Cool off with these WV Inspired Cocktail Recipes

With the heat of summer in full swing, you might want to take a lazy day to lounge by the pool, sit on your porch and watch the sun sink behind the mountains. What could possibly improve upon that—except maybe the perfect summer cocktail? Liven up a lazy day with your favorite mixed drink made with these West Virginia spirits or try one of the recipes these local Distilleries recommend.

Hatfield & McCoy Moonshine

Affectionately known as “The Drink of the Devil,” Hatfield & McCoy Moonshine is made from a recipe once belonging to Devil Anse Hatfield and handed down for 150 years through descendants of the Hatfield clan. The premium corn whiskey is produced in small, handmade batches. It’s a versatile liquor that can easily be substituted for vodka or tequila in any cocktail recipe.

H&M Bee Sting

1 Tbs. honey
Juice of ½ lemon
1.5 oz. Hatfield & McCoy Moonshine
¼ oz. fresh-squeezed lime
½ cup iced tea (sweet or unsweet)
Lemon and fresh mint for garnish

Juice the lemon into the bottom of a glass and dissolve the honey into the glass before adding moonshine. Stir well. Fill glass with ice, top with iced tea, stir and serve with a garnish of lemon and fresh mint.

Smooth Ambler Distillery

Smooth Ambler’s use of the finest local grain and clean mountain water makes their whiskies known for a bold yet balanced flavor. Their whiskey or bourbon is ideal for blending with your favorite ice cream to make a boozy milkshake. (Don’t forget the whipped cream!) Or try this classic cocktail dating back to the 1880s:

Bourbon Smash

2 oz. Smooth Ambler Contradiction
1 oz. simple syrup (1 part water to 1 part sugar)
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 dashes orange bitters
6 mint leaves

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake, then double strain into a Collins glass filled with cracked ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint. (Tip: Roll the mint in your hand before putting it in the shaker. This will release the oils.)

West Virginia Fruit & Berry Wine

What’s summer without a big bowl of fresh-picked berries? West Virginia Fruit & Berry uses West Virginia-grown berries in all its products, from preserves and fruit butters to several varieties of dessert wines. Sweet and light, these wines are served in the sangria at The Fifth Floor restaurant in Clarksburg.

Andrew’s Sangria

1 lemon wedge
1 lime wedge
1 orange wedge
1 part West Virginia Fruit & Berry Wild & Wonderful Raspberry or Mountain Blackberry wine
1 part Lambrusco or other light sweet wine
Splash of sangria mix
Fruit to garnish

Muddle a lemon wedge, lime wedge and orange wedge in the bottom of a glass, leaving the fruit in the glass. Fill the glass half with Raspberry or Mountain Blackberry wine and half with Lambrusco. Add a splash of sangria mix. Serve over ice with an orange slice and additional fruit of your choice.

Swilled Dog Hard Cider

The crisp, lightly sweet flavors of Swilled Dog ciders are ideal for sipping on a summer afternoon. The cidery’s seasonal offering—Island Vibes—is made with a blend of pineapple and apple; all you have to do is crack open a bottle and pour it into a glass. But you can craft some tasty cocktails with these ciders, too.

Lucita Margarita

4 oz. Swilled Dog Walk the Dog semi-dry cider
1 oz. tequila
½ oz. grenadine
Juice of ½ a lime
Dash of bitters

Dip the top of the glass in lime juice, then in sugar or salt to have a tasty rim. Mix all the ingredients together and pour in glass over ice. You can also blend the ingredients with ice to make a frozen margarita.

What kinds of cocktails will you create with West Virginia wines, ciders or spirits?

This post was last updated on March 17, 2022