New Year's Eve and Champagne

It's New Year's Eve and at midnight people will be toasting the new year of 2010 with champagne. Now, if you're looking to do something with the champagne rather than just toast with a glass of the bubbly, you're in the right spot. Today, I have recipes that include champagne as one of the ingredients. For the designated driver or other non-drinkers (like those under 21), simply substitute sparkling grape juice.

Leading off on our menu this evening is the Bellini. As with most champagne drinks, you'll probably want to use a champagne flute. You'll first drop in 1 tbsp of pureed peach (or another fruit you like) into the bottom of the glass and then fill it with champagne.

Next on our list is the French Lift. Fill a champagne flute halfway with champagne. Pour in a dash of grenadine, and then fill it the rest of the way with sparkling water. Garnish it with 3-4 blueberries.

In the third spot in the order today is the Bird of Paradise. This time, you'll fill a wine glass 3/4 with ice and then fill that 3/4 with champagne. Fill the rest with pineapple juice leaving room for a dash of grenadine.

And in the cleanup spot in today's lineup is the Death in the Afternoon. Place a sugar cube in a champagne flute and drop 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters on it (the bitters are optional). Next, pour in 1 oz. of absinthe before filling the glass with champagne.

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday and remember, please drink responsibly.

Drinks for Christmas

I know it's been a while since I posted, but I've had some things goin' on. Anyway, if you're having a holiday party and want some drink ideas appropriate to the season, you're in the right place.

First up today is a drink simply called the Holiday Cocktail. Take a mixing glass with ice and pour in 1/2 oz. of Cointreau, 1/2 oz. of vodka and 1 oz. of cranberry juice. Shake and strain that into a champagne flute and add 3 oz. of champagne. That sounds like it might taste good. If you try it, let me know if you like it.

Next on our menu is the Mistletoe Martini. Chill your martini glass ahead of time with some ice and a little water. That will actually help it chill faster. In your mixing glass, pour in 1 oz. each of the following: coconut rum (Malibu or Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay), melon liqueur (e.g. Midori), pineapple juice and sweet & sour mix. Dump the ice water out of the martini glass and strain the drink into it. Be ready for a kiss for that one.

Third on our list is the Candy Cane Martini. Chill your martini glass the same way you did for the last one. In a mixing glass with ice, pour in 2 oz. of vanilla vodka, 1 oz. of white chocolate liqueur (Godiva should work wonders) and 1 oz. of peppermint schnapps. Shake it and strain it into your chilled martini glass. Not quite done yet. You top it with 1 tsp of grenadine for the color and garnish with a mini candy cane.

And, finally, we have the Santa Shot. This is a layered shot, so ask a bartender to make this one for you. In your shot glass, it's equal parts (and in this order) grenadine, green creme de menthe and peppermint schnapps. Christmas colors in a glass.

That's it for now and remember to have a safe and happy holiday season and drink responsibly.

Non-alcholic Drinks

Every once in a while, someone will come into your bar that won't drink alcohol. They're either a designated driver or simply don't drink for any number of reasons.Today, I'll go through some drinks that you can serve those customers that may need to refrain from anything intoxicating.

First on the list is the Arnold Palmer. If I can't drink, I'll usually have one of these. Fill a mixing glass with ice and pour in equal parts of iced tea and lemonade. Shake it. You can garnish with a lemon if you'd like.

Next on the menu is an Egg Cream. In a tall glass, pour in 2-3 oz. of chocolate syrup. Fill the glass half way with milk, then the rest of the way with soda water. Stir it and you're done.

Let's continue with the Beach Blanket Bingo (the drink, not the movie from the 60's). Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in 3 oz. each of cranberry juice and grapefruit juice. Fill with soda water and garnish with a lime.

And finally the Virgin Mary. Fill a mixing glass with ice and put in the following: 1 tsp of horseradish, 3 dashes each of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, a dash of sweetened lime juice, 3 dashes each of celery salt and pepper and 1 oz. of clam juice (optional). Fill it with tomato juice and pour from one glass to another until it's all mixed up. Garnish with a lemon, stalk of celery or cocktail shrimp.

That's it for now. Please remember to drink responsibly.

Time (and Work) Savers

One of the worst feelings is throwing a party and not getting to enjoy it because you're making everyone's drinks all night. Now, if you're not hiring a pro like myself to work your party, you can still have a good time and not have to make drinks all night by mixing up big batches of some popular cocktails and putting them in bottles and then putting them in the fridge.

Now, for each of these recipes, you'll need two things. One, a 750ml bottle (you can either buy one or clean out an empty bottle and take the labels off) to pour into and, two, a funnel, so you don't make a mess all over the place. Each of these recipes will make 4-5 drinks.

The first big batch recipe is for the Cosmopolitan. Pouring into your bottle, put in 10 oz. of citrus vodka, 4 oz. of Cointreau (or triple sec), 2 oz. of fresh lime juice, 1 oz. of cranberry juice and 5 oz. of water. Water? Yes, water. You're adding in water to compensate for the water that would be added from shaking the drink in a mixing tin and the ice melting while you do that.

Next, a recipe for the classic Sidecar. Pour in 12 oz. of brandy or cognac (cognac is simply higher quality brandy), 3 oz. of Grand Marnier (orange and cognac-flavored), 3 oz. of fresh lemon juice and 6 oz. of water.

And finally, a recipe for the Manhattan. Pour in 12 oz. of whiskey, 4 oz. of sweet vermouth, 5 oz. of water and 1 tsp. of Angostura bitters. For a Rob Roy, just substitute scotch for the whiskey.

That's it for now and remember to please drink responsibly.

Suggestive Drink Names...

Real life called and they wanted me back for a little while... :)

Today, I thought I'd go through some suggestive drink names like the BJ (don't need this blog getting blocked for p*rn) and, one of my favorite drink names of all time, the Long Sloe Comfortable Fuzzy Screw Against the Wall with Satin Pillows the Hard Way. Try saying that one five times fast after having a couple of them.

We'll start today with the BJ. This is a layered shot and the recipe I would use has 1/2 oz. each of coffee liqueur and amaretto and topped with whipped cream. Now, to drink this properly may require some coaching (if you don't know already). You start by putting your hands behind your back and bending over at the waist, picking the glass up with your mouth (a couple of head bobs are optional). Tilt your head back and swallow as much of it as you can. When you're done, put the glass back down on the bar without using your hands and trying not to have any of the drink go back into the glass (that can be kinda gross).

Next up is the Purple Helmeted Warrior. Fill your mixing glass with ice and pour in 1/2 oz. each of gin, Southern Comfort, peach schnapps and blue curacao, with a dash each of grenadine and sweetened lime juice. Shake it and strain it into a shot glass (depending on the size of the shot glass, you may get 2 shots out of that).

We'll follow that with the ever-popular Sex on the Beach. Now, there are a few recipes out there with that name, but this is the one I use. Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in 1 oz. of vodka, 1/2 oz. of peach schnapps and then fill the glass with equal parts orange and cranberry juice. Shake it and strain it.

And finally, the Long Sloe Comfortable Fuzzy Screw Against the Wall with Satin Pillows the Hard Way. Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in 1/2 oz. each of gin, sloe gin (strawberry-flavored), Southern Comfort, and peach schnapps. Fill it with orange juice (I'd leave a little bit of room at the top). Shake it (pour it back into the same glass if you want) and top with 1/2 oz. of Galliano (licorice-flavored) and a dash of Frangelico (hazelnut-flavored) and a dash of whiskey.

That's it for now and remember to please drink responsibly.

Baseball Themed-Drinks

Didn't think it'd be this long between posts, but I was having some health issues (sinuses can be a pain in the head, literally, and a pain in the ass, figuratively).

I was watching the Rising Stars Game (basically the all-star game) from the Arizona Fall League on tv and thought I'd find recipes for drinks named for things you think of when you think of baseball.

First up, what's a baseball game without a Hot Dog? The one I think I can drink involves just 2 ingredients. In a tall glass with ice, pour in 2 oz. peppered vodka and fill it the rest of the way with grapefruit juice.

Next, if you're having a hot dog at Fenway Park, you'll be looking out at the field and see The Green Monster. In a tall glass, pour in 1/2 oz. each of vodka, Southern Comfort, melon liqueur (like Midori), and peach schnapps. Add a dash of blue curacao and then fill the glass with equal parts beer and hard cider. Garnish it with a hot dog, peanuts or popcorn.

Finally, baseball's often been described as American as Apple Pie. I've got two recipes for that, a two-ounce cocktail and a shot. To make the cocktail, fill a mixing tin with ice and pour in 1-1/2 oz. of vodka or apple vodka and 1/2 oz. of apple cider or juice. Strain that into a chilled glass and sprinkle some cinnamon on top. To make the shot, pour equal parts apple brandy, cinnamon schnapps and Irish cream. To get it to work right, pour them down the side of the glass, in the order that I've listed them in.

That's it for now, and, as always, please drink responsibly.

Dessert Martinis & A Review

When I say "dessert martinis", I don't necessarily mean martinis that you just have as a dessert after a meal, although you could. I just mean drinks that are named after desserts.

In our lead-off spot today is the Pineapple Upside Down Cake. This is one of those "spot on" drinks that taste like the food it's named after. Pour 3 oz. of vanilla vodka and 3/4 oz. of pineapple juice into your mixing tin and shake it, straining it into a chilled martini glass. Then add 3/4 oz. of grenadine and garnish with a cherry. If you like the cake, you'll like this drink.

Next up is the Crème Brulee Martini. There are 2 versions that I'll share with you today, one with three ingredients and one with 5. First, the one with three. In your mixing tin with ice, pour in 3 oz. of vanilla vodka, 1 oz. of orange liqueur (ex. Cointreau) and 1 oz. of Half and Half. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Now, the one with 5 ingredients. This time, it's 3-1/2 oz. of vanilla vodka and a dash each of butterscotch schnapps, Irish cream, black raspberry liqueur and cream. Shake and strain into the chilled martini glass. If I haven't mentioned it before, a dash is an inexact measurement up to 1/4 oz.

Third in the lineup today is the Tiramisu Martini. There's a frozen drink named the Tiramisu that's similar, but I wanted to focus on martinis. In your mixing tin, pour in 2 oz. of vanilla vodka, 1/2 oz. each of amaretto and Irish cream and 2 oz. of espresso. Shake and strain it into a chilled glass that has chocolate syrup swirled inside. Garnish with a ladyfinger cookie.

And batting cleanup is the Lemon Drop Martini. Now, there's a shot called the Lemon Drop, which is simply a shot of citrus vodka served with a sugar coated lemon, but this will be a little more complicated than that. Okay, a lot more complicated. In your mixing tin, dump in 1 heaping tsp of superfine sugar and 1 oz. of fresh lemon juice (1 whole lemon). Muddle or stir it until the sugar is dissolved in the lemon juice. Add ice on top of your mixture and pour in 3-1/2 oz. of citrus vodka and 1/2 oz. of orange liqueur. Shake it well and strain into a chilled glass. If you really want to hit this one out of the park, rim the glass with sugar or ground up lemon drop candies.

Now for the review. Yesterday, I shared the recipe for a Fallen Angel Martini, in honor of Halloween. Well, when I was out for dinner tonight, I had the bartender at Buca di Beppo on the Plaza make me one. I was, of course, nice enough to provide him with the recipe. Now, I didn't specify a martini glass and that's my fault, but other than that the drink was outstanding. If you like sweet drinks, you'll love the Fallen Angel Martini.

That's it for now. As always, please drink responsibly.