CHERRY COLA MARTINI - Nostalgia in a cocktail glass!

 Once upon a time, back in the "olden days" of my youth there used to be soda fountains in nearly every neighborhood.  It might have been in the local dime or drug store or in an ice cream parlor, but somewhere within walking distance to most of us there was a place we could stop in and order a Cherry (or vanilla, lemon, chocolate, etc.) "coke".

I'm not talking about some pre-mixed drek in a can here, I'm talking a real flavored soda where the cola syrup mixed with soda water right in front of you as it poured into your glass.  You could ask for flavored colas and they would squirt in some flavored syrup before filling your glass with the soda.

This was in the days before "Coke" when it was still the original "Coca-Cola" and you got some seriously great cola flavor with your fizz!  Maybe in your region you had Pepsi or RC Cola, but you were getting that great, deep cola syrup and you could ask for more or less syrup depending on your preferences!

My favorite of all the flavored colas was cherry.  I have expressed before how much I love cherries and cherry flavored anything and my fountain drink was no exception.  No lemon, vanilla or chocolate for me - give me CHERRY COLA!

I've never liked the pre-mixed cherry flavored colas.  They just aren't the same. I've tried mixing a good cherry syrup into cola but it didn't cut it.  I was bereft of that real cherry cola experience until I got a bottle of Diplomatico Reserva Rum and thought to pour some into my canned cola.  Surprise, surprise! Not only did it taste pretty darn close to those flavored fountain colas of my youth, it had booze in it.

Don't be fooled by the simplicity of this cocktail - this has got the real nostalgia goods!  It's a retro repast for Happy Hour!

The
CHERRY COLA
MARTINI

3 Oz. Coke (or Pepsi or RC or whatever your favorite cola)
1 Oz. Diplomatico Reserva Rum
5  Drunken Cherries
(Rum soaked Maraschino Cherries)*
1/4 Oz. Maraschino Cherry Juice

Into a chilled martini glass pour the Maraschino cherry juice, add the rum, pour in the cola, stir gently then garnish with your Drunken Cherries and enjoy.

* Use my recipe for Homemade Maraschino Cherries but use rum instead of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur or Bourbon.

Updated 11-2017

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PROJECT RUNWAY MARTINI - Make It Work!

Another season of fashion hi-jinks, sewing mishaps and back stabbing behavior is on.

You're going to need a cocktail.

Recipe for The PROJECT RUNWAY

MAKE IT WORK MARTINI

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Updated 10-2016

CELEBRATE INAUGURATION DAY - EAT YOUR COCKTAIL!

HAPPY INAUGURATION DAY, MR. PRESIDENT!

The President of the United States officially begins a new term at noon on January 20th.  President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden took their Oaths of Office at noon, Eastern Standard Time.

This calls for a COCKTAIL! And what better than a Rec, White & Blue Cocktail? One you can EAT??

No matter what your party affiliations are, who you voted for or what you think of the State of the Union and Politicos in today's world, we should always celebrate that we have the Right To Vote and choose our leaders!!!

So, wave your flags and rattle your cocktail shakers for

The HOORAY FOR THE RED, WHITE & BLUE COCKTAIL GEL!

CONGRATULATIONS, MR. PRESIDENT & MR. VICE PRESIDENT!

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CHOCOLATE CHERRY CORDIAL MARTINI RECIPE

Updated November 2015

Love these creamy, gooey chocolate cherry cordial candies?

Yeah, me too and I figured out how to get that experience into a martini glass. Aren't I clever? Now you can enjoy this old time classic candy in an adult way as a cocktail.

The
CHOCOLATE CHERRY CORDIAL
MARTINI

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 Oz. Three Olives Cherry Vodka
1-1/2 Oz. Three Olives Chocolate Vodka
1-1/2 Oz. Half & Half
1 Oz. Creme de Cacao
Chocolate Cherry Cordial Candies
Homemade Grenadine

TOOLS: Cocktail shaker.

GLASS: Cocktail (martini).

DIRECTIONS:
Chill your cocktail glass in the freezer while you mix your drink.
Add the vodkas, creme de cacao and half & half to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until well chilled.
Drizzle a bit of the homemade Grenadine over the top of the cocktail
Slide the chocolate cherry cordial candy on the rim and serve.

Happy Chocolate Cherry Cheers, M'Dears!

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HOT BUTTERED RUM

There's nothing quite as warming on a cold day as a mug of Traditional Hot Buttered Rum. Here's both the traditional style and a few tweaks that are my own personal favorites when I need to take the chill off.

TRADITIONAL 
HOT BUTTERED

RUM RECIPE

Ingredients

1 Tsp. Unsalted Butter

2 Tsp. Brown Sugar

 1/8 Tsp. Each of Allspice, Clove and Nutmeg

2 Oz. Dark Rum

4 Oz. Hot Water

Directions

Add the butter, the brown sugar and the spices to your mug then muddle them into a paste.

Pour in the rum, top off with the hot water, dust with extra spices, add a cinnamon stick, stir and serve.

VOICEOVER VIDEO with Ingredients & Directions

HOW DO I TWEAK THIS?

I replace the hot water with hot cider, add a pinch of sea salt and garnish with a dusting of cinnamon. I've also tried hot pear cider, plum juice and even a mixture of citrus in place of the hot water.

If you're serving this for a party, you can take this same recipe, multiply the ingredients by the number of people you want to serve (I double the number because most people will have two) and put this all in a crock pot to keep warm for your cold weather happy hour.

I also often prepare the Hot Buttered Rum batter ahead of time because that way it's faster to make additional drinks later. To do this I simply multiply the butter, spices and brown sugar times twice the number of drinks I'm planning on serving. Why twice? Because it lasts several weeks if refrigerated AND this Hot Buttered Rum batter is great on toasted pound cake slices to serve with the drink! It's also perfect on pancakes and waffles.

Now, grab your rum, butter and spices and go warm up your soul.

National Hot Buttered Rum Day is January 17th.

Updated 1-2023

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My Happy New Year Bloody Martini - What's in your glass?

Yes! That IS bacon as a garnish in my 2013 Bloody Martini - along with a whole cocktail pick full of garlic stuffed green olives!!! You can't start a New Year without some Bloodies, some Pig & a nice nibble of flavorful olives can you???

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

May 2013 bring you all that you wish and more!

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The Twelve Days of BOOZEMAS! Holiday Cocktail Humor for a HoHoHappyHour!

 On the first day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the second day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the third day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Three French Wines,
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the fourth day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Four Whiskey Sours,
Three French Wines,
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the fifth day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Five Gold Shakers!
Four Whiskey Sours,
Three French Wines,
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the sixth day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Six Margaritas,
Five Gold Shakers!
Four Whiskey Sours,
Three French Wines,
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the seventh day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Seven Fruity Cordials,
Six Margaritas,
Five Gold Shakers!
Four Whiskey Sours,
Three French Wines,
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the eighth day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Eight Fifths of Vodka,
Seven Fruity Cordials,
Six Margaritas,
Five Gold Shakers!
Four Whiskey Sours,
Three French Wines,
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the ninth day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Nine Napoleon Brandys,
Eight Fifths of Vodka,
Seven Fruity Cordials,
Six Margaritas,
Five Gold Shakers!
Four Whiskey Sours,
Three French Wines,
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the tenth day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Ten Gins a Chilling,
Nine Napoleon Brandys,
Eight Fifths of Vodka,
Seven Fruity Cordials,
Six Margaritas,
Five Gold Shakers!
Four Whiskey Sours,
Three French Wines,
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the eleventh day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Eleven Cognacs Warming,
Ten Gins a Chilling,
Nine Napoleon Brandys,
Eight Fifths of Vodka,
Seven Fruity Cordials,
Six Margaritas,
Five Gold Shakers!
Four Whiskey Sours,
Three French Wines,
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the twelfth day of BoozeMas my true love gave to me
Twelve Champagnes Bubbling,
Eleven Cognacs Warming,
Ten Gins a Chilling,
Nine Napoleon Brandys,
Eight Fifths of Vodka,
Seven Fruity Cordials,
Six Margaritas,
Five Gold Shakers!
Four Whiskey Sours,
Three French Wines,
Two Shots of Rum,
and an Olive in a Dry Martini.

On the thirteenth day of BoozeMas....
he was out of money and I was so drunk I didn't wake up until New Years.....

HAVE A SAFE, JOYFUL & HAPPY HOLIDAY

from The Martini Diva!

Updated 12-2025

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