ANIMAL CRACKERS In My BOOZE!

   Today happened to be National Animal Crackers Day and I happened to have some animal crackers, so, hey, I had to do it.
Only instead of making it taste like animal crackers I decided to make it a cocktail I could dunk my animal crackers in ... then I added ice cream and it turned into a boozy sundae ... I'm nothing if not flexible, especially when it comes to animal crackers.
ANIMAL CRACKERS IN MY BOOZE (Monkeys and Rabbits get real looped ...)
INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz Coffee Liqueur (I used Caffè Borghetti) 1/2 Oz Bourbon 1 Oz. Half & Half 2 Dashes Scrappy's Chocolate Bitters Ice
Garnish: 1 Scoop Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, A few Animal Crackers, 2 Dashes Scrappy's Coffee Bitters
Tools: Cocktail Shaker, Ice Cream Scoop
Glass: Large Coupe
DIRECTIONS: Add the ingredients to an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Add one large scoop of the ice cream, tap the coffee bitters on top then stick the animal crackers in the ice cream. Serve with a spoon.

Beware of cats ...

Updated 4-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

LOST MAI TAI TIKI DRINK COCKTAIL

I got my hands - finally - on an edible orchid so I just had to do a Tiki Drink, right? Based on the classic Tiki cocktail, the Mai Tai, I've again played with the rules - a lot - and had a little fun with a classic. Mostly because I was out of Orange Curacao and only had the Blue variety on hand and, dammit, I wanted to use that orchid before it died!

So, in the true spirit of Mai Tai, which supposedly got it's name when a patron declared “Maita'i roa a'e” ("very good" in Tahitian), here's a Tiki drink that will knock your tie off.
The
LOST MAI TAI
Tiki Cocktail
(As in, "I lost my tie after drinking too many of these.")
INGREDIENTS:
1 Oz. Bacardi Silver
1 Oz. Bacardi Gold
1 Oz. Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
1 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice
2 Oz. Fresh Pineapple Juice
1/2 Oz Bols Blue Curacao
1/2 Oz. Orgeat Syrup
1 Tablespoon Cream of Coconut
Ice
GARNISH: 1 Edible Orchid, Cocktail Umbrella, Parrot Swizzle Stick
TOOLS:  Cocktail Shaker
GLASS: Fun Tiki Glass or whatever.
DIRECTIONS:
Add the ingredients to a blender and give them all a nice whirl until they're all blended together and slushy.
Pour into your chilled glass, garnish and serve.
Take your tie off before drinking and put it somewhere safe. Or not. 
Oh, and lock the cat out ...

Just in case you're not in the mood for a smart alec-y cocktail and want to try the original Mai Tai, here's the original Royal Hawaiian Hotel recipe.

Updated 6-2018

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The BLUSHING ROSE Champagne Cocktail Recipe

  I was asked to do a signature cocktail recipe for a wedding last Spring. Now that the wedding has transpired, the couple are safely back from their honeymoon and are nearing the end of their first year together, they have kindly given me permission to share the recipe.   The bride had chosen soft coral pink, pale peach and a soft cream as her signature colors, the groom and his posse were decked out in light beige/tan tuxedos. The flowers were coral and peach hibiscus and cinnamon roses. They both wanted a Champagne cocktail as their signature drink as well as a recipe that could also be converted to a non-alcoholic beverage. Those were my inspirational jumping off points and here is the cocktail:  
The
BLUSHING ROSE
CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
(Makes 2 Cocktails)
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Oz. Rum 1 Tsp. Honey Ridge Farms Blood Orange Honey Syrup
5 Drops Wild Hibiscus All Natural Rose and Hibiscus Cocktail Concentrate
Chilled Dry Champagne

Garnish: Luxardo, Maraschino Cherries, Scrappy's Seville Orange Bitters

Glass: Flute

Tools: Cocktail shaker

DIRECTIONS:
Chill flute.
Add a teaspoon of hot water to a teaspoon of the Honey Creme Blood Orange then heat in the microwave for 10 seconds. Allow this to cool.
Add the rum and the cooled blood orange honey syrup to an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Place the cherry in the flute.
Strain the rum and honey over the cherry, gently top off with the Champagne, add the Hibiscus and Rose drops and allow them to settle on the bottom. Tap a dash of the orange bitters on top and serve.   If you want you can add an edible rose garnish or one of Wild Hibiscus Company's Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup.

HOW TO BATCH FOR A WEDDING Simply calculate a minimum of 2 drinks per guest* and multiply the ingredients for that number. Create a base by making the Blood Orange Honey Syrup then adding it to the Wild Hibiscus Concentrate to create a syrup then set the mixture aside in sealed pitchers in the refrigerator or cooler at the bar. Chill the Champagne and line up the rum bottles and multiple cocktail shakers in a handy place for the bartender to grab. Get enough of the Luxardo Cherries for all the drinks and keep these in a covered bowl at the bar, plus a few extra because, trust me, people will sneak over and grab a few to munch when your bartender isn't looking.   Your bartender can then easily dispatch multiple cocktails by simply pouring in the rum, adding the Champagne then topping off with the honey and rose hibiscus syrup.   If you want to offer an non-alcoholic version, choose a different glass (so there are no chances of a teetotaler getting booze). I would suggest a Collins glass to make it a cooler style cocktail, triple the syrup, then simply leave out the rum and replace the Champagne with soda water    *Leftovers, if there are any, are not a problem. The Champagne and rum, of course, can be reincorporated into your home bar, any left over hibiscus, rose, honey syrup can be used to make a delicious sorbet and, nope, there won't be any leftover Luxardo Cherries, trust me.
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WATERMELON ORANGE COOLER COCKTAIL RECIPE

  I was in possession of a huge watermelon. Now, I don't know what you do with watermelons - except cut them up and eat them - but I make cocktails. Nice, tall, frosty, delicious watermelon coolers just full of all that melon flavor and spiked with rum ....
P.S. It also gave me an opportunity to show off another of the adorable Glass Swizzle Sticks I was sent from The Swizzle Stick Shop, this one had a watermelon on it!   WATERMELON ORANGE COOLER COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS:
2 Oz Bacardi Silver
1/2 Cup Watermelon Puree
6 Fresh Mint Leaves
1 - 2 Tablespoons Simple Syrup
(amount of simple syrup depends on the sweetness of your watermelon)
1/2 Orange, Quartered
Club Soda

Garnish: Sugar, Salt and Finely Chopped Mint Leaves, Watermelon Wedge, Mint Sprig, Orange Slice

Tools: Small Plate, Muddler

Glass: Collins or Pint

DIRECTIONS:
Puree a cup of chilled, cubed watermelon with the simple syrup until smooth, set aside.
Mix 2 teaspoons of sugar and a pinch of salt with some finely chopped mint leaves in the small plate. Rub the rim of your glass with a slice of orange, roll in the rimming mixture then chill glass in the freezer.
Add the mint leaves, orange quarters and the rum to your glass and muddle gently.
Add ice, pour in the watermelon puree, stir, then top off with the club soda.
Garnish, add a straw and a swizzle stick and serve.

If you would like a non-alcoholic mocktail, feel free to leave out the rum. It's just as refreshing, just not as much fun.

Updated 7-2021

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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

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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