WINTER AND ADVICE- LAST ONE!

WINTER

1½ ounce orange vodka

½ ounce blue curacao orange liqueur

1 ounce champagne

Blue or red maraschino cherry juice for garnish

366 days after it started, my cocktail year comes to a close with a cocktail simply called WINTER. I've been enjoying the season of cold and snow this New Year's weekend, spending it on a skip trip, so it only made sense to try to capture it in a cocktail.

To make the WINTER cocktail, put orange vodka and blue curacao into a glass pitcher, add ice, and stir well. Strain the mixture into a champagne glass, top with champagne and a dash of cherry juice and enjoy. I couldn't find blue maraschino cherry juice, but it didn't really matter because the WINTER cocktail was a lovely blue color that the crowd I was with just loved. They said it reminded them of the waters of the Caribbean -- a great place to visit during the winter months. The taste of the cocktail on the other hand, did not go over so well with the crowd. I heard comments like, "It tastes like alcoholic Gatorade" and "A waste of good champagne."

But my experience has taught me that you can't always judge a cocktail by your first sip. After a while, the sweet, distinctive taste of the WINTER cocktail grew on me. It was like champagne had gone punk, adding a little orange flavor and bitterness to the mix, but getting more creative and fun along the way. Much like the season, by the end of WINTER, I didn't want another one right away, but I had fond memories and increased fortitude. Not to mention a good buzz.

When it comes to champagne cocktails, the best ones this year were the simple ones, with only one additional ingredient added. This is just one of the things I've learned after 366 days of cocktails. Before I move on to other life interests, here are some others.....

* Don't be afraid of brown liquor. When mixed with the right washes, it tastes great and won't give you a hangover.
* Sometimes you just need to add ice and let it melt before a cocktail tastes the way it should. Frank Sinatra always let his cocktails melt for eight minutes.
* Club soda is your best friend when a cocktail is too strong.
* It ain't easy to find a cocktail shaker that doesn't leak. I went through three of them this year. The last one was an expensive one from William & Sonoma. It leaked.
* The best flavored vodka is "cake."
* Campari and Southern Comfort are gross.
* Cocktails that use both beer and liquor are never good.
* Good garnish makes the drink.
* Layered cocktails are easy and fun. Forget using the back of a spoon, just pour real slowly.
* Cocktails start conversations.

I could go on. I've learned a lot this year about cocktails and about myself. It's been a great year of cocktails and I look forward to having my favorites again in 2013. May you have a healthy, happy and fun 2013 dear readers. As always....

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie