The VODKA MARTINEZ. That's right, Vodka.

A friend came to visit last night and, as always, brought a bottle of booze along. (Good friends who come to drink are the ones who bring booze with them.) I told him I would make him a Martinez since he had never tried one, but he brought vodka instead of the Old Tom style gin I'd asked for, killing off the idea of the classic Martinez. At least until I thought about it for a second and said, why not?   Why not try the gin based Martinez with vodka? Vodka is sort of gin without botanicals in it, the sweet vermouth has a goodly amount botanicals on it's own. I figured it was worth a try so I did. To balance out for the sweeter, botanical forward qualities of Old Tom gin I added a bit more of the sweet vermouth and an extra layer of bitters. I liked it, he loved it, but he's not a gin lover so he doesn't count. Also he didn't bring me gin so he still has nothing to compare it to. I still prefer the gin Martinez, but I can't deny the vodka was decent replacement and it made a great aperitivo before the pork tenderloin roulade dinner I'd made.   I couldn't truly call it a Martinez, but then maybe all I needed to do was add Vodka in front. After all the Vodka Martini has made a name for itself, maybe it was time for the (so-called) father of the Martini to get a vodka version of its own.  

  The VODKA Martinez   INGREDIENTS 1 Oz. Vodka, Chilled 1 Oz Sweet Vermouth, Chilled 1 Barspoon Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur 4 Dashes of Orange Bitters   Garnish: Luxardo Maraschino Cherry, Orange Twist   Tools: Mixing Glass, Bar Spoon   Glass: Cocktail (Martini)   DIRECTIONS Stir ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice until very cold, pour into a chilled glass, garnish and serve.   PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY  

Rowdy ROY ROGERS COCKTAIL with an Adult Twist

Yesterday was my birthday and I wanted a fun drink to go with the new wine glass my friend Melodieann sent me for my birthday, but I wanted a cocktail instead of wine.   Something, probably the bright colors and playful designs on the glass, brought to mind a children's drink, the Roy Rogers. This classic non-alcoholic kid "cocktail" was a parental dining out appeasement for the kiddies made with cola mixed with Maraschino cherry syrup (or Grenadine) and garnished with that neon cherry the tykes loved for its bright red color and high sugar content. It was the boy's version of a Shirley Temple and, as a tomboy youngster who loved all the cowboy serials on TV, my preferred virgin cocktail choice.   I figured why not try to recapture a bit of childhood at my advanced age? A birthday in the 60s deserves a little injection of youthful high spirits and joy. I could definitely use it and the wine glass was certainly large enough to accommodate a tall drink. The only difference between my new birthday glass and a typical Roy Rogers glass was a stem and, hey, I'm old enough at this point for the fancy glass, right?  

  However, because I'm not a kid anymore and I needed a tad more than just a sugar rush from the soda, I decided it needed a little bourbon, an adult upgrade of the maraschino cherry syrup and a few of drops of bitters to balance out the sweetness of the cola.   Worked out perfectly. I almost feel like a kid again. Happy Birthday to me. Yippee-Ki-Yay.  

  The ROWDY ROY ROGERS Cocktail   INGREDIENTS 2 Oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon 1/2 Oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur 2 Dashes Cherry Bitters 1 Dash Angostura bitters 4 Oz. Cola   Garnish: Luxardo Maraschino Cherry   DIRECTIONS Chill glass. Add the bourbon, Maraschino liqueur and the bitters to a chilled glass filled with ice then stir. Too off with cola, garnish and serve. Happy Trails, Buckaroos!  

  PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY  

ENGLISH TOFFEE MARTINI

English Toffee is a hard, crunchy candy typically made with sugar, butter and cream then topped with chocolate and chopped almonds. Little interesting tidbit: In the U.S. the candy is usually made with cane sugar while in the British Isles it's made with brown sugar or molasses.

These ingredients sounded like a pretty good cocktail to me so out came my cocktail shaker.

TheENGLISH TOFFEEMARTINI INGREDIENTS1 Oz. Caramel Vodka1 Oz. Chocolate Liqueur1/2 Oz. Amaretto1 Oz. Half & Half Garnish: Chocolate Syrup rim dipped in Crushed AlmondsCaramel Syrup Drizzle inside glass bowl. Glass: Cocktail (Martini) or Coupe DIRECTIONSDip the rim of the glass in chocolate syrup then dip in crushed almonds.Chill the glass in the freezer for 15 minutes then remove and drizzle in caramel syrup and place back in the freezer. This will set the drizzle in place as well as chill the glass.Fill the cocktail shaker with ice, add the ingredients and shake until chilled.Strain into the chilled glass and serve.
Yes, it does taste just like liquid Almond Roca.
VOICEOVER VIDEO with Ingredients & Directions:

Do your eyes spy chocolate drizzle in my version as well as the caramel? Yeah. I don't believe in "too much chocolate".

  National English Toffee Day is January 8th.   Updated 1-2022  PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY