KAHLUA COCKTAILS

Below are some wonderful ways for you to enjoy Kahlua including my recipe for making your own homemade Kahlua and my signature recipe for the White Russian.

KAHLUA

COCKTAILS 

BLACK COW MOO-TINI

CAPPUCCINO MARTINI

CHOCOLATE  MARTINI

COLORADO BULLDOG

DRUNK RUSSIANS

EARTHQUAKE-A-TINI

ESPRESSO MARTINI

Han Solo Has a Rocket in His Pocket Shooter 

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE MARTINI

MOCHA ESPRESSO EDIBLE COCKTAIL

NOT SO WHITE RUSSIAN

WHITE RUSSIAN

Homemade Kahlua Style Coffee Liqueur Recipe

Kahlua Chili Chocolate Cupcakes 

White Russian Truffles with Espresso Caviar

And, of course, many of my

COFFEE and ESPRESSO COCKTAILS

that call for coffee liqueur are perfect for using your Kahlua.

National Kahlua Day is February 27th.

Updated 2-2022

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An APERITIF To REMEMBER Movie Cocktail

(Cocktails inspired by the movies, Oscar nominees and winners.)
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, 1957
Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr Nominated (1958) for: Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Music, Original Song (For the song "An Affair to Remember"), Best Music, Scoring
Though it didn't win an Oscar, An Affair To Remember was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Original Song. This was one of my mother's favorite movies, we watched it together often and my favorite part was always the piano solo that featured that title song. This is why I chose to do a cocktail tribute to this particular movie, to remember the great moments with my mom.
Plus, An Aperitif To Remember popped into my pun twisted brain and it was too good a movie cocktail name to pass up. This one's light on alcohol, refreshingly fruity and sparkling!
An APERITIF To REMEMBER
INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 Oz. Blackberry Brandy 1 Oz. Benjamin Twigg's Cherry Concentrate 1/2 Oz. Fresh Orange Juice Sparkling Wine  3 or 4 Large Ice Cubes, Regular Ice Cubes
Garnish: Orange twist wrapped around two Bordeaux cherries
Tools: Cocktail shaker, Straw, Cocktail Pick
Glass: Pint
DIRECTIONS: Add the ingredients, except the sparkling wine, to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Add the large ice cubes to your glass, strain in the cocktail from the shaker then top off with the sparkling wine.  Garnish with an orange twist and a few Bordeaux cherries, add a straw and serve.
More Classic Movie Cocktails: Angostura and Old Lace Gone With The Gin The Cocktail Purple
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ANGOSTURA and OLD LACE, Movie Inspired Cocktails

(Cocktails inspired by the movies, Oscar nominees and winners.)
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, 1944 Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane Nominated: Not one, not a single Oscar nod, and I don't care because I still laugh at this Frank Capra movie.
Besides I got the title pun stuck in my head and it does fit my purple Oscar party theme this year.
ANGOSTURA and OLD LACE
INGREDIENTS: 2-1/2 Oz. Hpnotiq Harmonie Liqueur 1/2 Oz. Peppermint Schnapps 2 Drops Angostura Bitters 1 Drop Food Grade Lavender Oil 2 Tbsp. Pasteurized Egg White Ice
Garnish: A few dried lavender buds
Tools: Blender, Cocktail shaker
Glass: Antique Crystal Coupe
DIRECTIONS: Add all the ingredients except the ice to a blender and blend for one minute. Pour this into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a pinch of lavender buds and serve. 
This Year's Other Bespoke Oscar Cocktails: An Aperitif To Remember Gone With The Gin The Cocktail Purple
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GONE With The GIN, A Cocktail Tribute to Gone With The Wind

(Cocktails inspired by the movies, Oscar nominees and winners.)
GONE WITH THE WIND, 1939 Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh Nominated (1940) for 13 Academy Awards Won: 8, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress - Leading, Best Actress - Supporting, Best Writing - Screenplay
I admit it, I love the book, I love the movie, and I revisit both at least once a year. There's something timeless about this love story and, of course, Clark Gable as Rhett Butler is unparalleled sexy. I just had to include it as one of my bespoke cocktail tributes in my Oscar party this year. My theme is vintage, purple - and puns. (I cannot wait to see my guests costume get-ups!)
Bourbon is the acknowledged southern spirit, but "Gone With The Bourbon" just didn't work and "I Don't Know Nothin' 'Bout Birthin' No Bourbon"? Nah, even I won't carry a pun that far!
So, I  gone and went with gin.
GONE WITH THE GIN
INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz. Aviation Gin 8 Raspberries 6 Fresh Blackberries 4 Strawberries 1 Tablespoon Mint Simple Syrup* 2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters 1/2 Cup of Ice
Garnish: Fresh Berries, Mint Leaf
Glass: Old Fashioned
Tools: Blender
DIRECTIONS: Chill your glass in the freezer. Add all the ingredients,including the ice, to your blender and blend until smooth. Pour into the chilled glass, garnish and serve.
Check out my other 2016 Oscar Cocktails: An Aperitif To Remember Angostura and Old Lace The Cocktail Purple


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THE COCKTAIL PURPLE Movie Inspired Cocktail Recipe

(Cocktails inspired by the movies, Oscar nominees and winners.)

THE COLOR PURPLE, 1985Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Danny GloverNominated (1986) for 11 Academy Awards including: Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and 2 for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Music - Original Song, Best Music - Original Score, Best Makeup.
To this day I still can't believe The Color Purple didn't win one single Oscar, but I'm including it in my movie cocktail tributes this year for three reasons. First, purple is my Oscar party color theme. Second, it has one of my all time favorite movie quotes:
"I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it" ~ Shug.

My third reason? I HAD to use this pun:
THECOCKTAILPURPLE
INGREDIENTS:2 Oz. Hendrick's Gin1/8 Oz St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur1 Tsp. Spiced Honey Syrup*1/2 Tsp. B'lure PeaFlower Extract1 Tbsp. Pasteurized Egg White2 Dashes Scrappy's Lavender Bitters
Garnish: Fresh Mint Sprig, Extra Drops of Pea Flower Extract on the Foam.
Tools: Cocktail shaker, Toothpick
Glass: Antique Crystal Coupe
DIRECTIONS:Add all the ingredients, except the ice, to a cocktail shaker and shake hard for one minute. (This is called a dry shake.)Add ice then shake until chilled.Strain into a chilled coupe. To garnish, add several extra drops of the peaflower extract to the foam top, drag the toothpick through the drops to create a swirled pattern,gently lay the small mint sprig on top, tap some extra bitters on top then serve.
* To make the Spiced Honey Syrup combine 1 teaspoon of Honey Farms Spiced Honey Creme with 1 teaspoon of hot water until blended.

VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

More Movie Cocktails: An Aperitif To Remember Angostura and Old Lace Gone With The Gin
Updated 3-2021PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The CLOVER CLUB Cocktail

Pre-dating Prohibition, the Clover Club Cocktail was named after a men's club of the same name that existed in Philadelphia from around the late 1800's until just before Prohibition.  Consisting of gin, lemon juice, raspberry syrup, and an egg white, it's a decidedly pink drink, one that would be consigned to the "girly drinks" category and shunned by later generations of drinking men as a result of its "feminine" color. As a result of its color (and the fear of salmonella from the use of raw egg) this cocktail classic all but disappeared from the bar scene, consigned to the dusty pages of bygone era recipe books, an oddity of past potable peccadilloes.
David Wondrich says in this Esquire post, "in 1934 we lumped it together with the 'pansies' -- the ten worst cocktails of the previous decade (which, that being the decade of bathtub gin and wood alcohol, is saying something). Our 1949 Handbook for Hosts tucks it among the Pink Ladies and Alexanders in the 'Something for the Girls' section." But Wondrich then goes on to say it's a cocktail worth trying and I agree. After all, it was the bespoke cocktail of a press club whose guests included the likes of Samuel "Mark Twain" Clemens, Joseph R. Pulitzer, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge and every President from Grover Cleveland to Woodrow Wilson in it's roster.
With that kind of pedigree it deserves a revival. We have pasteurized eggs now, men no longer fear pink, and gin is currently the poster child of the clear spirits world. The timing is all set for a Clover Club comeback.
The CLOVER CLUB Cocktail 
INGREDIENTS: 1-1/2 Oz Hendrick's Gin 1/4 Oz Raspberry Syrup 3/4 Oz Lemon Juice 1 Egg White
GARNISH: Fresh Raspberries, Lemon Twist
TOOLS: Cocktail shaker, Blender
GLASS: Coupe
DIRECTIONS: Dry shake the ingredients first for a good minute or two. (I cheat and use a blender for this step because I stupidly dislocated my shoulder ages ago and NEVER want to go through the resetting procedure EVER again.) Transfer the ingredients to an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake to chill. Strain into your chilled glass, garnish and serve.
I even did a Valentine's Day version with a crystalized sugar heart!

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The MOROCCAN ROSE - A Spiced Bourbon Cocktail

I have this thing for Moroccan food, mainly because of the spices, fruits and exotic ingredients involved. The aromatics of those warm spices and flavors just grab my imagination and take me to places with starry desert nights, warm arid breezes and mysterious strangers on trains to Istanbul. (Yes, I'm a romantic and I make no excuses for it, it's packaged in with my creativity and is a large element of my cocktail experience and recipes.)
Rosewater is often used in Moroccan dishes as well and, when Four Roses Bourbon sent me a bottle of their Small Batch to use for a Valentine's themed cocktail, those roses and one sip of the spicy, slightly fruity whiskey sent my mind on a flight of fancy to the Middle East. What better way to send bourbon and roses on a voyage to romance than on a vacation to the land of spicy intrigue?
The MOROCCAN ROSE Cocktail 
INGREDIENTS: 1-1/2 Oz. Four Roses Bourbon 2 Dashes Orange Bitters 2 Teaspoons Moroccan Spiced Simple Syrup* 1 Dash Rose water Large Ice Ball or Cube
Garnish: Edible (organically grown) Rose Petal, Orange Twist Heart
Tools: Bar Spoon
Glass: Old Fashioned
DIRECTIONS: Pour the Moroccan simple syrup, the orange bitters and the rose water into the glass and swirl around to coat the glass. Add the ice then pour in the Four Roses Bourbon, stir several times, garnish with a single edible rose petal and an orange twist heart then serve.
WANT A FIZZY COOLER VERSION? Mix the ingredients in a highball glass, fill with chipped ice, top it off with soda or ginger ale and garnish!

*Moroccan Spiced Simple Syrup Recipe Ingredients 2 cups of sugar 1 cup of water 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin Pinch of cayenne Pinch of black pepper 1 tablespoon of vodka, (optional preservative) Directions Add ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, immediately remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool. If you wish you can add the vodka so the syrup will keep longer.
Bon Voyage and Happy Valentine's Day!

Updated 2-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CHERRY DIAMOND (RAMOS) FIZZ

Let me make this very plain, I LOVE RAMOS FIZZES!! I like them for brunch, I like them for happy hour, I like them whenever I can get them. The Ramos Gin Fizz has almost become my signature cocktail I do it so often, mostly it's my Golden Ramos Fizz because people love it and I always have some kind of orange fruit in the house. But I do it the normal way and with other flavors as well, usually whatever fruit I have handy.
Originally the Ramos was called a New Orleans Fizz and it was created by Henry C. Ramos at his bar in Meyer’s restaurant in New Orleans in 1888. Aside from the sadly abused Pat O'Brien Hurricane, it is probably the most recognized Mardi Gras-NOLA-Fat Tuesday drink. Yes, the Sazerac as well, but it's more of a cocktail aficionado drink, not so much for the masses. But for me, the Ramos reigns on Fat Tuesday.
Of course, with today being Mardi Gras, you had to know I was going to do another adaptation/cocktail riff on the Ramos Fizz. If you didn't know that, you haven't been reading this blog enough and shame on you! I decide a little extra celabratory ingredients were called for and brought in some cherries and bubbly, maybe crossing close to the French 75 line. So, what did I do this time to another classic? Look no further:
The CHERRY DIAMOND FIZZ
INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz. Hendrick's Gin 1.5 Oz. Fresh Lemon Juice 6 Fresh (or frozen) Cherries 1 Oz. Cream 1  Egg white (or 2 tbsp. pasteurized) 1 Tablespoon Homemade Cherry Syrup Chilled Dry Champagne 3 Drops Orange Flower Water Chilled Dry Champagne  Ice
Garnish: Orange Twist, Bordeaux Cherry
Glass: Collins
Tools: Blender, Cocktail Shaker
DIRECTIONS: Combine all the liquid ingredients except the ice in a blender and dry blend for a minute to emulsify the egg white and aerate the cocktail. Transfer this to an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake vigorously to chill. Pour into the chilled Collins glass, top off with Champagne, garnish and serve.
Just remember, when I say "throw me something, mister" I'm not talking beads, I'm talking slide me a down Ramos! Laissez les bon temps (and the Ramos Fizzes) rouler.

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PIZZA COCKTAIL RECIPES

I was challenged to do a Pizza Cocktail, so, yes, I had to go there. In fact, I went there three times and did a White Pizza Cocktail, a Red Pizza Cocktail and then a Margherita Pizza Margarita.

Before you cringe, think of them as Bloody Marys with Italian or Spanish accents.
For the Red and White Pizza Cocktails I started with the flavors of my favorite pizza, a Margherita Pizza, using basil, tomato and mozzarella, then added a little truffle salt for some extra punch. My garnish was a lime slice, a few mozzarella balls, a couple of grape tomatoes and basil leaf. Just for fun I added a pepperoni stick.
The white "sauce" version is made with tomato water instead of tomato juice. Tomato water is almost the pure essence of the flavor of the tomato. I simply blended my tomatoes then strained them for 24 hours through coffee filters to get the clear tomato water. It may not look like it tastes like tomato, but it definitely does.
For the red "sauce" version, I used half organic tomato juice and half tomato water, then did exactly the same ingredients and procedures as the white pizza cocktail.

WHITE PIZZA MARTINI
INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz. Tomato Water 1-1/2 Oz. Vodka 1/2 Oz. Lime Juice Pinch Truffle Salt 4 Fresh Basil Leaves Ice
Garnish: 3 mozzarella balls, 1 basil leaf, 2 grape tomatoes, pepperoni stick, lime slice
Tools: Cocktail shaker, muddler
Glass: Cocktail
DIRECTIONS: Add the lime juice and the basil leaves to the cocktail shaker and muddle gently to release the juices and the basil oils. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice then add the vodka, the tomato water and the truffle salt then shake until well chilled. Strain into your cocktail glass, garnish and serve.

RED PIZZA COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS: 1 Oz. Tomato Water 1 Oz. Organic Tomato Juice 1-1/2 Oz. Vodka 1/2 Oz. Lime Juice Pinch Truffle Salt 4 Fresh Basil Leaves Ice
Garnish: 3 mozzarella balls, 1 basil leaf, 2 grape tomatoes, pepperoni stick, lime slice
Tools: Cocktail shaker, muddler
Glass: Cocktail
DIRECTIONS: Add the lime juice and the basil leaves to the cocktail shaker and muddle gently to release the juices and the basil oils. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice then add the vodka, the tomato water, the tomato juice and the truffle salt then shake until well chilled. Strain into your cocktail glass, garnish and serve.

For the Margarita version I did a pizza flavored take on a traditional margarita and that recipe is here: MARGHERITA PIZZA MARGARITA

National Pizza day is February 9th,

National Cheese Pizza Day is September 5th, Pepperoni Pizza Day is September 20th and National Sausage Pizza Day is October 11th.
Updated 2-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

VIEUX CARRÉ Cocktail Recipe

The VIEUX CARRÉ was invented by Walter Bergeron, the head bartender at the Monteleone Hotel (home of the famous Carousel Bar) in New Orleans in the 1930s and is named after the Vieux Carré (the "Old Square") in the French Quarter. It is a drink staple of New Orleans bars and one of the absolute necessary cocktails to try when in New Orleans.
Or you can just make one at home.
The VIEUX CARRÉ
INGREDIENTS: 3/4 Oz. Rye Whiskey 3/4 Oz. Cognac 3/4 Oz. Sweet Vermouth 1 Tsp. Bénédictine 1 Dash Peychaud’s Bitters 1 Dash Angostura Bitters
DIRECTIONS: Add the rye, cognac, vermouth, Bénédictine and both bitters to a mixing glass. Stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled rocks glass, rub rim with a lemon twist then drop the twist in the cocktail and serve.
Now you're ready for Mardi Gras. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

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The GOBBLED KNOB Cocktail

Since it was Groundhog's Day and Puxsatawny Phil looks for his shadow at Gobbler's Knob in Puxsatawny, PA, I had to do a Google search to see if there was such a thing as a Gobbler's Knob cocktail. Not one, not a gobble in the bunch. Poor Phil, nothing to keep him warm in case he sees his shadow. Whether he does or doesn't see his shadow, I've decided to correct that and give Phil and all his buddies in and near Gobblers Knob a signature cocktail, shadow or no shadow.

There is a Tender Knob cocktail floating around in Alcoholdom, often made with apple, sometimes made with orange, but always made with a whiskey base, either bourbon or rye. Both fruits pair well with whiskey and are winter fruits which suit the season. These gave me a good starting point for a cocktail ode to Puxsatawny Phil, his shadow and Groundhog Day.

I decided to use pear, which is another winter fruit that works well with whiskey. In a playful nod to Knob and Gobbler I chose two whiskies (mainly because of their names) as my main spirit and, for the sweetener, the East Coast flavor of maple syrup. Next I added a dash of hope for spring with some rhubarb bitters.

The
GOBBLED KNOB
Cocktail

INGREDIENTS:
1 Oz Knob Creek Bourbon
1/2 Oz Wild Turkey 101
1/4 Oz Amontillado Sherry
2 Oz Caramelized Pear Puree
1/4 Oz Fresh Orange Juice 2 Tablespoons of Pasteurized Egg Whites
1 Tsp. Maple Syrup
2 Dashes of Frape & Sons Rhubarb Bitters
1 Dash Orange Bitters Ice

GARNISH: Caramelized Orange Slice, Caramelized Pear Cubes

GLASS: Coupe

TOOLS: Cocktail Shaker

DIRECTIONS:
Caramelize the orange slice and pear cubes by coating in sugar and heating in a saute pan until the sugar caramelizes. Set on wax or parchment paper to cool.
Chill the glass in the freezer.
Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker without ice (this is known as dry shaking) and shake vigorously for a good minute or until the egg emulsifies and builds up a nice foam. Add the ice then shake until chilled.
Pour into your chilled glass, garnish and serve.   This one is good enough to enjoy no matter what day it is, sorry Phil, you'll have to share.

Happy Groundhog Day!  

Updated 2-2019

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