Rounding out our Sanderson Sister cocktails is the leader, Winnifred Sanderson. Inspired by her slightly bitter nature, wild red hair, and complex potions and spells, her cocktail is an intricate mix of bittersweet, herbal, and bright flavors. With a little extra magic from the glow cubes, her cocktail is made to put a spell on both you and your guests!
Hocus Pocus Cocktails: Winnifred Sanderson
Winnifred Sanderson’s drink is effervescent, complex, citrusy, and slightly bitter (sweet). The slight sweetness of the gin layers it’s herbal notes across the slight bitter herbs and underlying spice of the Campari. The bitters ties the citrus of the orange and lemon around the layers and brighten up the whole thing. The bubbles of the club stretch out the concoction giving the flavors room to stretch their wings.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
Winnifred Sanderson’s cocktail is a riff off a highball based on the idea of Winnifred being something of a classic. For those reasons, the drink combines Campari with an older style of gin (Old Tom), to create something that’s got a bit of classic flare, but with room to be enjoyed. The slight bitterness is a nod to Winnifred’s tendency to be a little bitter at those around her in Salem. It offers a contrast to both Mary and Sarah.
- Old Tom Gin – We used Hayman’s here for both it’s not to Thackery Binx (the cat) but also for the subtle sweetness and lighter juniper notes it offers. While there are other brands of Old Tom Gin, this would be our recommendation. If you absolutely needed to, you could use London Dry Gin, but this will create more brash flavors.
- Campari – With Campari’s unique flavor profile, it’s really the recommended starting point for this drink. If you can’t for some reason find Campari, consider another aperitivo, like Gran Classico, Cappelletti, or Aperol.
- Regan’s Orange Bitters – Regan’s* adds a lot here with some delicious additional notes of cardamom and spice. You could also use Fee Bros Orange* or Angostura orange bitters if your options are limited.
- Angostura Bitters – These are the classic aromatic bitters, and we recommend keeping a bottle around your bar. You can buy them from Amazon*, though your local grocer will probably carry them cheaper.
- Lemon Juice – For best results, use fresh squeezed.
- Simple Syrup – A 1:1 ratio of water and sugar is our homemade simple. You can do this by coming in a pan and heating until just dissolved.
- Club Soda – No need to get fancy, use your local grocery’s most economical bottle. Once open, use within 2 days for best results.
- Swizzles – We also recommend these fun Skeleton Hand Swizzle for fun (although they’re not necessary), which are really well made for both stirring and adding a little bit of spookiness to your drink. You can find them at Amazon*.
- Glow Cubes – While you don’t need them for this drink, we find it adds a pizazz to the drink (and unlocks a deeper red color). We used Windy City Novelties glow cubes*. These are the same glow cubes as used by Disney, and we highly recommend them as you can set the color of the cube making it useful for other drinks.
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Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Sanderson Sister trio!
