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.

Drink Up^

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.

Drink Up^

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.

Drink Up^

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.

Drink Up^

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.

Drink Up^

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.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie