Food and Cocktail Pairings to Prep for Your Labor Day Weekend Getaway

“Weekend getaways with friends always require a little prep work. For us, we always pack this short list of tools to make sure we have barware on hand to make anything, wherever we go—plus speakers. You have to have music!”

Cobbler shaker
Cocktail spoon
Muddle
1 sharp knife
About 2 dozen Demerara sugar cubes
Hella Bitters 5 Flavor Bar Set
Portable Bluetooth speakers

Drink: Pre-batch smoked chili margarita
Food: Nachos

“The approach here is about hosting—both pre-batched cocktails and nachos are for groups of people—so if you're going to the beach or getting together with a group of friends, these are crowd-pleasers. And, in general, people love tequila and margaritas, but when you add the smoked chili to it, it becomes more of a story; taking something that's familiar and delicious and adding a little bit of an exotic twist makes it that much more intriguing. Our smoked chili bitters are made from a dried pepper sourced from southern Mexico. It's a really powerful flavor. It has its own degree of heat, but it also brings that smokiness that's unique to the flavors of Mexico, and it goes great with a really bright, tart margarita.”

Ingredients
1 L silver tequila
750 ML Hella Spicy Margarita Mix
30 dashes Hella Smoked Chili Bitters
2 limes sliced into wedges
Ice

How to make it
Combine tequila, margarita mix, and smoked chili bitters in a pitcher (or blender) with three to four handfuls of ice. Stir to mix or blend thoroughly. To serve, pour in glass of your choice over ice and garnish with lime wedge.

Drink: Bloody Mary
Food: Breakfast sandwiches

“We wanted a Bloody Mary mix that was delicious right out the bottle, because it's made with better ingredients—things that you'd find in your own kitchen, like tomatoes and lettuce, salt and pepper, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce. But it also contains 100 percent tomato juice; some other mixes are diluted with water or fillers. Our Bloody Mary walks a fine line between being ready to pour but also being a platform for modification—adding hot sauces and garnishes to make it your own.”

Ingredients
4-6 oz Hella Bloody Mary mix, Original or Spicy
1.5 oz vodka
Hot sauce
An assortment of pickled vegetables and olives
A few lemons sliced into wedges

How to make it
In a highball or pint glass combine ice, vodka, and Bloody Mary mix. Stir gently and garnish creatively.

Drink: The Platinum Pony, a special Moscow Mule created exclusively for American Express®
Food: Smoked chili chicken wings

“I think the Moscow Mule is, pound for pound, the heavyweight champion of cocktails right now, and I think ginger at large is having a big moment. But for some reason, the relationship between the presentation of this drink—in those beautiful copper mugs—and its flavor makes it the perfect storm for a refreshing cocktail. We also collaborated with [Brooklyn-based produce company] Gotham Greens to add a sprig of basil as a garnish, which brings a really wonderful herbal element. We paired the drink with chili chicken wings because both are peppery or satisfyingly spicy, whether it be from the chilies or the ginger. People tend to eat spicy food to cool down, so the two are great for a summery experience.”

Ingredients
1.5 oz premium vodka
2 oz Hella Moscow Mule Mixer
3 oz club soda
3 dashes Hella Ginger Bitters
4-5 basil leaves (optional)

How to make it
In a shaker, combine vodka, Hella Moscow Mule Mixer, basil (if desired), Hella Ginger Bitters, and ice. Shake vigorously for eight to ten seconds. Fill glass (mule mug or highball glass) with ice and add club soda. Strain shaken cocktail over ice and club soda. Garnish with one lime wedge.

Drink: Old Fashioned (two variations)
Food: Apple pie

“An Old Fashioned is actually a return to the roots of Prohibition-era cocktailing. It’s meant to be the quintessential ratio of spirit to sugar to water—the three pillars of a cocktail—and bitters, of course. There are infinite variations to making an Old Fashioned, but one of the simplest ones that we like is just swapping out the whiskey for aged rum. Our point of view on the drink, in general, is that it’s classic, it takes some skill to make it properly, but it’s another one of those things that you can experiment with significantly and it make your own. We paired it with apple pie because both have a lot do with Americana.”

Classic Hella Old Fashioned

Ingredients
2 oz rye whiskey
1 Demerara sugar cube
3 dashes Hella Aromatic Bitters
1 dash Hella Orange Bitters
Orange peel, for garnish

How to make It
In a glass, combine sugar cube and bitters. Let soak for 30 seconds, then muddle into a paste. Add whiskey and stir gently until most of the sugar is dissolved. Add ice and stir again until frosty cold. Garnish with a thick orange peel.

Old Fashioned Ron

Ingredients
2 oz aged rum, like El Dorado 12 year
1 Demerara sugar cube
2 dashes Hella Aromatic Bitters
2 dashes Hella Orange Bitters
Orange peel, for garnish

How to make It
In a glass, combine sugar cube and bitters. Let soak for 30 seconds, then muddle into a paste. Add rum and stir gently until most of the sugar is dissolved. Add ice and stir again until frosty cold. Garnish with a thick orange peel.