Category Archives: Recipes

Three Tequila + Sage Cocktails

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Christopher Null| 4 Comments

jalisco daisy 300x199 Three Tequila + Sage CocktailsQuick, name a green herb popular in cocktails. If you said mint, sorry, you’re wrong. We’re talking about sage!

Our friends at Tequila Partida put together these oddball libations all revolving around that staple of turkey stuffing.

Partida Sagerac, by Jacques Bezuidenhout, Tequila Partida Bartender Ambassador

1.5 oz Partida Reposado
1.5 oz Partida Anejo
5 to 8 Sage leaves (depending on the strength of the leaves)
Herbsaint Pastis
3 bar spoons simple syrup
4 dashes Peychauds Bitters
1 dash of Angostura Bitters

Chill a cocktail glass with ice and coat ice with Pastis. Leave to chill. In a mixing glass, add Bitters, simple syrup and sage leaves. Lightly muddle to release the oils from the sage. Add ice and Tequila and stir. Discard the ice and Pastis from the cocktail glass. Strain cocktail into chilled Pastis-coated cocktail glass. Garnish with sage leaves.

Autumn Woods, by Mike Ryan, Sable Kitchen & Bar

2 oz Partida Reposado
1/8 oz Partida 100% Organic Agave Nectar
3 Sage leaves
3 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
Walnut Liqueur

In first glass, rinse with Walnut Liqueur, fill with crushed ice. In second glass, muddle sage leaves. Add all other ingredients. Stir with ice. Dump out ice in 1st glass and strain ingredients into it. Drop a sage leaf in.

Jalisco Daisy, by Mike Ryan, Sable Kitchen & Bar (pictured)

2 oz Partida Blanco
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz Partida 100% Organic Agave Nectar (cut with 1/4 oz water)
2 Sage leaves

Shake all ingredients. Fine strain. Serve up.

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Posted in Recipes, Tequila

Recipe: Drinkhacker Zombie Punch

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

The people have spoken!

This year, my holiday punch is based on rum, the results of a vote of attending guests that found the Caribbean favorite chosen 2 to 1 over everything else. My last punch didn’t work out so well, so I’ve spent the afternoon experimenting and tweaking this recipe to get it just right. And so here we go, with a punch inspired by the famous Zombie cocktail.

Drinkhacker Zombie Punch

2 cups orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups triple sec (I actually used Royal Combier)
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 oz. grenadine
4 cups dark rum (I used a variety of rums from all over Latin America)
2 cups white rum (I used Brugal)
1 cup overproof rum (I used 155-proof Da’Bomb)
1 cup Velvet Falernum

Add all ingredients to a punch bowl, stir, and add a block of ice. Garnish with cinnamon sticks (optional, they sink anyway). Serves about 30.

Serve with a bottle of high-quality absinthe on the side: Invite guests to spike their punch with it to taste. A splash — which the real Zombie has in it — takes the punch in a fun and exciting direction.

Update: This was a fantastic success, and most drinkers were sold on the absinthe float after a little encouragement. Within a couple of hours the bowl was utterly drained, to many compliments. Give it a whirl!

zombie punch Recipe: Drinkhacker Zombie Punch

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Posted in Recipes, Rum

Holiday Rum Drink Recipes

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

The weather outside is frightful, so cozy up with one of these rum-centric drinks from our pals at DonQ Rum.

Snowy Day Punch

Esteban Ordoñez, DonQ’s Corporate Mixologist and Brand Ambassador
1 liter DonQ Coco Rum
16 oz. DonQ Cristal Rum
16 oz. Coconut water
16 oz. Coconut milk
4 oz. Simple syrup
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
3 tbsp. dry unsweetened coconut flakes

Add rums, coconut water, coconut milk, simple syrup and nutmeg to a large pitcher or punch bowl. Whisk until completely mixed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Dip the rim of the rocks glass in simple syrup, and then dip in coconut flakes. Serve punch in rocks glass over ice. Yields approximately 2 ½ liters.

Spiced Vanilla Daiquiri

2 oz BlackBeard Spiced Rum
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz simple syrup
3 drops pure vanilla extract
lime zest for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice, shake until well chilled, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, zest lime over the glass to scent and garnish.

Cohasset Punch #2

Mathias Simonis, Mixologist at Distil Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
1 ½ oz. DonQ Añejo Rum
1 ½ oz. Sweet vermouth
¾ oz. Cinnamon syrup (simple syrup with cinnamon added)
2 Dashes orange bitters
1 Lemon peel twist

Shake rum, vermouth, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, orange bitters and ice. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with lemon peel twist.

El Yunque Cocktail

Julio Cabrera, Mixologist at Viceroy Hotel, Miami, FL
3 oz. DonQ Añejo Rum
½ oz. Grand Marnier liqueur
10-12 Fresh raspberries
1 oz. Fresh limejuice
1 oz. Simple syrup
1 Orange peel twist

Muddle raspberries gently until puréed. Add rum, liqueur, limejuice, simple syrup and ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with orange peel twist. Yields 2 drinks.

Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog)

16 oz. DonQ Cristal Rum
2 Cans coconut cream (30 oz.)
1 Can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
1 Can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
¼ tbsp. Ground cinnamon
1/8 tbsp. Ground nutmeg

Mix all ingredients in a blender at high speed. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Shake well before serving. Serve cold in a small glass. Garnish with cinnamon sticks.

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Posted in Recipes, Rum

Holiday Recipe: Cockspur Silver Belle

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Cockspur Silver Belle 199x300 Holiday Recipe: Cockspur Silver BelleThis recipe comes to us from our friends at Cockspur, who promise it will provide a “Caribbean Christmas.” My fingers are already chilly. Sounds good to me.

Silver Belle

1.5 oz Cockspur Aged Rum
.25 oz maraschino liqueur
.75 oz earl grey tea
.75 oz hibiscus grenadine
.75 oz pineapple juice

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry. Optional: sugar coat rim.

 

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Posted in Recipes, Rum

Thanksgiving Cocktails from Skyy Spirits

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

This Thursday you can stuff your face the old-fashioned way, or you can go boozy. These five concoctions come from our friends at Skyy Spirits — I’m not sure if you want to try for all five this Thursday, but a couple of alcoholic twists on the Thanksgiving feast aren’t going to kill anyone…

Cocktail Hour: We start things off with a classic for cocktail hour. This year, we are thankful for the Negroni and all its variations. The Boulevardier, an American twist of Italian classic, prepares the palate for the Thanksgiving feast ahead.

The Boulevardier

3/4 oz. Campari
3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
1 1/2 oz. Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon

Stir with ice, and strain into a chilled 5 1/2 oz. coupe. Garnish with an orange (or lemon) twist.

Sides: No Thanksgiving is complete without the sides! Cranberry and sweet potatoes are particularly suited to cocktail versions. Aren’t you glad we didn’t try to make a cocktail with stuffing or green bean casserole? We might be creative, but we’re not crazy. For mashed potatoes, we direct you to the classic Old Potato Cocktail, which is 1 oz Apple Jack (another American classic), 1 oz Dry Vermouth, 2 oz Irish Whiskey.

Turkey’s Best Friend

Created by Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer
1.5 oz Wild Turkey 81
2 oz apple cider
1 Tbsp cranberry jelly
1 sprig fresh sage
1 sprig fresh thyme

Muddle sage and thyme with apple cider. Add ice, top with Wild Turkey and cranberry jelly. Shake well, strain over ice in a glass rimmed with turkey jus and breadcrumbs.

Sweet Potato Pie Eyed 237x300 Thanksgiving Cocktails from Skyy SpiritsSweet Potato Pie-Eyed

1 ½ oz Skyy Infusions Blood Orange Vodka
½ oz Irish Mist
1 oz fresh lime juice
¼ oz maple syrup
¼ oz molasses
1 tbsp roasted or mashed sweet potato

In a cocktail shaker, combine syrup, molasses and sweet potato. Muddle gently. Add ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass. Garnish with a sage leaf and garnish.

The Bird: We promise this bird won’t be dry! Thanksgiving 101 is the quintessential classic American cocktail that ridiculously easy to prepare. All you need is a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 and a punch bowl. We provide mixers, such as cola, ginger ale, and soda water for guests to customize their own drinks. Thanksgiving-seasonal garnishes, such as cranberries, rosemary, sage, and cinnamon sticks help add that festive touch. A no-fuss salute to the “American spirit.”

Thanksgiving 101 (a bit of a punt on this one, folks!)

Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
Ice
Punch Bowl

Dessert: Finishing off our Thanksgiving feast is a pumpkin pie, of course. Thankfully, there is no word yet of a pumpkin pie filling shortage this year. Where would we be without pie? Guess we’d all be eating cake.

Pumpkin Smash 223x300 Thanksgiving Cocktails from Skyy SpiritsPumpkin Smash

1 ¼ oz Frangelico
1 ¼ oz Flor de Caña 7 Year Grand Reserve
¾ oz pumpkin purée

Shake hard with ice and strain out into a semi martini glass or small rocks glass. Garnish sprinkle of ground clove or nutmeg. Serve in a martini glass.

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Posted in Recipes

Review: Firefly Sweet Tea Bourbon

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Firefly’s Sweet Tea Vodka was a pioneer in the tea-flavored vodka space. The South Carolina-based company has since expanded with multiple varieties (peach, mint, lemon, low-cal)… and now there’s this: Firefly Sweet Tea Bourbon.

This category already exists (Jeremiah Weed has a stellar one), so the company has competition. Firefly’s version blend’s Buffalo Trace whiskey with real sweet tea (no vodka in this one, apparently), but bottles it at a mere 60 proof instead of 70, like regular Firefly. The result is, frankly, on the weak side, and a bit out of balance. The tea could be stronger, the Bourbon could be punchier, the combo a little more interesting. Instead, I get a kind of sugary wood character that doesn’t really taste like either of these great flavors. But I think the very heavy sugar finish is what undoes it the most.

Still, not an unpalatable quaff, and the nose is actually pretty spot-on, heavy with tea notes and a touch of Bourbon’s vanilla and wood character. It’s just too bad it doesn’t follow-through perhaps the way it could when it actually comes time to drink it.

B+ / $18 / fireflyvodka.com

Cocktail ideas from Firefly…

The Sweet Shot

1 part Firefly Sweet Tea Flavored Bourbon
½ part Firefly Raspberry Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka

Shake with ice and strain into a shot glass

Igniter Martini

In a shaker with ice mix:

2 parts Firefly Sweet Tea Flavored Bourbon
1/2 part cinnamon schnapps
Splash of cherry juice

Pour into chilled martini glass, sprinkle with cinnamon, add cherry garnish

Firefly Sunrise 

Fill a tall rocks glass with ice. Add:

1 part Firefly Sweet Tea Flavored Bourbon
½ part triple sec
Splash or orange juice
Splash of cranberry juice

Add orange wedge and a cherry garnish

Firefly Sweet Tea Bourbon Review: Firefly Sweet Tea Bourbon

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Posted in Bourbon, Rated B+, Recipes, Reviews, Whiskey

Halloween Cocktail Recipes

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

The time of year is upon us for cauldron’s full of bubbly and foul-looking stuff… designed to woo the grown-ups at the Halloween party instead of the kiddoes.

These cocktail (the term is used loosely here) recipes come variously to us courtesy of Kanon Vodka and Shindigz.

witches brew 225x300 Halloween Cocktail RecipesKanon Vodka Witches Brew

2 parts Kanon Vodka
1 part blood orange juice
½ part aperol
½ part lime juice
½ part simple syrup

Combine ingredients and shake vigorously. Strain into a Martini or Antoinette champagne glass. Created by Demetrios Saites at The Fat Radish.

The (Other) Witch’s Brew – wow, this sounds incredibly bad

2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 1/2 oz Blue Curacao
1/2 oz Brandy
1/4 tsp cloves
1 dash nutmeg
1 dash allspice

Mix Yellow Chartreuse, Blue Curacao, brandy and the rest in a shaker. Shake well and serve in a chilled glass. Serve in a Highball glass.

Vampire Juice

1 oz Coconut Rum
1 oz Blue Curacao
1 oz Bacardi Rum
8 oz orange juice

Mix rums and Blue Curacao in shaker over ice. Fill up with orange juice, shake well and strain into a glass. Serve in an Old-fashioned glass.

Pumpkin Pie Cocktail

1 oz Malibu Rum
1/2 oz Kahlua
3/4 oz canned pumpkin pie filling
2 oz cold milk
cinnamon

Mix rum, Kahlua, milk and pumpkin pie filling in a blender with ice and blend well. Pour into graham cracker-rimmed highball glass and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Gates of Hell

1 1/2 oz Cuervo Tequila
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Cherry Brandy

Mix tequila, lemon and lime juice in a shaker over ice. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass with crushed ice. Pour cherry brandy over top. Serve in a Cocktail glass.

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Review: PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

PAMA’s a brand that’s been around for years, but to my knowledge it is the only pomegranate liqueur on the market.

Why no competition? Because the popular way to get pomegranate into a drink — overwhelmingly — is via that classic bar standby: Grenadine.

Now the catch is this: Rose’s Grenadine, by far the most common brand of the stuff, is little more than red corn syrup. So purists started looking for something legitimate, with real pomegranate flavor, and “authentic” grenadines were born. (Stirrings is just fine.)

PAMA ups the ante with real pomegranate juice, and mixes in vodka and a touch of tequila to come up with a largely winning liqueur recipe. While it is perhaps the stickiest substance in my liquor cabinet, I have to say I’m a fan. The pomegranate taste is deep, and while PAMA is very sweet, it’s certainly not intended for consumption straight. Rather, use it to make an amped-up Cosmopolitan, pink-ify a Margarita, or add fruit notes to just about anything… without weakening your alcohol level (for better or for worse).

Heck, sip enough of it straight and maybe you can drink it this way….

34 proof.

A- / $25 / pamaliqueur.com

And here’s a PAMA cocktail to try…

Fruit Cobbler

1 oz. PAMA liqueur
1 oz. blueberry vodka
1 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
club soda

Combine all ingredients except club soda in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into emptyhighball  glass, fill glass with ice and top with soda. Garnish with kiwi, strawberry, and blueberry on a spear.

 

 

PAMA pomegranate liqueur Review: PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

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Posted in Liqueurs, Rated A-, Recipes, Reviews

Recipes: Autumn Cocktails from Grey Goose

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Some interesting-sounding seasonal concoctions in this list, courtesy of our friends at Grey Goose Vodka and mixologist Nick Mautone. Ah, fall!

grey goose cocktails Recipes: Autumn Cocktails from Grey GooseGrey Goose Balsamique

1 1/2 parts Grey Goose Vodka
3/4 part Crème Yvette
1/4 part balsamic vinegar
1 part pomegranate juice
3/4 part agave nectar
1 to 2 parts seltzer water

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add first five ingredients. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice. Top with seltzer and garnish with a fresh orange slice.

Grey Goose L’Orange Autumn Sage

1 1/4 parts Grey Goose Le Citron Flavored Vodka
1/2 part Green Chartreuse
2 one-inch pieces of fennel, diced
3 sage leaves
3/4 part agave nectar
1 part lemon juice
2 parts seltzer water

In a cocktail shaker, place the fennel, sage and agave nectar, muddle well. Add ice and the remaining ingredients and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with fennel fronds.

Grey Goose La Poire Golden Harvest

1 1/2 parts Grey Goose La Poire Flavored Vodka
1/2 part St. Germain Elderflower Cordial
1 part lemon juice
1/2 ounce agave nectar
1 tablespoon freshly shucked or leftover roasted corn

In a cocktail shaker, place the corn and agave nectar, muddle well. Add ice and the remaining ingredients and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and chili powder.

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Posted in Flavored Vodka, Recipes, Vodka

Recipes: Falling Satellite Cocktails

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

This weekend a NASA satellite will come crashing to earth… and no one knows where. (The odds of someone, somewhere getting hit by a piece are about 1 in 3,200.) In honor of the event, the Cellar Bar at the Bryant Park Hotel in Manhattan has three cocktails on offer for the rest of the month. Try them in your bomb shelter.

Lonely Satellite (adapted Russian Satellite cocktail)
1 oz. of Raspberry vodka
½ oz. of Raspberry liqueur
1 oz. of Milk
1 oz. of Crème de Cacao
1 oz. of Raspberry Puree

Method: Shake all ingredients well then pour it into glass. Garnish: Raspberry Floating in the middle. Glass: Martini

Duck and Cover
1 ½ oz of Beefeater Gin
1 tsp. of brown sugar
½ oz. fresh lime juice
1 egg white
1 oz of strawberry puree

Method: Shake every ingredient inside the shaker. Then pour the concoction into glass. Garnish: mint leaf floating on top. Glass: Martini

Mir Space Station
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. Crème de Cassis
2 fresh squeezes of lemon juice
1 dash of simple syrup
Top with club soda

Build it. Garnish: Orchid on a rim. Glass: Highball

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Posted in Recipes