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Make Holiday Cocktails Using Local Ingredients

Follow along with Chuckanut Bay Distillery tasting room manager Kirsten to learn how to make two festive cocktails with some of our favorite local ingredients! Special beverages are an excellent way to elevate your holiday. When you make the cocktails below, you can feel good about supporting the small, local businesses that keep our community unique and thriving. Find everything you need to make these delicious drinks at the Co-op!

Make a "Naughty Nog"

This two ingredient cocktail couldn't be easier! Garnish with fresh nutmeg to elevate your drink.

Shopping List: Naughty Nog

  1. Twin Brook Creamery Eggnog
  2. Chuckanut Bay Distillery Krampus
  3. Optional: Whole nutmeg as garnish

Make a "Cascadia Daily"

This cocktail only requires four ingredients and it's filled with gut-healthy probiotics!

local shrub cocktail with ingredients

Shopping List: Cascadia Daily

  1. Shrub Farm Ginger and Apple Shrub
  2. Chuckanut Bay Distillery Slow Crafted Bourbon Whiskey
  3. Topo Chico or other sparkling water
  4. Lime

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

wine bottle and present wrapped in red satin ribbon

Here are a few of our favorite Valentine's Day products for the sweet people in your life.

red-heart-pillar-geranium-votive-in-glass-yellow-carved-pillar

Beeswax Candles

Give the gift of the warmth and health of the hive with this great selection of natural beeswax candles made especially for Valentine’s Day from Big Dipper Wax Works. Choose from aromatherapy sprays and a wide selection of candles shaped and scented for Valentine’s Day.   

Tulip Bouquets

Tulips brighten your Valentine’s Day and indicate that spring is near. Our tulips are grown locally in Mount Vernon and are available in a variety of lovely colored 5-stem bouquets.

valentine's day tulips in stone vase with wrapped present and wooden sign
foam bath packs on tub tray with lavender sprig and bubbles

Foaming Baths

Calm the senses, leave your skin silky smooth, and balance your spirit with Aura Cacia aromatherapy foaming bath products in fragrances such as relaxing lavender, sweet orange, or meditating cedarwood. Aura Cacia products feature nourishing jojoba oil, soothing coconut oil, and essential oils.

Delicious Co-op Valentine’s Day Treats 

Finish your Valentine’s Day meal with our housemade bakery items. These specialty items are only available for a limited time around Valentine’s Day and frequently sell out. 

Bleeding Heart

The Bleeding Heart is a moist chocolate cake with a tart raspberry filling covered in a dark chocolate ganache. This vegan cake is sold in a serving for two to end your Valentine’s Day meal on a sweet note.

Vegan Bleeding Heart Valentine's Day Dessert
gluten-free storm cloud cake from the coop bakery is layers of chocolate cake layered with raspberry filling and vanilla whipped creama

Storm Cloud Cake

Our favorite gluten-free chocolate cake gets some raspberry love for Valentine’s Day. The gluten-free chocolate cake is filled and topped with raspberry and finished with a creamy mascarpone frosting.

Raspberry Cream Roll

This light, airy cake is rolled with a fresh raspberry filling and frosted with a sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting. And, it’s gluten free! This popular dessert is a delicious way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

gluten-free-raspberry-cream-roll
conventional-heart-shaped-chocolate-cake

I Heart Chocolate Cake & You

For the chocolate lover in your life, we have a heart-shaped chocolate cake. Our dark chocolate cake is frosted with dark chocolate ganache and decorated for Valentine’s Day with buttercream accents.

The Co-op’s wine manager has selected some special bottles of bubbly to cheer your Valentine. If sparkling wine isn’t for you, we are featuring the Floating Rock Zinfandel from Washington and locally crafted Honey Moon’s Raspberry Mead. Honey Moon’s Raspberry Mead is a blend of mead from blackberry honey and raspberry wine both produced in Whatcom County. It has distinct berry aromas and a tart finish and is especially good paired with cheeses and desserts.

Valdo Prosecco Brut Rosé

The Valdo rosé is a perfect combination of barely off-dry and creamy in the mouth with enticing suggestions of Pink Lady apple, rose hip, salmonberry, Rainier cherry, and kiwi.

rose in champagne flutes with pink roses and wrapped present
sparkling wine table setting, with candles, raspberries, and chocolate cake

Canals & Nubiola Brut Cava

This succulent sparkler is medium-bodied, crisp, and clean. If you are looking for a fun Valentine's Day cocktail try this Cava in a French 75.

French 75 Cocktail Recipe

French 75 Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce Aloo Gin
  • 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice  
  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup
    • In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Simmer the mixture over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves.
  • Ice
  • 4 ounces chilled Canals & Nubiola Brut Cava 

In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled flute and top with the cava.

Plan Your Holiday Menu With Help From the Co-op

The holidays can feel overwhelming, especially when you are hosting a gathering. Reduce stress by planning and shopping for you meal early. Simplify your to-do list by sourcing key menu items and ingredients from the Co-op. Feeling short on inspiration? Try some of these fun, festive recipes.

Holiday Cheese Balls

The Co-op's cheese balls only come around once a year, but they sure make a big impression. Made with a blend of cheese, herbs, and spices, dipped in gluten-free beer, and encrusted with slivered almonds, these cheese balls will set the tempo for your holiday gathering. Serve with Lesley Stowe Raincoast Crisps or round out a charcuterie board with Oloves olives, Divina fruit spread, and Olli Salumeria chubs.

Naughty Nog

Warm up your guests with a Naughty Nog cocktail designed by our friends at Chuckanut Bay Distillery. A  Naughty Nog combines Twin Brook Creamery's seasonal eggnog with Chuckanut Bay Distillery's Krampus Herbal Liqueur for a smooth holiday treat. Find everything you need at the Co-op and follow our step-by-step instructions. If eggnog's not your speed, serve Valdo Prosecco Brut Rosé.

Prime Rib Roast

No holiday meal is complete without a show-stopping main course. We recommend a generously marbled and neatly trimmed bone-in prime rib roast from Oregon Country Beef. You can order your roast up until Christmas Eve for just $15.99/lb. Bone-in roasts are a tender and flavorful holiday indulgence and easy to portion because each rib feeds two people as a rule. We suggest following this recipe for a salt and pepper-crusted prime rib served with horseradish cream.

Hasselback Potatoes

Pair your prime rib with a simple-to-prepare potato dish with a big payoff, brown butter hasselback potatoes with caramelized onions. Russet potatoes are on sale through Christmas and can lend this gorgeous side their iconic mix of crispiness and creaminess. Tip: Place a chopstick on either side of each potato to help keep your slices a consistent depth and to prevent yourself from accidently cutting all the way through.

Balsamic Green Beans With Walnuts

Bring a pop of color to your holiday table with this elegant green bean dish. Steam your green beans to preserve more of their natural nutrients, toast your walnuts to bring out their nutty flavor, and toss it all in aged balsamic vinegar for a sweet and thick glaze. The best part? You can be saying bon appétit in just 15 minutes.

Oven Roasted Beets

Oven roasting red beets highlights their earthy sweetness. Spoonful of Flavor has a great guide, complete with tips for keeping your hands stain free. If you're feeling adventurous, you can add other vegetables that roast at similar temperatures, such as asparagus and delicata squash. Toss with orange zest, herbs, and spices and then garnish with goat cheese.

Winter Wonderland Cake

Delegate dessert to the Co-op. This six-inch, superbly decorated holiday cake will wow your partygoers. Gluten and sugar-free with three intricate layers, the Winter Wonderland Cake promises to please every guest, while being just a bit too lovely to slice. Order yours here for just $24.99.

Cascadia Daily Cocktail

by By Josh and Tomo Kramer of Shrub Farm

two cocktails and the ingredients for cascadia daily cocktail including Shrub Farm ginger & apple shrub sliced limes, fresh ginger, and ice

The Whiskey Ginger gets a PNW makeover with Ginger & Apple Shrub and whiskey. It’s local, classy, and best enjoyed after a long day on the slopes.

A warming, spirited Washington take on the classic whiskey ginger, this Cascadia Daily delivers a little zing, a little zest, and a whole lot of fun. Plus, the shrub is full of digestive health benefits thanks to ginger and raw organic apple cider vinegar. Drink by a roaring fireplace for ultimate cozy vibes.

Cascadia Daily Cocktail

makes one 16-ounce cocktail

INGREDIENTS
  • ice
  • 2 ounces whiskey
  • 1 ounce Ginger & Apple Shrub
  • squeeze of lime
  • sparkling water
  • crystallized ginger
METHOD
  1. In a pint glass with ice add 2-ounces whiskey, 1-ounce Ginger & Apple Shrub, and squeeze of lime.
  2. Top with sparkling water and garnish with crystallized ginger and a lime slice.

Learn More

Learn more about this local business, the health benefits of raw vinegar, and find more recipes at Shrub Farm's website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Read our profile of Shrub Farm and it's sister business, Apple State Vinegar, at Local Vendor Profile: Shrub Farm.

A Visit To Tortillas Con Madre

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo early this year by visiting one of our favorite local companies, Tortillas Con Madre! Hear Lupita’s story and check out behind the scenes footage of production day at the tortilla factory.

5 Tips to Heighten Wellbeing During the Holidays

With constant abundance we tend to make unhealthy decisions when it comes to holiday gatherings.  Perhaps a new approach can help heighten the wellbeing of this holiday. Following are some great tips to enhance your holiday experience.

Ask The Nutritionist: Balanced Snacks for a Happy Kid

By choosing snacks that contain a good source of fiber, protein, and fat, you can prevent the blood sugar roller coaster and the dreaded emotions that come along with it, keeping you, your kiddo, and everyone else happy.

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