WHISKEY COCKTAILS

“Happiness is having a rare steak, a bottle of whisky, and a dog to eat the rare steak.” ~ Johnny Carson
   WHAT IS WHISKEY?            An alcoholic liquor distilled from a fermented mash of grains, such as barley, rye, or corn and usually containing from 43 to 50 percent alcohol. There are four basic whiskey types; Bourbon, Scotch, Rye and Irish. Real Men Drink Whiskey has a great article on the differences between these whiskey types.
The word itself derives from the Gaelic "uisge beatha" which translates literally to "water of life," from Old Irish uisce "water" +bethu "life." The Gaelic is probably a derivation of the Medieval Latin "aqua vitae", a generic Roman term for all types of alcoholic beverages.
Yes, there are two spellings for whiskey (whisky), one without the "e" (the Scots) and one with (everyone else).
Now that you know what it is you can enjoy some!

WHISKEY COCKTAILS
ANEURYSM COCKTAIL  BLACK EYED SUSAN COBBLER CAFE NOIR COCKTAIL CANDIED ORANGE ROSEMARY RYE COCKTAIL CHERRY PEACH WHISKEY RICKEY CHERRY PIE COCKTAIL CHOCOLATE MANHATTAN CRANBERRY A-GO-GO COCKTAIL DERBY ROYALE COCKTAIL  DOOMSDAY OLD FASHIONED GINJA NINJA SLUSHY GOBBLED KNOB GOLD NUGGET GOLD RUSH HAMMERED NAIL HARD STRAWBERRY LEMON-LIMEADE HOT BUTTERED WHISKEY HOT CHOCOLATE TODDYHOT FUDGE COCKTAIL IRISH COFFEE IRISH COFFEE MARTINI (Chilled) MANHATTAN MAPLE LEAF COCKTAIL MAPLE WHISKEY SOURMONTE CARLO
MOROCCAN ROSEPEACHES & CREAM SHOT PURGATORY PUNCH
RYE RACKETEER  ROBERT BURNS COCKTAIL
RHUBARB GINGER OLD FASHIONED The SAGZERAC SHOT O' GOLD  STRAWBERRY JAM OLD FASHIONED
VIEUX CARRÉ WHISKEY BERRY SMASH WHISKEY CHERRY COBBLER WHISKEY PEACH SMASH WHISKEY SOUR
HOMEMADE WHISKEY LIQUEURS Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur 
From my Whiskey Archives APPLE JACK MARTINI BLARNEY-TINI BLUEBERRY WHISKEY SOUR COWBOY MARTINI  CRANBERRY A-GO-GO FATHER'S DAY WHISKEY SOUR FIDDLE DEE DEE MARTINI 
HAPPY ELF
IRISH KISS MANHATTAN MARTINI PANIC BUTTON MARTINI           For you Bourbon Whiskey fans: BOURBON COCKTAILS          For you Scotch Whisky fans: SCOTCH COCKTAILS

“Give an Irishman lager for a month, and he’s a dead man. An Irishman is lined with copper, and the beer corrodes it. But whiskey polishes the copper and is the saving of him.” ~ Mark Twain
May is Whiskey Month, March 27th is International Whiskey Day. World Whiskey Day is May 21.

Updated 10-2019

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CARROT COLADA Cocktail

After doing two new carrot cocktails for Easter this year, my Carrot Cake Cocktail Part Deux and the Drunk Bunny Carrot and Dill Cocktail, I still had some carrots for juice and a new, cool glass Cane Swizzle Stick from The Swizzle Stick Shop so I just had to do it:
The CARROT COLADA (Makes 2 cocktails)
INGREDIENTS: 4 Oz Gubba Silver Rum 2 Oz Spiced Rum 2 Oz Fresh Coconut Water 6 Oz Fresh Carrot Juice 1 Oz Fresh Lemon Juice 1 Tsp Coconut Cream 1 Cup Ice
Garnish: Baby carrots, Lemon Wedge, Cocktail Umbrella, Cane Glass Swizzle Stick, Straw
Tools: Rotary Cutter with NEW small bit (for cutting out the coconut shell), Blender
Glass: Young Coconut Shell or Coconut Shaped Glass
DIRECTIONS: Clean your rotary tool bits with alcohol and dry off. Drill 2 small holes in your coconut at the starting points of where you want your opening to be. Drain the coconut juice out of the coconut. Cut out your coconut opening. Strain the coconut water through cheesecloth to remove any bits from the drilling, then chill the coconut water. Rinse the coconut out with clean water and set aside to dry. Add all the ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth. Pour into your coconut shell,  garnish and serve.
Yes, you can go out and buy a cute coconut looking tiki glass and buy coconut water. However canned coconut water does not have the great nutty, fresh flavor that you get out of a true, young coconut.
Just truth man, Mahalo and Happy Easter!
Updated 4-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

DRUNK BUNNY Carrot & Dill Cocktail

 

Yes, another carrot cocktail. But it's Easter, carrots are good for you, the Easter Bunny likes carrots, and they're pretty! And, yes, more egg whites because egg whites make a silky cocktail, create a beautiful foam and, come on, Easter eggs.
Nuff said?

The
DRUNK BUNNY Carrot & Dill
Cocktail
INGREDIENTS: 1-1/2 Oz Dill Infused Vodka
1/2 Oz Fresh Lime Juice
3 Oz Fresh Carrot Juice
2 Tablespoons Pasteurized Egg White
1 Tablespoon Honey Ridge Farms Honey Creme Blood Orange*
2 Teaspoons Warm Water
Pinch of Fleur de Sel
Pinch of White Pepper
Ice
Garnish: Shaved Baby Carrot Discs, Dill Weed, Lime Twist
Tools: Blender, Cocktail Shaker
Glass: 8 Ounce Cocktail (Martini)
DIRECTIONS
Infuse the dill into your vodka (vodka infusing instructions here) at lest 8 hours ahead of time. If possible, give your dill vodka a few days to get happy.
Add the water to the honey cream blood orange then nuke for 15 seconds to make a simple syrup. Let this cool.
Chill your glass in the freezer.
Combine the dill vodka, egg white, lime juice, salt, pepper, honey syrup and carrot juice in a blender and whip for 30 seconds to emulsify and and build foam. Transfer to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until chilled. Pour into the chilled glass, arrange the carrot discs on the top of the foam, sprinkle some dill weed on top, express the oils from the lime twist over the top, drop in the twist and serve.

* Yes, you've seen me using a lot of Honey Ridge Farm's honey cremes lately! They sent me some samples and I fell in love! For natural, healthy sweeteners in cocktails these are  -  pardon the pun - the Bees Knees! And the blood orange I used here almost never made it into any cocktail, I couldn't keep my fingers out of the honey jar and had slurped half the container away in less than two days.
Updated 4-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CARROT CAKE COCKTAIL - Part Deux

A few years ago I had some carrot juice and I decided to do a Carrot Cake Martini. I enjoyed it so much I decided it was time to take another whack at it again with some different ingredients.
Why Carrot?     First: I had a new juicer and a bunch of fresh organic carrots. Also I was sent this totally adorable glass Carrot Swizzle Stick from The Swizzle Stick Shop (along with a whole box full of others!) and had to use it.

Second: Carrots are healthy, sweet and taste good. Since Medieval times, carrots have been added to cakes to sweeten them and add moisture. Carrot cake became a popular recipe during World War II when sugar was being rationed. Also sometimes referred to as Passion Cake, carrot cake is now one of the most popular cakes, along with Red Velvet and Chocolate.
Third: Carrots are high in fiber and beta-carotene but VERY high in sugar, which is why this drink is surprisingly sweet. The dark, spicy rum brings it's unique spices and adds the vanilla essence, the touch of Scrappy's Cardamom Bitters add an additional baker's spicy touch. Topping the whole cake experience off is the spiced honey sweetened cream cheese frosting rim with crushed walnuts and the orange slice and baby carrot for garnish.
Don't Run Like A Rabbit!
Don't wrinkle your little bunny nose at carrot juice in a cocktail and go hopping off in fear ... this is so good it could probably turn Bugs Bunny into a boozer!
THE
CARROT CAKE
COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz. Spiced Dark Rum
4 Oz. Fresh Carrot Juice
1 Oz. Fresh Orange Juice
1 Egg White (or 2 Tbsp. Pasteurized)
3 Drops Scrappy's Cardamom Cocktail Bitters
1 Tablespoon + 1 Tsp Honey Ridge Farms Honey Créme Spiced
2 Tsp. Hot Water
Club Soda
Ice
Garnish: Cream Cheese,
Crushed Walnuts, Orange Wheel. Baby Carrot, Fun Carrot Swizzle Stick, Straw
Tools: Baggie, Blender, Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Pint or Highball
DIRECTIONS: Mix the teaspoon of spiced honey with the cream cheese. Put the cream cheese mixture in a small sandwich baggie, squeeze the cream cheese to the corner, clip a very small hole in the corner then pipe this on the rim. Dip into your crushed walnuts then chill the glass in the freezer.
Add the water to the remaining spiced honey in a small microwave container and nuke for about 20 seconds, set aside to cool.
Add the rum, carrot juice, orange juice and egg white to a blender and blend for 30 seconds to emulsify the ingredients and create the foam. (Or you can dry shake in your cocktail shaker.)
Fill the cocktail shaker with ice, add the cooled spiced honey creme, transfer the drink from the blender and shake until the cocktail shaker frosts over.
Strain into your glass, top off with club soda, tap the bitters on top, add a straw and swizzle stick, garnish and serve.
Yes, the spicy, sweet cream cheese and walnut rim is mostly for show, but it's really good - like a sweet cheese ball rolled in nuts - and you'll find that people will probably stick a finger in it and lick it off while they drink the cocktail.
Updated 4-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Blue Chocolate BUNNY TINI Easter Cocktail

THE

BLUE CHOCOLATE

BUNNY MARTINI

INGREDIENTS:

1 Oz. Whipped Cream Vodka

1 Oz. Chocolate Liqueur

1/2 Oz. Coffee Liqueur

2 Oz. Half & Half

Garnish: Chocolate Dipped Blue Bunny Peep,

Chocolate Magic Shell

Tools: Cocktail Shaker

Glass: Cocktail (Martini)

DIRECTIONS:

Chill the martini glass for 10 minutes then dip into

the Chocolate magic shell syrup. Immediately attach

the Chocolate Blue Bunny & return to freezer. Add a

cup of ice to a cocktail shaker, pour in the whipped cream vodka,

chocolate liqueur, coffee liqueur and half & half and shake

until well chilled.  Pour into your chilled glass, serve.

Bet you won't start with the ears on this bunny . . . . 

Updated 4-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

IRISH COFFEE MARTINI - An Irish Whiskey and Espresso Cocktail

    What would St. Patrick's Day be without a classic Irish Coffee (Caife Gaelach)? Absolutely nothing! So, I have adapted that wonderful and historical beverage here as a cold version for your St. Patrick's Day happy hour pleasure. If you prefer your Irish Coffee hot simply used hot coffee in place of the cold espresso and serve it up in a mug.
This Irish Coffee Martini is a lovely adaptation of one of my favorite cocktails of all time. I lived in the Bay Area for several decades and was lucky enough to have enjoyed the original, hot version of Irish Coffee many times at The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco - where the original owner, Jack Koeppler, made this cocktail famous!
There's a fascinating history behind Irish Coffee at The Buena Vista's website - yes, that lovely pub is still there at Hyde and Beach on Fisherman's Wharf and I encourage you to drop in and enjoy one of their famous Irish Coffees if you're ever in San Francisco!
The IRISH COFFEE Martini
INGREDIENTS: 1 Oz. Irish Whiskey
1 Tsp. Sugar
1 Oz.Chilled Espresso
1 Oz. Heavy Cream
Whipped Cream
Garnish: Whipped Cream, Green Sprinkles, Shaved Chocolate Curls
Tools: Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Cocktail (Martini)
DIRECTIONS
Chill your martini glass in the freezer.  Pour the sugar and whiskey into your martini shaker before the ice, mix well to dissolve the sugar, then add about 1 cup of ice cubes, the chilled espresso and the heavy cream and shake until your shaker frosts over. Pour this into your chilled martini glass, top off with your green whipped cream, add your sprinkles and chocolate curls, then serve.
Prefer yours hot? Authentic Irish Coffee
National Irish Coffee Day is celebrated every January 25th.
A good friend is like a four leaf clover,
hard to find and lucky to have! ~ Olde Irish Saying
Updated 1-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The ABSINTHE MINDED LEPRECHAUN, A Gin, Basil & Mint Fizz Cocktail

I have a thing for Ramos Fizzes. I love them. I've said that before, but it bears repeating because this is my St Patrick's Day riff on two New Orleans classics, the Ramos Fizz and the Absinthe Frappé. It's really more of a Fizz than a Frappé and there's no orange flower water in the recipe, which kind of defines a Ramos. They were my inspiration because if there's ever a city for celebrating St. Patricks Day, outside of NYC, it's The Big Easy.

I played a LOT fast and loose with the ingredients, well sorta. Just remember I'm not calling this any kind of Ramos or a Frappé and those aren't very Irish names anyway.

TheABSINTHE MINDEDLEPRECHAUNFizz
INGREDIENTS:1-1/2 Oz. Gin1/4 Oz. Absinthe1 Oz. Lemon Juice1 Tbsp. Basil Mint Syrup*1 Oz. of Half & HalfPasteurized Egg White1 Oz. Club SodaIce
Garnish: Fresh Basil and Mint Leaves 
Tools: Blender, Cocktail shaker 
Glass: Collins
DIRECTIONS:Chill your glass.Add all the ingredients except the soda and ice to a blender (yes, this is a dry shake cheat) and blend for 25 -30 seconds.Add the ice to the cocktail shaker, transfer the drink from the blender and shake for 30 seconds more to chill.Pour into your Collins glass SIMULTANEOUSLY with the soda.Garnish, add a straw and serve.
*Here's a great recipe for Basil Mint Syrup.  I cut it in half and used equal amounts sugar and water for a slightly thicker syrup.
Voiceover Video with Ingredients & Directions:

CAUTION: Have too many and your cat might sneak a sip while you're busy doing other things ...

Updated 3-2022 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY