Craft Incredible Cocktails with Biltmore Wines
Written By Jean Sexton
Posted 04/22/21
Updated 04/11/24
Dining
Craft incredible cocktails with Biltmore wines and enjoy a refreshing new way to savor summer sipping on the porch, patio, or by the pool!
- Biltmore Basil & Bee Cocktail
- White Wine Mojito Cocktail
- Summer Riesling & Tonic Cocktail
- Chenin Blanc Pineapple Slushies
- Aperol Spritz
Purchase our award-winning wines in estate shops or find a Biltmore wine retailer close to you.
Biltmore Basil & Bee Cocktail
When served at the restaurants on Biltmore Estate, this bright and herbal cocktail features hyper-local ingredients including Biltmore basil, honey, and sparkling wine, as well as Chemist Spirits, an Asheville favorite. Enjoy it year-round at our restaurants or follow this recipe to enjoy it at home.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ oz Chemist Spirits American Gin
- 1 oz Honey-Basil Syrup
- ¾ Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 Dashes of Orange Bitters
- 2 oz Biltmore Sparkling Brut
*Honey Basil Syrup Recipe
- ½ cup Biltmore Honey
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup Basil (use large leaves for making syrup and pluck smaller leaves for garnishes)
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 Lemon peel
Instructions:
- Prepare the Honey Basil Syrup: Simmer water and basil on low heat for 5 minutes. Add honey and stir to dissolve. Add star anise and lemon peel. Allow to cool before straining and setting aside.
- Add gin, lemon juice, and honey basil syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold, about 30 seconds.
- Strain the drink into a coupe or martini glass. Top with Biltmore Sparkling Brut and orange bitters. Garnish with small basil leaves and serve.
White Wine Mojito Cocktail
Summer is the perfect time to craft incredible cocktails featuring wines handcrafted here at Biltmore’s Winery in Asheville, North Carolina. And if you are looking for a lower-proof version of your favorites, simply switch out the spirit for a similar style of Biltmore wine. In the case of the white wine mojito below, we swapped the traditional rum for Biltmore Estate® Limited Release Sémillon. It makes a perfect “shady afternoon sipper” to enjoy while reading in the hammock (naps optional!).
Special thanks to The Urban Gastronome for creating this recipe!
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Biltmore Estate® Limited Release Sémillon
- 2 ounces Italian lemon soda
- ¾ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- 4 mint leaves
Instructions:
- Muddle 4 mint leaves thoroughly in 2 ounces of Biltmore Estate® Limited Release Sémillon using a rough edge muddler. Add lime juice, simple syrup, and shake briefly on ice in a Boston shaker. Double strain into a martini glass and top with Italian lemon soda.
- Serve straight up with a floating mint leaf as a garnish so ice does not overly dilute the cocktail. (Muddle different types of fruit to bring new flavors to this recipe—we give you a license to be creative!) Serves 1.
Summer Riesling & Tonic Cocktail
Fresh fruit and wine pair beautifully together, and warmer weather is the perfect time to experiment with your favorites and share the delicious results. Whether you’re serving craft cocktails on the patio, porch, or poolside, outdoor entertaining takes on a new meaning when you invite a special guest like rum. Yum!
Special thanks to The Urban Gastronome for creating this recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle Biltmore Estate® Limited Release Dry Riesling
- 8 ounces white rum
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves (reserve some for garnish)
- 2 lemons (sliced into thin wheels and halved)
- Elderflower tonic
Instructions:
- The day before you want to serve these cocktails, pour Biltmore Estate® Limited Release Dry Riesling and your choice of white rum into a pretty pitcher. Submerge several basil leaves and blackberries in the mixture and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to serve, use your favorite glassware and build each drink with ice, blackberries, basil leaves, and a couple of lemon wheels. Fill glasses a quarter of the way with elderflower tonic, and the rest of the way with the chilled wine and rum mixture. Enjoy! Serves 6.
Chenin Blanc Pineapple Slushies
This craft cocktail is a fun way to liven up a summer gathering. There’s a bit of nostalgia to any slushie drink, but this is definitely a grown-up version of the ones you remember from childhood!
Special thanks to The Urban Gastronome for creating this recipe!
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces of chilled Biltmore Estate® Limited Release Chenin Blanc
- 4 ounces chilled Plantation Pineapple Rum (used as a float)
- 2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- 6 ounces pineapple juice
- 3 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 ounces ginger syrup (recipe below)
- 4 dashes Bittermen’s Tiki Bitters (or your favorite brand)
- Ice
*Ginger Syrup
- 1 cup of water
- 1½ cups organic sugar
- 1 medium ginger root, sliced
Instructions:
- Tip: Put wine in the freezer 30 minutes prior to mixing these cocktails.
- Prepare the Ginger Syrup: Place all ginger syrup ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the sugar doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 1 hour while it cools. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Makes 1½ cups of syrup.
- Craft the cocktails: Place all ingredients except rum in a blender. Blend until you have obtained a super slushy consistency. Pour into a glass, leaving room to float 1 ounce of Plantation Pineapple Rum on top, then garnish with extreme creativity! Serves 4.
Aperol Spritz
Summertime wouldn’t be complete without a classic Aperol Spritz, highlighting the bittersweet and citrusy flavor of the namesake liqueur. While traditionally made using Italian Prosecco, any dry sparkling white wine will do the trick.
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. Biltmore Estate® Brut
- 2 oz. Aperol
- 1 oz. soda water
Instructions:
- Chill all ingredients and fill a wine glass with ice to chill before you begin.
- Add sparkling wine, Aperol, and soda water to the chilled glass and gently stir to combine.
- Garnish with a freshly sliced orange wheel, if desired.
Tip: If you find the cocktail is too bitter or too sweet for your taste, you can easily adjust the ratio of ingredients.
