WHISKEY, BAILEYS AND MOONSHINE

JAMESONS AND BAILEYS

2 measures Jamesons Irish Whiskey

2 measures Baileys Irish Cream

Tonight’s drink comes compliments of Johnny Seesaws, a legendary restaurant in Peru, Vermont. It was built in the 1920s by a Russian logger, Ivan Sesaw, and started out as a wild place to party. There were Saturday night dances, homemade moonshine and “sin” cabins out back. Thanks to Prohibition, the place grew in size and legend. Today, it has lodging and a fabulous classic Vermont restaurant, complete with dark wood walls and several open fireplaces.

I enjoyed a fabulous meal there over the weekend of lemon piccata. When I was too stuffed to eat anymore, I asked the waitress to suggest a good dessert drink. Before I knew it, a JAMESONS AND BAILEYS cocktail was where my plate use to be.

To make your own JAMESONS AND BAILEYS, mix one part Jamesons Irish Whiskey with one part Baileys Irish Cream into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass with ice, sip and savor the delicious flavor. It proves that Baileys – one of my favorite liquors — makes anything taste better, even whiskey. The cocktail was smooth, creamy and my glass was quickly empty.

If you are every near Stratton, Vermont, be sure to eat at Johnny Seesaws, and if ever have a drink that doesn’t take good, add some Baileys.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

BOBBY, BOBBY, BOBBY

BOBBY BURNS

1 ½ measures Scotch

¾ measures sweet red vermouth

¼ measure Benedictine

Named after Scotland’s national poet, the BOBBY BURNS cocktail kinda burns — your throat. It’s sweet, but strong, and probably best for Scotch lovers. I’m working on getting a taste for brown liquor and the nice flavor of the BOBBY BURNS cocktail helps, but my tummy is not quite there yet.

To make the BOBBY BURNS, simply put the three ingredients above into a cocktail glass with ice and stir slightly. I’d never tried Benedictine liqueur before, though I’ve heard of the monks. Benedictine is from France and is described on the bottle as “distilled and mellowed in an extravagant palace located in Fecamp, France. Benedictine is a subtle alchemy of 27 different herbs and spices made from a secret recipe dating back to 1510.” That may explain its weird smell. It has an interesting red seal on the bottle too, maybe from the monks, maybe from the keepers of the extravagant palace, or maybe it’s the seal of the Dead Poets Society. Buy a bottle, make a BOBBY BURNS and come up with your own theory.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

A MOJITO FOR ROBIN

MOJITO

2 tablespoons crushed fresh mint leaves

1 ounce sugar syrup

½ ounce lime juice

1 ½ ounces dark rum

A muddler

Today is my wonderful stepdaughter Robin’s 26^th birthday. I’ve known her since she was five years old and she’s brought a lot of joy into my life. Over Christmas, Robin told me how much joy MOJITOs had brought into her life. So today’s cocktail choice was an obvious one.

The MOJITO is a Cuban drink that originally used a type of spearmint that grew all over the island. I was never a big fan of MOJITOS, though I love the idea of muddling mint, and prior to today I had no idea how many variations you can make. 

The MOJITO I made is from In the Land of Cocktails and it’s a strong one. MOJITOs usually have five key ingredients — mint leaves, sugar, lime, rum and soda water. This recipe left out the last ingredient and suggested using dark rum, instead of white, like many other recipes. To make this MOJITO, I started by putting mint leaves and simple syrup (recipe in my 1/26 blog) into a rocks glass. I then muddled the leaves to release the mint oils. To muddle means to mash or crush an ingredient to release flavor. I used a wood muddler, but a large spoon will work too. Muddle gently and leave the mint leaves large enough so that they won’t get sucked up by a straw. You then add the lime juice and rum, muddle again, add ice to the glass, and finish with a garnish of fresh mint or lime.

With the absence of soda water and the addition of dark rum, this was a muddy, muddled MOJITO. The husband said it looked like something that came out of a clogged drain. It tasted better than it looked though, and I loved the mint and rum combo. It was very sweet, but too strong to be refreshing. I think I owe it to Robin to try a different type of MOJITO another day. There are mango mojitos, English mojitos, Greek mojitos, dirty mojitos and mojitos made with icing sugar. In fact, I may need to have a whole mojito week this coming spring. Might be a good time to visit Miss Robin!

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

BANG THE WALL HARVEY

Halloween Glasses Do Have a Use in January

HARVEY WALLBANGER

2 measure vodka

¾ measure Galliano

5 measures orange juice

Orange garnish

We got back on the mountain at Stratton today and the skiing was great for the mind, great for the soul, but a little hard on the legs. Having heard about the HARVEY WALLBANGER cocktail for years, I thought a HARVEY WALLBANGER would be a great après ski refresher, and it was. The fact that it is a throwback to the 1970s, when the club scene made it popular and skiing was in its heyday, made it even more intriguing. The cocktail was named after some guy named Harvey, who supposedly banged into walls after having a few too many.

Making the HARVEY WALLBANGER is simple. It is really a supped-up screwdriver. Simply put two measures of vodka and a bunch of OJ into a glass with ice, then slowly pour Galliano over it. Galliano is an Italian yellow liquor with a licorice taste. It comes in a cool tall bottle and is easy to find at the liquor store.

The HARVEY WALLBANGER tastes healthy, like an orange julies, but it has a kick that may turn you into a foolius. It’s smooth and light, and would make a great brunch cocktail. I may never have a plain screwdriver again. My friend Elisa said forget about the walls, drink too many HARVEY WALLBANGERs and you may be banging a bed instead — it’s that delicious and you simply MUST try it.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

MELON MARTINIS IN AN ICE STORM

RAY’S MELON MARTINI

2 ounces vodka

¾ ounce Sour Mix

½ ounce Midori

1 maraschino cherry

There was an ice storm in Vermont today and we had to take a day off of skiing. The condo we are in also lost its electricity, and wifi is hard to find. Luckily, you don’t need electricity or wifi to make cocktails and we suddenly had plenty of time to devote to drinking.

Today’s signature cocktail — because God knows it wasn’t the only cocktail of the day — is from In the Land of Cocktails by Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan, proprietors of Commander’s Place in New Orleans, a wonderful place for cocktailing. RAY’S MELON MARTINI is for Niki, a good friend who likes martinis and who thought the last drink I gave her would kill her. This one she liked, though it reminded her of a holiday cocktail and the holidays were the last thing I wanted to recreate. I’m happy that crazy time is over.

To make the colorful RAY’S MELON MARTINI put the vodka, sour mix and midori into a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, shake away and strain into glasses with ice. Then top it off with a maraschino cherry for the full holiday effect.

As you can see, RAY’S MELON MARTINI is a bright neon green. That comes from the midori, an interesting tasting and delicious melon liqueur that I’ll be using often in my future. My ski trip friends thought it looked like kryptonite, then asked for seconds. The husband put it in his top 10 cocktails and we all agreed that it tasted like it looked — sweet with a touch of sour. It was refreshing and fun, and a great way to wait out an ice storm, the likes of which New Orleans will never see.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

VERMONT BLIZZARD

BLIZZARD

3 measures bourbon

1 measure cranberry juice

1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. sugar syrup

Had a great day skiing in Stratton, Vermont, but, like most ski hills this year, the place is hurting for snow. Luckily for us, the last two runs it started to snow and we hear four inches are coming our way. Even more lucky was the fact that I had dragged the fixins’ for the BLIZZARD cocktail with me from Ohio.

I am enjoying the BLIZZARD cocktail as the snow falls and it’s a perfect compliment. To make your own BLIZZARD cocktail, just put all the ingredients above into a shaker with ice. Shake and pour, unstrained, into a glass with ice and garnish with lemon. To make the sugar syrup, either buy it or simply boil two cups of water, and once it’s boiling, add two cups of sugar and stir until dissolved. You can pour the sugar syrup into a container after it cools and it will keep in the refrigerator for months.

The BLIZZARD cocktail was a good brown-liquor drink and I can’t believe it has so much bourbon in it – it is that good. Following is what the grateful friends on my trip had to say about the BLIZZARD:

“It’s got a sweet and sour taste. The bourbon wonderfully compliments the sweetness of the cranberry, followed by a wash of lemon taste.”

“All I have to say is, if you are a whiskey sour lover, give it a try.”

“It’s like a bourbon whiskey sour, but less sour and I absolutely love it!”

Try it for yourself and let me know your take on it!

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

CREAMY BANANA BOOST

I hear refridgerator pictures are all the rage!

CREAMY BANANA BOOST

½ pineapple

4 Medjool dates, pitted

1 small, ripe banana

The juice from 1 lemon

½ pint very cold whole milk

According to Websters, a cocktail is defined as a “mixed drink.” That means there are non-alcoholic cocktails too and, though I prefer some, OK, a lot, of alcohol in my mixes, some days a virgin one sounds good too. Especially on days like today when I have to work, pack, then get on the road for a good eight hours. A group of us crazy people are driving to Vermont for three days of skiing in Stratton. The skiing will be great. The drive — not so much.

I stayed up way too late last night and I am dragging, so the CREAMY BANANA BOOST cocktail sounded like just the ticket. The description says it will give you a boost that will last for hours. To make the CREAMY BANANA BOOST, put the ingredients above into a blender. Be sure to pit your sticky Medjool dates — a former delicacy in Morocco reserved only for royalty — by cutting them in half. Then blend away. My blender had a little bit of a hard time with the dates, but in the end, I got a creamy concoction that was yummy and unique. I’m not a big smoothie fan, but I’ll make this again. The flavors mixed well and it feels healthy.

Hope the boost takes affect soon — gotta go pack!

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

CLOVER CLUB- EGG WHITE GOOD!

CLOVER CLUB

2 measures gin

Half a lemon

1 measure grenadine

1 egg white

The CLOVER CLUB cocktail was named for a Chicago club that ruled the 1920s cocktail era, but that’s not why I picked it for one of my 2012 daily cocktails. It was the egg white. I was very intrigued by the use of it in a cocktail. Egg whites are one of my favorite things. I could never eat a yolk again and be a happy woman. But in a drink? Hmm…

I’ m here to tell you, an egg white is a great way to make a drink frothy and delicious. To make the CLOVER CLUB cocktail, start by putting two measures of gin and one measure of grenadine into a shaker. Then separate an egg — not an easy feat for a non-cook such as myself — and add only the egg white to the shaker. Finish by squeezing half a lemon in. Shake it all up with ice, strain it into a rocks glass, and garnish with a lemon if desired.

The result is a foamy fruit punch with a creamy taste, and a kick only gin can provide. The lemon is a nice touch too. I want to try more egg white cocktails, because the CLOVER CLUB was a hit in my book, proving that the cocktail era never really ended.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

LILLET CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

2 ounces Lillet Blanc

2 ounces chilled Champagne

Orange peel for garnish

Happy Chinese New Year! Today is the official Chinese New Year — the most important traditional Chinese holiday. Usually I get to my favorite Cleveland Chinese restaurant, Li Wah, for dim sum and the dragon dance. That’s always an entertaining time, but really loud too.

I thought I’d celebrate in a little subtler way this year by making a LILLET CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL. It was a simple cocktail and quite delicious. To make it, you first need to find Lillet Blanc, a French aperitif wine that’s been around since 1872. I found it in the sweet wine section of my liquor store, right where it belonged. The store owner said he had one customer who loved it and bought it all the time.

I combined equal parts Lillet Blanc and Champagne, then put a little orange peel on the side to keep it festive. The result was a crisp, clean drink that tasted like sweet wine and champagne! It wasn’t very unique, but had high drinkability and I sucked down two with no problem.

Year 2012 is the year of the Dragon. Try a LILLET CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL before you breath any fire!

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

BEES KNEES, KINDA

BEES KNEES

1 ½ measure gin

¼ measure honey

¼ measure lemon juice

Tired and weary after a long weekend of celebrating and skiing, I read that the BEES KNEES cocktail was comforting. Made with honey and lemon juice, it sounded comforting. But in reality, it was messy, clumpy and mostly straight gin.

To make the BEES KNEES cocktail, I put gin and lemon juice into a shaker. Then I added some wonderful tupelo honey that a friend of a friend makes to the shaker, filled it with ice and gave it some shakes. According to the recipe, you are supposed to shake vigorously to integrate the honey. I don’t know what I did wrong — I was shaking as hard as I could — but my honey segregated, not integrated. It became a frozen cluster of goo.

I eventually gave up and just strained the mixture into the glasses. The resulting cocktail was OK, but it certainly wasn’t the BEES KNEES. It was very strong and, not surprisingly, I didn’t taste any honey. To me, honey has to be hot to get it to the consistency where it mixes well. I’m gonna be on the lookout for a hot drink with honey and alcohol. Maybe then I will find the comfort I seek. Sigh.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

GET YOURSELF BETWEEN THE SHEETS

BETWEEN THE SHEETS

1 measure Cointreau

1 measure cognac

1 measure white rum

½ measure lemon juice

Happy Anniversary to the best hubby a gal ever had. Rob and I meet 21 years ago in January and married 17 years ago, also in January, at a grand party at an old mansion on Euclid Ave. in Cleveland. A really fun night, and most of the years, days and hours since have been fun too. But not all of course. Marriage can be really hard, but drinking cocktails every night has been great for this old marriage so far. We look forward to sharing a nightly cocktail all day and it gives us some crucial chat time at the kitchen bar that we otherwise might not slow down enough to do.

Tonight we are going out with friends in Ellicotville, New York (on another ski trip), and I’m treating myself to letting a bartender at John Harvards Brewhouse make tonight’s cocktail. We haven’t stayed happy for 17 years without keeping it hot between the sheets, so a BETWEEN THE SHEETS cocktail seemed appropriate. To make this unique cocktail, the bartender put Conintreau, cognac, white rum and lemon juice into a shaker. She then filled the shaker with ice, gave it a shake and strained it into a glass, topping it off with a garnish with lemon.

I tried to take her picture with the cocktail, but she refused. Not sure what she’s hiding from, but she made a good drink. The BETWEEN THE SHEETS cocktail was splendid. I was afraid the Cointreau and cognac would make it too strong to drink, but the white rum and lemon juice balanced it out nicely. It had a sharp taste to it that told me one was good, but more than that and I’d be between the sheets instead of on the ski hill the next day. If hitting the sheets sounds good to you, expand your horizons and give it a try.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

CELEBRATE AQUARIUS WITH A SPACE COCKTAIL

SPACE

1 ½ measure gin

1 measure Frangelico (crème de noisette)

½ measure lemon juice

Just in case you didn’t know, today is the dawning of the age of Aquarius. Harmony and understanding. Sympathy and trust abounding.

Hence the space cocktail. I like space, I like to look up at space and I take up space. Now, I’ve drank space too. The SPACE cocktail is very interesting tasting and quite good. It is suppose to be an aperitif, dessert type cocktail and that it is.

To make the SPACE cocktail, put the gin, Frangelico and lemon juice in the measurements above into a shaker. Fill with ice and shake. Then strain the mixture into a rocks glass with ice. Sip and enjoy. You’ll taste a lot of hazelnut, which comes from the Frangelico — a hazelnut liqueur from Italy. I think I’ll try it straight on ice next. It’s that good.

A nice way to start another weekend of letting my Hair down.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

PORT COCKTAIL IN MY EYE

PORT COCKTAIL

2 measures of good red port

Dash of cognac

Quarter of an Orange

When I first discovered port wine, I was enthralled by its texture and taste, and how well it went with one of life’s treasures — chocolate. The PORT COCKTAIL gave one of my favorite wines a new twist and I loved it.

I had never thought of chilling port before, but the PORT COCKTAIL is cold. To make it, start by putting two measures of port into a glass pitcher. I used a lovely red port from Glenora wineries in the New York Finger Lakes Region and it worked great, but I would love to try this with an expensive bottle. Anyhoo- you then add just a tiny or large dash of cognac, depending on your taste and mood. I went a little heavy on the cognac and I didn’t regret it. Add ice to the glass pitcher and stir to make it all nice and cold. Don’t stir too vigorously like I did. Getting port into my eye was not a pleasant experience.

You then slice an orange into quarters and squeeze the juice from one quarter into the mixture. Don’t put the orange into the cocktail, no matter how tempted you are. You don’t want the orange flavor to take over. Finally, strain it all into a port or wine glass and enjoy your PORT COCKTAIL. 

After last night’s strong cocktail, the husband and I were real happy. “Now THIS I’ll drink,” we both said. We topped it off with some dark chocolate and settled a little deeper into our couch. If you love port like I do, you have to try this wonderful new experience.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

THE GALL BRACER

 

GALL BRACER

2 dashes Angostura bitters

2 dashes grenadine

2 measures bourbon or rye whiskey

Lemon slice

Soda water- optional

Brace yourself for the GALL BRACER cocktail. It’s strong, it’s complicated to make and it didn’t taste good — even to my brown liquor loving husband.

I had high hopes for the GALL BRACER. I have found a new love in Angostura bitters and like grenadine, but this drink is mostly bourbon and I’m just not there yet. To make the GALL BRACER, put ice into a large glass or pitcher, like shown. Add the Angostura bitters, grenadine and bourbon in the measurement above. Then stir well to get it all nice and cold. Set the glass or pitcher aside and fill a cocktail glass of your choosing – either a rocks or a tall glass — with ice. Squeeze a slice of lemon over the ice, then pour the cocktail into the glass and enjoy. Or not.

To me, the GALL BRACER was too strong to enjoy. The recipe says you can add soda water if desired. After tasting the cocktail in its original form, I added soda water, filling up the glass. This helped, but not much. My husband said he would rather drink straight bourbon than this. Yet, he finished his cocktail. Me? I never saw the bottom of the glass.

I thought the GALL BRACER made bourbon tastier to drink than just straight up, but it is still a very strong, acquired taste that I have yet to acquire. Only time will tell if my little experiment succeeds in pulling me to the brown side.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

A BENNET FOR BENNY

BENNETT

1 ½ measure gin

½ measure lime juice

2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Good ole’ Benjamin Franklin was born this day in 1706. The man honored by the U.S. one-hundred dollar bill was a writer, printer, publisher, political leader, and inventor. One of my favorite of his inventions is the writing chair, a wooden chair with an “arm” on one side that provides a writing surface. In other words, it’s a high school desk. Those desks sometimes made fitting everything on them a challenge, but I just loved how easy they made it to pass notes and make quick getaways when the bell rang.

I love that Ben led a simple life and didn’t have much ambition for wealth. He just loved his work. Another thing Ben loved was the occasional cocktail. Since it was invented in the 1920s, I’m pretty sure Ben never had the pleasure of trying a BENNETT cocktail. Still, since the names were close, I decided to have one in his honor today just the same.

To make the BENNETT, just combine the gin and lime juice in the measures above into a shaker, then add a few smidgens of Angostura bitters — a favorite new find. Fill the shaker with ice, shake and strain into a cute little martini glass, like shown, or some other type of “short” cocktail glass. Not much of the BENNET is needed to feel its affects.

And what an electrifying affect the BENNET has on whoever dares to drink it. It is a strong drink. My husband called it “wicked” I agree, but I liked it nonetheless and found it rather tasty. I’m gonna keep it in mind when I need a good shot. I think that is its real calling in life. Keeping the BENNET cold is imperative. Drink quickly and feel the warmth in your belly. Kinda like your own little Franklin Stove. Happy 306^th Benny!

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

CAFE ROYALE- STRONG and BLACK

 

CAFÉ ROYALE

4 sugar cubs

½ pint hot, strong, black coffee

1 measures of cognac

SERVES FOUR

On Martin Luther King Day, something strong, black and dramatic seemed appropriate. I had a dream that the CAFÉ ROYALE cocktail would be all these things, but, sadly, that dream was not realized.

The concept of the CAFÉ ROYALE seemed like a good one. To make it, start by putting a sugar cube into a coffee mug. Then, add strong coffee and top it off with cognac. You are suppose to “float” the cognac, then light it on fire. Sounds dramatic right? Well, it wasn’t. As the picture shows, we tried to light it and I’d say a whole ½ second of flame ensued. But beyond that, the cocktail was not cooperating. I think I need to look into the whole floating thing and re-visit this cocktail. I was probably doing something wrong.

Even though the flame died, we enjoyed drinking the CAFÉ ROYALE. Cognac is a surprisingly great addition to a black cup of coffee and I’d drink it again anytime. It was coffee with a kick, and it really got my day going. It had some sort of medicinal magic to it and I may never drink my coffee any other way again. Now, that may lead to some strong drama!

END THE SKI DAY WITH AN APRES SKI

APRES SKI

1 measure vodka

1 measure Pernod

½ measure green crème de menthe

5 measures lemonade

Mint and a slice of lemon are optional garnishes

Martin Luther King weekend is typically a big skiing weekend, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who spent their Sunday sliding down a mountain with long sticks on their feet. The gang I’m with had a great day on the slopes. It was a cold one though and hard on the leg muscles, so all day I looked forward to ending it with the APRES SKI cocktail.

Making the APRES SKI was as easy as cruising a green run in the sunshine. First I put the vodka, Pernod, and green crème de menthe into a shaker. I then added ice, and used what little energy I had left to shake and strain it into a glass. A highball glass is preferred, but plastic will work when you’re in a hotel room. I then filled the rest of the glass, which was about half-full, with lemonade, and dressed it to impress with a garnish of mint leaves and lemon slices.

The result was a green cocktail with a black diamond taste. The APRES SKI was refreshing and different tasting, and was perfect for the hot tub. The Pernod gave it a licorice taste that blended well with the vodka, and the crème de menthe gave it a hint of mintyness. It was strong, but tasty. Everyone in the group had two — always a sign of a good cocktail. You don’t have to be a skier to enjoy it, but it you are, shake things up a bit by giving the APRES SKI a try next time you’re in the mountains and have quit skiing for the day. Trust me, it’s not a lunchtime drink.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

BLACK DAHLIA- IT WON'T KILL YOU



Niki"s drink BEFORE



Niki's Drink AFTER

BLACK DAHLIA

3 ounces of vodka

1 ounce Creme de cassi

A dash of blackberry liqueur

Several friends told me about the BLACK DAHLIA cocktail when they heard of my cocktail blog. Apparently, it is a big favorite among fans of ABC's "Revenge.” I haven’t had a chance to check the show out yet, but it sounds like a good one. Apparently, as one the characters was plotting her revenge, she made this special concoction, and finished it off with a flirty smile.

It was enough to entice me into drinking a BLACK DAHLIA and I’m glad I did. Mixing it was simple. I added the three ingredients above to a shaker, filled it with ice and shook away. Then I strained the purple mixture into the finest glass available at the Inn on the Lake in Canandiagua, New York, in the heart of the Finger Lakes — cool place.

I shared the cocktail with my friend Niki. We both agreed that it looked like Jim Jones’ Koolaid.

 She took a sip and declared “If I drink that I’ll die.” I agree that it was strong, but it is made for sipping in revenge and I get that. Niki she got that it needed to be diluted with ice and 7-up. She was then able to safely drink it without ending her life prematurely. Me, I liked it. But I only had one. I wanted to live to see the NFL playoff game tonight.

After the day I had at Bristol Mountain, skiing the powder in the morning, and the ice in the afternoon, I needed something strong. Hope I don’t feel any revenge in the morning though.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

CELEBRATE WITH A CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

1 sugar cube

2 dashes angostura bitters

¼ measure cognac

champagne

The CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL was a perfect way to toast our arrival in Canandaigua, New York, where we are spending the weekend skiing at Bristol Mountain. As you can see from the photo, we drove through a white-knuckle patch of freeway, and the gang of family and friends I’m with are happy to be alive. 

So, it was with great joy and lit of spirit that that I made the CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL. To make it yourself, start with chilled champagne and a champagne flute. Drop a sugar cube into the flute and add two dashes of Angostura bitters. Angostura bitters are aromatic spices and as such, and are a wonderful find. I’m going to have to see what else I can do with them. After dropping the two dashes in, slowly roll the sugar lump around in the bitters, and be sure to smirk and smile while you do it. Then add the ¼ measure of cognac and fill the rest of the flute up with champagne. Be sure to give a cheers to something or someone and sip delicately.

The CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL was a yummy way to mix up the usual champagne. As much as I like champagne, I needed to give it some pizzazz. Watching the sugar cube fizz in the drink is fun and the cognac mixed nicely. It was different and a hit with everyone. Cheers to a good weekend!

It was delicious

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE - COLD COCOA?

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE

1 ½ measures gold tequila

1 measure Kahlua

4 measures prepared cocoa made with whole milk

I am a huge lover of hot cocoa and Bailey’s Irish Cream. It’s probably the only alcohol I’ve ever had in hot cocoa before. How boring!

Well, the MEXICAN CHOCOLATE is definitely not a hot cocoa and Bailey’s, or boring. First of all, the cocoa is cold and second of all, it’s full of tequila gold. I know the cocktail looks all innocent up there in the picture, but the MEXICAN CHOCOLATE packs a tequila wallop that will make you scream “AHYHYHAYAHAYH!”

To make this very different cocktail, first make some cocoa with whole milk, and don’t worry about keeping it hot. Then put four measures into a shaker, and add one and half measures of gold tequila: it has to be the gold stuff. Wait, the fiesta doesn’t stop there. Lastly, add one measure of Kahlua, a coffee flavored liquor made in, where else, but Mexico. Fill the shaker with ice. Then, if you’re like me, you frantically search for the shaker lid for 15 minutes, eventually give up, and use a lid off another shaker, making a mess in the process. But if you are not lid handicapped, simply shake the mixture, strain it into a tall cocktail glass, and top it off with a straw.

The MEXICAN CHOCOLATE would make a good nightcap. I feel half-asleep right now. My husband requested cookies with his. Overall, the tequila was too overpowering for me. I’d like it to be more chocolaty, and might make it again cutting the tequila in half. But for those of you that gotta have your agave, the MEXICAN CHOCOLATE might make you turn your back on Bailey’s and never look back. Me, I’m soo getting hot cocoa and Bailey’s at the ski hill this coming weekend, where the cocktailing will continue.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

GO ROUND THE WORLD FOR AMELIA

ROUND THE WORLD

1 ½ measure green crème de menthe

1 measure gin

2 ½ measures pineapple juice

Today’s cocktail, ROUND THE WORLD, is in honor of Amelia Earhart Day. Earhart is one of my all-time favorite women in history. As one of the world’s most famous pilots and the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, Earhart really had a pair, if you know what I mean. She never let anything stop her from her ambitious pursuits, and, as an interesting side note, was one of the first proponents of an open marriage. That woman knew what she wanted, went for it and usually got it. Still, she never did complete her dream to fly around the world. She tried in 1937, but got lost somewhere around Fiji and was never heard from again.

Be sure to have a toast to Earhart after you make the ROUND THE WORLD.  To make the cocktail, you’ll need a shaker. Put the ingredients above into said shaker, fill it with ice and shake. Then strain the colorful mixture into a balloon or wine glass, preferably a chilled one. Garnish with pineapple or a strawberry if you want to get all fancy.

As you can see, the drink is a vibrant green color thanks to the crème de menthe. The crème de menthe also creates a very minty taste, but the pineapple juice and gin cuts the mintyness down to a tolerable level. The ROUND THE WORLD had a tropical feel and an interesting texture. My husband and I both liked it, but he said it was “wonderful.” I wouldn’t say it was all that, but I liked it and it was different.

It’d be a good one to sip while watching the 2009 move Amelia. It stars Hilary Swank and Richard Gere, and shows you just how special Earhart was. The movie is better than the drink in my opinion, but give it a whirl for yourself and let me know what you think.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

MOSCOW MULE

MOSCOW MULE

½ a lime

2 ounces vodka

Ginger Ale

Chances are you’ve heard of the MOSCOW MULE cocktail. It was not the first vodka drink, but it was the first popular vodka drink — becoming all the rage shortly after Prohibition in the 1930s. Sure, vodka had been around long before that, but most Americans regarded my favorite spirit as only something Russians drank right out of the bottle.

The owner of Smirnoff Vodka created the MOSCOW MULE with a friend in Los Angeles who owned the Cock and Bull Tavern. This friend, Jack Morgan, had too much ginger beer and a girlfriend who had inherited a copper goods company. Vodka and ginger beer were put in a copper cup, combined with lime, and, Whala! Americans liked vodka. The fact that it was a hot summer in L.A. and cold copper cups made the drink very refreshing, helped I’m sure. Smirnoff — which had been struggling at the time — is now the best selling brand of spirits in the U.S.

Even if you don’t have a copper cup, like me, I recommend trying this legendary cocktail. To make the MOSCOW MULE, first cut a lime in half. Squeeze the juice from the lime into a mug, then drop the lime shell in. Fill the mug with ice, add 2 ounces of vodka, and fill the rest of the mug with ginger ale. Whala!

Back when the MOSCOW MULE first became popular, ginger ale was a whole different beast. It was called ginger beer, and it very gingery and spicy. If you can find some ol’ time ginger beer, it would probably work great in this cocktail. Me, I’m a Vernors gal myself, and it’s the ginger ale I used. The result was a refreshing cocktail that was fun and easy to make. The pop, lime and vodka make a great combination, and I can understand how this cocktail started Americans thinking about what else they could do with vodka.

I would substitute coffee for a MOSCOW MULE in my mug anytime. But next time I see a copper mug, I’m gonna buy it so I can experience sipping a MOSCOW MULE on a hot summer day the right way. And that’s no Cock and Bull.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

RUSTY NAIL

Rusty the Drink

Rusty the Brother

RUSTY NAIL

1 ½ measure Scotch

1 ½ measure Drambuie

When you hear the name of the RUSTY NAIL cocktail, your mind most likely conjures up an image of an old man sitting on a rusty bar stool nursing a classic rocks glass. Since yesterday was my brother’s birthday, his name is Rusty, and he is now an old man of 38, I had to try a RUSTY NAIL. To make the cocktail, simply combine equal parts Scotch and Drambuie in a rocks glass over ice and stir gently. Garnishing would be a sin.

The RUSTY NAIL cocktail is my first foray into the world of Scotch. Like many people, I could never keep the difference between Scotch and whiskey straight in my head. But I got it down now. Whiskey is a common type of alcohol that is made all over the world. It’s easy to find and cheap. Scotch, on the other hand, is a type of whiskey, but it is a special kind that is only made in Scotland. It is more expensive, with bottles of good Scotch going for a much as $10,000 for a 50 year-old Chivas Regal.

Scotch has a smoky flavor and is definitely an acquired taste. I’ve heard that once you acquire a taste for Scotch, you’ll crave it. I don’t see that craving happening in my future. Granted, I’m glad I’ve finally gotten a handle on the whole Scotch vs. whiskey thing, but I don’t have a handle on the RUSTY NAIL. The drink was sassy, crisp, potent, and semi-sweet, but what it wasn’t was gone. I couldn’t even finish it. Still, I’ll give Scotch another whirl or two this year of cocktails. Maybe the RUSTY NAIL was just a bit too rusty for me.

Now, Rusty the brother, him I can hang with. I spent his birthday evening watching his band, Cholly, lay down some funk. That bad picture up there is from his gig. Hey, it was dark. Fortunately, his band was better than today’s cocktail and I made it till the end.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

MARILYN MONROE

MARILYN MONROE

4 measures well-chilled champagne

1 measure applejack or calvados

¼ measure grenadine

Did you know that Marilyn Monroe spent most of her childhood in foster homes? Explains some things, doesn’t it. I bet when she was a child, she never dreamed she’d be sipping Dom Pérignon champagne— the ultimate celebratory accessory — on a regular basis.

To make the MARILYN MONROE cocktail the right way, you are suppose to use Dom Pérignon, one of the finest champagnes on the market. But at about $129 a bottle, it may not be a viable option for you. I know it wasn’t for me. So, slum it if you must like I did. I used a $12 bottle of Korbel California Champagne and it worked just fine, though one of my goals in life is to have this drink the right way one day.

The mixing of the MARILYN MONROE is simple and elegant. Simply add all the ingredients above to a champagne saucer, or the closest thing you can find, stir very gently, and garnish with a cocktail cherry. Share with family that came over for dinner like I did and watch them have two each.

And I don’t blame them. Like the screen siren, the drink is fascinating. It’s strong and sweet, and lingers on your lips in a good way. It is a perfect balance of champagne and applejack, and is actually refreshing if the champagne is cold. Applejack is basically apple brandy and it is good all on its own. I have a new favorite brown liquor in applejack. Who needs diamonds?

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

LAZY RITA



Don't let the man with the knife scare you, he's making tacos!



LAZY RITA

Margarita Mix (I used Mr. and Mrs. T)

Tequila

The LAZY RITA cocktail’s name was made up by yours truly, but the kudos for the concoction go to Mr. and Mrs. T. Whoever this couple is, they know how to make a damn good margarita mix. Ever crave a margarita? I rarely do and in fact, have had issues with tequila in the past (50¢ tequila shot nights in college will stay with you for a lifetime.) But tonight, when my husband said we are having tacos, my mind said “and I’m having a margarita.”

Searching my library of cocktail books, I looked for a creative margarita recipe I could make. I struck out. I had tequila, but little else needed in the way of bar stockings to be creative. And since I had a late night last night and had spent the day taking down the Christmas crap and cleaning, a trip to the liquor store was not happening. Luckily — don’t ask me where it came from — but I had some Mrs. and Mrs. T margarita mix in house. Another day this cocktail year, I’ll make a margarita the puritan way, but for tonight, the mixed worked great.

To make the LAZY RITA, combine 4 oz of a margarita mix with 1 oz of tequila in a shaker, fill it with ice, shake and strain. It was simple and good, not too sour. I am currently on my third and it complimented the tacos perfectly. Many taco nights, I’ve just popped open a beer. But going that extra mile to have a margarita is soo worth it. It gave me that “I’m in a Mexican restaurant” feeling.

A friend of mine who is a tequila connoisseur left some of her good tequila at my house last time she was here, and I think using the good stuff really makes a difference in a drink like this. The tequila is called ESPOLON and it is 100% puro agave from Mexico. The bottle has some real cool skeleton art on it too and the more ESPOLON you drink, the cooler it looks. I’m betting it is not the same tequila they used at those 50¢ tequila shot nights- thank God!

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie