{trio of gourmet s'mores}

S'mores just might be one of my favorite throwback desserts from childhood, but they so rarely make an appearance now outside of camping trips (which are not a part of my life) and bonfires (which I wish were a bigger part of my life).   For the last post in my series with Pinnacle Vodka I got to watch a series of fun cocktail videos they recently created and their recipe using Whipped Cream flavored vodka to make a S'mores cocktail got me inspired to try out some alternative s'mores combos this past weekend (you can check out the fun video at the bottom of the post!).  I'm not a huge chocolate person so I decided to try making three different s'mores combos all without chocolate.   The whole set up of ingredients laid out in our kitchen before we started assembling the s'mores reminded me of the fun idea of creating a "s'mores bar" for a party like this one- you could even add a couple dessert cocktail options alongside the s'mores toppings using Pinnacle's flavored vodkas!

 {how fun would this tray be to bring out after a summer dinner}

{to make it easier to assemble/devour- I crumbled the pretzels in a ziploc bag before
adding them to the toppings tray} 

 {this was by far my favorite flavor combo- I even added a tiny sprinkle of finely ground black pepper to add a bit of kick. in the humble brag department I'll inform you that I grew that basil myself - it's really all about the small wins in life ya know?}

 {this simple combo was inspired by my all-time favorite street crepe flavor that I would find myself purchasing on our late nights in Paris- I would recommend not cutting the bananas like this, but rather cutting the banana on the bias to create longer pieces so they dont slip out of the s'mores set up - you can learn from my mistakes}

Check out this fun video that inspired this post with a S'mores cocktail recipe using Pinnacle's Whipped flavored vodka:

Pinnacle Vodka shakes things up with unexpected experiences and delightful discoveries. Explore with other fun flavors at http://www.pinnaclevodka.com.  Also, check us out at www.facebook.com/pinnaclevodkas and https://twitter.com/PinnacleVodka or find more fun entertaining and drink ideas on our Pinterest page at http://www.pinterest.com/pinnaclevodka/.

Pinnacle® is a registered trademark of Jim Beam Brands Co. and is used with permission.  This is a sponsored partnership, with Pinnacle® Vodka, via Mode Media.  The information, comments, and ideas expressed on this website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Jim Beam Brands Co., its affiliated companies, or any of their directors or employees.

{grilled appetizer + cocktail pairing}

An alternate name for this post was "all grilled everything" because that's basically the mentality I took.  In the second to last post in my series with Pinnacle Vodka, I thought it would be fun to try mixing up a cocktail using grilled fruit- especially since everyone is currently saying these are officially the last days of summer.  Inspired by the recipes in this post, I grilled up some peaches and lemons for a delicious cocktail with a charred and smokey flavor.  One of my favorite things in the world is grilled bread so we tossed some of that on to the grill as well to make an accompanying appetizer using the leftover grilled peaches.  Scroll to the bottom of the post for the cocktail recipe which I'm calling the Burnt Sunset as well steps to make its twin sister appetizer of grilled bread topped with charred peaches, burrata cheese, fresh basil and lemon zest.  

This is little pairing is the perfect combo to savor the last days of summer!

Grilled Bread with Peaches, Burrata & Basil (serves 6)

what you need:

• loaf of french bread (or whatever bread makes you happy)
• olive oil
• 8 oz burrata cheese
• 2 ripe peaches
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• zest of half a lemon
• salt & pepper

1. Heat up your grill on high heat.
2.  Cut bread in 1 inch thick slices, lightly brush oil on both sides. Set aside.  Cut 1 inch thick peach slices and lightly drizzle with olive oil.
3. Chiffonade the fresh basil leaves and set aside.
4. Place both the bread and peaches on to the grill.  Peaches will take about 5 minutes per side and the bread should take about a minute per side.  Keep an eye on both until they get a nice char then remove from the grill.
5. Spread a healthy spoonful of burrata onto each slice of bread, top with 3 or 4 slices of grilled peaches.  Place a few small pieces of basil on top then sprinkle lemon zest on top.  Top with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Enjoy!

Pinnacle Vodka shakes things up with unexpected experiences and delightful discoveries. Explore with other fun flavors at http://www.pinnaclevodka.com.  Also, check us out at www.facebook.com/pinnaclevodkas and https://twitter.com/PinnacleVodka or find more fun entertaining and drink ideas on our Pinterest page at http://www.pinterest.com/pinnaclevodka/.

Pinnacle® is a registered trademark of Jim Beam Brands Co. and is used with permission.  This is a sponsored partnership, with Pinnacle® Vodka, via Mode Media.  The information, comments, and ideas expressed on this website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Jim Beam Brands Co., its affiliated companies, or any of their directors or employees.