FIRE & BLOODY MARY Game of Thrones Cocktail

"I will take what is mine with Fire and Blood." ~ Daenerys Targaryen

I had to do it. Tonight's episode is called Blood of My Blood. Besides it's Sunday and Bloody Marys are kind of my traditional Sunday drink.
Plus, I like a good cocktail pun. I also like history and historical references abound in Game of Thrones, including comparisons of Melisandre to Queen Mary I of England, aka Bloody Mary. 
Evidently we're in for some surprises with tonight's episode and surprises on Game of Thrones usually involve some blood so Bloody Marys are appropriate.

FIRE & BLOODY A Game of Thrones Bloody Mary
INGREDIENTS: 3 Oz. Chilled Crystal Head Vodka 6 Oz. Organic Tomato Juice 4 Dashes Soy Sauce Sriracha Hot Sauce, to taste 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder 1 Teaspoon Celery Salt 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper Ice
Rim Ingredients: Black Lava Salt, Chili Powder and Celery Salt.
Garnish: Fresh Cilantro & Sriracha Cream Cheese Stuffed Olives (Recipe below.)
Tools: Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Pint or Highball
DIRECTIONS: Mix a few dashes of Sriracha, some cilantro and a few dashes of soy sauce in 1 tablespoon of softened cream cheese then stuff this in some green olives. Set aside to garnish the cocktail with later. Coat half the glass rim with some tomato juice then dip in the mixture of Black Lava Salt, chili powder and celery salt. Chill glass in the freezer. Combine ingredients with ice in your cocktail shaker and shake really well to mix the ingredients in with the tomato juice as you chill and dilute. Strain into your pint glass, garnish and serve.

Updated 7-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

SUMMER COCKTAILS

    "And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer." —F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
SUMMER COCKTAILS 
As the weather heats up and we slide into summer, our cocktail thoughts turn to cool, refreshing drinks. The kind of drinks you would enjoy while sitting out on an early summer evening watching the sun go down. Tall drinks with lots of ice and summer juices and fizzes that slide down just a little too easy. Tart, fruity drinks loaded with garden fresh goodness. Frozen, slushy, brain-freezing glasses of chillness. Drinks made with gin and vodka, maybe a little rum or tequila, or perhaps a wine cooler or punch. Coolers, Mojitos, Sangría, Fizzes, Juleps, Collins, Cobblers, Bucks, Rickeys, Smashes. Yeah, like that.
So I've gathered together some of my favorites for you to enjoy this summer. Sit down, get comfy, this is a long list, I drink a lot in summer.
BASEBALL INSPIRED COCKTAILS
COBBLERS  BERRY CHERRY SHERRY COBBLER
BLACK EYED SUSAN COBBLER
WHISKEY CHERRY COBBLER
COLADAS CARROT COLADA  HIBISCUS COLADA FRAPPÉ
RASPBERRY PINA COLADA
SNEAKY TIKI  STRAWBERRY PINA COLADA
COOLERS
AN APERITIF TO REMEMBER
JUNGLE JUICE
NEVERLAND COOLER
PALOMA RAZPIROSKA SKIP AND GO NAKED
STONED TEQUILA SUNSET STRAWBERRY BASIL MOSCATO COCKTAIL
WATERMELON ORANGE COOLER
FIZZES (Collins, Rickeys, Slings) ABSINTHE MINDED LEPRECHAUN FIZZ
BLACKBERRY BOURBON FIZZ
CHERRY DIAMOND RAMOS FIZZ
CHERRY PEACH WHISKEY RICKEY
GOLDEN RAMOS FIZZ
HIBISCUS HEART FIZZ
PIMM'S BERRY CUP #1RAMOS GIN FIZZ
SPICED RUM POMEGRANATE FIZZ
STONED TEQUILA SUNSET
TERRI'S CHERRY 75
TIJUANA JACKASS
TWISTED FAIRYTALE FIZZ
THYME for a LEMON CHERRY SLING
FLOATS WITH BOOZE CHOCOLATE PORTER BEER FLOATS (2) DECADENT DUTCH FLOAT
FERNET MOCHA FRAPPÉ CHOCOLATE SHAKE
PEACH MELBA BEER FLOAT
REALLY DRUNK BROWN COW
SLIGHTLY BANANAS, DEFINITELY COCONUTS, CHOCOLATE BOOZY SHAKE
FROZEN DRINKS & BOOZESICLES ALL MY MARGARITAS HERE ALL MY DAIQUIRIS HERE RED NOSE SLUSHY
RED, WHITE & BOOZESICLES
JULEPS & SMASHES
ALL MY JULEPS
TEQUILA POMEGRANATE SMASH
WHISKEY PEACH SMASH
MELON COCKTAILS
MOJITOS
BLACKBERRY MOJITO
CHERRY BASIL MOJITO
CHIPOTLE WATERMELON MOJITO
GRAPEFUL DEAD MOJITO
GRILLED PINEAPPLE MOJITO
Mind Your Ps & Qs PEA SHOOT CUCUMBER MOJITO
ALL MY SANGRIAS
SUMMERY SOURS APPLE GO BRAGH SOUR
APRICOT LAVENDER BOURBON SOUR
BLOOD ORANGE BLACKBERRY BOURBON SOUR
PINEAPPLE PISCO SOUR
SPICED LAVENDER BEES KNEES
TANGELO BOURBON TANGO
TIPSY MISS
WATERMELON ROSEMARY GIN SOUR
TIKI COCKTAILS BEACH BUM
DRUNKEN BABY DOLE PINEAPPLE WHIPS
LOST MAI TAI
MERINGUE ISLAND PUNCH
TRIPLE RUM PUNCH
TONICS BUTTERFLY PEAFLOWER & ELDERFLOWER BLACKBERRY BLACKCURRANT CUCUMBER MINT & GREEN TEA STRAWBERRY BASIL VODKA TONIC VODKA TONIC BAR WILD HIBISCUS
And if that's not enough for you, you can use my search bar at top and search for any summer fruit, herb, flavor or booze that you prefer.
"Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August."
—Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty
Have a great cocktail filled summer! 

Updated 6-21-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The WAKE UP CALL, An Espresso & Wine Cocktail

Today was National Wine Day and it also happened to be National Iced Coffee Day. I kept thinking all day, could I? Should I?

Some said it couldn't be done, combining wine with coffee. At least not if you want to end up with a good cocktail.
You just can't say things like that to me, I take it as a challenge.
The WAKE UP CALL A Wine & Espresso Cocktail
INGREDIENTS: 4 Oz. Alamos Malbec Red Wine 2 Oz. Caffè Borghetti Espresso Liqueur 1/4 Oz. Fernet Branca 2 Tablespoons Pasteurized Egg White 1 Tsp. Orange Simple Syrup 3 Dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Bitters Ice
Garnish: Espresso powder, cocoa nibs, orange twist, edible gold stars
Tools: Cocktail shaker
Glass: Old Fashioned
DIRECTIONS: Dry shake all the ingredients except the ice in a cocktail shaker. Add the ice and shake again until chilled. Add a large ice cube to your glass then strain in the cocktail. Garnish and serve.
Yeah! So there! AND it's delicious, subtle and sophisticated. So I gave myself little gold stars.
Neener, neener, neener.
 

Updated 7-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

RED NOSE DAY Watermelon Cherry Raspberry SLUSHY Drink

What's with all the red noses? What exactly is Red Nose Day? It's a campaign to "make a difference for kids in need" done with humor, comedy and fun. It's represented by wearing a big red clown nose, kind of a fun and playful version of the standard colored ribbon for other charities.
You might be asking what cocktails have to do with it, and that's a good question. Nothing. But not all beverages have to have alcohol in them and virgin cocktails, or mocktails if you prefer, are fun too. Especially for kids, because kids always want to rush to adulthood. When I was out to dinner with my parents I loved it when I got a Shirley Temple. Mom and dad would order that for me and a Roy Rogers for my brother when they ordered their Bourbon and Sevens and we loved them, those simple soda and Maraschino cherry drinks made us feel like grownups.
I love the idea and playfulness of the red nose to represent a charity for children, it's whimsical, funny and cheerful. I wanted to create a healthy, red drink for kids that incorporated that symbol and those qualities. It's for adults too, come on you don't always have to have booze to have fun!
And cats will like this drink too ....

The RED NOSE SLUSHY Non-Alcoholic Cocktail (Mocktail)
INGREDIENTS: 1 Cup Fresh Watermelon, Cubed 1/2 Cup Frozen Raspberries, Pureed 1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Dark Cherries, Pureed 1 - 2 Tablespoons Organic Honey, to taste. (I have a sweet tooth so ... 2. A lot depends on the sweetness of your fruit and I used lavender honey from Honey Ridge Farms) 1/2 Oz. Lemon Juice 4 Mint Leaves Dash of Sea Salt 1 Cup Ice
Garnish: MUST have a Red Nose from Walgreens the kids (and adults) can wear! Plus; Watermelon balls (to mimic the red nose), A Lemon Twist, A Sprig of Fresh Mint, Tons of Bordeaux Maraschino Cherries, because that's the best part of the drink where kids are concerned! And Bordeaux Cherries aren't filled with food coloring and chemicals.

Tools: Blender, Red Straws, Cute Cocktail Swizzle Stick.
Glass: Mason Jar Mug with Red Nose Day stickers. Ask for these stickers at Walgreens when you get your red noses, they're free!
DIRECTIONS: Chill glass in the freezer. Add all the ingredients to your blender and pulse on high until the ice is completely blended and you have reached slushy consistency. Pour into your chilled glass, add the straw and swizzle stick then garnish and serve.
Be sure to tweet this and use the hashtags #RedNoseDay #RedNose4Kids AND ESPECIALLY #RedNose25 because the Gates Foundation will donate $25 for each tweet to the Red Nose Day Fund up to 1 million dollars!
PLUS you should really Get Your Red Nose On too over at NBC! Bailey did!

Oh, okay, if you legal drinking age folks MUST add some spirits, try adding in 1-1/2 ounces of good rum, vodka or tequila - but keep it away from the kids and donate an extra few bucks to Red Nose Day to assuage your guilt, you boozer! (Shhh, a little white rum did not hurt this drink at all!)

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The RED WOMAN'S Spiced Wine Punch

"Lord of Light! Come to us in our darkness. We offer you these false gods. Take them and cast your light upon us. For the night is dark and full of terrors."
Melisandre, The Red Woman. Is she evil? Is she good? Let's do a quick checklist.
Good: she brought Jon Snow back to life. Of course she believes he's the reincarnation of legendary hero Azor Ahai, the "Prince That Was Promised", so this might have been a selfish move. Which she wasn't even sure she could accomplish. But she did and that's good. All I got for good so far. Except she looks really great in blood red.
Bad: In her effort to serve her God, R’hllor, the Lord of Light, she tried to  get Stannis (whom she originally thought was the prince that was promised) a crown by creating murderous Shadow Demons and offering up Stannis' daughter as sacrifice to her quest, amongst other evil queen-ish maneuvers.

She also uses some form of magic to stay young. You might believe it's that ruby red necklace, I think she bathes in in the blood of newborn babies, or something equally Wicked Witch-ish.

To complicate things, there might even be another Red Woman making her presence known in upcoming episodes. A mysterious woman named Kinvara showed up in Meereen this season wearing the same ruby red necklace! Does she believe that Daenerys Targaryen is Azor Ahai?

Either way, I can't see any high priestess of R’hllor drinking anything but a spiced, blood red wine punch ... probably spiced with dried baby tears or desiccated bunny tails ...

The RED WOMAN'S Spiced Wine Punch
INGREDIENTS: 4 Oz. Malbec Wine 1/2 Oz. Kirschwasser 4 Large Strawberries, pureed 10 Fresh Raspberries, pureed 1 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice 1 Oz. Spiced Simple Syrup* Ice
Garnish: Frozen raspberries, A fresh strawberry and an anise pod
Tools: Cocktail shaker
Glass: Blood red goblet
DIRECTIONS: Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake until icy cold. Straight into your goblets, garnish and serve.

* Spiced Simple Syrup Recipe
5 Cardamom Seeds 1 Star Anise Pod 1 Small Stick of Cinnamon 3 Dried Orange Peels 1 Cup Cane Sugar 1 Cup Water
Bring all the ingredients to a boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer five minutes. Cool, strain and store, sealed and refrigerated, for up to a month. This simple syrup can be used not only for cocktails, but for hot and cold tea, hot toddys and even for a spiced cocoa.
As for our Red Women, I leave it to you to work out who's good, evil or just plain fanatical, but keep this quote, from one of the good guys, in mind:
The Lord of Light wants his enemies burned. ~ Tyrion Lannister

Updated 4-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

PREAKNESS BLACK EYED SUSAN COBBLER COCKTAIL

The Preakness is held every third Saturday of May at the Pimlico Race Track. Like all of the Triple Crown Races, it has it's own signature cocktail and that is the Black Eyed Susan, traditionally a vodka and citrus drink.
Named after the long-standing tradition of presenting the winner of the Preakness with a blanket of Black-Eyed Susans, which is draped across the shoulders of the winning horse, this seriously maligned drink has changed recipes over the years, much like the Belmont Stakes cocktail. Rob Kasper of the Baltimore Sun said “like a racehorse that keeps changing jockeys, the Susan has changed recipes.”
From the original vodka, rum, triple sec, orange and pineapple juice version, the Susan has been served up as recipes that added peach schnapps or a shot of bourbon and even a splash of Elderflower liqueur. It all seems to depend on the bartender or which booze is sponsoring the race each year. Orange juice is a constant, while pineapple juice slips in every once in awhile. Even grapefruit juice  was added at one time.
I've done my own cocktail versions for the Kentucky Derby as well as the above mentioned Belmont Stakes and, since no one seems to be able to make up their mind on the Black Eyed Susan, I figured I was well within my rights to toss my own recipe into the race!
Originally the cocktail started out with vodka and rum, then dropped the rum when vodka was having it's heyday at the turn of the millennium,  then whiskey snuck in and sort of stuck along with the whiskey sponsor. Despite prevailing tradition, I'm just not into the vodka for this one. With the fruit juices I really want some alcohol with some muscle and a little age on it, so I'm going with rye and rum, both of which play very well with the pineapple and the orange. I also added a dash of bitters to cut the sweetness I've included with the coconut honey.

The BLACK EYED SUSAN COBBLER COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz. Templeton Rye Whiskey 1/4 Oz. Diplomatico Rum 3 Oz. Pineapple juice 1/2 Oz. Lime Juice 1 Oz. Orange Juice 1 Tablespoon of Honey Ridge Farms Honey Cremé Coconut 1 Tablespoon of hot water 2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters Lots of Crushed Ice
Garnish: Mandarin Orange Sections, Pineapple Chunks, Luxardo Maraschino Cherries and a Lime Slice.(An edible yellow flower, like a  calendula, is a really nice touch, if you can get a hold of them, mine are still in sprout stage. I was unable to find out if Black Eyed Susans are edible in any way, if anyone knows leave a comment.)
Tools: Biodegradable Paper Straws, Bee Swizzle Stick (got my cute bee one from The Swizzle Stick Shop.)
Glass: Collins
DIRECTIONS: Add the hot water to the Honey Cremé Coconut in the glass and mix well. Fill the Collins glass with crushed ice. Pour the in the rye, rum, pineapple, orange and lime juices then stir to chill.(You can shake the ingredients with ice in a shaker if you prefer.)Pile on the fruit garnishes (and an edible flower if you have one), add a fun swizzle stick, a straw and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

If you prefer to go with a more traditional horse race cocktail, here are a few of my variations on the Mint Julep.


Updated 5-2021PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Rains of Castamere RED WEDDING Inspired NEW YORK SOUR

Robb ... Murdered at the Red Wedding, butchered by the Freys. I should have been with him. Where was I? I should have died with him."

~Theon Greyjoy
When I decided to do a Red Wedding cocktail interpretation for Game Of Thrones all I kept seeing in my head was a New York Sour. Once known as a Continental Sour,  later a Southern Whiskey Sour, the New York sour is a drink that starts out normal - as a Whiskey Sour - then just gets bloody as hell when the wine flows. Just like The Red Wedding when the wine is poured and the treachery begins.
A traditional New York sour consists of rye whiskey, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, an egg white then a dry red wine float. The bloody part is when you float that red wine over the back of a spoon and it floats on top of a cocktail slowly oozing down into the drink. Tell me that's not a perfect visual for the Red Wedding!
Every time I thought about the Red Wedding I kept seeing that wine flowing blood red onto the New York Sour, so I decided to go with it, only I pulled a little treachery of my own. I killed the whiskey off and replaced it with a beautiful aged rum making my variation more of a Peninsula Sour, then added a little spice to the sweet element by using a spiced honey instead of simple syrup.
The garnish of the long orange twist represents a Celtic knot, a tradition that symbolized the bond of marriage, a ceremony which preceded the exchanging of rings of modern weddings. It also represents the tangled web of deceit which wove itself through the machinations in Westeros before and during the Red Wedding.
The way I poured in the wine float represents the flowing of blood and betrayal over the purity of trust and union.

TheRAINS OFCASTAMERE SOURA Red Wedding Cocktail
INGREDIENTS:2 Oz. Diplomatico Rum3/4 Oz. Spiced Honey Syrup*1/4 Oz. Fresh Lemon Juice3/4 Oz. Fresh Blood Orange Juice2 Tablespoons Pasteurized Egg White2 Dashes Scrappy's Grapefruit Bitters1 Oz. Malbec Wine
Garnish: Orange twist knot
Tools: Channel knife, Cocktail shaker, Strainer, Bar Spoon
Glass: Cocktail
DIRECTIONS:*Take a tablespoon of Honey Ridge Farms Honey Créme Spiced and thin to a syrup consistency with a tablespoon of hot water.Take a channel knife and carefully start at the top of an orange and channel out a very long twist. Wrap this into knots and drape over a rustic wooden stick.
Dry shake (without ice) all ingredients except the red wine to emulsify the egg and create a foam. Shake again with ice to chill and dilute then strain into a chilled glass. Float the red wine over a spoon on top, let it flow like the blood the The Red Wedding,  garnish and serve.
"Not murder. It was vengeance, we had a right to our vengeance. It was war." ~ Merrett Frey

Check out my other

Game of Thrones Cocktails Here

Updated 7-2021 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

WINE COCKTAILS

Wine can of their wits the wise beguile,

Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile. ~ Homer
Wine is any alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes or other fruits. This includes sparkling wines like Champagne, fortified wines such as sherry, amaros or vermouth, distilled wines like brandy, cognac and Armagnac.
The oldest archaeological evidence of the existence of wine dates back 9,000 years to ancient china while other evidence suggests that the cultivation of grapes and wine making began in Mesopotamia and areas surrounding the Caspian Sea sometime between 6000 and 4000 BCE. The Bible states that Noah planted vines and made wine, the ancient Romans and Greeks were wild about the stuff and poets and philosophers waxed on about it throughout history.
What though youth gave love and roses, Age still leaves us friends and wine. ~ Thomas Moore

It's a fact, wine has been around a very long time, maybe as long as mankind itself. Who's to say some caveman didn't stumble into some "spoiled" (aka fermented) grapes and tie one on after barely escaping the jaws of a saber tooth tiger? Talk about a bad day at the office.

We have it a lot easier in today's world where kind and benevolent vintners provide us with all variety of the favorite drink of Bacchus and Dionysus. Thank the gods.
Wine is bottled poetry. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

WINECOCKTAILS
A COCKTAIL OF ICE & FIRE A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT COCKTAIL AN APERITIF TO REMEMBER BERRY CHERRY SHERRY COBBLER BRANDY ALEXANDER CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS (30 plus recipes)  CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY SANGRIA DEM BONES DEM BONES CHOCOLATE WINE SHAKE DRUNK SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET FRESH BERRY SANGRIA KOSHER SPRITZER-TINI KOSHER WINE COCKTAILSMIMOSA RECIPES NEW YORK SOUR NOSFERATU'S REVENGE RAINS OF CASTAMERE RED WEDDING SOUR RED WOMAN'S SPICED WINE PUNCH HALLOWEEN RASPBERRY STRAWBERRY SANGRIA STRAWBERRY BASIL MOSCATO COCKTAIL WAKE UP CALL COCKTAIL WHITE WINE CHERRY SANGRIA WICKED WITCHE'S BREW WINE COOLER-TINI
I like best the wine drunk at the cost of others. ~ Diogenes the Cynic

Updated 2-2021

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GAME OF THRONES COCKTAILS

“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”

As a history buff and fantasy fiction fan, it was the dragons and the Medievil, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Mongol hoard influences that sucked me right in. There is a little something in Game of Thrones for everybody, lots of booze, lots of sex, intrigue, drama, killing, mystacism, and even a bloody Red Wedding. And did I mention dire wolves and dragons? Love me some prehistoric, extinct canines and fire breathing bird ancestors. And don't get me started on the banquets and drinking.
I admit it, I'm a Thronie. What's a Thronie? A ridiculously obsessed fan of George R. R. Martin's epic "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels and HBO's series "Game of Thrones". Call me a geek and whip me with a Valeryian steel sword, I was obsessed enough to do a whole slew of this fantasy world inspired cocktails.
And I did, as you can see below.

As we say goodbye to our beloved Game of Throne epic television series, let us our glasses in a toast to the Land of Ice and Fire and thank our lucky stars for reruns.
"There's no story so good a drink won't make it better."

The GAME of THRONE COCKTAILS
DRAGON'S BREATH DRAGONFRUIT COCKTAIL WINTER IS COMING COCONUT DAIQUIRIS NIGHT'S WATCH HOT COFFEE TODDY A FLAMING COCKTAIL of ICE & FIRE WHITE WALKER COCONUT MEZCAL MARGARITA RAINS OF CASTAMERE RED WEDDING SOUR The RED WOMAN'S SPICED WINE PUNCH FIRE & BLOODY (Mary) WILDLING Apple Ale WASSAIL The KINGSLAYER WINTERFELL Bourbon Apple Tarragon SMASH CERSEI'S REVENGE The STORMBORN COCKTAIL
WINTER IS HERE!

Updated 2-2019

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MOTHER'S DAY BERRY MIMOSA COCKTAIL

Several years back I created a berry infused Mother's Day Martini. In the years that have passed I have learned a bit more about cocktail preparation and I decided it was time to update the recipe a bit.
 Normally I use fresh berries, but in this recipe I employed frozen berries to make use of the juice when they defrost. To get the berry juice you simply defrost the berries. In the bag will be all this lovely berry juice you can use in your cocktail. Set aside enough frozen berries for garnish. Yes, you can buy mixed berry juice, but garnish with frozen berries because they will help keep your cocktail chilled as you drink!
Why make Mom a special drink on Mother's Day?Because you are probably the reason she needs one!

The MOTHER'S DAY BERRY MIMOSA COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS: 1 Oz. Homemade Berry Vodka (Liqueur) 1/2 Oz. Orange Juice 1 Oz. Berry Juice (I used Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries and Strawberries) 1 Oz. Sparkling Rosé 2 Dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
Garnish: Frozen Berries
Tools: Cocktail shaker
Glass: Coupe or Champagne flute
DIRECTIONS: Chill your glass in the freezer. Add the berry vodka, orange juice and berry juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into the chilled glass then gently top off with the Sparkling Rosè, tap on the orange bitters, garnish and serve.

VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

Updated 5-2021 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

TRIPLE CROWN COCKTAILS for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness & Belmont Stakes

Horse races and cocktails are made for each other. There's nothing better than a celebratory drink if you win, a consolation libation if you lose and a little liquid courage to make that bet. Having a drink while you cheer on your contender is all part of the race going experience and most of the major horse racing events have their signature cocktails.
Of course, I have done cocktail adaptations on each of the bespoke cocktails for the Triple Crown races. You know me, I can't leave well enough alone, I have to bring my own cocktail creativity to the racetrack. Below are my crafted cocktails created for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness & Belmont Stakes, as well as a few other race classics:
TRIPLE CROWN COCKTAILS for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness & Belmont Stakes
BELMONT JEWEL BREEZE BLACK EYED SUSAN COBBLER COCKTAIL BROWN SUGAR PEACH MINT JULEP DERBY ROYALE COCKTAIL FOUR ROSES KENTUCKY DERBY COCKTAIL
And, of course: MINT JULEPS
Updated 4-2017 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

WHITE WALKER COCONUT MEZCAL MARGARITA for Game of Thrones

In the mists of time of First Men and the Children of the Forest, from the Land of Always Winter, death and winter came to Westeros in the form of the White Walkers.

Que the present day Land of Ice and Fire and those buggers are back after a very long summer and all frozen hell is about to break lose on Game of Thrones.
We're going to need a magic potion and, fortunately, I just happen to have one, including a little magic trick and some mezcal.
That trick is one I use a lot in my frozen drinks and it employs a little blasting of extra cold. You can make a truly smooth, White Walker worthy iced cocktail by pre-freezing the cocktail mixture ahead of time. Because of the alcohol content the mix will not freeze solid but pre-freezing will help make a truly frozen drink, one with smaller ice crystals for a smoother drink. It's not absolutely necessary, you can simply blend the unfrozen ingredients with ice, but the cocktail will be more diluted and not White Walker level chilled. 
Little Tip: You can store the frozen cocktail mixture for up to a week. Before an outing in my RV, where I didn't have a blender, I would often prepare frozen cocktails in my house ahead of time, pack them in baggies in my motorhome freezer, freeze them and then just take them out, squish them in my hands and pour them in the glass.

THE WHITE WALKER MEZCAL MARGARITA A Frozen Coconut Margarita for a Frozen Race
INGREDIENTS 2 Oz. Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal 2 Oz. Coco Real Cream of Coconut 1/2 Oz. Triple Sec 1 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice 1 C. Ice
Garnish: Coconut Flakes, 1/2 Ounce Blue Curacao
Tools: Large Ziplock Bag, Two Small Plates (to rim glass), Blender
Glass: Margarita or Cocktail
DIRECTIONS: The night before, or first thing in the morning, of the day you want to serve your cocktails, combine all the ingredients, except the ice in the ziplock bag and zip it closed. Give the bag a couple of really good shakes and place it in the freezer. Dip half the rim of the glass in some cream of coconut then into the coconut flakes then chill your glass in the freezer. When you're ready to serve your cocktails, empty the semi-frozen mixture into your blender, add the ice and blend on the highest setting until smooth. Pour into your chilled glass, create a big mound of icy goodness, drizzle the Blue Curacao over the top, letting it drip out the glass like the blood of the Night's King, and serve - with a straw so you don't get any White Walker blood on your hands.
This is an easy recipe to batch for multiple drinks, just multiply the ingredients times the number of drinks you want.
Yes, Bailey was on his Night Watch and got all up in my drink ... again.

"In that darkness the White Walkers came for the first time. They swept through cities and kingdoms, riding their dead horses, hunting with their packs of pale spiders big as hounds." ~ Old Nan

Updated 6-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CRÊPES SUZETTE COCKTAIL

  Inspired by the classic Sidecar Cocktail, this is my version of a dessert cocktail based on the classic French dessert, Crêpes Suzette.
Crêpes Suzette is a French dessert featuring a crêpe with a sauce of caramelized sugar, butter, orange juice and zest, then topped with Grand Marnier or orange Curaçao liqueur which is then flambéed. I've taken the basic ingredients and weaved them into a classic Sidecar. For the famous showmanship of the flambéed sauce I tossed in the showmanship of a flamed orange twist!
If this doesn't impress your cocktail guests, then send them down to the local dive bar and give him a couple of bucks for a light beer, they are unworthy of your happy hour efforts!

The CRÊPES SUZETTECOCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz. Brandy 1/4 Oz. Cognac 1/4 Oz. Grand Marnier 1/4 Oz. Lemon Juice 2 Oz. Fresh Orange Juice 1-1/2 Tbsp. Orange Butter Syrup (*Recipe below.)
Garnish: Flamed Orange Twist Mini Folded Crêpe (**Recipe link below.)
Tools: Jigger, Cocktail shaker, Strainer, Matches or Lighter
Glass: Coupe
INSTRUCTIONS: Prepare your mini crêpes ahead of time. Chill glass in the freezer.  Prepare your Orange Butter Simple Syrup (*Recipe below.) Set aside. Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake until well chilled. Strain into your glass. Take 3 mini crêpes and soak them in the remaining orange butter simple syrup (taking care as the simple syrup will still be warm) then fold them in quarters. Drape one over the rim of the cocktail and serve the other two on a plate alongside. Flame the orange twist over the top, drop the caramelized twist in the cocktail and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS:

Flaming an orange peel can be tricky. I warmed the orange peel a bit before flaming and got a bit too close but kind of liked that look of the singed edge: 

* ORANGE BUTTER SAUCE"SIMPLE SYRUP"(I have to tell you, I am going to do melted butter simple syrups again for cocktails. This was absolutely delicious and the addition of salted butter just made this cocktail incredibly rich. It really was like drinking liquid Crêpes Suzette!)
INGREDIENTS 1/2 Stick Salted Butter Juice & Zest of 1 Large Orange  2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier
DIRECTIONS Melt the butter in a small sauté pan.Grate the orange zest over the butter then squeeze in the juice of the orange.Add the sugar and cook over high heat just until the syrup thickens, about a minute. Watch carefully,  this can burn quickly.Stir in the Grand Marnier. Set aside for your cocktail and allow to cool a bit.
** Here's my favorite Crêpe recipe and Crêpes Suzette recipe video from Julia Child! Julia's recipe makes, of course, several crepes. You can freeze the remainder of the crêpes you make with this recipe and use later in desserts!
MINI CRÊPE TIP: Don't try to actually cook a mini crêpe, make a regular sized crêpe then using a circle cutter, cut out a few nice 3 inch rounds from one crêpe.
Bon Appedrink!
National Crêpes Suzette Day is May 6th.
The Mysterious Origins of Crêpe Suzette.

Updated 5-2022

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