GIPSY TIPSY

GIPSY
2 measures vodka
1 measure Benedictine brandy
Dash of Angostura bitters

The GIPSY cocktail will always be special to me. It is the first drink I made with crushed ice from my new refrigerator. When I saw that our new fridge had a crushed ice feature, I knew my cocktailing had just been raised to a higher level.

When you use crushed ice in a cocktail, the drink instantly becomes more like a slushy and is easier to drink. Crushed ice also melts quicker, diluting the alcohol to a more drinkable level. This benefit was especially needed for the GIPSY, a strong cocktail in need of some watering down. To make it, I merely put vodka and Benedictine brandy in the measurements above into an old-fashioned glass half-filled with, you guessed it, crushed ice. I then added a drop or two of Angostura bitters and gave it a stir. No garnish necessary.

Hubby absolutely loved the GIPSY. “This is awesome. Now this is a drink,” were his exact words I believe. I think he’s sick of the fruity drinks we’ve had a lot of lately. I thought this cocktail sounded kinda gross, with vodka and a brandy mixed together, and some would interpret it that way. But I didn’t. I truly liked it and drank the whole glass. It got even better when the ice melted. The crushed ice that is.

Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie

CRANBERRY SPLASH

CRANBERRY SPLASH

1 measure coconut rum

2 measures cranberry juice

1 measure soda water

Slice of lime

My cocktail cupboard runneth low and the day was long, so I started to look at the back of bottles. Malibu Coconut Rum won with its CRANBERRY SPLASH cocktail. I had all the stuff and it sounded good.

To make the CRANBERRY SPLASH, you put the lime in the coconut and mix all up, you put the lime in the coconut and stir it all together…..

Sorry, couldn’t resist. Making the CRANBERRY SPLASH is as easy as it gets. Just put the listed ingredients in the measurements above into a cocktail glass half-filled with ice, stir and garnish with a slice of lime. Then gulp it down and try to get that song out of your head. You’ll find the CRANBERRY SPLASH cocktail to be a nice balance of cranberry and coconut, and the soda water ensures that neither flavor is too overwhelming. You get a little of that cranberry dry-mouth aftertaste with it, but the more you drink, the better it will get. That I can guarantee.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

VISIT THE GREEN CARRIBEAN

GREEN CARRIBEAN

1 ½ measure white rum
1 ½ measure Midori
4 measures soda water
Slice of Lemon

The GREEN CARRIBEAN cocktail is really cool looking. With its fluorescent green-yellow color and floating slice of lemon, it has a hallucinogenic quality. It was created in the 1970s as part of the launch for Midori, which is a new favorite liquor for me. The melon-flavored liquor tastes better than blue Curacao in my opinion, but is just as colorful.

To make the GREEN CARRIBEAN, I started by slicing a lemon and putting the slices into some highball glasses. I then put white rum and Midori in the measurements above into a shaker, added ice, gave it some good shakes, and strained it into the glasses. The resulting GREEN CARRIBEAN cocktail was a delight. It was too sweet for hubby, but just right for me. It brightened up an otherwise boring, dreary Monday and was easy to make. I’ll be sure to visit the GREEN CARRIBEAN again. Sounds very eco friendly.

 Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie


CONNOISSEURS TREAT

CONNOISSEUR’S TREAT

1½ measure cognac

½ measure Grand Marnier

½ measure Galliano

In day two of cocktailing with parents, I brought the makings for a CONNOISSEUR’S TREAT cocktail to my Dad’s house, where we were meeting to celebrate his upcoming birthday. Since Dad is a cognac connoisseur, and indeed a connoisseur of many of life’s finer things, I thought this cocktail would be right up his alley.

 To make the CONNOISSEUR’S TREAT, I put cognac, Grand Marnier and Galliano in the measurements above into a glass pitcher. I then added lots of ice, stirred it and let it sit for a few minutes to chill. I then strained it into cocktail glasses and garnished with twists of orange rind.

How’d it taste? Well, I’ll let the panel of alcohol experts, umm, I mean family members, that I was with give you their opinion:

 Panelist #1: It tastes like black liquorice and I’m starting to sweat.

Panelist #2: It tastes like Benedictine brandy and where is the ice? I need to add some.

Panelist #3: This would be a great drink to sip by a fire in cold weather. This is not a drink for the beach.

Panelist #4: I like it. It’s a sipping drink that tastes like brandy.

Panelist #5: It’s good, but strong. Tastes like brandy.

Panelist #6: It’s disgusting.

Panelist #7: It tastes like kerosene. She then grabbed the Grand Marnier, so she could pour herself a glass straight up.

Panelist #8: It tastes better than it smells. Is it flammable?

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

BLUE HAWAIIAN

BLUE HAWAIIAN

1 measure blue curacao

2 measures coconut rum

2 measures pineapple juice

It was a Hawaiian-themed night for me. I had dinner with my Mother-in-Law, Joan, who is a big  lover of the Big Islands. For 30 years, she stayed in Maui for a month every year. I went for a week once while she was there and absolutely loved Maui. When I think of paradise, that’s the place I picture.

At 86, Joan’s not making the long trek from Ohio to Hawaii anymore, so I brought a little of the islands to her with the BLUE HAWAIIAN cocktail.  To make the BLUE HAWAIIAN, you’ll just need the three simple ingredients above, plus some fruity garnish if you have it. I filled some glasses with ice, added the curacao, coconut rum and pineapple juice in the measurements listed and gave it a stir — easy! I had some lime and cherries to add as garnish. Other garnish items could include pineapple, oranges or pears.

The BLUE HAWAIIAN was really good. I could feel the ocean breeze as I sipped. With the coconut and pineapple flavors, the cocktail is fresh, sweet and tangy, “beachy” even. It would definitely be perfect for a day at the beach. I may have these on Lake Erie this summer while wearing a Hawaiian shirt. I’ll try to pretend I’m sitting next to palm trees instead of some garbage.

Later that evening, I met my friend Dana to help her celebrate her birthday. I ended up having a long conversation with her brother Jack —great guy. And know where he’s from? Hawaii! Told you I was working on a theme and didn’t even know it. I highly suggest having a BLUE HAWAIIAN when, like me, you want a little mini vacation in your mouth.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie

DRINK A GRINCH FOR DR. SUESS

GRINCH
2 oz Midori
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 tsp simple syrup
maraschino cherry for garnish

“Be yourself. Because the people who mind don’t matter. And the people who matter don’t mind.” — Dr. Suess

Today is Dr. Suess’ birthday. Born in 1904 in Massachusetts, the man, whose real name was Ted Geisel, sure had a way with words and I’ve always loved him. Now that my son is older, I kinda miss reading his books.

So to bring him back into my life, I decided to drink a cocktail named for one of his most famous characters, the GRINCH. I found the recipe on about.com. To make the GRINCH cocktail, pour the ingredients above into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini or cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

 The GRINCH is delis. At least that’s what Richard said, a friend who stopped by for cocktail hour. Another friend Rob, who had also stopped by, liked it a lot as well. Neither of them could even believe it had alcohol in it, but I had a couple, and I can attest that it does. The Midori gives the cocktail a melon taste, but the lemon juice mellowed it a bit so it wasn’t overly sweet. The GRINCH would make a great shot and, of course, is a no-brainer holiday drink. It would probably also go well with green eggs and ham.

Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie


PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE MARTINI

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE MARTINI

1 oz vanilla vodka

2 oz pineapple juice

1 dash grenadine syrup

I absolutely love PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE MARTINIS — always have. I now know that there is a martini for about every kind of cake at the bakery, but the PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE MARTINI will always be my favorite. It was one of my first martinis and I discovered it during a girls getaway to Jacksonville, Florida. My group of friends always started our evenings out at a martini bar with half-price martini happy hours, and they were happy hours.

A martini is always a good way to start an evening out in my opinion and I did just that last night. I went with my sister Kari to a new martini bar near us. She was meeting up with a friend from an old job who had just moved to Cleveland. The friend, Kim, called close to meeting time to say that she could only come if she brings her aunt. Kari and I sat there wondering who the hell this “aunt” was and hoped she would be fun. Kim and the aunt walked in. There was a pause, a couple of squints, then the realization that the “aunt” is a good friend of ours who I’ve known and loved for 20 years — Jenny! Don’t you just love when life turns out like that?

Us gals, including Jenny’s daughter Erica and sister-in-law Cathleen, had a wonderful chat over wine and martinis. I, of course, ordered the PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE MARTINI. To make it, the bartender filled the bottom of a martini glass with grenadine, then put pineapple juice and vanilla vodka into a shaker. She filled the shaker with ice, then shook it vigorously to create an icy foam. She then slowly poured the pineapple foam down the side of the martini glass, so it created a separate layer on top of the grenadine.  

I’ve ordered this martini in many locations and this one was one of the best. It both looked and tasted like a pineapple upside down cake. Not all bartenders can pull off the foam top and I’m not sure I could either, but I’m gonna give it a try someday. Vanilla vodka and pineapple are great together, but this was a sweet drink. After one, I was done and off to see Galactic, an awesome funk band from New Orleans, with my other sibling, where I drank Heineken Tall Boys. Hey, a gal need variety!

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie