BLOODY MARIA

BLOODY MARIA

4 ounces tomato juice

1 measure silver tequila

1/2 tsp. Worcester sauce

Few drops tobasco sauce

Juice from half a lemon

Pinch of celery salt

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

No doubt you have heard of a Bloody Mary cocktail. Good for hangovers and Sunday mornings, a Bloody Mary is made with vodka and tomato juice, and various other spices.  I've enjoyed many a Bloody Mary in my day, so I was a little leery of its Mexican cousin, the BLOODY MARIA.  Plus it was a Sunday night, not a Sunday morning. Would it still taste good?

Despite the long list of ingredients above, the BLOODY MARIA was simple to make. I just put tequila, tomato juice (I used V-8), and the other ingredients above into a medium-sized glass that I had half-filled with ice. I gave it a good stir and garnished with a slice of lemon. A stick of celery or an olive are other classic garnishes that could be used as well.

Despite my fear and the fact I've rarely put tequila to my lips this year of cocktails, I thoroughly enjoyed my BLOODY MARIA cocktail. It was every bit as good as a Bloody Mary. In fact, better, because the tequila, despite being barely detectable, lent a little sweet flavor to the cocktail and covered up the hot spices better than vodka does. With the tomato juice and Worcester, it's also another good cure for a hangover. Margaritas at night followed by BLOODY MARIAS in the morning. Now that's how to do a weekend.

Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie

BLUE ANGEL #4

BLUE ANGEL #4

1 measure Parfait Amour

1 measure Cointreau

1 measure vodka

Sprite

Sprite and vodka came back into my life tonight with the BLUE ANGEL #4 cocktail. They were joined by two orange flavored liquors — one added in a creative twist by yours truly. Recipes for Blue Angel cocktails #1- 3 were on my list of Parfait Amour cocktails from barnonedrinks.com. The Blue Angel #2 contained everything listed above, except the Cointreau. That ingredient I added myself, just because I love Cointreau, and the BLUE ANGEL #4 was born. I think by the end of this year, I will be able to make cocktails in my sleep.

To make the BLUE ANGEL, just put the first three ingredients into a large glass (bonus points for using a glass from your favorite college), add lots of crushed ice, then top it off with some Sprite before serving. The Parfait Armour not only makes the BLUE ANGEL a pretty, purple-colored drink, it also makes it a delicious, orange-flavored cocktail. That sweet citrus flavor is further enhanced by the Cointreau. The vodka gives it an edge and the Sprite makes it refreshing. This cocktail isn’t blue, but it is a little bit of heaven. 

Do try.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

PIZZETTI

PIZZETTI
1 measure cognac
2 measures orange juice
2 measures grapefruit juice
Champagne or sparkling wine

As the Halloween decorations come out of the attics and into the homes and yards, I felt the need to drink a tasty, orange-flavored cocktail on my patio on this warm autumn night. I dug around and found the perfect cocktail. It’s called the PIZZETTI and it was created at a hotel in Italy long ago. To make the PIZZETTI, put the first three ingredients listed above into a cocktail shaker — the higher quality cognac the better — add ice, shake and strain into a wine goblet or brandy bowl. You then top it off with some champagne or sparkling wine, and enjoy.

The PIZZETTI, which means “little pizzas” in Italian, is a charming and delicious cocktail that speaks to the power of cognac and champagne. The cognac could scarcely be tasted, yet it gave the cocktail some strength and “umph.” It is not a cocktail for brown liquor lovers, but it is for white wine and champagne lovers. It tasted like a fruity, flavorful champagne. With its orange color, the PIZZETTI reminded me of a strong Screwdriver cocktail, though it packed a wallop that was more like a jackhammer. It’s perfect for autumn; for when you want a “real” cocktail after a long week of work; or for when you just can't decide between a cocktail or champagne.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

FLASH GORDON

FLASH GORDON

1 ½ ounce gin

1 ½ ounce Sprite

1 ½ ounce lemonade or lemon soda

Flash…. Ahhh, King of the Impossible!

The band Queen sung those words in the theme song for the 1980 film called Flash Gordon. One look at the movie and you will immediately recognize the early 80s. It’s about a football star who turns into a superhero after his airplane crashes with a meteor. It’s a great example of a “campy” film.

I’m a big admirer of campy films done right, and after tonight, I’m also an admirer of the FLASH GORDON cocktail. It certainly can be made in a flash. Just put equal parts gin, Sprite and lemonade or, better yet, lemon soda, into a tall cocktail glass. Then add some crushed ice, a slice of lime and stir well before serving. You’ll find that the cocktail is light and crisp. One of my standard cocktails when I can’t think of anything else is a Sprite and vodka, but the FLASH GORDON has changed that. Sometimes, when it’s hot or I feel like something with more taste, dry and flowery gin is just what I need. When that happens, I’ll order a FLASH GORDON and suggest you do the same. It makes a great companion for a Thursday night football game, a campy film or any activity with a bottle of good gin nearby.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

HARRY BUFFALO

HARRY BUFFALO
Smirnoff Orange Vodka
Passion Fruit Schnapps
Peach Schnapps
Pineapple Juice
Cranberry Juice

The HARRY BUFFALO cocktail at the Harry Buffalo restaurant in Highland Hts., Ohio, was nothing like the Harry Buffalos of my youth. This one contained only vodka, whereas an authentic Harry Buffalo is made with vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and whiskey. All that is combined in a large punch bowl, along with fruit juice and pieces of fruit, which are given time to marinate and soak up the alcohol. I have one blurry memory of a party in college that had a baby pool full of Harry Buffalo. An impressive cocktail to be sure, but also some of the grossest fruit I’ve ever eaten.  

But back to the HARRY BUFFALO currently served as the signature cocktail of the Harry Buffalo restaurants, a chain in the Cleveland area. This HARRY BUFFALO involved the ingredients above being put into a tall cocktail glass half-filled with ice, then stirred well and garnished with a slice of orange.

The sugary and strong HARRY BUFFALO cocktail made me want to go buy a bottle of Passion Fruit Schnapps. Thanks to the plethora of Fuzzy Navels I've consumed over the years, I’ve always been a fan of peach schnapps, but passion fruit? It’s a new favorite for when I want something sweet. It mixed well with the other ingredients in the HARRY BUFFALO cocktail and I’d order one again, though it would be better for a sunny day on the patio, then a day like today. It was rainy and cold, and more suited to the Stone Arrogant Bastard beer that Hubby ordered. Bastard.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

WHITE GUMMY BEAR MARTINI

WHITE GUMMY BEAR MARTINI
Stoli Raspberry Vodka
Peach Schnapps
Sour Mix

In the quaint village of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, there lived a restaurant called the West End Bistro. In this restaurant there lived a WHITE GUMMY BEAR MARTINI. He was white and sweet, and delicious.

To create the WHITE GUMMY BEAR MARTINI, the West End bartender had put the ingredients listed above into a cocktail shaker, added ice, then shook and strained it into a martini glass. There were no actual gummy bears floating in the drink as garnish, but if there had been, they would have been very happy. For this is a strong cocktail. Too many of them, and it might start talking back to you.

I only had one, but it did taste just like a gummy bear. My friend Carrie took a sip and thought so too. As a mother of three, she ought to know. I would have never thought that raspberry, peach and lime would combine to make a childhood treat in a martini glass. The only problem was that Mr. WHITE GUMMY BEAR MARTINI turned a little too sour at the end, and I was left with an acidity taste in my mouth. Should have known -- fairy tales never come true.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

NEW YORK (BY CANADA)

That's Hubby & Me Enjoying NYC in the picture!

NEW YORK

2 measures Canadian whiskey or Scotch

1 tsp. superfine sugar

Juice from half a lime

Dash of grenadine

What do Canucks think of New Yorkers? Oddly enough, you can find out by making a NEW YORK cocktail. The cocktail was invented in the 1920s in Canada. To make it, you will need Canadian whiskey (I used Canadian Club) or Scotch. Whatever you do, do not use American whiskey to make your NEW YORK cocktail. Don’t ask why. Just put the brown liquor into a pitcher, add sugar, juice from half a life and a dash of grenadine. Add ice to the pitcher and stir well for at least a minute. Then strain that into a short cocktail glass, add some fresh ice, and garnish with a slice of lemon or lime.

The NEW YORK cocktail is one of those sweet whiskey drinks that allow a gal like me to drink brown liquor and enjoy it. With the whiskey, the sweet from the sugar and grenadine, and a touch of sour from the lime, I thought it had the perfect balance. I dare say I liked the NEW YORK even better than the CC and ginger my friend Jen introduced me to. Hubby had a different opinion. He said it was like a Manhattan cocktail gone terribly wrong. Visit the cocktail yourself and see if you love NEW YORK.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

VOODOO TEA

VOODOO TEA

1 measure white rum

½ measure Blue Curacao

Tea

There’s black tea and then there’s Black Tea. VOODOO TEA is Black Tea — black in color, in name and in taste. To make it, start by putting some sweetened tea into a small mug or cocktail glass. Add rum, Blue Curacao and ice, then stir and serve to the nearest voodoo doll.

Voodoo is an ancient African religion practiced by 30 million. I don’t know how many of them drink, but if they do, they would enjoy a cup of VOODOO TEA at the end of their voodoo day. It was nice and sweet, and different. The unique flavor made me hesitant at first, but once I wrapped my head around it, I dived it and drank up. It was much better than the tea cocktail I had Friday night —prettier and cheaper too. And no spell was needed.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

HAPPY DAYS

HAPPY DAYS

Ginger Infused Vodka

Pineapple Juice

Soda Water

Today was indeed a happy day for me. Not only was it the first day of Autumn, my favorite season, but I got to spend it at one of my favorite places, Athens, Ohio. I was showing Ohio University to my niece Hannah, a senior in high school checking out colleges. I’m a proud OU alumni and we ended the day meeting a friend of mine from those college days who never left Athens. Known as “Emo” to friends, she had adopted five dogs by the time she graduated from OU and she couldn’t exactly go back to her parent’s place in Jersey.

Today, Emo is doing great, still in Athens and still rescuing pets. I drink a cocktail a day and she rescues an animal a day. She told me the story of the pet she had rescued that day, a mouse that her cat had brought in, as I smiled and drank a HAPPY DAYS cocktail. The cocktail was made for me by the bartender at Casa Nueva, an amazing worker-owned Mexican restaurant that uses local, fresh food. They also make their own infused vodkas. Infused vodkas are new to me, and I’m discovering that they are the best way to enjoy vodka. To make them, you steep different fruits, vegetables and other ingredients in vodka until they are ripe and ready for consumption. The creative Casa has used items like bacon and bubblegum, but the infused vodka I tried was ginger. When combined with pineapple juice, and soda water in the HAPPY DAYS cocktail, it was indeed happiness in a glass.

The HAPPY DAYS cocktail had a strong ginger taste from the vodka that was entirely pleasant, and not overwhelming. The pineapple juice gave it a tropical feel, but the ginger balanced it so that the cocktail wasn’t too sweet. If I didn’t have to drive, I would have happily had about three more. Sadly, the happy day had to end, but the memories, especially those of the infused vodka, will last forever.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

WRIGHTEOUSNESS

WRIGHTEOUSNESS
Citrus vodka
Fresh lemon
Ice tea

The new Local Tavern by my house, it's called the Local Tavern, has a fluid cocktail list full of interesting fluids. The one that caught my eye tonight was the arrogantly titled WRIGHTEOUSNESS cocktail. The name is a dig on a nearby popular sports bar called the Wright Place.

The ingredients are the three listed above. The bartender put about a measure and a half of citrus vodka and ice tea into a short cocktail glass, added ice, stirred and squeezed in some juice from a lemon, and garnished it with a lemon slice.

For me, it was an experiment to see if citrus vodka would taste better with ice tea than regular vodka. It didn't.

Granted, I'm not an ice tea lover, unless its high quality, and I was at the Local Tavern, what did I expect? I guess it was the cocktail's name. I thought someone had put some real effort and passion into the "stick it to 'em" cocktail. It did get better with a squeeze of the lemon and some more ice, but I won't be ordering the WRIGHTEOUSNESS again. Not right away anyways.

Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie

SPIKED SHIRLEY TEMPLE

SPIKED SHIRLEY TEMPLE

1 ounce vodka

½ ounce Grand Marnier

3 ounce ginger ale

3 ounce orange juice

Splash of grenadine

Shirley Temples are great, classic non-alcoholic cocktails made with ginger ale, Sprite and grenadine. But sometimes you want more than just animal crackers in your soup. On those kinds of days, try a SPIKED SHIRLEY TEMPLE. To make it, just put the first four ingredients listed above into a tall cocktail glass. Add lots of ice and stir. Then add a dash of grenadine, a maraschino cherry, a straw and serve.

Even though the SPIKED SHIRLEY TEMPLE is strictly for adults, it would still appeal to kids, because it tastes like the non-spiked version. It is sweet and syrupy, and goes down easy. With the pop, juice, and vodka, it's got it all. You really can't go wrong with the SPIKED SHIRLEY TEMPLE. Plus, it has the extra added bonus of making you feel like you are breaking a rule. Go for a trip on the good ship lollipop and try one.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

REDHEADED STEPCHILD

With or without ice- up to you!

REDHEADED STEPCHILD

2 ounces peach brandy

1 ounce Calvados

1 ounce orange juice

Redheaded stepchildren have a bad reputation. They are known for being feisty, unruly and are often treated badly — resented for their presence and the shocking color of their hair. My stepchild has blonde haired, but I have redheaded step-nieces and nephews and lots of other stepfamily, whom I love. Sunday was Stepfamily Day and I’ll toast the steps in my life any day! For the toast I’ll use the REDHEADED STEPCHILD cocktail. To make it, put the three ingredients above into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon or orange.

Brandy is basically distilled wine, and it is often drank at room temperature from a snifter. The flavored brandies are typically less expensive and lower-quality than the more expensive, cognac brandies. The peach brandy in the REDHEADED STEPCHILD was inexpensive, but I thought it added a great flavor to the cocktail. The three ingredients were a creative combination, but they also packed a powerful punch.

Hubby wasn’t as impressed. He thought the REDHEADED STEPCHILD tasted like pancake syrup. He didn't like the peach brandy and thought it was too sweet. He’s more of a cognac guy. Hubby, of course, wanted ice in his cocktail, and after it melted, he liked it a lot more. I don’t usually like ice in martini-glass cocktails, but on this one, I’d agree with Hubby and suggest adding ice. I think I would also add more orange juice next time I make a REDHEADED STEPCHILD, just to take out some of the kick out of it. After all, they are troublemakers and one must be cautious.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

MORNING JOY

MORNING JOY

1 ½ measures light rum

6 measures grapefruit juice

¼ measure sloe gin

After a fun, but tiring weekend in Chicago, my Monday morning was not a joy. I turned that around with a MORNING JOY cocktail. Though I drank it in the evening, I think it would make a great brunch cocktail. To make the MORNING JOY, you’ll only need the three simple ingredients listed above. Put them into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into your glass of choice that has been half-filled with ice. I invented the grape garnish myself, but an orange or pineapple garnish would be great as well.

You can get creative with the cleaver-tasting MORNING JOY cocktail. I loved the light taste and the light rum. It’s a cocktail that will not weigh you down while it lifts your spirits. The sloe gin is the key ingredient. Sloe gin is not gin. It is a red-colored liqueur made from sloe berries, which are similar in size and taste to a plum. The liqueur gives the MORNING JOY a dry, slightly-sweet taste, that, when combined with the grapefruit juice, makes a cocktail that is worth the effort, no matter what time of day you drink it.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

THE GEORGIA PEACH AT THE FIFTY 50

GEORGIA PEACH

Peach Lambic Beer

Sweet George Belle Peach Mango Rum Liqueur

Pallini Peachello

Citrus Juice

Chicago was full of spirits that I’d never heard of before in my sheltered Ohio world. My last one for the weekend ended up being served to me at the Fifty/50 sports bar in Wicker Park. It’s named Fifty/50 because the two owners split the work of the kitchen and the management exactly in half. They had a great cocktail list, including about eight beer cocktails. The few cocktails I’ve had this year that were made with beer have been bad, really bad. Still, I took a chance and ordered a GEORGIA PEACH. I was not disappointed. The cocktail was deliciously wonderful, marvelous even. You would have never known that it was made with beer. The key were the ingredients….

Peach Lambic Beer- A Belgium beer with a fruity, distinctive, taste that is similar to honey. I’m going to search this out for drinking by itself.

Sweet George Belle Peach Mango Rum Liqueur - The alcohol with the long name is a brand made by Sweet George Belle. It is a peach and mango rum that makes ordinary- flavored rums look silly. You can’t go wrong making a cocktail with this.

Pallini Peachello- An Italian liqueur made from white peaches. It undoubtedly gave the cocktail its strong peachy taste.

The GEORGIA PEACH was topped off with some citrus juice, which added pulp and texture. Seek this stuff out, because separately or together, they’ll be peachy keen. I can’t wait to go back and discover more of the types of cocktails Chicago has to offer.

Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie

PIMMS CUP VARIATION #7

PIMMS CUP VARIATION #7
Pimms #1
Lime
Cocchi Americano
Raspberry Syrup
Cucumber & Mint for garnish

While out on the town in Chicago, my step-daughter Robin took me to a cocktail lovers' heaven. It was called the Violet Hour and it was a real swanky place that is made to look and feel like a speakeasy from the Prohibition Years- when cocktails were born. If not for the line, you would have never known the place even existed. The entrance is hidden along a wall with a mural. They don't let you in until there are enough open seats to accommodate your party, so it can feel like you need to know a secret password as they skip your party up for another one down the line with the right number of people.

Once allowed in, you are taken to a dark room lite with candles and cloaked in green curtains. The menu is a list of rare, exotic cocktails, the majority of which had ingredients that I'd only heard of.
The cocktails had names like Enormous Rolling Maul, Stag Party, She'll Never Settle, and Never Surrender. I "borrowed" the menu for future reference and ordered a PIMMS CUP VARIATION #7.

The cocktail uses Pimms #1, which is a combination of dry gin, fruit juices, spices and liqueur. The Pimms liqueurs have been around since 1823, when James Pimm began the brand that takes an alcohol base and adds various secrets herbs, fruits and spices to make a unique tasting liqueur. There are Pimms #1-#6, but the Pimms #1 used in my speakeasy-era cocktail is the most popular. After tasting the PIMMS CUP VARIATION #7, I could see why. It was the best gin cocktail I've had so far this year. Oh, the mint, the raspberry, the atmosphere! I was indeed in cocktail heaven, though a little in fear of a raid at any moment. I also loved the big ice chunk served with  the PIMMS CUP VARIATION #7. If it had been a strong cocktail, I would have wanted some melt and the big ice chunk would have been unwise, but for this, it was perfect and allowed me to taste every ingredient.

Goodness knows I don't want a re-surgence of the Prohibition Era. But more speakeasys, where cocktails are an art, would make me one happy Cocktail Connie- Drink Up^!

ALL NIGHTER

ALL NIGHTER

1 ounce Galliano

1 ounce Cointreau

1 ounce Strawberry Liqueur

Red Bull

Heading to Chicago for the weekend for family and fun, and ready to pull an all-nighter. Only problem is it's 7 pm Chicago time and 8 pm Cleveland time, and we need a little pick me/road pop/boredom-fighter cocktail. The ALL NIGHTER was all that and more. 

To make an ALL NIGHTER, just put the ingredients above into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into glass that is half-filled with ice. Stirring it all in a glass will work too if you are in a moving vehicle.

I don't know if it was the boredom, but me and my partners in crime for the evening, my niece and her boyfriend, absolutely loved the ALL NIGHTER. The orange, strawberry and vanilla flavors from the many liqueurs mixed well with the red bull. Unlike other red bull drinks, you couldn't taste the energy drink at all. But we did get energy benefits, partying in Wicker Park with the hipsters until 3 am!

Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie

WILD TURKEY AMERICAN HONEY

WILD TURKEY AMERICAN HONEY

I've found your weekend shot- WILD TURKEY AMERICAN HONEY. Yes, it's bourbon, but don't let that scare you. I never thought I'd like a shot of bourbon, but I loved this stuff. It's reasonably priced, medium-quality bourbon that tastes more like honey than bourbon. No need to mix with anything or pull out the shaker, just keep it cold and serve it straight up. Most importantly, time it right so that your friends will join in on the "buzz."


Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie

ORANGE MARTINI, ORANGE SKY

ORANGE MARTINI

2 measures Three Olives orange vodka

½ measure orange juice

½ measure Triple Sec

Splash of 7-up

ORANGE MARTINI at night, drinker’s delight was what I found out tonight. I met my friend Terri for a little cocktail and dinner at a place called Burgers 2 Beer and challenged the bartender to make me a yummy cocktail that I hadn’t tried yet. After a short interview and brainstorming session, he came up with an ORANGE MARTINI.

To make it, he used Three Olives orange vodka, but he gave me three other choices of orange flavored vodkas he could use — there is no shortage. He put the vodka, along with orange juice, triple sec, and 7-up into a cocktail shaker. He added ice, shook it well and strained the lovely concoction into a martini glass, garnishing with a slice of orange.

When it comes to orange juice, I can take it or leave it. But after one sip of the ORANGE MARTINI, I was in love and wouldn’t leave it for all the other martinis combined. It was uber-refreshing and I couldn’t taste the alcohol at all. It tasted like high-quality orange juice and would be good for a tailgating morning. Terri had a pear martini and, though it was good, I liked my ORANGE MARTINI better. There was no order envy on either party’s part. And as the conversation turned to pie-flavored martinis, I started looking forward to a fun fall.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

MANHATTAN

MANHATTAN

1 measure bourbon

¼ measure sweet vermouth

Dash Angostura bitters

½ ounce maraschino cherry juice

Maraschino cherry for garnish

In remembrance of the day when we were all New Yorkers, tonight’s cocktail is the classic MANHATTAN. Named after the most densely populated of the five NYC boroughs and trendy for over a 142 years — at least — I can’t believe I haven’t had one yet this year. There is some dispute as to exactly where the popular cocktail was invented, but the most accepted story harks back to NYC’s Manhattan Club in the 1870s. There was a banquet in honor of Lady Randolph Churchill (Winston’s mother) at which the cocktail was served. It quickly became all the rage and, since it didn’t have a name, people started calling it the Manhattan, since it had been served at the Manhattan Club.

When Hubby found out we were having MANHATTANS, he got all excited and even made them for us. Making it was quick. He just filled short cocktail glasses with ice, then covered the ice with dashes of Angostura bitters. He next added the bourbon, sweet vermouth and cherry juice. He stirred it up and added maraschino cherries on top for garnish. Another option is to put the ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice and strain into a martini glass

Make no mistake, the MANHATTAN is an extremely strong brown liquor cocktail. But it’s also extremely good after you get past the first few sips. I admit, I needed to add some more cherry juice. That and a little melt, and my MANHATTAN took an uptown turn. I also learned to take a bite from a cherry before taking a sip to really up the pleasure factor. Hubby thinks the MANHATTAN is simply the best drink ever. He said that’s because it lives on the border between strong and sweet, which is why it goes down rather easy. Itwould only take about two for you to get good and plowed. I can certainly picture wall street guys drowning their sorrows in one after a tough day at the market. I’m sorry now that I didn't drink a MANHATTAN while I was in Manhattan last November. I won't let that happen again.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

BUCKAROO

BUCKAROO

1 ½ measures bourbon

Dash of Angostura bitters

Coca-cola

Howdy partner! You are going to love tonight’s cocktail. It’s called the BUCKAROO. Saddle up and sit a spell and I’ll make you one quicker than a horse takes to oats. First, I’ll put some Knob Creek bourbon and a few dashes of Angostura bitters into a tall cocktail glass that I’ve half-filled with crushed ice. I’ll give it a stir, then top it off with good old fashioned coca-cola. I’ll be sure to serve the cowboy cocktail with a swizzle stick for continual stirring.

If you regularly drink jack and coke, or you’re saddle sore, you will love the strong BUCKAROO. Since it uses bourbon and bitters, it’s really just a distant cousin to those tired old jack and coke or rum and coke cocktails. A more fancy pants, city slicker cousin. The bitters really come through in the BUCKAROO cocktail, and they give it a distinctive flavor that I took a mighty fine liking to. If you don’t have bitters in the house, don’t bother. And if you use good bourbon,you’ll ride into the sunset a happy cowpoke.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

BLUEBERRY TEA COCKTAIL

BLUEBERRY TEA

1 ounce Amaretto

1 ounce Grand Marnier

Hot Orange Tea

Discovering that you can combine alcohol with tea is one of the many rewards that have come with my year of cocktails. It just never occurred to me before this year. But on a Sunday night like tonight, after a disappointing Browns game and a disappointing shopping trip, a hot tea comfort drink was needed. I found what I was looking for at drinksmixer.com with the BLUEBERRY TEA cocktail.

I began by making some hot orange-flavored tea. After letting it seep for about two minutes, I added the amaretto and Grand Marnier, then stirred. There were many things I loved about the BLUEBERRY TEA cocktail, and how easy it was to make was one of them. I also loved how it was soothing, warm and pungent. Amaretto is an almond liqueur and Grand Marnier is an orange-flavored liqueur. They worked great with the orange tea. However, because of the name of this cocktail, I thought they might somehow magically combine to taste like blueberries. Didn’t happen, but by the time I got to the end of the strong drink, I did not care. I was just ready to crawl into bed.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

CORN FEST SNO-CONE

CORN FEST SNO-CONE

I'm not a big fan of fairs and festivals, but tonight my town of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, was having a Corn Fest that fit my mellow mood. I wandered down with the fam and enjoyed some pulled pork and a beer while listening to an Alanis Morrissette look alike.

Unfortunately, there were no cocktails at the Corn Fest. But when my kid came up to me holding the fancy sno-cone you see in the picture above, I thought it deserved cocktail status (plus I was just in a beer mood.)

The CORN FEST SNO-CONE is a combination of lemon-lime and blue raspberry flavors. To make it, go to the nearest Fall festival and find the sno-cone stand. Look for the line with the twelve year olds. The kid said he chose those two flavors because they taste like green apple when mixed. I took a taste and found it to be very sour, but nice and cold. It will also turn your tongue radiation green about mid-way through. Sure, it's non-alcoholic, but a flask of vodka could fix that quickly. Just be quick and discreet. However, when it comes to eating/drinking your sno-cone, whether it's spiked or not, drink slow. Brain freeze is no fun.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

KICKSTART COCKTAIL

THE KICKSTART

1 measure Bacardi 151 Rum

½ measure wild strawberry liqueur

½ measure Orange Curacao

1 can Red Bull (8.4 ounces)

The KICKSTART cocktail is a Hubby invention. As always, necessity is the mother of invention and when Hubby went to make himself an RBV (Red Bull and vodka) tonight, he found that we were out of vodka. He's one of those crazy people who gets up at 5:30 am, so whenever we are when going out on a weekend night, a little Red Bull helps. Hence, the KICKSTART, made from Red Bull and other various ingredients found in our well-stocked bar.

To make what he named the KICKSTART cocktail, Hubby put the ingredients listed above into a tall cocktail glass, added lots of ice, stirred and garnished with a slice of lemon. Like an RBV, Red Bull is the dominant flavor in this cocktail. But the strawberry and orange liqueurs add a lovely taste dimension that will make you say “yum” after taking your first sip. The flammable Bacardi 151 adds quite a punch, and ensures that the KICKSTART will both wake you up and get you buzzed. We are heading out to an Italian restaurant for dinner to celebrate my good friend Niki’s birthday, where the focus will be wine. And thanks to the KICKSTART, anyone who got up too early won’t be whining.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

BULLY HILL CHAMPAGNE SPECIAL

BULLY HILL CHAMPAGNE SPECIAL

Welch’s Grape Juice

Champagne

Anyone who has been to Bully Hill winery in the New York Finger Lakes Region knows that it’s a fun place with bad wine. But their champagne is good and their advice even better. When I was there this summer, the wine steward told me about a cocktail that sounded easy to make and delicious. It’s also another “make-ahead” cocktail that is good for those busy times.

I call it the BULLY HILL CHAMPAGNE SPECIAL and to make it you will just need some champagne and classic Welch’s grape juice. Put the grape juice into an ice cube tray and freeze it over night. The next day, pop those puppies out of the tray and put them into a champagne flute. Add champagne, the more expensive the better, and serve.

The BULLY HILL CHAMPAGNE SPECIAL is an interesting twist on champagne. The grape flavor added from the ice cubes, which melt quickly, turn the champagne into a flavorful rosé, and Hubby and I drank ours down in a flash. This cocktail will be a hit with grape lovers and champagne lovers. All others, don't bother.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

MERCURY RISING

MERCURY RISING

1 ½ measure vodka

1 measure orange juice

1 measure mango or tropical juice

½ measure lime juice

Dash of simple syrup

Mint leaf

On this day in 1946, Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the iconic British rock band Queen, and one of the most popular songwriters and performers in the 20^th century, was born in what is now known as Tanzania, Africa. Back then, the small island was known as Zanzibar and Freddie was known as Farrokh Bulsara. Though Freddie was lost to AIDS years ago, his beautifully strong voice lives on in the many great Queen songs. One of my favorites is “You’re My Best Friend.”

I found a new friend in the MERCURY RISING cocktail I drank today in Freddie’s honor. I got the recipe from freddieforaday.com, a non-profit that raises money for AIDS by asking people to dress like Freddie for a day. To make the MERCURY RISING, put the ingredients above, except the mint, into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a martini glass. Top it off with the mint leaf.

Like Freddie, the MERCURY RISING cocktail is flamboyant and powerful. The mint serves a higher purpose than just garnish. It mixes well with the cocktail’s citrus ingredients to make a unique and wonderful combination of flavors that sings in your mouth. The floating leaf makes a dramatic impression as well. I had to use tropical juice in my cocktail, which made it more “orangey.” It would have been better with mango juice. Still, Hubby and I both loved it, and our glasses were empty quicker than you can listen to “Bohemian Rhapsody.” I imagine Freddie would have loved it too. And just like one of his songs, the MERCURY RISING cocktail gave me a buzz.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

PARK AVENUE DAR-LING!

PARK AVENUE

1½ measures gin

½ measure cherry brandy

¼ measure maraschino cherry juice

I had to go back to reality today after a long, fun holiday weekend. Luckily, I could use my daily cocktail to escape to Park Avenue in New York City. That is the classy part of midtown Manhattan, where the big corporate skyscrapers reside and a condo will cost you $25 million or more. A PARK AVENUE cocktail will only cost you about $5 to make. You just need gin, cherry brandy and maraschino cherry juice. To make the cocktail, put those three into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a small martini glass.

My initial reaction to the PARK AVENUE cocktail was to “oh” and “ah” at its pretty lilac color. It certainly made a statement and made me feel all “upper East-side” classy as I swirled the mixture in my martini glass. The cocktail’s taste was very potent, and it’s not for someone who doesn’t want to taste their liquor. But it also had a nice, smooth, and subtle flavor as well. It was overflowing with the aroma of cherries from the brandy and juice, and you could barely detect the gin. Make one soon. It will have you singing “Darling, I love you, but give me Park Avenue!”

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

SEA DOG

SEA DOG

1 sugar cube

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 orange wedge

1lemon wedge

2/3 measure scotch

1 measure Benedictine

2 measures soda water

Labor Day began in 1882 as a way to keep the labor union workers happy, so they wouldn’t go on strike. The first Labor Day picnics included food, speeches, cigars and kegs of beer plastered on every tree. My own 2012 Labor Day celebration included a day off work, a steak dinner with family, toasts, a cigar-smoking Hubby, and the SEA DOG cocktail.

The SEA DOG cocktail was a little time-consuming to make, but the process was also like a fun little science experience. I started by dropping a sugar cube into a short cocktail glass, then adding about two dashes of Angostura bitters. I let the bitters sink in for a minute or two, then put one orange and one lemon slice into the glass and muddled it all together. The sugar dissolved, the juices flowed and I had a perfect base for the scotch and Benedictine. I added those two ingredients next, then topped it off with the soda water, before stirring and serving.

If you are looking for a good summertime scotch drink, you’ll find it in the SEA DOG. The cocktail is light and fruity. The citrus and sugar really comes through, and the scotch is not at all overpowering. If fact, the Benedictine was the stronger tasting alcohol. Benedictine is a cognac-based liqueur made from herbs, roots and sugar. The story goes that French Benedictine monks invented it in the 16th century for medicinal purposes. It is most commonly mixed with brandy, but I really loved it in the SEA DOG. Everyone who had one today agreed that if you are feeling kinda salty, reach for a great-tasting SEA DOG (and take a day off work.)

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

FOG CUTTER

FOG CUTTER
1 measure rum
1 measure vodka
1/2 measure brandy
2 measures pineapple juice
2 measures tropical blend juice

Day number 247 of my cocktail year and I think today's FOG CUTTER cocktail was the first one I've had that came with a tiny umbrella. When I was a child, my parents use to make my night if they brought one of those umbrellas home for me from a night out.

Since it's a holiday weekend, I had today's cocktail before noon. I was at Li Wah chinese restaurant in downtown Cleveland enjoying Dim Sum with some good friends. To make the FOG CUTTER, the bartender just put the ingredients above into a fake bamboo glass, added ice, stirred, and garnished with slices of pineapple, a cherry and, of course, the umbrella.

The FOG CUTTER will clear your head of negative thoughts as you guzzle the tall, delicious drink down, but by the time the drink is done, you'll be in another fog. With three types of alcohol, it is strong, but also very good. The cocktail took a ride on the lazy susan in the middle of the table, and as everyone took a sip, the most common reactions were "Wow" and "I like it." When you want to get your tiki on, go for a FOG CUTTER and stay on course.

Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie

SAINT ANNE

THE SAINT ANNE

8 mint leaves

1 ounce lemon juice

2 ounces gin

1 ounce St. Germain

Dash sugar syrup

Anne is a great name. My grandmother was named Anne, my dog is named Annie, I have a good friend named Ann, and now I have a great-niece named Anne, and boy is she a cutie. She was born in Chicago about three months ago and traveled to Cleveland today for a baby shower, where I was serving SAINT ANNE cocktails.

To make the SAINT ANNE, I put mint leaves and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker and muddled them together. I then added the gin and St. Germain, along with a dash of sugar syrup, and lots of ice. I shook it up and strained it into a glass with ice, garnishing with a sprig of mint.

The SAINT ANNE was a pretty drink, full of refreshing minty and lemony flavors. It had complex undertones and flowery overtones, most likely from the St. Germain elderflower liqueur. The cocktail was both refreshing and sour, lovely and powerful. I certainly had no complaints from the crowd, and a request or two for seconds. Saint Anne the woman was the mother of the Virgin Mary. A very spiritual woman, she is the patron saint of mothers, making the SAINT ANNE the perfect baby shower cocktail. But you don’t need that excuse to have one.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie