion for the art of craft distilling, Round Barn offers a wide range of products, including spirits, wines, beers, and Ready-To-Drink cocktails.”
Round Barn Distillery spirits are available for purchase at all Round Barn locations as well as in Northwest Indiana, Southwest Michigan, and Illinois.
For more information on Round Barn Distillery, please visit their website: https://roundbarn.com/
Round Barn Winery – Brewery – Distillery
10983 Hills Road
Baroda, Michigan 49101
United States
Telephone: +1-269-422-1617
Email: roundbarn@moerschhg.com
Website: https://roundbarn.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roundbarnwinery/ @roundbarnwinery
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