Old Tree Gin Cocktail Party

This post is in collaboration with Old Tree Gin.

What comes to mind when you think of gin? Vintage cocktails? Mid-century details? Hors d’oeuvres? I recently attended a cocktail party featuring Old Tree Gin, a locally crafted spirit inspired by the elegant forests of Oregon. The striking warm color immediately sets Old Tree Gin apart from other gin brands, and its smooth and lush mouthfeel makes it a great fall and winter sipper. I normally don’t enjoy spirits neat, but the botanical flavors of Old Tree Gin make this one enjoyable on its own or in a cocktail.

Our cocktail lineup included a blood orange Tom Collins, pear gimlet, and classic gin & tonic. There was also a Singapore sling in a tiki glass that I somehow missed in my photos. The winner for me was the pear gimlet. We threw a pod of star anise in there to pretty it up, but after letting it sit for a while, the star anise added a nice touch of spice.

Pear Gimlet

Ingredients
1-1/2 oz Old Tree Gin
1/2 oz pear brandy
1/2 oz simple syrup
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 star anise pod

Shake with ice, strain into glass, float star anise. Sip, enjoy, repeat!

You can’t have a cocktail party without snacks, right? Our group pulled together a lovely spread of bites and nibbles to go with the gin. I brought a vegan red pepper cashew dip and crackers. I’m amazed that an entire red pepper only produced a faint orange after it was blended with the cashews. The non-vegan folks snacked on kimchi deviled eggs, plum upside-down cake, and a smoked gouda and cheddar cheese ball.

Vegan Red Pepper Cashew Dip

Ingredients
1-1/2 cup cashews
1 large red pepper
3/4 cup soy milk
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper

Soak the cashews overnight. Drain and rinse. (Alternatively, you can boil the cashews for a few minutes to soften them if you didn’t get a chance to soak them.)

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You can add 1/4 cup more soy milk, if necessary, to achieve the right consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or heated over low heat. Serve with crackers, chips, or veggies.

Note: This post is in collaboration with Old Tree Gin. I attended a cocktail event featuring Old Tree Gin. This was not in exchange for a positive review and all opinions expressed here are my own.