NEW YEAR'S COCKTAILS

A New Year comes ringing,

New promise it's bringing, So lift up your glasses As the old year passes, And greet the New Year, With toasts of Good Cheer!   NEW YEAR'S COCKTAILS   BLOODY MARY'S BLUSHING ROSE BUBBLING FRUIT BRANDY MARTINIS CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS CHAMPAGNE WISHES & CAVIAR DREAMS GRILLED PEACH MIMOSA MIMOSAS NEW YEAR'S BLUES MARTINI NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION MARTINI PRICKLY PEAR CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL RASPBERRY RESOLUTION MARTINI SPARKLING GRAPE MARTINI SPARKLING HIBISCUS MARTINI SPARKLING PEAR MARTINI SPARKLING POMEGRANATE MARTINISPARKLING TANGERINE MIMOSA TWILIGHT PEARL MARTINI     Here's to a new year filled with cheer!  

Updated 12-2020

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Grandma's BOURBON, HIBISCUS and ROSEWATER "TEA" Cocktail

You could always tell when my Grandma Effie's "tea" had a kick, you could hear the ice cubes clinking around her china cup as she sipped. I kinda always wanted to try that tea, it sure made Grandma happy, but Mom said it was grown-up tea and always shoved something less potent towards me.
Well, I'm all grown up now, Mom.

Grandma's BOURBON, HIBISCUS and ROSEWATER "TEA"
INGREDIENTS 2 Oz. Bourbon 2 Oz. Wild Hibiscus Tea 1 Tsp. Orange Juice Concentrate 1 Oz. Rose Hibiscus Syrup Ice
Garnish: Hibiscus Flower
Tools: Cocktail Shaker, Hawthorne Strainer
Glass: Tea Cup
DIRECTIONS: Brew the Hibiscus Tea, strong, and allow to cool. Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake and until chilled. Strain into a teacup with a few ice cubes in it, garnish and serve.
Grandma's tea was usually just orange pekoe with a couple of fingers of bourbon, so why the rose and hibiscus? Because my grandma always smelled like rosewater, and the wallpaper in her house had giant hibiscus flowers all over it.
MAKES A GREAT HOT TODDY TOO Yes, you can do this hot, it just happened to be an 80 degree day in December here in Tucson when I made this, I wasn't going with a hot toddy! Just don't cool the tea and leave out shaking and straining, which is primarily to strain out any ice shards anyway.
Cheers to you, Grandma Effie, I sure hope there's bourbon up there!

     
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

TEA COCKTAILS, Hot and Cold

Long before I ever called myself The Martini Diva I was adding booze to my tea. One of my favorite combinations was Grand Marnier in Good Earth's spiced orange tea. I was also fond of flavored vodkas and rums with flavored teas, both iced and hot.

I've even made HOMEMADE TEA INFUSED VODKA by simply dropping 6 to 8 tea bags into one bottle of decent vodka. You allow this to steep for about 18 hours, strain and you're ready to go. If you want sweet tea vodka, simply add simple syrup to taste. You can also add spices, herbs and citrus zest as well as berries and fruits though you'll need to infuse those longer depending on what you've added.
Tea is a great way to add a little creativity to your craft cocktails. You can make a tea infused simple syrup to use in your tea or use it as a cocktail mixer, either hot as a toddy or mixed cold. There's a world of possibilities considering all the flavored teas out there.
And it's always fun to serve a cocktail in a teacup, that's how my Granny used to have a nip of bourbon in her tea.
TEA COCKTAILS    Butterfly Pea Flower Tea & Elderflower Gin & Tonic  Chai Tea Martini Citrus Spiced Hot Toddy Grandma's Bourbon Hibiscus "Tea" Hibiscus Heart Fizz Hot Cranberry Orange Tea Punch Long Island Iced Tea Mint Green Tea Gin & Tonic Panic Button Martini Purgatory Punch Stormborn Cocktail Wild Hibiscus Tea Infused Gin & Tonic
You can also add a bit of booze to a classic Arnold Palmer:

International Tea Day is December 15th, Iced Tea Day is June 10th, British National Tea Day and National Tea Day are both April 21st, National Hot Tea Day is January 12th and January is National Hot Tea Month.

Updated 12-2021

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

GINGERBREAD LATTE COCKTAIL

Lately it seems like gingerbread is surpassing pumpkin for the latest trending holiday flavor profile. I don't have a problem with that because I love gingerbread, and have created many Gingerbread Cocktails for past Christmas seasons.

I also love Coffee Cocktails and often pour a little of my Homemade Gingerbread Liqueur* into my evening cup of coffee for a quick coffee gingerbread tipple. Why I neglected to make an "official" coffee and gingerbread cocktail until now eludes me, but this drink recipe should solve that issue once and for all.

The

GINGERBREAD LATTE

COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS 

2 Oz. Gingerbread Liqueur

(Recipe for Homemade Gingerbread Liqueur.)

1/2 Oz. Coffee Liqueur

(I used my favorite, Branca's Caffè Borghetti)

2 Oz. Coffee

2 Oz. Half &Half

Ice

Garnish: Gingerbread Cookie

Tools: Cocktail Shaker

Glass: Mini Milk Bottle or Rocks Glass

DIRECTIONS

Chill glass in the freezer.

Shake the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker until chilled then strain into the chilled glass.

Garnish and serve.

National Gingerbread Latte Day it is December 15th.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The AMBROSIA COCKTAIL, A Drink Fit for the Gods

In ancient Greece ambrosia was considered the food of the Gods, and nectar was the drink of the Gods. Today Ambrosia is a fruit salad made up of mixed fruits, particularly orange slices, cocktail cherries and pineapple with whipped cream and/or cream cheese, coconut, marshmallows and sometimes nuts.

It's a Southern culinary favorite that originated around the mid 1800's, around the time fruits like coconut and pineapple, previously considered exotic, became more readily available in the U.S. The earliest print reference to Ambrosia is from an 1867 cookbook by Maria Massey Barringer called Dixie Cookery: or How I Managed My Table for Twelve Years.

There is an Ambrosia cocktail floating around that employs cognac, Calvados and lemon juice, but I'm going for the classic taste of that fluffy, sweet fruit salad so well loved by Americans. Primarily because that is what most of us associate with ambrosia.

It never hurts to appeal to the masses, right?

The

AMBROSIA

COCKTAIL

A Drink Fit for the Gods

INGREDIENTS

2 Oz. Dark Rum

1 Oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

3 Oz. Fresh Orange Juice

3 Oz. Fresh Pineapple Juice

2 Tablespoons Coconut Cream

1-1/2 Oz. Heavy Cream

Splash of Homemade Grenadine

Garnish: Coconut Flake Rim, Mini Marshmallows, Luxardo Cherry

Tools: Cocktail Shaker, Bar Spoon

Glass: Hurricane

DIRECTIONS 

Dip the glass rim in some coconut cream then into coconut flakes, chill the glass in the freezer.

Add all the ingredients except the Grenadine to your cocktail shaker and shake until well chilled. Fill the glass with ice then pour in the cocktail. Gently float the Grenadine over the back of a spoon over the top, garnish and serve.

VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

National Ambrosia Day is December 12th.

  

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

KOSHER COCKTAILS

Yes, Kosher Cocktails. What, you think there's no drinking in the Hebrew culture? Well, think again. My Jewish friends love a good cocktail and, for those who follow the laws of kashrut (keep kosher) I always try to include a kosher drink in my party bar menu.
I may be a shiksa but I am also a good hostess who prefers every guest of mine be accommodated. Because I'm a shiksa though, my kitchen is not kosher so, technically speaking, the actual cocktails I serve in my home might not be for strict Orthodox practitioners. My Hebrew friends are not Orthodox so I'm able to mix up some cheer for them during their High Holidays and on Shabbat.
KOSHER COCKTAILS 
KOSHER SPRITZER-TINI
PASSOVER COCKTAILS
ROSH HASHANAH COCKTAIL
L'Chayim!
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

POPULAR PROHIBITION ERA COCKTAILS

Every 5th of December the entire cocktail world celebrates the end of Prohibition and the 21st Amendment to the Constitution which repealed the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act. 

1919 to 1933 was a dark era in the history of drinking in America, but it was also a time that gave meteoric rise to the modern day cocktail. Why? Because, despite the efforts of the temperance movement to eradicate booze from America's landscape, Prohibition instead fueled in Americans a love for cocktails and gave drinking alcohol glamour and sexiness by making it taboo.
Speakeasies sprang up all over the major cities in the United States serving "bathtub gin", bootleg whiskey and smuggled rums, most of which were pretty low quality and bad tasting, if not outright dangerous to drink. To make the low quality spirits palatable to their scofflaw patrons, bartenders would mix them with all nature of fruit juice, mixers and bitters to hide the bad taste of the booze. Their success is evident in the number for bespoke drinks that survived the dark ages of alcohol to live on in bars and cocktail parties right up to today's revival of vintage libations.    If you've never tried these cocktails, today is the day to give them some happy hour honor. Below you will find the classic recipes, as well as some some of my signature adaptations, for some of the survivors of those 13 years of a hoped for, but not accomplished, dry America.    Happy Repeal Day and may you Party Like It's 1933 Again!  

POPULAR PROHIBITION ERA COCKTAILS   Spiced Lavender BEES KNEES   The CLOVER CLUB    The CORPSE REVIVER (Lives Again)   TERRI'S CHERRY 65 inspired by the FRENCH 75   GIN RICKEY Created by bartender George Williamson, per popular customer Joe Rickey's instructions, at Shoemaker's, in Washington D.C. during a particularly brutal heat wave in 1883. The Rickey was originally made with rye whiskey.   2 Oz. Gin Fresh Lime Juice Seltzer Water Optional: Splash of Simple Syrup  Mix ingredients in a highball glass filled with ice.   HANKY PANKY Created by Ada Coleman at the American Bar in The Savoy in 1925.   1-1/2 Oz. Gin 1-1/2 Oz. Sweet Vermouth 2 Dashes Fernet Branca Stir ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, strain into a chilled glass, express an orange twist over the top.   The LAST WORD The first mention of this popular Prohibition cocktail comes from a 1916 Detroit Athletic Club menu.   3/4 Oz. Gin 3/4 Oz. Chartreuse 3/4 Oz. Maraschino Liqueur 3/4 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice Shake with ice, strain into a child cocktail glass.   The MARY PICKFORD Created for actress Mary Pickford at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in the 1920s.   2 Oz. White Rum 2 Oz. Pineapple Juice 1 Tsp. Maraschino Liqueur 1 Tsp. Grenadine Shake ingredients with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnished with a cocktail cherry.   The PINK LADY  
The RYE RACKETEER inspired by the SCOFFLAW    The SIDECAR    The WARD 8 According to Robert Vermiere this is a cocktail named after Boston, a city divided into 8 wards.   1-1/2 Oz. Rye Whiskey 3/4 Oz. Fresh Lemon Juice 3/4 Oz. Fresh Orange Juice 1/4 Oz. Grenadine Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass. Add an ice cube and a splash of sparkling water.  
The WHITE LADY When Harry Craddock of The Savoy took a cocktail named the Delilah and replaced the creme de menthe with orange liqueur the White Lady was born.  

 

   

    Updated 12-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

PEPPERMINT LATTE COCKTAIL RECIPE

Here's a perfect cocktail for cold weather and the holiday season. It's got all your winter favorites in one glass; hot coffee, chocolate and peppermint plus, yay, booze!

Merry, Merry whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of year.

The PEPPERMINT LATTÈ COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS  1 Oz. Caffè Borghetti Espresso Coffee Liqueur 1/2 Oz. DeKuyper Dark Créme de Cacao 1/2 Oz. Peppermint Schnapps 4 Oz. Hot Coffee
Garnish: Plain or Espresso Whipped Cream*, Dusting of Instant Espresso Powder and a Chocolate Candy Cane
Glass: Coffee Mug
DIRECTIONS Add the ingredients to a coffee mug, stir, garnish and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS: 

* My recipe for the Espresso Whipped Cream can be found on this Fernet Mocha Frappé Shake Cocktail.
* Yes, you can make it a cold cocktail too. Just shake the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, strain, garnish and serve in an Old Fashioned glass instead of a mug.
National Peppermint Lattè Day is December 3rd.
 
Updated 12-2021 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE COCKTAIL

There's something about late fall that makes me want caramel apples. Maybe it's because my mother used to make caramel apples for the Trick or Treaters every year. I also happen to love caramel apples so when fall creeps around the corner my cocktail fancy often turns to this childhood favorite.
Ages ago I created a Caramel Apple Martini, long before there were caramel, apple or salted caramel vodkas on the market. When I discovered I had tucked a bottle of Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka on my bar shelf and forgotten about it, I decided maybe I'd try a new recipe.
The new recipe turned out great. It's absolutely perfect for a dessert drink!

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS 2 Oz. Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka 1 Oz. Irish Cream Liqueur 3 Oz. Apple Juice or Cider 1/4 Tsp. of Sea Salt Ice
Garnish: Rim glass: 2 Tbsp. Demerara sugar mixed with 1/2 Tsp. Sea Salt, Dried Apple Slice
Tools: Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Rocks or Cocktail
DIRECTIONS Rim then chill glass in the freezer. Add ingredients to the cocktail shaker and shake until chilled.  Strain into the chilled glass, garnish and serve.
If you love this cocktail you might also enjoy making my HOMEMADE CARAMEL APPLE VODKA
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CRANBERRY MARGARITA

My friend Dave (@DaveThePlatypus) pointed out that I had no Cranberry Margarita in my Cranberry Cocktail line up. He was right, somehow I had totally neglected to post up a cranberry margarita.
Seriously, where has my mind been every holiday season??
I correct that omission right now.
CRANBERRY MARGARITA
INGREDIENTS 2 Oz. Blue Agave Tequila Blanco 1/2 Oz. Cointreau 2 Oz. Cranberry Juice 3/4 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice Cup of Ice
Garnish: Sugar and Wild Hibiscus Salt Rim, Lime Wedge. Optional - Few Fresh Cranberries
Tools: Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Cocktail or Margarita
DIRECTIONS Mix 2 Tablespoons of sugar with 1 Teaspoon of Wild Hibiscus Salt Flakes. Rub glass rim with lime then dip in the sugar and salt mixture. Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker then shake until chilled. Strain into an ice filled glass, garnish and serve.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

MULLED APPLE CIDER Cocktails & Punch

A perfect drink for sipping in front of the Christmas Yule log in your fireplace, this Mulled Cider is a heated holiday version of my classic Apple Martini with the addition of the traditional fruits and spices of mulled cider.

It's a modern version of very old, traditional Wassail*, a beverage of hot mulled cider which evolved from a drink called 'lambswool' where roasted crab apples were dropped into warmed mead. Wassail, a spiced cider or wine, was traditionally drunk as an integral part of wassailing, a Medieval English drinking ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest for the following year.
Wassail! Wassail! All over the town, Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown; Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree; With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink unto thee.
This spiced apple cider classic is one of my most popular holiday cocktails, very nostalgic and comforting on cold nights and ideal for holiday entertaining.

MULLED APPLE CIDER (Serves 4)
INGREDIENTS 4 Oz. Dark Rum 2 Oz. Apple Pucker 8 Oz. Apple Cider 1 Tea Bag of Martinelli's Mulling Spices 1/2 Tsp. McCormick Orange Peel 1/2 Tsp. McCormick Lemon Peel
GARNISH PER DRINK: 1 Dried Apple Slice, 1 Dried Orange Slice, 1Cinnamon Stick
TOOLS: Saucepan, Ladle
GLASS: Tea Cups or Mugs
DIRECTIONS Add the apple cider, mulling spice tea bag, lemon peel and orange peel to your saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow to cool while the flavors infuse through the cider. At serving time add the rum and the Apple Pucker, bring the spiced cider back to a simmer. Ladle into your serving vessels, garnish and enjoy.
You can also multiply the recipe and use a crock pot for larger gatherings. Place the cider, spice bags, lemon and orange peel in the crock pot and heat on low for 4 hours. Add the spirits just before serving.
Yes, you can leave out the booze for a non-alcoholic version.
"Old Apple tree, old apple tree; We've come to wassail thee; To bear and to bow apples enow; Hats full, caps full, three bushel bags full; Barn floors full and a little heap under the stairs."
* Old Norse "ves heil", Old English "was hál", which translates to "be you healthy"
      
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CHOCOLATE BUTTERBEER Cocktail Recipe

Served cold in bottles or hot in foaming tankards, Butterbeer is a Wizarding World tipple made famous in the Harry Potter books and movies. The whole idea of butter beer fascinated me whenever mentioned, I would think, "I wonder what that would taste like?"

Well, according to J. K. Rowling herself, "I made it up. I imagine it to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch."
Okey-dokey, slightly sweet, probably should be carbonated, needs a buttery touch. I needed more to go on so I did a little research and discovered there actually was something called "Buttered Beer" back in Tudor times. There is a recipe in The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin' (1588) made from beer, sugar, eggs, nutmeg, cloves and butter. Heston Blumenthal used a recipe from The Accomplisht Cook by Robert May (1664), which has a buttered beer with licorice root and aniseeds when he had his Tudor Feast. However, these don't sound much like the Butterbeer of Harry Potter's World to me, these sound like hot beer flips.

Supposedly Butterbeer, which is low in alcohol content, makes house elves drunk but humans have to drink a lot to get inebriated. Well, boo to that. A glass or two of Butterbeer that doesn't get Harry, Ron or Hermione tipsy might be okay for underage students at Hogwarts, but we Muggle adults need a little ABV to get through our magic deprived world ... especially these days.

There are a few boozy concoctions out there for "Butterbeer" that make use of rum and butterscotch syrup or liqueurs. These are basically uninspired recreations of Hot Buttered Rum which is a made from rum, butter, hot water or cider, some sweetener, and spices. Seriously? That doesn't sound at all like J.K. Rowling's idea of Butterbeer. Where's the BEER?? May they be consigned to Slytherin House by the Sorting Hat for those abominations.
We must all face choice between what is right and what is easy. ~ Albus Dumbledore Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I had to take matters into hand and give us all a viable Butterbeer option before Valdemort joined the fray and added even more nasty potions to the mix. So I grabbed my cocktail wand and cast a little chocolate spell and added some real spirits to the recipe.
Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress. Adventure. ~ Albus Dumbledore Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter's Great Goblet of CHOCOLATE BUTTERBEER
INGREDIENTS 10 Oz.  Rogue Chocolate Stout, Icy Cold  1 Oz. Jefferson's Bourbon,  Chilled 2 - 4 Tbsp. Butterbeer Simple Syrup (Recipe below* The amount of syrup you use depends on whether you prefer to enjoy the bitterness of the stout or like a sweeter cocktail. Start with 2 tablespoons and add to taste.) Dash of Sea Salt Ice
Topping: Chocolate Bourbon Whipped Cream (Recipe below**)
Garnish: "Spell Glitter" (Wilton Edible Glitter, Gold Stars), Magic Wand Stir Stick
Tools: Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Large Goblet, Tankard or Beer Mug, Chilled
DIRECTIONS Fill the cocktail shaker with ice the add the bourbon and Butterbeer Simple Syrup. Shake until chilled then strain into your chilled mug or goblet. Add the chocolate stout, top with the Chocolate Bourbon Whipped Cream, garnish and serve.
Prefer a less potent version for those fledgling wizards in your house? Here's a magical but non-alcoholic version:
Harry Potter's Great Goblet of CHOCOLATE (Egg Cream) BUTTERBEER (This one's for you "Little Pea"!)
INGREDIENTS 10 Oz. Cream Soda, Icy Cold  2 Tbsp. Torani Chocolate Syrup 1 Tbsp. Torani Butterscotch Syrup 1/3 Cup Whole Milk 2 Dashes Sea Salt Ice
Topping: Whipped Cream
Garnish the same as the adult Butterbeer but use a different magic wand stir stick.
DIRECTIONS Pour the milk into an ice filled goblet. Slowly add the syrup, then gently add the cream soda. Using a long spoon, stir well, garnish and serve.
I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. Phrase to work Maurauders Map Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
BUTTERBEER SIMPLE SYRUP In a small sauce pan, mix together 1 tablespoon of turbinado sugar with 1 teaspoon of dark cocoa powder and 1/3 cup of chocolate stout. Mix in 2 tablespoons of Torani Butterscotch Syrup and a pinch of sea salt. Warm over medium heat until blended. Lower heat and reduce, stirring constantly, until the syrup coats the back of a spoon. (About 5 minutes.) Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. This will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator and is great on ice cream and pancakes!
CHOCOLATE BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM 1 C. Heavy Cream 1/2 Tsp. Sugar 1/4 Tsp. Vanilla Extract 1/2 Tbsp. White Creme de Cacao  1/2 Tbsp. Bourbon
Tools: Hand Mixer, Mixing Bowl Chill all the ingredients, bowl and tools. Beat to soft peaks. Will keep for up to 2 days refrigerated.
Why don't we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, it's a bit cold, isn't it? ~ Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
October 31,lst is the end of the First Wizarding War (October 31, 1981) and the first defeat of Voldemort and his Death Eaters by an infant Harry and the original Order of the Phoenix. May 2nd is the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts (May 2, 1998) where Voldemort was finally defeated by Harry, ending the Second Wizarding War. July 31st is the birthday of Harry Potter and his creator, J.K. Rowling.

  
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

VETERAN'S DAY COCKTAILS

For all our troops, past and present, Thank you for your service and sacrifice while defending our freedoms and way of life.
The Mottoes of the branches of the United States Military: United States Army: "This We'll Defend" United States Coast Guard: "Semper Paratus" United States Navy: "Honor, Courage, Commitment." United States Marine Corps: "Semper Fidelis" United States Air Force:"Aim High...Fly, Fight, Win"

VETERANS DAY COCKTAILS
ARMY NAVY COCKTAIL AVIATION JUNGLE JUICE NAVY GROG RED, WHITE & B'LURE MARTINI STAR SPANGLED COCKTAIL TRIPLE RUM PUNCH U. S. MARINE CORPS MARTINI
Did you know that Happy Hour has its roots in military history?
There is actually something called the Coast Guard Cocktail, however this is not a drink but a nickname for sea sickness.
ABOUT VETERANS DAY
According to The U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs: "World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”"
This is why we celebrate Veteran's Day every November 11th. Originally known as Armistice Day, November 11th was officially made a holiday on May 13, 1938, dedicated to world peace and to honor the soldiers of World War I. However, in 1954, after the sacrifice of troops during WWII and Korea, Congress changed "Armistice" to "Veterans" and November 11th became a day to honor American Veterans of all wars.
If there is some confusion as to what day Veteran's Day is celebrated make no mistake, according to the Department of Veteran's Affairs it is always November 11th: "The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.
The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.
Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good."
*It is interesting to note that our allies, Canada and Australia, also observe November 11th as a Remembrance Day for their troops.

As to why the poppy is associated with Veteran's Day, this poem by John McCrae should tell the story:
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders Fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders Fields. ~ John McCrae 1915

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The U. S. MARINE CORPS MARTINI

At the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia there sits an exact replica of the original Tun Tavern, the birthplace of the United States Marine Corps. In this present day Tun Tavern they have served the U.S. Marine Corps Martini for over 50 years. This cocktail is sometimes also referred to as a 5:4:3:2:1 Martini because of the ingredient ratios.
On this day, the birthday of the United States Marine Corps, it seems appropriate to serve this cocktail honor of those who served and those who continue to serve our country as proud Marines.
Semper Fi and Cheers!
The U. S. MARINE CORPS Martini
INGREDIENTS 5 parts Vodka 4 parts Gin 3 Ice Cubes 2 parts Pale Dry Sherry 1 part Water
DIRECTIONS Place all the ingredients in a mixing glass and freeze several hours. The water and ice cubes allow for some dilution and should create a slight freezing of the ingredients. Do not shake or stir. Strain into chilled martini glass and serve. No garnish is served with this cocktail.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

IDEAL COCKTAILS for DAY OF THE DEAD, DIOS DE LOS MUERTOS!

October 31st is the official start of an annual three day, Mexican holiday Diá de los Muertos aka Day of the Dead.
It's my favorite time of the year, first Halloween and Diá de los Muertos. I have a thing for both holidays as knell as the skeletons, skulls and cocktails that go with them. In fact, I've done quite a few skeleton and skull themed drinks in my tenure as The Martini Diva. I just love a cocktail with good bones. Make no bones about it, these are the best cocktails for the Halloween, Day of the Dead Season.
Pardon the bone puns. I'll stop now.

DAY OF THE DEAD COCKTAILS for DIÁ DE LOS MUERTOS BLOODY BOILERMAKER CORPSE REVIVER LIVES AGAIN DEM BONES, DEM BONES SHAKE DRUNK SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET GRAPEFUL DEAD MOJITO GRINNING SKULL NAKED SKULL MARTINI RATTLED SKULL COCKTAIL SKELETON'S DELIGHT MARTINI SPARKLING SKELETON SANGRIA ZOMBE ANEURYSM SKULL SLUSHY

Updated November 2017

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

FrankenStein of Horror Cherry Cola Ale & Rum Halloween Cocktail

It's Halloween! Let's party like monsters!!

I found two adorable Frankenstein tapas plates and just had to do one more Halloween themed cocktail to use them as props. Being the lover of bad puns that I am, I also had to do a drink that played on the "stein" in Frankenstein. That meant some kind of beer and I just recently reviewed Best Damn Cherry Cola Ale and had a bottle left. A little help from some black rum, a bit of chocolate and monstrous mixings were afoot. Think Dr. Victor stirring up a reanimated Rum and Coke instead of a man.
Sad, cobbled together monster that he is, Frankenstein could probably use a good drink.

"Look! It's moving. It's sha — it's... it's alive. It's alive... It's alive, it's moving, it's alive! It's alive, it's alive, it's alive! It's ALIVE!" Frankenstein, 1931, Universal Pictures

FrankenStein of Horror Halloween Cocktail A Flagon Full of Frightful Fun
INGREDIENTS 1-1/2 Oz. Captain Morgan's Black Spiced Rum 1 Oz. Dark Crème de Cacao 6 Oz. Best Damn Cherry Cola Ale
Garnish: Gummy Candy Hand, Halloween Straws
Glass: Beer Mug
DIRECTIONS Add the rum and crème de cacao to the cocktail shaker and shake these ingredients until chilled. Pour into an ice filled stein and top off with the cherry cola ale. Garnish with something fun and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

"You have created a Monster and he will destroy you." Frankenstein, 1931, Universal Pictures

Updated 10-2021 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY