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apple cider buck spritz | scenes from the grape harvest

Seasonal fruits yield seasonal cocktails, of course, but I don’t see why the season has to dictate cocktail styles so much. I’m still enjoying white wine with dinner, crisp rosés that I happen to score, and frozen cocktails and sorbets, filled with pears or apples. Things you’d mostly associate…

  • Jayme Henderson
  • cocktails, drinks, fall, other spirits, recipes, vineyard life
  • November 20, 2017
  • 14 Comments
  • Continue Reading

the alpine margarita | settling into mountain life

I owe you all and myself a proper catch-up post here. That’ll have to wait, but I’ll give you a little peek into what’s been going on. So much has changed over the past three months, since we’ve transitioned from city life to farmer life. Out of all the…

  • Jayme Henderson
  • cocktails, herbs, recipes, summer, tequila
  • July 28, 2017
  • 6 Comments
  • Continue Reading

meyer lemon bourbon fizzes | a change of scenery

April has been quite the month for us, to put it lightly. Since our move out to the western slope of Colorado to the tiny town of Paonia a few weeks back, I’ve traded my dress suits for Carhartt overalls, I haven’t given wearing makeup a second thought, I go to…

  • Jayme Henderson
  • cocktails, fruits, spring, whiskey
  • April 22, 2017
  • 19 Comments
  • Continue Reading

the tropicante | margarita of the year

Between packing up our old house and making small moves out to our new spot on the western slope of Colorado, Steve and I have barely had time to fix dinner, let alone relax and enjoy it together. Last night was different, however. Steve fired up the grill, despite…

  • Jayme Henderson
  • cocktails, fruits, recipes, spring, tequila
  • April 5, 2017
  • 14 Comments
  • Continue Reading

the classic dirty martini | simple ingredients, minimal effort, complex results

I really wish life worked out more like the title of this blog post: simple ingredients, minimal effort, with complex results. Rarely does it ever turn out just like that, right? Lately, it’s been more like this: empty cupboards, requiring multiple hours to source the necessary ingredients with beyond…

  • Jayme Henderson
  • cocktails, drinks, gin
  • March 16, 2017
  • 25 Comments
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Hello!!

I’m Jayme, a sommelier-turned-farmer, and I live in a small town out on Colorado’s Western Slope. My fiancé and I own and work on a vineyard together, where we make high-elevation white wine and rosé, under our label, The Storm Cellar. I share my cocktail explorations, travel stories, vineyard life, and wine musings at holly & flora.

You can read a little more about me here.

// @hollyandflora on Instagram //
  • What do you think? Should we bottle the wine in mason jars? 😏 Kidding — these are just tank samples, but we are gearing up to bottle our Sauv Blanc and Rosé of Pinot Gris next month!
•
We’ve been looking at different bottle shapes and sizes all week. There are so many fun options. We are even thinking about MAGNUMS for this rosé!
•
These might be my favorites of our wines right now. The SB is jumping out of the glass {jar?} with aromas of guava, passion fruit, and grapefruit, and the PG is a bright shade of coral and is all about the stone fruit.
•
That color is a little amplified by the setting sun, but it’s pretty true to how it really looks. The juice saw some skin contact during the fermentation process, which gave some complementary bitter notes and that gorgeous, coral COLOR.
•
Steve and I stopped over at @whitewaterhillvineyards this morning to watch what goes down on a typical bottling day for them. You can see the process on stories.
•
We’ll be doing essentially the very same steps coming up in about a month. But first, a little getaway to AZ in a little over a week. I’m counting down the days. Won’t be needing my coat there. 😉
•
•
•
•
📷: @big_zen #pantonecoloroftheyear2019 #livingcoral #stormcellarwine @stormcellarwine #winemaking #winerylife #sommlife #roséallday #drinkpink #pinotgris #sauvignonblanc #foodwinewomen #imbibegram #womeninwine #westelksava #coloradowine #drinkcolorado #wineblogger
  • This photo is beyond special to me. 💞 For a couple of reasons. See the handsome, bearded man in the black suit, second to my left? That’s my other half, my partner, the LOVE of my life.
•
I can’t believe that I get to do what I love — together, as a TEAM — with him.
•
The second reason is that I’m honored and thrilled to report that Steve and I have been selected as members of the 2019 @five_colorado team! Each year, five chefs and a beverage team are hand-selected from across the state to represent the best of Colorado’s flourishing culinary scene.
•
I am so grateful and humbled that I am standing here with him — along with this year’s incredible group of Colorado’s top food and beverage professionals.
•
Steve and I are representing our winery project, @stormcellarwine, and we’ll be pairing our wines, along with other outstanding Colorado wines, and crafting seasonal cocktails at multiple FIVE events this summer!!
•
@big_zen, I love you so much, and I am so blessed that you chose me and this CRAZY winemaking adventure we are on!! Happy Valentine’s Day to YOU!!
•
I’ll share more about the events the FIVE team will be hosting this year across the state, culminating in a final dinner in October at the @beardfoundation James Beard House in Manhattan!!!
•
Colorado friends, I’d love to see your faces at some of the local events! I’ll keep you posted, most certainly. Now to go and pop some bubbly! 🥂🥂🥂
•
Read more about FIVE Colorado and its impact on the culinary scene and the greater Colorado community via the link in my profile. And a HUGE thanks to, @leigh_sullivan, for making this entire thing happen. ⚡️
•
•
•
•
📷: @jessepixler #FIVE_colorado #fivecolorado #coloradofive #denverdining #5280scene #coloradochef #sommlife #winelove #coloradocuisine #wineblogger #winewriter #coloradowine #drinkcolorado #westelksava #coloRADical #chefstagram #🍷#jaymeandsteve4ever #foodwinewomen #womeninwine #eaterdenver
  • Sharp, slightly bitter, and bubbly. 🌿 That’s tonight’s wine cocktail. I made a batch of homemade grenadine with some pomegranate seeds that I found while #fridgeforaging. 😏
•
And I clipped some overwintered rosemary that’s thriving in my west-facing window #kitchengarden. 🌿 It smells INCREDIBLE.
•
I’d forgotten about the pomegranate seeds in the back of the freezer — I’d picked some up back in December. This lightly spiced grenadine is the perfect addition to some @jardesca_california_aperitiva and @unionwinecompany Underwood bubbles.
•
Get the recipe for the DIY grenadine, via the first link in my profile, and get after some pink-themed drinks this week!! I’ll share some more that use this key ingredient soon.
•
🌿 Carefully add ice to a flute glass.
🌿 Pour in 1 1/2 ounces chilled @jardesca_california_aperitiva.
🌿 Add 2 bar spoons grenadine, preferably house made.
🌿 Finish with a solid pour of chilled sparkling wine, like @unionwinecompany Underwood bubbles.
🌿 Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and pomegranate arils.
•
The folks at Jardesca {👋🏼 Kelly!} are among the best, and their low ABV, wine-based aperitiva is perfect for the upcoming spritz season.
•
CHEERS!!
•
#notsponsored #justlove
•
•
•
•
#growsomethinggreen #rosemary #herbalcocktails #craftcocktails #winecocktails #pinkiesdown #jardesca #drinkingbytheseason #grenadine #diycocktails #cocktailblogger #wineblogger #sommlife #pursuepretty #valentinesdaycocktails #spritzlife
  • B I T T E R S • Our neighbors brought back freshly picked Meyer lemons from a trip to California and were kind enough to share a box with us! These beauties are bringing LIFE to us this cold and snowy week out here in western Colorado.
•
Meyer lemon gin fizzes are on the books today, but I also made sure to zest and peel the lemons beforehand for a few other projects — citrus salt, citrus scrub, limoncello, and, Meyer lemon BITTERS.
•
It’s such a rewarding challenge to utilize and preserve ALL parts of fruits and vegetables, using the “waste” for something delicious. #zerowastecocktails 🍹
•
The bitters-making process is super simple. For this batch of bitters, I’m loosely adapting a recipe from Elana of @stirandstrain via a recipe she wrote for @seriouseats.
•
I am using fresh Meyer lemon peels, dried orange peels, green cardamom pods, coriander seeds, gentian root, pink and black peppercorns, fennel seeds, dandelion root, and sage.
•
I’ll share my notes on the results, along with the recipe, after a couple of weeks of flavor integration. This batch is going to be so delicious in some spring-centric cocktails.
•
Bitters not you thing? Make citrus salt!
•
Before you juice your lemons, zest them with a microplane and add the zest to sea salt for rimming cocktails, seasoning dish, or adding to salads. Just keep the container well sealed and stored in a dry place. It’ll last indefinitely!
•
#drinkingbytheseason
•
•
•
•
#wastefreekitchen #foodscraps #diycocktails #cocktailbitters #meyerlemons #citrusseason #🍋 #craftcocktails #homebartender #imbibegram #seriouseats #cocktailblogger #zerowastekitchen
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// #drinkingbytheseason //

// spring //

// summer //

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// Follow @hollyandflora on Instagram //

  • What do you think? Should we bottle the wine in mason jars? 😏 Kidding — these are just tank samples, but we are gearing up to bottle our Sauv Blanc and Rosé of Pinot Gris next month!
•
We’ve been looking at different bottle shapes and sizes all week. There are so many fun options. We are even thinking about MAGNUMS for this rosé!
•
These might be my favorites of our wines right now. The SB is jumping out of the glass {jar?} with aromas of guava, passion fruit, and grapefruit, and the PG is a bright shade of coral and is all about the stone fruit.
•
That color is a little amplified by the setting sun, but it’s pretty true to how it really looks. The juice saw some skin contact during the fermentation process, which gave some complementary bitter notes and that gorgeous, coral COLOR.
•
Steve and I stopped over at @whitewaterhillvineyards this morning to watch what goes down on a typical bottling day for them. You can see the process on stories.
•
We’ll be doing essentially the very same steps coming up in about a month. But first, a little getaway to AZ in a little over a week. I’m counting down the days. Won’t be needing my coat there. 😉
•
•
•
•
📷: @big_zen #pantonecoloroftheyear2019 #livingcoral #stormcellarwine @stormcellarwine #winemaking #winerylife #sommlife #roséallday #drinkpink #pinotgris #sauvignonblanc #foodwinewomen #imbibegram #womeninwine #westelksava #coloradowine #drinkcolorado #wineblogger
  • This photo is beyond special to me. 💞 For a couple of reasons. See the handsome, bearded man in the black suit, second to my left? That’s my other half, my partner, the LOVE of my life.
•
I can’t believe that I get to do what I love — together, as a TEAM — with him.
•
The second reason is that I’m honored and thrilled to report that Steve and I have been selected as members of the 2019 @five_colorado team! Each year, five chefs and a beverage team are hand-selected from across the state to represent the best of Colorado’s flourishing culinary scene.
•
I am so grateful and humbled that I am standing here with him — along with this year’s incredible group of Colorado’s top food and beverage professionals.
•
Steve and I are representing our winery project, @stormcellarwine, and we’ll be pairing our wines, along with other outstanding Colorado wines, and crafting seasonal cocktails at multiple FIVE events this summer!!
•
@big_zen, I love you so much, and I am so blessed that you chose me and this CRAZY winemaking adventure we are on!! Happy Valentine’s Day to YOU!!
•
I’ll share more about the events the FIVE team will be hosting this year across the state, culminating in a final dinner in October at the @beardfoundation James Beard House in Manhattan!!!
•
Colorado friends, I’d love to see your faces at some of the local events! I’ll keep you posted, most certainly. Now to go and pop some bubbly! 🥂🥂🥂
•
Read more about FIVE Colorado and its impact on the culinary scene and the greater Colorado community via the link in my profile. And a HUGE thanks to, @leigh_sullivan, for making this entire thing happen. ⚡️
•
•
•
•
📷: @jessepixler #FIVE_colorado #fivecolorado #coloradofive #denverdining #5280scene #coloradochef #sommlife #winelove #coloradocuisine #wineblogger #winewriter #coloradowine #drinkcolorado #westelksava #coloRADical #chefstagram #🍷#jaymeandsteve4ever #foodwinewomen #womeninwine #eaterdenver
  • Sharp, slightly bitter, and bubbly. 🌿 That’s tonight’s wine cocktail. I made a batch of homemade grenadine with some pomegranate seeds that I found while #fridgeforaging. 😏
•
And I clipped some overwintered rosemary that’s thriving in my west-facing window #kitchengarden. 🌿 It smells INCREDIBLE.
•
I’d forgotten about the pomegranate seeds in the back of the freezer — I’d picked some up back in December. This lightly spiced grenadine is the perfect addition to some @jardesca_california_aperitiva and @unionwinecompany Underwood bubbles.
•
Get the recipe for the DIY grenadine, via the first link in my profile, and get after some pink-themed drinks this week!! I’ll share some more that use this key ingredient soon.
•
🌿 Carefully add ice to a flute glass.
🌿 Pour in 1 1/2 ounces chilled @jardesca_california_aperitiva.
🌿 Add 2 bar spoons grenadine, preferably house made.
🌿 Finish with a solid pour of chilled sparkling wine, like @unionwinecompany Underwood bubbles.
🌿 Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and pomegranate arils.
•
The folks at Jardesca {👋🏼 Kelly!} are among the best, and their low ABV, wine-based aperitiva is perfect for the upcoming spritz season.
•
CHEERS!!
•
#notsponsored #justlove
•
•
•
•
#growsomethinggreen #rosemary #herbalcocktails #craftcocktails #winecocktails #pinkiesdown #jardesca #drinkingbytheseason #grenadine #diycocktails #cocktailblogger #wineblogger #sommlife #pursuepretty #valentinesdaycocktails #spritzlife
  • B I T T E R S • Our neighbors brought back freshly picked Meyer lemons from a trip to California and were kind enough to share a box with us! These beauties are bringing LIFE to us this cold and snowy week out here in western Colorado.
•
Meyer lemon gin fizzes are on the books today, but I also made sure to zest and peel the lemons beforehand for a few other projects — citrus salt, citrus scrub, limoncello, and, Meyer lemon BITTERS.
•
It’s such a rewarding challenge to utilize and preserve ALL parts of fruits and vegetables, using the “waste” for something delicious. #zerowastecocktails 🍹
•
The bitters-making process is super simple. For this batch of bitters, I’m loosely adapting a recipe from Elana of @stirandstrain via a recipe she wrote for @seriouseats.
•
I am using fresh Meyer lemon peels, dried orange peels, green cardamom pods, coriander seeds, gentian root, pink and black peppercorns, fennel seeds, dandelion root, and sage.
•
I’ll share my notes on the results, along with the recipe, after a couple of weeks of flavor integration. This batch is going to be so delicious in some spring-centric cocktails.
•
Bitters not you thing? Make citrus salt!
•
Before you juice your lemons, zest them with a microplane and add the zest to sea salt for rimming cocktails, seasoning dish, or adding to salads. Just keep the container well sealed and stored in a dry place. It’ll last indefinitely!
•
#drinkingbytheseason
•
•
•
•
#wastefreekitchen #foodscraps #diycocktails #cocktailbitters #meyerlemons #citrusseason #🍋 #craftcocktails #homebartender #imbibegram #seriouseats #cocktailblogger #zerowastekitchen
  • This petals + bloom punch I made last year from @julesaron’s book, Fresh & Pure, along with some herbal rose bath salts, are perfectly timed for a little self-care this weekend!
•
The punch is a base of pomegranate juice, dry rosé, and sparkling wine, and it’s balanced with a floral syrup and orange blossom water. Making these flower-studded ice cubes is *highly* suggested. 😏
•
And this recipe is MADE for batching.
•
I’ve shared a link for the punch and the salts on my blog in my profile. Jules, thanks for letting me share these recipes from your gorgeous book!
•
I’m working on a few Valentine’s Day-themed cocktails and sharing some wine favorites with you this week! Until then, I’ll be making another round of these rosy bath salts and making space for some quality tub time.
•
•
•
•
#prettyzenbooks #freshandpurebook #cocktails #valentinesdaycocktail #drinkpunch #pitchercocktails #ttcocktails #liqpic #imbibegram #cocktailblogger #wineblogger #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.cocktails #roséallday #winecocktails #rscozy #kitchn
  • C H E E R S 🥂-> 💥<-🥂 “Do more of what makes you happy.” How are you making room in your life to do this? I made a pact earlier this new year to put my personal definition of happiness in high priority.
•
What does that mean to me?
•
It means not forcing myself into an ill-fitted box or an uncomfortable mold of what I USED to be. It means no longer living within a definition of myself that I’ve outgrown. 💥 Let that sink in . . .
•
Here I am in my happy place, taken by @oliveandwest during our Chardonnay harvest at @stormcellarwine, when @big_zen and I picked grapes with our friends, worked ‘round the clock, didn’t get any sleep, but had the time of our lives.
•
I encourage you to break out and put to use those unwrapped gifts of who you are NOW at this point in time. Not who you used to be or who you think you should be.
•
Do YOU your way, and scream it from the rooftops!! 💥 And stop playing small and downplaying your attributes.
•
Cheers to this new year and all of the jittery uncertainty {🙋🏼‍♀️} and anticipated excitement that it brings. I am super stoked to share more of what I’ve been doing outside of the cocktail spectrum, even though it will still be a large part of what I share; however, there will be more wine stories, more on Colorado wine, more of my garden, more vineyard life, and more winemaking BTS.
•
Just more — REAL — life!! 💫
•
Thanks for following along in this space. I’m super grateful for the friendships and inspiration that thrive within these squares of ours.
•
And happy 2019!! ... a little belated but right on time for me. 😏
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#stormcellarwine #westelksava #coloradowine #coloradowinecountry #womeninwine #wineblogger #5280drinks #drinkcolorado #knowyourfarmer #thevintnerproject #imbibegram #wineenthusiast #winestagram #farmlife #sommlife #coloradoblogger #drinklocalwine #hollyandflora #vineyardlife #happyplace #PREACH @stormcellarwine
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