Oxymels: Tart and Sweet Elixirs

Many people are curious about the health benefits of spices. As a culinary store, we tend to focus more on the abundance of flavors that our spices impart than on their medicinal benefits, but with oxymels these two worlds beautifully blend. Oxymel is the Latin word for acid and honey, and these tart and sweet concoctions have been used for food and medicine for centuries. Here we made two different batches using raw apple cider vinegar and unrefined honey. One batch is more savory and features Aji Mirasol, a mild South American chili that's fruity with hints of apricot. To compliment, we added sliced elephant garlic and oranges. For our second batch we made a sweeter version infused with our chamomile based Floral Sonnets tea, fresh ginger, and Cassia Stick Cinnamon. Oxymels can be used in all kinds of ways. Enjoy them by the spoonful as a digestive aid, incorporated into glazes, vinaigrettes, and marinades; or sipped as a refreshing warm weather beverage with a splash of bubbly water.

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Sleepy Floral Sonnets

Enjoy this smooth and creamy bedtime tea to ease you off into Dreamland. It is a simple recipe of only 5 ingredients and it takes just minutes to make. Floral Sonnets has a chamomile base with hints of ginger, cinnamon, damiana and lavender, making for a perfect relaxing elixir to help you catch some Z's. We added Turmeric for the beautiful yellow color, honey for a touch of sweetness and your choice of milk to bring it all together. This cup will feel like a warm hug after a long day.

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Naughty Mayan Cocoa

Sweet and slightly spicy, Mayan Cocoa captures the indulgent spirit of the season. This decadent spice blend adds spicy notes like chile, cinnamon, allspice to a base of rich Valrhona cocoa powder for a bold beverage with multiple layers of flavor. To add a boozy kick, we opted to spike our cocoa with hazelnut liqueur and horchata-flavored rum. With a bit of whipped cream on top as a garnish, the cocktail is complete. This luscious concoction is sweet and delightfully bold... and it just might tempt you into seconds.

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Mystic Hot Toddy

Whenever the cold weather rolls in, hot toddies always make an appearance on our seasonal cocktail menu! As a night cap or a happy hour libation, this bracing winter warmer is a perfect drink for a cold winter evening. For a new take on one of our favorites, we tried infusing a toddy with the warm, spicy layers of our Mystic Licorice tea to complement the bold fiery taste of the whiskey.Hot toddies are traditionally sweetened with honey, but this version doesn't need it. Licorice root naturally sweetens the toddy, and brings out the sweeter notes in the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom. Finish the drink with a squeeze of lemon and your favorite whiskey, and it's a delicious way to warm up your winter.Toddies also make excellent batch cocktails, too!

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DIY Amaretto

Better than store-bought, this liqueur boasts a rich caramel flavor embellished with toasted spices, almonds and apricots. Not for immediate gratification, this process takes a month to complete but the outcome is well worth it. Toasting the spices and caramelizing the sugar make for a sweet, rich flavor that can't be beat. Enjoy it in your favorite cocktails and toddies for over the top flavor. Whether you make a bottle to stock your bar or divvy it up for gifting, it is a fun liqueur to make.

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Carrot Cake Smoothie

This Carrot Cake Smoothie is a guilt free way to have dessert for breakfast. We all have the craving from time to time, some of us more often than others. I blame mine on my childhood history with sugary cereals. This indulgent smoothie checks off all the craving boxes without any added sugar, gluten or actually baking a cake. It's a lovely combination with all the flavors you want in this classic dessert. Kashmiri Garam Masala is a workhorse of a spice blend because of its versatility. Toasted, sweet and savory all together, it has warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, and mace, giving this smoothie a ton of aromatic flavor that satisfies with every sip.Inspired by our Moist Carrot Cake in World Spice at Home, enjoy them both!

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Honey Crisp Mountain Cocktail

This ice-cold cocktail still has warmth, thanks to a bounty of spicy autumn flavors. A mix of whiskey and apple brandy form the base of this drink, which we've paired with a honey-sweetened batch of Mediterranean Mountain Tea. With every sip you'll taste different herbs like marjoram, sage, rosemary, and mint, which cut through the bite of spirits. For a final touch of fall, we garnished it with a Cinnamon Toast Spice rim.

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World Spice 25

To celebrate our 25th birthday, we pulled out all the stops with our signature blend Ras El Hanout, which has over 20 aromatic spices. It imparts a lovely bright orange color to the syrup and the flavors lean right into the oaky American whiskey. Crisp lemon and honey mellow into the combination. Enjoy a sip of this spirited and sensational cocktail! Cheers to 25 more spicy years!

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Clarified Milk Punch

Mixolology is much more than a hobby to me, and the chef in me loves this drink because of all the science involved. The key to the punch's clarity is the milk proteins, which cling to all of the impurities in the mixture. Once strained, the result is a flavorful elixir that will impress any foodie or bartender. Although it's plenty boozy, it's smooth and evolves with every sip. If you love cocktails, this is a must try!The base of the punch is rum, apple brandy, and whiskey. We spiced the base with Keemun black tea, allspice, star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom, then we juiced a couple lemons and combined. With the alcohol and acid, the milk will start to curdle. Let the mixture set over night, then strain and run through a coffee filter. This drink packs a lot of hidden flavor, so we find it's best served simply on ice with a lemon peel.

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