BANANAS FOSTER BOOZY SHAKE COCKTAIL

Some years ago, after my first visit to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, I was inspired by Brennan's Restaurant to create a cocktail inspired by their famous dessert, Bananas Foster. I was firmly in the throes of taking my cocktail inspiration from favorite foods so throwing Bananas Foster into a cocktail shaker as a drinkable version sounded good to me.
My Bananas Foster Martini was a pretty good result for someone as new to mixology as I was in those days, especially considering I had yet to stumble on the likes of David Wondrich, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Robert Hess and other noted cocktail gurus. In those days I was flying by the seat of my pants and relying heavily on my culinary training when the cocktail cravings hit. It wasn't a bad place to start, but a good decade later of studying the above mentioned fellows (and a few hundred dollars invested in their books), I often see how a drink recipe can be improved or updated and will have a go at a remake.
Though it tasted great in that Bananas Foster Martini, I still don't know why I added Creme de Cacao to it, the authentic Bananas Foster recipe doesn't make use of any chocolate. That's why, this time, neither do I. And, since boozy shakes are very trendy, I went decadent with a nice, Jamaican rum based Bananas Foster Milkshake.

The BANANAS FOSTER Boozy Shake
INGREDIENTS 2 Oz. Appleton Estate 12 Year Rum 1 Tsp Goldschlagger 1 Oz. Banana Liqueur 2 Scoops Vanilla Ice Cream 1 Cup Caramelized Bananas (See below* for how to caramelize bananas.)
Garnish: Whipped Cream, Slice of Caramelized Banana, Dusting of Cinnamon.
Tools: Blender
Glass:  BIG!
DIRECTIONS Add ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into your glass, garnish, add a couple of straws and serve.
If you are going to have more than two of these, put some money aside to buy some fat pants.
* To caramelize the bananas simply follow the step for preparing the caramelized bananas in this recipe for Bananas Foster from Brennan's.
National Banana day is April 19th, and National Banana Lovers Day is August 27th and Mardi Gras 2017 is February 28th.
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CILANTRO MARGARITA

I love cilantro and almost always have it in the house.  I usually grow my own but this last year I have not been able to keep it growing, so I've been buying it. This means I have to use it up within a few days. I had a bunch that needed to be used so decided to do this cilantro and tequila chicken recipe, though I make a cilantro salsa topping for mine.
Of course, I needed a cocktail to enjoy with the dinner so I thought I'd try a Cilantro Margarita. I love having my Cilantro Martini and a margarita was just a hop, skip and tequila shot away from that. It had to be pretty good too, right?
Yup, right!

The CILANTRO MARGARITA
INGREDIENTS 2 Oz. Tequila Blanco 2 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice 1 Oz. Simple Syrup 1/3 Cup Cilantro Leaves Ice
Garnish: Fresh Cilantro Sprig
Tools: Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Margarita (or something fun, here I used a decorative flower pot, one with our a drain hole in the bottom, of course.)
DIRECTIONS Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake until chilled. Strain into the ice-filled glass. Garnish and serve.
If you want a more powerful cilantro flavor, gently muddle the cilantro, lime juice and simple syrup before adding and shaking with the ice and tequila.
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The DOOMSDAY OLD FASHIONED Cocktail

The Doomsday Clock was updated today. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a group started by the physicists who built the atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project, kept the clock positioned at two minutes before midnight. Just like last year, that is the closest the clock has been to midnight since 1953, when the United States and Soviet Union were in the early days of above-ground hydrogen bomb testing.

You can view the announcement here.

That's right folks, we are officially Nobel Laureate level screwed.

That calls for a cocktail, maybe LOTS of cocktails. Feel free to batch the recipe if needs be.

The

DOOMSDAY

OLD FASHIONED

INGREDIENTS

2-1/2 Oz. Rye Whiskey

1 Tsp. Cocoa Nib Simple Syrup*

3 Dashes Angostura Orange Bitters

4 Coffee Ice Cubes

Ice

Garnish: Bordeaux Cherry

Tools: Mixing Pitcher/Glass, Bar Spoon

Glass: Old Fashioned /Rocks

DIRECTIONS

Chill glass. Stir the whiskey, syrup and bitters with ice until chilled. Add the coffee ice cubes to your chilled glass, strain cocktail over the coffee ice cubes then garnish and serve.

Why coffee ice cubes? So you'll be good and alert - but still have a buzz on - for the end of the world. Wouldn't want to miss that, would we?

* CACAO NIB SIMPLE SYRUP

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Cacao Nibs

1 Cup Demerrara Sugar

1/2 Cup Water

Directions

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let simmer on low until the syrup has reduced to half. Remove from heat, allow to cool then strain the syrup through a fine sieve. Discard the solids.

CHEERS ... at least for another 2 minutes.

MORE OLD FASHIONED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Updated 1-24-2019

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The PINK SQUIRREL Cocktail

On the website for Bryant's Lounge in Milwaukee, it states the Pink Squirrel was created by Bryant Sharp in 1941. According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, the Pink Squirrel was created as a promotional gimmick:

"In the early ’50s, one liquor company hired a sexy female to walk into bars with a pink squirrel attached to a leash. The foxy lady was promoting the “Pink Squirrel” cocktail, a viscous concoction made with pink almond liqueur and creme de cacao."
Wherever it came from it's pretty much considered a classic "girly" drink because of its pink color and sweetness. At Bryant's it was originally made with equal parts Crème de Noyaux, (an "almond flavored" liqueur made from apricot pits), crème de cacao and ice cream, though later the crème de cacao was omitted. Supposedly, this is the way Bryant's still serves their Pink Squirrels.
Decent Crème de Noyaux is difficult to find so I grabbed my Amaretto, approached from a different, healthier, angle and went down a boozy almond, chocolate, yogurt and strawberry smoothie road. Yes, I added the crème de cacao back in because - hey - chocolate, BUT it's still a nice, girly pink boozy shake of a drink.
The PINK SQUIRREL Cocktail
INGREDIENTS 1 Oz Amaretto 1 Oz Crème de Cacao 1 Oz Organic Vanilla Yogurt 3 Strawberries 1/2 Cup Ice
Tools: Blender
Glass: Martini or Coupe
DIRECTIONS Blend with ice, strain into a cocktail glass and serve. To make my Pink Squirrel smoother in texture I blended it, froze it, then blended again. Despite being male, my cocktail wingman, Bailey, loved it.

The Pink Squirrel is a perfect cocktail for National Squirrel Appreciation Day on January 21st.

Updated 1-2019

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Hot Buttered POPCORN SHOOTER COCKTAIL with Caramel Popcorn Garnish

I'm always up for trying something new and unusual and, since it happens to be National Popcorn Day, I got this harebrained scheme to try and make a popcorn cocktail. Since I needed it for today a popcorn infused spirit was not possible so I decided to start with a popcorn infused syrup.
Out came the white Orville Redenbacher and my favorite popcorn pot and the experiment began. The first step is to make the popcorn infused simple syrup.
POPCORN SYRUP
INGREDIENTS 2 Cups sugar 4 Cups Water 6 Cups Popped, Buttered & Salted Popcorn
DIRECTIONS Bring the ingredients in a medium saucepan on high to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir and smash down the popcorn kernels to release more flavor. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Shut off the heat and allow the syrup to infuse and cool for an hour. Pour through a fine metal strainer to remove the popcorn. Makes about 6 - 8 ounces of syrup. (This will keep for about a week in the refrigerator.)
I was blown away by how much it tasted like the popcorn, or to be more accurate, because of the sugar, it tasted like kettle corn. It was delicate and absolutely delicious and reminded me of my favorite Hot Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly. That delicate quality was the issue, I didn't want it masked by any flavor from the spirit so I decided to go with a good quality vodka and turned it into a simple popcorn shooter.
Because I buttered my popcorn, you also get a nice buttery texture in the syrup and I decided that a little of that caramel flavor from kettle corn would be a nice way to garnish.
Oh, I did I say it's served warm?
HOT BUTTERED POPCORN SHOOTER
INGREDIENTS 1 Oz. Vodka 1-1/2 Oz. Popcorn Syrup
Garnish: Caramel Syrup Rim Dipped in Crushed Popcorn
Glass: 2 Oz. Shooter
DIRECTIONS Garnish the glass and set aside. Dry shake the ingredients - no ice - in a cocktail shaker to emulsify the buttered syrup with the vodka. Put this into a microwavable cup and nuke for about 10 to 15 seconds, just enough to bring it to body temperature or so. You want it warm, not hot. Pour into the shot glass and serve.
By the way, the leftover syrup is FABULOUS on ice cream!

Updated 12-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Mango Pineapple RUBBER DUCKY Cocktail Slushy

Had to do it. January 13th is National Rubber Ducky Day and I just happened to have some rubber duckies laying around.
This cocktail is perfect for a pool party or just because it's fun. Leave out the booze and it's a perfectly fine mango pineapple smoothie, just not as much fun.
The Mango Pineapple RUBBER DUCKY Cocktail Slushy
INGREDIENTS 2 Oz. Dark Rum 6 Oz Bolthouse Farms Mango Pineapple Colada (Juice) 1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar 1 Cup Ice
Garnish: Mini Rubber Ducky, 3 Dashes Orange Bitters
Tools: Blender
Glass: Rocks
DIRECTIONS Blend ingredients together until smooth, pour into an ice filled rocks glass, tap on 3 dashes of orange bitters then float the Rubber Ducky on top and serve with a straw.

Updated 1-2019

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CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY COCKTAIL

I have a fondness for all things chocolate and all things cherry, so it's not surprising I have a fondness for this chocolate covered cherry cocktail.

The Three Olives Cherry Vodka is really important in this recipe, it's the best cherry vodka I've found. I use Hiram Walker's Creme de Cacao but there are other brands available. Don't skip the Woodford Reserve Chocolate Bitters, they add extra depth of flavor and balance the sweetness.

The

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY

COCKTAIL

(Chocolate Covered Cherries Recipe Below)

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 Oz. Three Olives Cherry Vodka

1 Oz. Creme de Cacao

1 Oz. Half & Half

2 Dashes Woodford Reserve Chocolate Bitters

1 Cup of Ice

Garnish: Fresh Chocolate Covered Cherry (Recipe below.)

Tools: Cocktail shaker

Glass: Cocktail  (Martini or Coupe)

DIRECTIONS

Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish and serve.

HOW TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES:

Melt your semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler or you can use a regular sauce pan with about 1-1/2 inches of water and place a stainless steel bowl over that as a make-shift double boiler.

Wash and dry your fresh cherries, leave the stems on.

When the chocolate is completely melted and nice and creamy, grab your cherries by the stems and dip up to where the stem starts.

Gently move the cherry to a flat surface covered in wax paper or parchment paper.

Cool the cherries in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Want to really amp up the garnish? Soak your fresh cherries in some cherry brandy, cherry vodka or bourbon overnight before dipping them in the chocolate.

Be sure to warn your guests there is a pit in that cherry. Or you can take the extra time to remove the pit from the bottom of the cherry. That part will be completely covered in chocolate anyway.

I also created a classic non-creamy center version:

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY MARTINI

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