June 30th is
NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY
How would you like that in a martini???
20120630
20120629
ALMOND BUTTERCRUNCH COCKTAIL RECIPE
If you're fond of sweet, candy inspired cocktails and like Almond Roca, I have the perfect cocktail for you. All you need now is an excuse and a few moments at the end of the day to enjoy it.
Buttercrunch candy is like toffee but made with less butter and heated to the hard crack candy stage so you get a crunchy texture. The ingredients are butter, sugar, corn syrup, chopped almonds and a chocolate coating. I'm addicted to the stuff so a cocktail recipe was going to happen.
The
ALMOND
ALMOND
BUTTERCRUNCH
MARTINI
INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 Oz. Buttershots Liqueur
1 Oz. Amaretto Liqueur
1/2 Oz. Chocolate Vodka
1 Oz. Half & Half
Garnish: Crushed Almond Butter Crunch Candy (I used Almond Roca) Rim
DIRECTIONS
Dip the rim of your glass into some of the Buttershots liqueur then into the crushed candy.
Chill the glass in the freezer.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add the ingredients and shake until chilled.
Pour into your chilled glass and serve.
MARTINI
INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 Oz. Buttershots Liqueur
1 Oz. Amaretto Liqueur
1/2 Oz. Chocolate Vodka
1 Oz. Half & Half
Garnish: Crushed Almond Butter Crunch Candy (I used Almond Roca) Rim
DIRECTIONS
Dip the rim of your glass into some of the Buttershots liqueur then into the crushed candy.
Chill the glass in the freezer.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add the ingredients and shake until chilled.
Pour into your chilled glass and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
National Buttercrunch Day is January 20th, National Almond Buttercrunch Day is June 29th.
Updated 6-2021
20120623
IT'S NATIONAL PINK DAY - Gotta have Pink Martinis, Right?
ALL MY
I'm not without other Pink Cocktails, in fact I have quite a few more for those of you who think pink:
I even have fun
THINK PINK TODAY!
June 23rd is
NATIONAL PINK DAY
Updated January 2016
Updated January 2016
20120622
CHOCOLATE ECLAIR EDIBLE COCKTAILS RECIPE
The
Chocolate Eclair Edible Cocktails
and the
Chocolate Eclair Pudding Martini
have
20120620
Peach & Raspberry PEACHBERRY SUNDAE COCKTAIL Recipe
I created this cocktail originally for Ice Cream Soda Day. Admittedly, I have stretched the concept of "soda" here to include prosecco. Hey, they're both bubbly!
A classic ice cream soda consists of a scoop of ice cream (usually vanilla) and a flavored syrup topped off with soda water or unflavored carbonated water. Here, as noted above, I have substituted some lovely, cold Prosecco for the soda, used peach ice cream instead of vanilla and replaced the flavored syrup with a flavored liqueur. I have also added a few slices of fresh fruit to the mix, not including the garnish, though fruit pieces have never been included in a traditional ice cream soda. I'm a rebel and I see no reason to be timid when it comes to my Ice Cream Cocktails.
Reportedly invented by Robert M. Green at the Franklin Institute's semi centennial celebration in Philadelphia in 1874, the creation of the Ice Cream Soda is considered to be one of those happy accidents. The story goes that Mr. Green ran out of cream for making his flavored sodas and he substituted ice cream instead, however, by his own admission in a trade publication in 1910, Mr. Green stated he simply, "wanted to create a new treat to attract customers away from another vendor who had a fancier, bigger soda fountain".
Others have laid claim to the creation of the Ice Cream soda as well, including Fred Sanders, Philip Mohr and George Guy, the latter was actually an employee of Green.
On an very interesting note, soda was considered a somewhat dangerous substance back in the early 20th century, so much so that it was banned for sale on Sundays. In order to bolster the bottom line, soda fountains then started to sell "soda-less ice cream sodas", a simple treat of just the syrup and ice cream. This is where the Ice Cream Sundae got it's name.
The
PEACHBERRY
SUNDAE
COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
1 Oz. of Raspberry Liqueur
Split of Cold Prosecco
4 Fresh Peach Slices
DIRECTIONS
In a chilled cocktail glass layer in a peach slice, then the scoop of peach ice cream, then the rest of the peach slices.
Drizzle on half of the raspberry liqueur then top off with the cold prosecco.
Drizzle on the remainder of the raspberry liqueur then serve with a spoon and a straw.
Updated 7-2021
20120619
EDIBLE COCKTAILS! - NEW for National Martini Day!
Happy
NATIONAL MARTINI DAY!
I always try to do something very special for my favorite holiday of the year, National Martini Day. Thanks to Molecular-R Flavors, who sent me a molecular mixology kit, I have a nice collection of edible cocktails aka jello shots for you to enjoy.
EDIBLE COCKTAIL RECIPES
HAPPY NATIONAL MARTINI DAY
TO ALL MY COCKTAIL COHORTS!
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
20120618
Stop, don't panic, I have a cocktail for that!
"Don't Panic. It's the first helpful or intelligible thing anybody's said to me all day."
For my fellow Hitchhikers.
And don't forget your towel!
THE
PANIC BUTTON
MARTINI
INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 Oz. Rye Whiskey
2 Oz. Sweet Tea
1/4 Cup Sour Cherries
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Garnish: Sugar Rim, Maraschino Cherry
Tools: Cocktail Shaker, Muddler, Strainer
DIRECTIONS
Rub the glass rim with a lemon slice then dip in sugar.
Chill glass in freezer.
Add the cherries and lemon juice to your cocktail shaker then muddle to release the cherry juices.
Add ice to your cocktail shaker then pour in the rye whiskey and the sweet tea.
Shake until chilled, strain into the chilled glass then garnish.
PANIC BUTTON
MARTINI
INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 Oz. Rye Whiskey
2 Oz. Sweet Tea
1/4 Cup Sour Cherries
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Garnish: Sugar Rim, Maraschino Cherry
Tools: Cocktail Shaker, Muddler, Strainer
DIRECTIONS
Rub the glass rim with a lemon slice then dip in sugar.
Chill glass in freezer.
Add the cherries and lemon juice to your cocktail shaker then muddle to release the cherry juices.
Add ice to your cocktail shaker then pour in the rye whiskey and the sweet tea.
Shake until chilled, strain into the chilled glass then garnish.
Voiceover Video with Ingredients & Directions:
This won't stop the panic but you'll feel better
June 18th is International Panic Day and National Panic Day is March 9th.
Updated 3-2022
20120617
20120616
ENJOY NATIONAL FUDGE DAY with a FUDGE PUDDING SHOT!!
June 16th is
NATIONAL FUDGE DAY
and I've decided to create something you can really sink your spoon into:
TIPSY MOCHA FUDGE PUDDING
an edible cocktail dessert full of creamy, fudge-y goodness!
Happy National Fudge Day
(Grab a BIG spoon!)
20120613
The KITCHEN SINK MARTINI
How to clean out your fridge and get a great cocktail from it.
What do you do when you have a bunch of different veggies and not enough of them to make dinner? You make a martini.
What do you do when you have a bunch of different veggies and not enough of them to make dinner? You make a martini.
The
KITCHEN SINK
Martini
INGREDIENTS
2 Oz. Dill Pickle Vodka*
1 Oz. Celery Juice
1 Oz. Tomato Juice
Juice of 1/2 a Lime
1 Tbsp. Finely Chopped Bell Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Garlic Salt
3 Drops Cholula Chipotle Sauce
Garnish: Assorted veggies, olives, whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.
Tools: Blender, Cocktail Shaker, Strainer
Glass: Cocktail (Martini)
DIRECTIONS
Rim your glass with salt and pepper.
Chill your glass in the freezer.
Add the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth.
Transfer to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled.
Strain into the chilled glass, garnish and serve.
KITCHEN SINK
Martini
INGREDIENTS
2 Oz. Dill Pickle Vodka*
1 Oz. Celery Juice
1 Oz. Tomato Juice
Juice of 1/2 a Lime
1 Tbsp. Finely Chopped Bell Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Garlic Salt
3 Drops Cholula Chipotle Sauce
Garnish: Assorted veggies, olives, whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.
Tools: Blender, Cocktail Shaker, Strainer
Glass: Cocktail (Martini)
DIRECTIONS
Rim your glass with salt and pepper.
Chill your glass in the freezer.
Add the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth.
Transfer to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled.
Strain into the chilled glass, garnish and serve.
* MAKE YOUR OWN PICKLE VODKA
Yes, you do see "Dill Pickle Vodka" in the recipe. There are or were several companies that made dill pickle vodkas but they are increasingly hard to find.
These days I make my own by simply infusing a bottle of decent vodka with almost the same ingredients I use to make pickles..I usually use sliced cucumbers, dill seed, garlic, peppercorns, mustard seed, celery seed and let that infuse for at least a week or longer. Taste and shake daily until you reach your preferred level of pickleness, strain well and bottle.
Yes, you do see "Dill Pickle Vodka" in the recipe. There are or were several companies that made dill pickle vodkas but they are increasingly hard to find.
These days I make my own by simply infusing a bottle of decent vodka with almost the same ingredients I use to make pickles..I usually use sliced cucumbers, dill seed, garlic, peppercorns, mustard seed, celery seed and let that infuse for at least a week or longer. Taste and shake daily until you reach your preferred level of pickleness, strain well and bottle.
It really ia the perfect vodka to put a little extra zing in this cocktail - after all, the pickle had to be represented in a Kitchen Sink Martini, right?
November 15th is Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day.
Updated November 2017
November 15th is Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day.
Updated November 2017
20120611
The GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE MARTINI Cocktail Recipe
Contrary to popular believe German Chocolate Cake does not come from Germany, it is an entirely American creation. It was originally called "German's Chocolate Cake" after a 100 year old baking chocolate created by Sam German for the Baker's Chocolate Company. Mrs. George Clay, a Texas housewife, used that chocolate in the recipe she sent to The Dallas Morning News in 1957. The recipe was picked up and reprinted by General Foods who owned Baker's Chocolate at that time and it went fifties style viral and ended up one of the most popular cakes in America!
I've brought all the classic flavors of Mrs. Clay's German's Chocolate Cake into my German Chocolate Cake Martini recipe. I used my own Homemade CANDIED PECAN LIQUEUR which brings that lovely caramelized pecan flavor to the cocktail. (You'll find you will use that liqueur for a lot more cocktails than this martini and it's great over ice cream.)
To bring in the cake flavor I used Cake Vodka, and for the coconut I used Cream of Coconut which really adds a sensuously creamy and sweet coconut flavor. And for the chocolate I used Godiva Chocolate Liqueur and chocolate milk.
But the best part is the rim - I grabbed that coconut pecan frosting and piped on a nice, thick thread of it across the whole rim! You can use shredded coconut if you would like, or even coconut & chopped pecans but the frosting is what really brings home the whole German Chocolate Cake Experience.
The
GERMAN
CHOCOLATE
CAKE
MARTINI
INGREDIENTS:
1 Oz. Candied Pecan Liqueur
1 Oz. Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 Oz. Cake Vodka
1 Oz. Cream of Coconut
1-1/2 Oz. Chocolate Milk
DIRECTIONS:
Pipe two tablespoons of coconut pecan frosting on to the rim of your cocktail glass then chill your glass in the freezer.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add the ingredients and shake until chilled.
Strain into a cocktail glass and serve.
P.S. At the last minute I jazzed up the garnish with some leftover chocolate shavings I had on hand from making my cake. Waste not, want not as my mom used to say.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
June 11th is
NATIONAL GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY
20120610
HAPPY BLACK COW DAY - Tip a Black Cow Moo-tini, Not a Black Cow!
June 10th is
NATIONAL BLACK COW DAY
Why tip cows when you can tipple a martini?
This cocktail is inspired by the vintage name of what we now call a root beer float - the Black Cow. The Black Cow was invented in 1893 by Frank Wisner, Jr. of Cripple Creek, Colorado, who decided to float a scoop of vanilla ice cream on his glass of root beer one day when he glanced out his window to see the moon lighting up nearby Cow Mountain. Mr. Wisner served it up the next day and this root beer float became quite popular with the local children who then dubbed it the "Black Cow", a name that stuck well into the twentieth century.
Though traditionally and originally made with root beer, different regions of the United States often use differing sodas for a "Black Cow", most often a cola or chocolate soda. In Kansas, where I grew up, we used cola so this is where my inspiration for this Black Cow cocktail recipe stems from. If you use grape soda that has it's own name, a Purple Cow. (P.S. If you like the idea of root beer instead of cola try my Root Beer Float Cocktail.)
I have used the most common ratios of equal parts of the Kahlua, cream and cola and I kept it simple and garnished it with a dollop of whipped cream. The Cow Gummi Candy can be found on Amazon but you can also just toss on a few chocolate sprinkles if you like.
Because the only cow tipping you should do after your teen years should involve booze.
THE
BLACK COW
MOO-TINI
(sorry, bad pun)
INGREDIENTS
2 Ounces Kahlua
2 Ounces Half & Half
2 Ounces Cola
Garnish: Dollop of Whipped Cream topped with a Cow Gummy
Tools: Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Cocktail (Martini)
DIRECTIONS
Shake the Kahlua and Half & Half with ice.
Strain into a chilled glass.
Top off with the cola.
Garnish and serve.
Happy National Black Cow Day!
20120609
The DECONSTRUCED GIN MARTINI
With Gin Day I decided to do something a little different. I decontructed a classic gin martini. Why? Because EVERYONE and their mother thinks they have the PERFECT recipe for a martini and every single one of them is different.
That's because we all experience taste in a unique manner, which explains all those different recipes for a very simple cocktail. With only two ingredients, the Martini is the simplest of drinks. How easy is it to mess up gin and vermouth? Well, actually, pretty easy because for each person the ratio of the ingredients is a very personal experience.
Which is why I've deconstructed the Martini. Now you can serve up a TRUE PERFECT MARTINI every time by simply allowing your guests to adjust the cocktail to their preference as they sip. Problem solved, issue "non", disaster averted, fun had.
RECIPE:
Gin
Vermouth
Yes, posting the recipe was a joke. Leave vodka out of it.
That's because we all experience taste in a unique manner, which explains all those different recipes for a very simple cocktail. With only two ingredients, the Martini is the simplest of drinks. How easy is it to mess up gin and vermouth? Well, actually, pretty easy because for each person the ratio of the ingredients is a very personal experience.
Which is why I've deconstructed the Martini. Now you can serve up a TRUE PERFECT MARTINI every time by simply allowing your guests to adjust the cocktail to their preference as they sip. Problem solved, issue "non", disaster averted, fun had.
RECIPE:
Gin
Vermouth
Yes, posting the recipe was a joke. Leave vodka out of it.
20120608
JELLY FILLED DONUT MARTINI Cocktail Recipe
That's right. I did it. I created a Donut Cocktail. And not just any donut either, this is jelly filled. Otherwise known in my Czech family as bismarks, they are called berliners in Germany, paczki in Poland, sufganiyots in Israel and bomboloni in Italy, whatever you call them they are puffs of fluffy fried dough jam packed (pun alert) with flavor.
And I packed that flavor in a cocktail.
The
JELLY FILLED
DONUT
MARTINI
Ingredients
1-1/2 Oz. Cake Vodka
1 Oz. Raspberry Vodka
1 Tablespoon Raspberry Jelly
3 Drops Lemon Bitters
Garnish
Donut Glaze with Sprinkles Rim
Donut Hole
Directions
Mix 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar with a drop of vanilla extract and a teaspoon (+/-) of milk for the glaze then dip the rim of your glass in it. Then dipmin some rainbow sprinkles and chill the glass in the freezer.
Shake the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker.
Strain into your glass and garnish with your favorite donut hole.
Yes, if you don't like raspberry you can fill your donut cocktail with strawberry vodka and strawberry jam, lemon vodka and lemon curd, and so on. Heck, you can go with chocolate vodka and chocolate syrup. Just don't leave out the cake vodka or you won't get the baked donut flavor.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
National Donut Day is June 8th.
Updated 6-2021
20120607
Happy National Chocolate Ice Cream Day - Enjoy my Chocolate Malt Martini
July 7th is
NATIONAL CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM DAY
One of my favorite ways to enjoy chocolate ice cream is in a chocolate malt! No plain old vanilla ice cream with just chocolate syrup for me, I want chocolate ice cream in my malt! And booze!
To that end I created my Chocolate Malt Martini - inspired by one of my favorite ice cream treats!
Get the
CHOCOLATE MALT MARTINI RECIPE HERE
Get the
CHOCOLATE MALT MARTINI RECIPE HERE
Updated March 2016
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20120606
Celebrate National Apple Sauce Cake Day with an Apple Sauce Cake Martini
June 6th is
NATIONAL APPLE SAUCE CAKE DAY
Oh, yes. I did!
THE APPLE SAUCE CAKE MARTINI
Who else would put apple sauce in a cocktail??
Right?
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
20120604
COGNAC COCKTAILS for NATIONAL COGNAC DAY
When I drink cognac it is generally in a snifter, held lovingly in my hands to warm the spirit and sipped slowly over a period of time while reading a good book or just relaxing and letting the day wash away. That's when I pull out my hidden bottle of $500 Cognac and pour in some "me day" adjustment. I hoard this like a miser hoards gold.
I do however enjoy it's addition to a cocktail now and then but, let's be honest here, I'm not adding in a cognac that literally costs more than a pair of mid range Manolo or Jimmy Choo shoes. I generally stick to a lesser priced cognac for the purpose of cocktails, usually Remy Martin. (I like expensive shoes and I like expensive cognac and my budget doesn't allow me unlimited supplies of each, sadly.) But Remy is a very respectable cognac, mixed in or sipped.
You, depending on your income tax bracket, may use whichever price of cognac you prefer. Just remember that a cocktail is only as good as all it's ingredients.
COGNAC COCKTAILS
ATOMIC COCKTAIL
I do however enjoy it's addition to a cocktail now and then but, let's be honest here, I'm not adding in a cognac that literally costs more than a pair of mid range Manolo or Jimmy Choo shoes. I generally stick to a lesser priced cognac for the purpose of cocktails, usually Remy Martin. (I like expensive shoes and I like expensive cognac and my budget doesn't allow me unlimited supplies of each, sadly.) But Remy is a very respectable cognac, mixed in or sipped.
You, depending on your income tax bracket, may use whichever price of cognac you prefer. Just remember that a cocktail is only as good as all it's ingredients.
COGNAC COCKTAILS
ATOMIC COCKTAIL
BRANDY ALEXANDER
CREPES SUZETTE COCKTAIL
END OF THE WORLD MARTINI
IRISH STINGER
SIDECAR
TANGELO BOURBON TANGO
VIEUX CARRE
National Cognac Day is June 4th.
Updated 7-2017
CREPES SUZETTE COCKTAIL
END OF THE WORLD MARTINI
IRISH STINGER
SIDECAR
TANGELO BOURBON TANGO
VIEUX CARRE
National Cognac Day is June 4th.
Updated 7-2017
20120603
IT'S NATIONAL EGG DAY - Have an Egg Cocktail!
Happy National Egg Day!
Do more than cook with eggs - cocktail with eggs!
After decades of being ignored and treated like a salmonella villain, eggs are making a comeback to the cocktail scene these days and a big hooray for that! Eggs can add a wonderful texture, a delightful foam and a silken quality on the tongue that nothing else can quite capture. Yes, there are powdered eggs and pasteurized egg products but they were never quite as good as the "real McCoy", a fresh egg.
Eggs contain a protein called ovalbumin which breaks down when beaten or shaken (this is where you get all those lovely meringues from in desserts). In cocktails most eggs are paired with a sour element which will stop those proteins from binding together, making a better (smaller) foam for the cocktail.
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20120602
The ROCKY ROAD MARTINI, a Chocolate Liqueur, Marshmallow Vodka and Amaretto Cocktail
Here I've taken those same classic flavors of chocolate, marshmallow and almonds and turned a depression inspired treat into a twenty-first century cocktail for a truly interesting dessert drink.
ROCKY ROAD
MARTINI
INGREDIENTS
1 Oz. Dark Chocolate Liqueur
1 Oz. Marshmallow Vodka
1/4 Oz. Amaretto
1 Oz. Chocolate Milk
Dash of Sea Salt
Garnish: Crushed Almond Rim, Mini Marshmallows
DIRECTIONS
Dip your glass rim in some of the chocolate liqueur then into the crushed nuts.
Chill glass in the freezer.
Add the ingredients to an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake until well chilled.
Strain into your chilled glass then garnish with mini marshmallows.
June 2nd is National Rocky Road Day.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
Updated 6-2021
20120601
The BLONDE BOMBSHELL MARTINI for Marilyn Monroe's Birthday
It is Marilyn Monroe's birthday today and Marilyn loved Champagne. Dom Perignon to be more specific, it was her drink of choice, so The Blonde Bombshell Martini is my rendition of a classic Champagne Cocktail - with one little tweak and a couple of Marilyn Monroe style garnishes.
In Honor of the Legendary & Iconic Marilyn Monroe:
THE
BLONDE BOMBSHELL
BLONDE BOMBSHELL
MARTINI
Ingredients
3 Oz. Champagne
1 Oz. Cognac
2 Dashes Cherry Bitters
1 Sugar Cube
Garnish
Sugar Crystal Rim
Pink Fondant Rosebud
Edible Glitter
DIRECTIONS
Rim your glass with the sugar crystals.
Secure the fondant rose to the rim.
Add the sugar cube to the glass.
Tap on the Cherry Bitters
Pour in the Cognac and stir until sugar has dissolved.
Top off with ice cold Champagne, sprinkle on edible glitter and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
"It's all make-believe, isn't it?" Marilyn Monroe
June 1, 1926 - August 5, 1962
June 1, 1926 - August 5, 1962
Updated 6-1-2021