Friday Happy Hour: Raised in a Red Barn

Nole has been working with the fine folks at Red Barn Mercantile to help curate their holiday card collection this season. Along the way, someone suggested a signature cocktail for their holiday unveiling party (more on that soon!). So here it is: the Raised in a Red Barn, and we’re pretty proud of this recipe. Give it a try and enjoy fall in a glass. – Andrew

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Illustration by Shauna Lynn for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Raised in a Red Barn

2 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1-2 Ripe Figs, Washed and Halved

Muddle the figs in the bottom of a cocktail shaker (a tablespoon or two of fig jam or fig butter will do in a pinch). Fill the shaker with ice, then add the bourbon, vermouth, and lemon juice. Shake well, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass – use a sieve or a tea strainer to filter out any fig seeds or bits – and enjoy!

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This was one of the first (and one of the best!) recipes I came up with entirely on my own. It’s something like the love child of a Manhattan and a Sour, but the figs…the figs!  Those figs add a unique sweet fruitiness that rounds out the sharpness of the spirits and the tartness of the lemon juice. Plus, the whole drinks ends up with a tawny color that reminds me of nothing more than the leaves changing all around us during this glorious fall. Just make sure your figs are ripe and juicy; I recommend erring on the side of more fig to make sure the drink isn’t too tart from the lemon.

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I love this drink, but it teaches me something of a humbling lesson about cocktails. When I first made it, I didn’t have fresh figs. I had Trader Joe’s Fig Butter sitting in the fridge, unused and unloved and looking for a purpose. So, in a wild experiment, I threw it into a cocktail and… it worked. It worked!  It was great! Lesson learned: sometimes, picking random ingredients from the back of a refrigerator shelf is the best way to make an amazing drink.

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The flip side is: I have made many, many terrible drinks by experimenting this way, and have had to dump plenty of good booze down the drain because I made wildly bad calls about ingredients and flavors and ended up with completely undrinkable drinks. But the only way you’ll know what works is if you try. Happy experimenting!

Speaking of trying: have you ever tried one of our cocktail recipes? If so, tell us about it in the comments! Or Instagram it, and share it with us with via #osbpcocktails! (We’re @liquorary and @beautifulpaper)

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! So, that whole thing about kids being sick the entire first year of school or daycare? NOT AN EXAGGERATION. We’re currently on virus number three in just under two months. I’m feeling like we can’t catch a break, but thankfully this round seems to be milder than the previous two. Thankfully, for the first time in several weeks, we have absolutely zero obligations for the weekend. We’re planning to take things easy, enjoy the last of this beautiful DC fall, and maybe do a few things around the house (maybe). I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! But in the meantime…

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Photo by me via Instagram

…a few links for your weekend:

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

Check back soon for this week’s cocktail! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you back here next week! xoxo

Quick Pick: Fawnsberg

I’m a longtime fan of the beautiful return address stamps from the talented sisters of Fawnsberg (see the evidence here and here!), so naturally I’m loving their latest stamp collection! In addition to several beautiful return address stamps, the ladies of Fawnsberg also designed a couple of gift stamps with the holidays in mind. Each stamp is cut from red rubber and mounted on a solid maple base with a painted red handle. Just beautiful!

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See lots more over at Fawnsberg!

Photo Credits: Fawnsberg

Quick Pick: Julie Song Ink

The closer we get to the holidays, the more I crave all things glittery and sparkly. I think it’s a result of the shorter days and longer nights of late fall and winter! Anyway, I was thrilled when calligrapher Julie Song added these sparkly gold foil coasters and calligraphy art prints to her Etsy shop! As if those weren’t enough, she also has some fun prints, iphone cases, and pillowcases in her Society6 shop!

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There’s lots more in Julie’s Etsy shop and Society6 shop!

Photo Credits: Julie Song Ink

Quick Pick: Belle & Union

This week just keeps getting better and better! After two very successful years exhibiting at the National Stationery Show, Meg from Belle & Union finally has an online shop! Get ready to see lots of Meg’s pretty paper goods in my holiday round ups! The Belle & Union collection includes beautiful letterpress printed stationery, calendars, and art prints along with tea towels and gift wrap – all featuring Meg’s signature illustrations and hand lettering.

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Meg also just released a fantastic line of colorful journals inspired by fairs and festivals across the country! Each journal measures 5×9″ and includes 160 unlined pages – all proudly made right here in the USA. Each journal comes with a matching magnetic button! And yes, Meg will totally do custom buttons for groups, events, and organizations. Yay!

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Congrats on the new shop Meg! Check out the rest of the lovely paper goods over at Belle & Union!

Photo Credits: Belle & Union