Infused: A Cocktail And Dessert Experience

Sip & Vibe SLC presents a hands-on experience worth savoring.

Fresh mint, tropical fruit, creamy coconut, and warm apple spice—each has a place behind the bar and on the dessert plate.

Infused by Sip & Vibe SLC brings them together in a hands-on cocktail and dessert pairing experience. You’ll create four signature cocktails, learn essential mixology techniques, and enjoy a dessert selected to complement each drink.

Whether you’re planning a date night, a celebration with friends, or a private group experience, Infused gives you a chance to get creative, share a few discoveries, and find your favorite pairing.

What You’ll Learn

Throughout the experience, you’ll practice measuring ingredients, gently muddling mint, shaking and straining cocktails, creating colorful layers, and exploring smoky aromas with instructor guidance.

You’ll also discover how sweetness, citrus, spice, temperature, and texture can change the way a cocktail and dessert taste together.

Each recipe below makes one cocktail. Serve the desserts in tasting portions so you can enjoy all four pairings.

1. Tropical Tequila Sunrise & Orange–Vanilla Panna Cotta

Our first pairing brings together a bright pineapple-and-orange cocktail and orange–vanilla panna cotta with grenadine berry sauce.

The orange connects the drink and dessert, while the panna cotta’s creamy vanilla offers a soft contrast to the cocktail’s citrus. The berry sauce ties everything together with a sweet, fruity finish.

Cocktail Ingredients

• 2 oz blanco tequila

• 2 oz pineapple juice

• 2 oz orange juice

• ¼ oz fresh lime juice

• ½ oz grenadine

• Orange slice and cherry, for garnish

How to Make It

1. Fill a tall glass with ice.

2. Add tequila, pineapple juice, orange juice, and lime juice.

3. Stir gently.

4. Slowly pour grenadine down the inside of the glass. Let it settle at the bottom without stirring.

5. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Mixology tip: Pour the grenadine slowly to create the sunrise effect. Leave the cocktail unstirred until you’re ready to blend the flavors.

Try the pairing: Taste the panna cotta on its own, then with the berry sauce. Which bite do you prefer alongside the cocktail?

2. Peach Mint Whiskey Smash & Grilled Peach Shortcake

Fresh peach, lemon, and mint give this bourbon cocktail a refreshing lift. Its dessert partner, grilled peach shortcake with honey mascarpone, adds caramelized fruit and a rich, creamy finish.

Grilled peaches complement the bourbon’s warm character, while the cocktail’s lemon and mint refresh your palate between bites.

Cocktail Ingredients

• 1½ oz bourbon

• 1 oz peach purée

• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice

• ½ oz simple syrup

• 6–8 mint leaves

• Peach slice and mint sprig, for garnish

How to Make It

1. Add peach purée and simple syrup to a shaker.

2. Add mint and gently press it with a muddler.

3. Add bourbon, lemon juice, and ice.

4. Shake for 10–15 seconds.

5. Double strain through a cocktail strainer and fine-mesh strainer into a short glass filled with crushed ice.

6. Garnish with a peach slice and mint sprig.

Mixology tip: Press mint gently to release its aroma without shredding the leaves. Peach purée is already smooth and doesn’t need muddling.

Try the pairing: After a bite of shortcake, take another sip. Does the lemon taste brighter, or do you notice the mint more?

3. Coconut Tequila Mojito & Coconut-Lime Cheesecake Bites

Creamy coconut, fresh lime, and fragrant mint make this cocktail a natural match for coconut-lime cheesecake bites.

Both share the same core flavors, but their textures offer something different: rich, smooth cheesecake alongside a chilled cocktail with a sparkling finish.

Cocktail Ingredients

• 1½ oz tequila

• ¾ oz fresh lime juice

• ¾ oz sweetened cream of coconut

• 6–8 mint leaves

• 2 oz club soda

• Mint sprig and lime wheel, for garnish

How to Make It

1. Add mint and lime juice to a shaker.

2. Gently press the mint with a muddler.

3. Add tequila, cream of coconut, and ice.

4. Shake for 10–15 seconds.

5. Strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.

6. Add club soda and stir gently.

7. Garnish with mint and a lime wheel.

Mixology tip: Shake the coconut mixture first, then add club soda. Never shake carbonated ingredients.

Ingredient tip: Use sweetened cream of coconut, such as Coco López or Coco Real. If you choose a sweetened coconut tequila, start with ½ oz cream of coconut and adjust to taste.

Try the pairing: Take a bite of cheesecake followed by a sip of the mojito. Notice how the lime, mint, and bubbles balance the dessert’s richness.

4. Smoked Apple Kentucky Mule & Warm Apple Crumble

This pairing combines apple, bourbon, ginger, and a light smoky aroma with warm apple crumble topped with vanilla whipped cream.

Apple cider and spiced syrup echo the dessert’s baked fruit and warm spices. Ginger beer and lime bring a refreshing contrast, while vanilla whipped cream softens the ginger’s spicy finish.

Cocktail Ingredients

• 1½ oz bourbon

• 1 oz apple cider

• ½ oz spiced simple syrup

• ½ oz fresh lime juice

• 3–4 oz ginger beer

• Thin apple slices and cinnamon stick, for garnish

How to Make It

1. During class, bring your empty short glass or copper mug to the instructor’s smoking station.

2. Once the glass is lightly smoked, fill it with ice.

3. Add bourbon, apple cider, spiced simple syrup, and lime juice.

4. Add 3 oz ginger beer and stir gently. Add another ounce if desired.

5. Garnish with apple slices

Mixology tip: Smell your finished cocktail before sipping. A light smoky aroma adds another layer to the apple, bourbon, and spice.

Try the pairing: Alternate between the warm crumble and cold cocktail. How does a bite with vanilla whipped cream change your next sip?

How to Enjoy a Cocktail and Dessert Pairing

You don’t need a trained palate to explore a pairing. Start with a sip of the cocktail, taste the dessert separately, then try them together.

Pay attention to what you notice:

• Sweetness: Does the dessert make the cocktail taste less sweet?

• Citrus: Do lemon or lime flavors become more noticeable?

• Texture: How do bubbles feel alongside a creamy dessert?

• Temperature: What changes when you alternate warm bites and cold sips?

• Aroma: Can you pick out mint, vanilla, spice, or smoke?

Follow @sipnvibeslc for more classes and event inspiration.

Sip, taste, explore, and find your favorite combination.