HAMMER HORROR

HAMMER HORROR

1 measure vodka

1 measure Kahlua

1 scoop vanilla ice cream

Dark chocolate for garnish

Happy Halloween fellow cocktailers! It’s been a different one around my house this year. Hurricane Sandy postponed trick or treating; I have zero decorations up because my living room is under construction; and no one was up for carving pumpkins. What was left was horror movies. And the perfect cocktail to sip while watching one was the HAMMER HORROR.

To make the cocktail, I put vodka, Kahlua and one scoop of the best vanilla ice cream I could afford into a blender. I then added a small handful of crushed ice and blended it on high for about one minute. Lastly, I poured the creamy mixture into a martini glass and garnished with some grated dark chocolate.

The horror movie we watched was “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer.” It was actually a pretty good flick with a lot of historical accuracy. The storyline and special effects were both good, and there was enough blood to keep my 12 year old boy happy. The HAMMER HORROR, on the other hand, wasn’t horrible at all. It was more like wonderful. The Kahlua, though coffee liquor, gave the cocktail a chocolate flavor, and the ice cream made it taste like a delicious shake. I see where the hammer part comes in, for it is a strong cocktail. Still, Hubby and I had no trouble drinking it quickly. Definitely one of the best Halloween treats I’ve ever had.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

GLOOM CHASER

Cocktail Number 300!

GLOOM CHASER

1 measure Grand Marnier

1 measure orange curcao

½ measure lemon juice

¼ measure grenadine

Lemon for garnish

Gloom, doom, dreary, dark and dank. That’s how a lot of us are feeling today. The weather forecast says no sun in my parts until Saturday. So until then, I’ll have to help chase the gloom away with a GLOOM CHASER cocktail.

The list of ingredients — every one of them something good — were put into a cocktail shaker. I added ice, shook well and strained it into a short cocktail glass, garnishing with a slice of lemon. After a few sips, I added ice. This helped to tone the GLOOM CHASER’s strength down a bit, while also cutting some of the sweet.

Yep, much like the sweetness of the unexpected day off of work today, the GLOOM CHASER has a sugary taste. But it’s also tangy and savoy, and just plain yummy. Hubby doesn’t usually like sweet cocktails, but this one worked for him. We couldn’t really taste the Grand Marnier, but we are sure that is where the GLOOM CHASER got its nice orange flavor, not to mention the orange color. It’s a perfect cocktail for Halloween, hurricanes and hopelessness.

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Cocktail Connie

RICK KING’S SPECIAL SHOT

Rick King and his shot

RICK KING’S SPECIAL SHOT

½ ounce Jagermeister

½ ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur

Splash of coke

As Hurricane Sandy makes its way up the United States’ east coast , things are getting hairy and scary just in time for Halloween. Here in Cleveland, the power is out, my car is getting pelting by falling branches and winds are gusting at 50 mph. Sirens can be heard in the distance and down the street there is a downed power line that is spitting flames of fire every so often and illuminating the night sky along with the lighting. I can only image what kind of craziness is happening closer to the coast and pray everyone stays safe.

It’s times like these that I’m glad I’ve run into people like Rick King during my cocktail year. It was at Bar Louie in Beachwood, Ohio. When he heard about my blog, he said I absolutely had to have his favorite shot. It’s made with Jagermeister, Baileys and coca-cola. You put them all into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake well and strain into a shot glass. Of course I gave it a try, especially since I realized that I hadn’t had any Jagermeister all year.

To me, Jagey is something I use to do a shot of right after I heard the words “last call.” That was long ago and I thought the 70 proof liquor from Germany was in my past. But now the RICK KING SPECIAL SHOT has brought Jagey back into my life and I’ glad. It was a really good shot. When combined with Baileys and coke, Jagermeister takes on a completely different, improved taste. The shot was smooth, creamy and easy to finish. The usual face and head shake that can come with a shot will not happen with this one. I suggest giving it a try while riding out the storm.

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Cocktail Connie

PRE-BROWNS GAME WASHINGTON APPLE SHOT

WASHINGTON APPLE SHOOTER

¾ ounce Crown Royal or other bourbon

¾ ounce Apple Pucker

¾ ounce cranberry juice

Next time you find yourself in one of those situations where you don’t really want to do a shot, but the circumstances warrant it, try a WASHINGTON APPLE. Making it is simple. Just put the three ingredients listed above into a cocktail shaker, add lots of ice, shake and strain into a shot glass.

I found myself in a WASHINGTON APPLE situation this morning. I don’t usually do shooters before noon, but I was taking part in a little pre-gaming before going to the Cleveland Browns game. It was cold. It was raining, hard. I was in a very loud bar with $2 shots and the Browns had only won one game all year.

It was a good choice. The yummy-tasting shot had an apple flavor perfect for the fall. Despite the Apple Pucker, it was tart, but not super sour. It could also be a large cocktail if you tripled the ingredients, but I don’t think I would have liked it as much that way. As a shooter, it was flavorful and easy to drink. It definitely warmed me up and helped me to ride out the storm. I can see why the WASHINGTON APPLE is a very popular shooter. The Browns got a little more popular today too after their close-call victory over the San Diego Chargers. Musta been the great fans at the game, and all the shots they did before noon.

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Cocktail Connie

CUCUMBER MARTINI

CUCUMBER MARTINI

2 measures Effen cucumber vodka

¼ measure simple syrup

½ measure ginger ale

½ measure lime juice

Ahh cucumbers — gotta love them. They are a low-cal versatile veggie from India that just shriek of coolness. Their scientific name is Cucumis Sativus and they are a good source of potassium and vitamin k. As I found out tonight, they also make good martinis.

A CUCUMBER MARTINI was made for me by the nice bartender at Spectators, a sports bar in Chesterland, Ohio, that was full of excitement about the Ohio State Game. To make it, the bartender just put the ingredients above — including delicious Effen cucumber vodka — into a cocktail shaker, added ice, shook it well and strained it into Spectator’s version of a martini glass. She garnished with a slice of cucumber and it added the perfect finishing touch.

I really appreciated my Cucumis Sativus martini. As expected, it was refreshing, but it was also light and easy drinking. Unlike other martinis, the thought of adding ice didn’t even occur to me. Yep, no melt and no “getting use to it” needed. From now on, the CUCUMBER MARTINI is my go-to cocktail for when I just want something lovely to sip while chatting the night away with lovely friends.

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Cocktail Connie

KNOCKCRANNY SPRING POP

KNOCKCRANNY SPRING POP

½ measure Chambord black raspberry liqueur

1½ measure Honey Jack Daniels Single Barrel Whiskey

½ measure Triple Sec

½ measure lime juice

Top with coke

Friends and family are important to me, and they came together last night in the KNOCKCRANNY SPRING POP cocktail that I hauled over to my friend Cindy’s house for a night of laughter with college buddies. My Dad helped with the laughter by supplying the cocktail recipe. He got it from the pub at the Knockcranny House Hotel in Westport, Ireland. The bartender had created it in a contest sponsored by Chambord and said it was something his crazy American daughter should try.

To make the KNOCKCRANNY SPRING POP, I put that interesting list of ingredients above — everything except the coke —into a cocktail shaker. I then added lots of ice, shook it well and strained it into a cocktail glass. I topped it off with a large dash of coke and a slice of lime for garnish.

I choose this cocktail because my girlfriends are fans of brown liquor and I thought it would be a new way to try it. That it was. The KNOCKCRANNY SPRING POP, in addition to being fun to say, was a very different way to drink whiskey. But it also made the already-sweet honey JD whiskey hard to taste. The sweet raspberry flavor of the Chambord takes over this cocktail, and whether that is a good or bad thing depends on the drinker. I love Chambord and really digged it in the KNOCKCRANNY SPRING POP, but only after adding some ice to my drink and giving it a melt. The cocktail has a bit to it, but it grew on me by the second one. Definitely worth a try.

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Cocktail Connie

GOLDEN DREAM

GOLDEN DREAM

1 measure Galliano

1 measure Cointreau

1 measure orange juice

1 measure heavy whipping cream

Orange rind and whipped cream for garnish

I was mining what may be the best stocked bar in Northeast Ohio, looking for a cocktail that would kill a bottle and give me more room, while also satisfying my taste buds, when I came across all the ingredients for a GOLDEN DREAM cocktail. To make it, I just put the ingredients listed above — including the last of my tall bottle of Galliano — into a cocktail shaker. I then added lots of ice, shook it well and strained the mixture into a martini glass. I garnished with a slice of orange and some whipping cream, both of which are optional.

I definitely struck gold with the GOLDEN DREAM. Let’s start with the look of it. Any cocktail with whipped cream can bring out the “ohhs” and “ahhs,” but this one was also the most beautiful shade of orange I’ve ever seen. And the taste? Well, with two kinds of cream, you could already guess that it had a thick, creamy taste. But it was also tangy from the orange juice and Cointreau, and had the sweet licorice sting of Galliano. In fact, Galliano is the overwhelming flavor, so if the Italian liquor is not a favorite of yours, this cocktail won’t be either. Otherwise, give the GOLDEN DREAM a try. You’ll have the extra added bonus of sweet dreams as well. Yep, it’s another strong one.

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Cocktail Connie

MEXICAN MARTINI

MEXICAN MARTINI

2 ounces tequila

1 ounce Cointreau

1-2 ounces Sprite

1 ounce orange juice

Juice of ½ lime

My New Best Friend Cathleen has been raving about a cocktail she had at her daughter’s wedding this past summer. Called the MEXICAN MARTINI, her daughter learned to love it while living in Texas, where tequila bars are on every corner.

The recipe I used came from Trudy’s, a well-known restaurant in Austin, Texas. To follow it, put the ingredients you see listed above into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake it like you’re riding a mechanical bull, then strain the mixture into a martini glass. If you like, salt the martini glass first by lining the rim with a slice of lime, then dipping it in margarita salt that you’ve laid out on a plate. As far as the garnish goes, there are as many choices as there are bulls inTexas. My friends got the choice of a slice of lime or a pickle, olive, onion cocktail spear, and both worked beautifully.

At first sip, the MEXICAN MARTINI tastes a lot like a margarita; the only difference between the two being the addition of orange juice and Sprite in the MEXICAN MARTINI. But this was just the night’s first version of the cocktail. By the third one, we had it down to a closer version of the one that was served at the wedding. We used less tequila, and more orange juice and Cointreau to improve upon the original. More delicious, orange-flavored Cointreau always helps to make any cocktail taste better, but it really elevated this one to a new level. This version was smoother and the tequila taste was less noticeable. Lovers of the agave juice may want to stick to the original version and use a high-grade white tequila. No matter how you shake it, the MEXICAN MARGARITA will make you glad you went south of the border.

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Cocktail Connie

BULLFROG

BULLFROG

1 ½ measure apricot brandy

Juice of a lemon

The difference between a bullfrog and a regular green frog is size and sound. The bullfrog is larger and has a deeper voice than a green frog. The difference between apricot brandy straight up and a BULLFROG cocktail ain’t much, so if you don’t like apricot brandy, don’t even bother.

But if you do like the sweet, strong, fruity flavor of apricot brandy, I highly suggest giving the BULLFROG a try. To make it, just put the brandy into a cocktail shaker and squeeze in the juice of a lemon — how much is up to you. Add plenty of ice to the shaker, and shake and strain into a small aperitif cocktail glass. I didn’t expect to like this cocktail, but I was as happy as a bullfrog on a lily pad after a meal of flies as I sipped it. It was a soft and pleasant way to end my day.

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Cocktail Connie

UV HIGH TEA

UV HIGH TEA
2 measures UV Sweet Green Tea Vodka
Lemonade

Green tea has many wonderful health benefits, from fighting cancer to clearing your skin. Unfortunately, UV Sweet Tea Green Vodka doesn't contain any actual green tea, but it tastes like it does and it has some wonderful psychological benefits.

I picked up a bottle of the stuff when I saw it on sale at the liquor store. UV is a brand of vodka that I'd been wanting to try. UV doesn't stand for anything, but their flavored vodkas are always bright, colorful and unique. To make the UV HIGH TEA cocktail, I mixed the vodka with some lemonade in a tall glass that I had filled with ice. I gave the cocktail a stir and slice of lime for garnish.

The first words out of my mouth were "Wow! It tastes just like green tea."

The UV HIGH TEA was a delicious cocktail that even non-green tea lovers -- heck, even non-lemonade lovers --would enjoy. It was extremely light, both in color and taste. I used clear lemonade (a mix) and my cocktail was practically see through. I can't wait to see what else I can make with my green tea find. Run, don't walk, to your liquor store and if you see it on sale, pony up!

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Cocktail Connie

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR

1 measure Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur

1 measure Irish cream

Hot coffee

Whipped cream for topping

When it is a pretty, sunshine-filled fall morning and you are meeting up with a friend for brunch, a coffee cocktail is the just the thing to get the chatting started. You could go the route of a powerfully strong Irish Coffee (whiskey and coffee) or you could choose the luscious - tasting NUTTY PROFESSOR.

The one I enjoyed was made at the West End Bistro in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. But the NUTTY PROFESSOR would be simple to make at home as well. The key is to buy some Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur. You can’t miss it on the liquor shelf. It comes in a bottle shaped like a monk, complete with a rope around his waist. It will set you back about $30, but it’s well worth it, because Frangelico can be used for many delicious cocktails.

 

To make the NUTTY PROFESSOR, just put the Frangelico into a coffee cup, along with some Irish cream and strong, hot coffee. Stir and top with whipped cream. True to its name, the NUTTY PROFESSOR cocktail has a nutty flavor that is perfect for fall. Hazelnut is not even one of my favorite flavors, but I loved it in this cocktail and thought it went wonderfully with the sweet Irish cream. The coffee warms you up and takes off the chill, while also waking you up for whatever the day has ahead. For me that was drinking another NUTTY PROFESSOR.

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Cocktail Connie

GOLDEN RUSSIAN

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GOLDEN RUSSIAN

1 ½ measure vodka

1 measure Galliano

¼ measure lime juice

I’m figuring out that there are a lot of cocktails with Russian names and it makes me want to hang out with Russians more. One such cocktail is the GOLDEN RUSSIAN that I tried last night. To make it was simple. I just put vodka, Galliano and lime juice into a tall cocktail glass (though short would have worked better) that had been filled with ice, gave it a stir and garnished with a slice of lime.

I really liked the simplicity of the bright green GOLDEN RUSSIAN, but not the drink itself. For me it was prettier than it tasted. It was extremely sour. The idea is for the vodka and lime to cut the sweetness of the Galliano, which is a sweet Italian liquor made from herbs and such. It tastes kinda like vanilla licorice and is 42.3% alcohol, so look out and don't take this Russian lightly.

I love it in other cocktails, but not the GOLDEN RUSSIAN. Hubby, he had a different take on the cocktail. He swiped it out of my hands and had it down his throat in seconds flat. Try it for yourself, and see whose side you’re on.

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Cocktail Connie

KISS MY AZTEC MARTINI

KISS MY AZTEC MARTINI

Patron XO Café Dark Cocoa

Patron XO Café

Cayenne Pepper

Cinnamon

Cream

Whipped Cream for garnish

I’ve never kissed an Aztec, but I can now say that I’ve drank a KISS MY AZTEC cocktail and that it was one of the most interesting and different martinis I’ve had yet this year. And at day number 287, that’s really saying something.

This fabulous cocktail was made for me by the bartender at Bar Louie in Beachwood, Ohio, where I was having a cocktail with my friend Terri and some fabulous men who were lucky enough to sit next to us at the bar. Their enthusiasm for my blog and for talking was matched only by my enthusiasm for the KISS MY AZTEC cocktail. It was very rich and impressive looking with whipped cream that was piled as high as an Aztec pyramid.

The ingredients for the KISS MY AZTEC included a very atypical coffee-flavored tequila made by Patron called XO Café. But the cocktail didn’t stop there, it also include Patron’s XO Café Dark Cocoa, which is a chocolate and coffee-flavored tequila. The bartender put these tequilas into a cocktail shaker, along with dashes of cayenne pepper, cinnamon and a small pour of heavy whipping cream. She then added lots of ice, shook the shaker well and strained the mixture into a martini glass before adding the whipped cream.

It was a strange feeling sipping tequila from a martini glass, but I discovered that, though I’m not a big tequila fan, I really like the coffee and chocolate flavored ones. When together in the KISS MY AZTEC, they make an awesome dessert. It reminded me of a chocolate shake or crème brulee, with the additional tequila kick. But it wasn’t too thick or filling. That Patron is one great company and I’d like to give the inventor of these tequilas a big kiss of my own.

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Cocktail Connie

NUTS N' BERRIES MARTINI

NUTS N’ BERRIES MARTINI

1 measure Vodka

½ measure Chambord

½ measure Amaretto

½ measure Frangelico

Nuts n’ berries; it’s a classic combination that makes for good cereal and granola bars. As I found out tonight, it also makes for a good martini. Sure, the NUTS N’ BERRIES MARTINI doesn’t have any actual nuts and/or berries in it. But let’s not nick pick, the thing was delicious!

The NUTS N’ BERRIES MARTINI was made for me by the kind bartender at Billy’s Martini Bar in Mentor, Ohio. I have yet to meet a martini bar I don’t like, but Billy’s is becoming special to me, because they make great cocktails that always come with a half a glass extra in its own little shaker. For the NUTS N’ BERRIES MARTINI, the above ingredients were put into a cocktail shaker, ice was added, and it was shaken and strained into a martini glass that had been drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Though the NUTS N’ BERRIES MARTINI is made with four types of alcohol — and nothing else — you wouldn’t know it by its taste. The raspberry liquor, Chambord, is a dominate flavor and gives the cocktail the “berries,” while the coffee-flavored Frangelico and the almond-flavored Amaretto liquors give it its “nuts.” And the vodka? That just ensures that if you have more than one, you’d be nuts to get behind the wheel. Ahh, yes, tis a strong and delicious cocktail. Thanks Billy!

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Cocktail Connie

APPLE SOUR

APPLE SOUR

1 measure cognac

1 measure calvados

2/3 measure lemon juice

1 tsp sugar

Dash Angostura bitters

1 egg white

Apple slices for garnish

Need a use for those apples sitting in your fruit bowl? I have one. It’s called an APPLE SOUR cocktail. I know that list of ingredients above looks a little strange, especially the egg white. But egg white cocktails actually are among the best. They make whatever mixture they’re in foamy and slightly creamy.

To make the APPLE SOUR, put the an egg white and all the other ingredients listed above into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass of your choosing that has been half-filled with ice. A bowl glass worked well for me. Then slice up an apple and throw a couple slices into the glass. Cognac is a pricey liquor, and the higher quality you have the better, but a cheaper one — I used Salignac — will work in an APPLE SOUR.

In fact, everything worked in the APPLE SOUR. Calvados is an apple brandy and it gave the cocktail an nice apple aftertaste, but the cognac taste was first and foremost. The cocktail was sour in a natural, real way, and the bitters enhance the experience as only bitters can. Then there’s the foam. Hubby called the APPLE SOUR a foamy version of the sidecar cocktail. I just know that it was an easy-drinking cognac cocktail, and one of the best uses for apples beside pie.

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Cocktail Connie

TOM COLLINS

TOM COLLINS

2 measures gin

Juice of half a large lemon

1 tsp sugar

Soda water

“Tom Collins please.” It sounds like such a nice, pleasant cocktail order. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a bartender to make my first TOM COLLINS. Instead, I made it at home despite a busy night. But it was worth it, because make a TOM COLLINS is easy and fun, and drinking it is even better.

The TOM COLLINS actually started out as a John Collins, named so after the head waiter at a London hotel who invented it in the early 19^th century. Poor John got his name replaced after people began to make the cocktail with Old Tom gin. Whatever you call it, to make the cocktail, start by putting gin and lemon juice into a tall glass that is half-filled with ice and, in an ideal world, frosted. Give the cocktail a stir, then add the sugar and stir it some more so that the sugar dissolves. Lastly, top the cocktail off with about a measure and a half of soda water.

If you like a gin fizz cocktail, you will love a TOM COLLINS. The ingredients are the same. The only difference is that a gin fizz is shaken and a TOM COLLINS is stirred and has a little less soda. Both cocktails are good, but I prefer the ease and taste of the Tommy one. It tasted like lemonade or lemon water with that special something that only gin can add. In fact, it’s my new favorite gin-based cocktail, and I’ve liked many of them this year. Lemon and gin are always a refreshing combination. The sugar cuts the sour and the lemon makes it all fine and dandy like cotton candy. If you haven’t visited the gin party in a while, RSVP for the TOM COLLINS.

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Cocktail Connie

WEEKEND LEFTOVERS COCKTAIL

WEEKEND LEFTOVERS COCKTAIL

Champagne

Orange Mango Juice

A busy Monday along with champagne that was about to loss its fizzle can really spark my creativity with cocktails. The WEEKEND LEFTOVERS COCKTAIL not only allowed me to flex me well developed cocktail-making muscle. It also let me use up two great weekend leftovers that would have been a shame to waste.

The most important leftover was the Organic Orange Mango Juice from Harney & Sons in New York. I bought it at Huggys in Vermilion, Ohio, over the weekend and it's so good, I can't believe I didn't finish it. To make the WEEKEND LEFTOVERS COCKTAIL, I just combined the juice with the leftover champagne from last night's delicious cocktail, putting equal parts in a champagne flute, then giving it a stir.

As suspected, my creation was delicious. When made as one, these two leftovers were even better than they had been separately. Of course, you really can't go wrong with the sweet, tropical taste of mango. There are definitely more combinations like this in my future. I hope in yours too.

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Cocktail Connie

MELON COOLIA

MELON COOLIA

1 ounce Midori Liquor

1 ¼ ounce simple syrup

1 ¼ ounce sour mix

2 ounces Champagne

Garnish with maraschino cherry

Midori and a cool fall breeze. If that sounds like a good afternoon to you, be sure to do it right with a MELON COOLIA cocktail. It combines Midori with champagne, and the melon liquor shines as bright as it looks. I got the recipe from In the Land of Cocktails.

To make the MELON COOLIA, put the ingredients above into a cocktail shaker (those individual-sized champagne bottles sold in grocery stores work well), add lots of ice, shake well, and strain into a cocktail flute. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and drink immediately, while it’s still cold.

Though it features the sweet melon taste of Midori, the MELON COOLIA uses sour mix to cut the sweet down to a pleasant level and the it’s one of those cocktails that can be drunken quickly. It’s probably the best Midori cocktail I've had yet. And it would have been even better with a higher quality champagne. I only wished I’d had some vanilla ice cream or peach pie to have with it. Then I would really have been feeling as happy and COOLIA as a cucumber.

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Cocktail Connie

PEGU

PEGU
1 measure gin
1/2 measure Cointreau
1/2 measure lime juice
Dash of Angostura bitters

Pegu anyone? That's what you likely heard if you visited Burma's Pegu Club in the 1930s. The club in the Far East was a haven for British officers, goverment officials and elite businessmen looking for other "normal" people like themselves. The club itself was named after the Burmese city of Pegu, which served as the capital of the Mon dynasty in the 14th century, as well as the center for Buddist culture.

The PEGU was the Pegu Club's signature cocktail, and though Burma is now known as Myanmar, the PEGU cocktail lives on. It's a gin-based classic and something every gin lover should try.

To make the PEGU, put the ingredients above into a cocktail shaker, including the bitters, add ice, shake and strain into a short cocktail glass. Add ice to the glass and garnish with a slice of lime or lemon.

The sour-tasting PEGU is similar to a gin sour cocktail. It has all of the same ingredients, except for the Cointreau. The French Cointreau, with its subtly sweet orange flavor, is always a good addition to any cocktail. It worked in perfect harmony with the Bombay gin from England in the PEGU. The lime taste was prominent though, despite the two alcohols, and was just a little too much in my opinion. The PEGU is not my favorite gin cocktail, but I enjoyed it. It would be delightful and refreshing on a hot day. It also works as something nice to sip while admiring my new teak floors seen in the picture.

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Cocktail Connie

WILD BLUEBERRY MARTINI

WILD BLUEBERRY MARTINI

Three Olives Berry Vodka

Wild Blueberry Simple Syrup

Fresh Citrus Juice

Twist of lemon for garnish

Touché means success in fencing or a witty point. But as of last night, Touché took on a new meaning for me. I now think of it as a wonderful little martini bar in Vermilion, Ohio, where I had a good time with good friends one Friday night.

I ordered me a WILD BLUEBERRY MARTINI and, if I had been fencing I would had yelled “Touché,” in honor of my successful order. To make it, the bartender had just put the ingredients above into a cocktail shaker, added ice, shook and strained it into a martini glass where a few blueberries had been placed at the bottom.

I did a round the table tasting and everyone’s martinis were delicious, but my WILD BLUEBERRY MARTINI was the only one with cancer-fighting oxidants from the blueberries. The blueberry taste was strong, but also fresh and pleasing to the palate. The cocktail had a lovely aroma as well. The alcohol could barely be tasted, but, by the end of the drink, you knew it had been there. I recommend both the cocktail and the place, when looking for a thrill…(commence singing now.)

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Cocktail Connie

STRAWBERRY MARGARITA

STRAWBERRY MARGARITA
1 1/2 ounce tequila
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce strawberry liquor
1 cup frozen strawberries

A hard day of talking to my 7th graders' teachers, a home remodeling project, and the decision to have tacos for dinner night all had me craving a margarita tonight. Fortunately, I've become experienced enough at mixing to fulfill my cocktail cravings without a recipe. When I remembered I had some frozen strawberries in the freezer, I knew a STRAWBERRY MARGARITA had just been added to the dinner menu.

To make it, I pulled out the blender and filled it with the ingredients above. The strawberry liquor is optional and fresh strawberries would give this cocktail a better flavor. But just add what you can, along with about two handfuls of ice. Then blend on high for a good minute or two (nothing worse than large ice chunks in a frozen cocktail) and pour into a margarita or martini glass.

With tacos or without, the STRAWBERRY MARGARITA can make a night. I can't believe how easy it was too make and feel silly that I never did this before. I'll definitely never buy a margarita mix again. This homemade version was the perfect blend of sweet and sour, and tasted as good as it looks in the picture. Hubby drank his STRAWBERRY MARGARITA in record speed and declared it restaurant-quality. Unlike unflavored margaritas, the strawberries masked the tequila well, but the punch was felt. You could really use any type of fruit, including raspberries, pineapples, or mango, and it would be delicious. Keep reading, because I think a craving for a mango one may be coming soon.

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Cocktail Connie

CZARINA

CZARINA

1 measure vodka

½ measure apricot brandy

½ measure dry vermouth

Dash Angostura bitters

What is a CZARINA you ask? Confident Hubby said it must be a female Czar. I wasn’t so sure about that, so I turned to all-knowing Google. Turns out Hubby was close. A CZARINA is the wife of a Czar. It’s also the name of a lovely tasting cocktail.

To make the CZARINA cocktail, put the first three ingredients above into a short cocktail glass, add lots of ice and stir well. The final and most important step is to add a few dashes of Angostura bitters. Those unique and useful bitters interacted nicely with the apricot brandy and vermouth in this cocktail. With the tasteless vodka, the apricot flavored dominated.

I liked the CZARINA only after the ice melted a bit, but Hubby was instantly in love. He finished mine and made another. Considering that the cocktail packed a punch as powerful as a swing from a Russian boxer, I think he’ll be sleeping very well tonight.

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Cocktail Connie

BRANDY ALEXANDER FOR LENNON

BRANDY ALEXANDER

1 measure brandy

1 measure dark crème de cacao

1 measure heavy whipping cream

Ground nutmeg for garnish

“You don’t need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are!”

~ John Lennon

Today would have been John Lennon’s 72^nd birthday. Like thongs of others, I thought the Beatles legend was a genius. I’m not sure what I respect him for more, his songwriting and music or his unique way of protesting. Now that I’ve tried one of his favorite cocktails— a BRANDY ALEXANDER — I have another reason to respect him. He had great taste in drinks.

To make the BRANDY ALEXANDER, I just put the three ingredients listed above into a cocktail shaker, added ice, shook the creamy mixture well, then strained it into a chilled martini glass. The last step was to sprinkle some ground nutmeg on top. If you only have flavored brandy or white crème de cacao, by all means use them as substitutes. Better to do that than to not partake of this delicious cocktail. Lennon called the BRANDY ALEXANDER his “milkshake” and I can see why. It tasted like a spiked milkshake. It was slightly sweet and slightly spicy. The nutmeg is definitely a nice touch. I imagine all the Dairy Queens selling these and there being peace.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

THE COLUMBUS

THE COLUMBUS

1½ measures light rum

¾ measure apricot brandy

1 measure lime juice

It’s Columbus Day! Celebrate by walking into someone’s house and claiming you own it.

(stolen from the Huffington Post)

Yes, today is Columbus Day. Celebrated by Italians, Spaniards, Venezuelans, and lots of others beside the U.S., it is a celebration of the day Columbus first landed in the Americas. His very first landing after crossing the Atlantic was on October 12, 1492, in the Bahamas, which he thought was Japan. Columbus Day is also a very controversial holiday. Three states — Alaska, Hawaii and South Dakota— don’t acknowledge it because of Columbus’ horrific treatment of Native Americans.

Weather you love him or hate him, use today as an excuse to make yourself a COLUMBUS cocktail. To make it, just put the ingredients listed above into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a short cocktail glass. Add ice to the glass and a slice of lime for garnish. Much like the growing attitude about Columbus Day, the COLUMBUS cocktail is sour. It reminded me of a strong margarita. Despite the apricot brandy, there is nothing sweet about this cocktail. But, despite the odd combination of liquors, there is something good about this cocktail too. It had a unique taste and got less acidy when the ice started to melt. If sour is your thing, I highly suggest that you explore it.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

THE OCTOBER COCKTAIL

THE OCTOBER COCKTAIL

1 1/2 measures rum

1 measure Club Soda

Apple Cider

Slice of apple

The road that lead to my drinking an OCTOBER COCKTAIL this evening began with my weakness for Matt Lauer. Yes, the host of the Today show is a fellow OU alum and his warm smile brightens my mornings. This past Friday morning, my ears perked up when I was watching the show and a recipe for the cocktail you see above came on. I'm not sure about the name of the cocktail. I only saw the word October flash quickly on the screen, but I did commit the simple list of ingredients to memory.

To make the OCTOBER COCKTAIL, I just put those ingredients over some ice, stirred well, and garnished with a slice of apple. The taste of the cocktail was delightful and refreshing. Hubby and I both loved it. It wasn't just boring ol' hot cider and rum, though that would have been good after an hour and a half in the cold rain at my son's soccer game. I was also happy to use up two of the best things about fall -- apples and cider. Definitely a great way to celebrate October. Thanks Matt!

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR BABY!

ROCK STAR

2 ounces Maker’s Mark or other Kentucky Bourbon

2 ounces energy drink, citrus-flavored if possible

Splash of coca-cola

When you are having a diva moment and want to feel like a hyped-up rock star, try the ROCK STAR cocktail. It’s another twist on the popular red bull cocktails out there these days, and it’s a good one. I got the recipe from In the Land of Cocktails, a wonderful book full of unique New Orleans cocktails.

To make the ROCK STAR, I just put some Kentucky Bourbon — I used Jim Bean, but the recipe called for Maker’s Mark — into a cocktail glass, added ice, stirred, then topped it off with coca cola. To help mask the bourbon, I must admit I used more than just a splash of coke. The piste de resistance was a maraschino cherry for garnish.

The cherry was important and so was the donning of sunglasses during the drinking of a ROCK STAR, just so the full effect could be felt. Plan on having enough get-up-and-go to tear up the dance floor after drinking this cocktail. The energy drink will wake you up, especially when coupled with caffeine-filled coke, and the brown liquor will get you buzzed. I didn’t think this trio of ingredients would be up to my diva standards. But it had a good down-home type flavor that will keep me coming back. Cause I’m a rock star and I got my rock moves.  

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

GEISHA MARTINI

GEISHA MARTINI

Grey Goose Pear Vodka

PAMA Pomegranate liquor

7-Up

Splash of sour mix

I found myself at Billy’s Martini Bar in Mentor, Ohio, again tonight. It’s about the third time I’ve had a cocktail there this year, but I could go there for a month straight and not drink all the cocktails on their extensive list. The place also has great service and every cocktail they make uses a fresh shaker. They measure their cocktail ingredients so precisely that when they pour their mixtures, it fills both a martini glass and a shot glass for the side, making it easy to keep to the party going.

I ordered the GEISHA MARTINI at the suggestion of the bartender and she used the ingredients above, and, of course, a fresh shaker to make it. PAMA Pomegranate liquor is a premium pomegranate-flavored spirit. It costs about $24 for a 750 ml bottle and tastes like the POM juice you find in the grocery store, with just a kick of alcohol. It would be great on its own, chilled and over ice. It worked well in the GEISHA MARTINI too, giving the cocktail a pretty pink color and a sweet, tart flavor. The cocktail combined it with one of the best flavored vodkas out there — Grey Goose Pear — leading me to believe in the power of the pear/pomegranate combination. I could have done without the splash of sour mix though, it made the GEISHA a little too bitter. Such is the life of a Geisha — pretty, powerful, entertaining, slant eyes and a little bit of bitterness.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

LOVE POTION

LOVE POTION

Amaretto

Cherry Brandy

Fruit Juices

Coconut Juice

Sprite

Love Potions are magical brews that cause the drinker to become infatuated with anyone they see. They’ve been the subjects of poems, paintings, films and, of course, music. Who can forget the catchy song “Love Potion #9,” the 1959 hit from the Clovers? Once you start singing, “I took my troubles down to Madame Rue. You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth,” you just can’t stop.

I partook of a bowl of LOVE POTION myself tonight at the Hibachi Grill restaurant near my home. Made with all of the ingredients listed above and put into the unique container you see in the picture, the LOVE POTION was a fruity, strong cocktail. The blend of juices and liquors worked great together and it reminded me of a Mai Tai or Zombie, especially with the pineapple juice that took over it. As is common with cocktails at ethnic restaurants, the juice in the LOVE POTION tasted stall. A true aphrodisiac would require freshly squeezed juices. Still, after a whole bowl, I was ready to love the one I’m with.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

THE GODMOTHER

THE GODMOTHER

1 ½ measure amaretto

1 ½ measure vodka

I am Godmother to but one — my lovely niece Hannah. Today she is 18 and I am so proud of the beautiful, kind young woman she has become. I wish I could wave my magic wand like the Godmother in Cinderella and, with the help of some cute mice, make all her wishes come true.

Can’t do that, but I can drink a GODMOTHER cocktail in her honor, if not with her (yet.) Making the GODMOTHER was incredibly easy. I just put equal parts vodka and amaretto into a bowl-shaped cocktail glass that I had filled with plenty of crushed ice. No garnish was needed, nor wanted.

Any cocktail made with zero mixes and all liquor is going to be strong, but the GODMOTHER really blew me away. It was both powerfully strong and powerfully sweet. The almond-flavored amaretto liquor was enhanced by the vodka, but the cocktail was still pretty syrupy. As the ice melted and I continued to sip, I started to develop a taste for the GODMOTHER though. It almost became ‘an offer I couldn’t refuse.’

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

AMERICANO

AMERICANO

2 measures sweet red vermouth

1 measure Campari

1 measure soda water
Orange slice

I became a little more American today with the purchase of that classic American icon -- an iPhone. I put off drinking the kool-aid as long as I could, but my blackberry died and I caved. I have a feeling I'm going to become iPhone dependent very soon, which scares me.

Another thing that scares me is Campari, a bitter Italian aperitif with an unmistakable taste. I keep trying Campari in different cocktails, hoping I'll like it in one of them eventually. Tonight, I tried an AMERICANO. To make it, I put sweet red vermouth and Campari in the measurements above into a short cocktail glass that I had half-filled with ice cubes. I gave it a stir, then topped it off with soda water. Lastly, I sliced an orange, took a slice, squeezed it in the cocktail and plopped the slice in.

Not surprisingly, the AMERICANO was bitter. That's Campari for ya'. I now think I may never develop a taste for the stuff. The orange helps, and so does the soda water. Heck, if I threw in some orange juice, I might have actually enjoyed this cocktail. But, as is, I wasn't even able to finish it. Hubby thought it tasted like medicine. But  if bitter is your bag, by all means go AMERICANO.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

CHARLIE CHAPLIN

CHARLIE CHAPLIN

1½ measure sloe gin

½ measure apricot brandy

½ measure lime juice

“Life is a tragedy when seen in close up, but a comedy in long-shot.”

~ Charlie Chaplin

CHARLIE CHAPLIN was a comedian, actor, writer, director and composer from the early 1900s who achieved icon status despite a rough childhood. His father left the family when he was still a baby, he spent part of his childhood in a London workhouse, and his mother eventually had a mental breakdown that lead to her being committed to an asylum. If you’ve never seen the movie the Little Tramp, run, don’t walk to your nearest streaming movie service.

However, you can walk to the bar when you order a CHARLIE CHAPLIN cocktail. The cocktail was created during the same era that silent films were all the rage, following in the footsteps of the popular Mary Pickford cocktail. To make the CHARLIE CHAPLIN, just put the three ingredients above into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a short cocktail glass. Ice is optional, but I’m glad I decided to add it, because, despite my love for the Little Tramp, the CHARLIE CHAPLIN cocktail needed all the help it could get. Since it is primarily sloe gin — which isn’t actually a gin, but a sweet liquor made from sloe berries — it is primarily sweet and syrupy. The lime juice does balance it out somewhat, but I would add more if I was to make this cocktail again. And the apricot brandy? What apricot brandy? Couldn’t taste it. Ironically, as I sat down to drink this cocktail and write this post, Joey Lawrence was doing the quick step on Dancing with the Stars dressed as Charlie Chaplin. How weird is that?

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie