This month, we had a super special cocktail club because it included one of my very favorite local purveyors, Creminelli Fine Meats! You might be thinking – what does charcuterie have to do with cocktails? Well, my friends, it turns out that salami can be the perfect partner to a great cocktail – as a garnish, or as it’s very best food friend.

In order to create the perfect cocktail to pair with Creminelli, they sent us three amazing samples to experiment with: Whiskey Salami with High West Whiskey, Finocchiona Italian Salami, and Gin Salami made with Beehive Jackrabbit Gin. Our hostess for the month, Sheena, was able to come up with a great cocktail that paired perfectly with the High West Whiskey Salami, but all three were outstanding.

The other thing I really loved about this month’s cocktail is that it not only featured Creminelli salami, but that every part of the cocktail was LOCAL — and it was a BEER cocktail, the first beer cocktail that we have done in over 2 years of HBN Cocktail Club. From the local Creminelli salami, to High West Whiskey, Bitters Lab, and Beehive Cheese. We ate and drank some of the best flavors Salt Lake City has to offer!

We must thank Sheena for what we all voted to be called: Salami Get This Straight!

Salami Get This Straight

2 oz High West Double Rye Whiskey
2 dashes Bitters Lab Charred Cedar and Current Bitters
.5 oz Honey Simple Syrup (equal parts honey and water)
6 oz Squatters Hoppy Pils
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Garnish with Creminelli Whiskey Salami and Beehive Cheese

What you end up getting is a really refreshing cocktail, with deep smoke and earthy tones, that pairs perfectly with charcuterie, mustard, cheese, olives — and anything else you might want to throw on your salami board.

And let’s talk about how much charcuterie Creminelli sent for us to enjoy, because they were incredibly thoughtful and generous! Not only did we have enough to eat at the event, but Creminelli sent home a stick of Whiskey Salami for EACH attendee! It was a salami party for the books!

A great group of ladies, a hoppy delicious cocktail, and enough salami to stuff our purses with. You can bet we all had an amazing time. And next time you are creating a whiskey or gin cocktail — or even enjoying one of your favorite beers, try pairing with some of the best salami out there from Creminelli, you’ll be incredibly happy with how the flavor profiles compliment each other and how well charcuterie and booze work together in amazing ways!

Big thanks to Creminelli for partnering with
HBN Cocktail Club this month!

See more photos on Instagram
@HeartbeatNosh | #HBNCocktailClub | @CreminelliFineMeats