TOASTED WALNUT MAPLE BOURBON RECIPE

  Thanks to a gift from The California Walnuts Commission (@CaWalnuts) I now have in my possession some lovely Homemade Toasted Walnut Maple Bourbon.  

  I took one look at that bag of lovely walnuts and knew exactly what to do with them.  I tossed them into some bourbon! After waiting patiently for many weeks while the walnuts, bourbon and maple got all happy with each other, I'm now able to share my recipe with you!  

   HOMEMADE TOASTED WALNUT MAPLE BOURBON RECIPE   1 C. Toasted, Chopped Walnuts 2 C. Bourbon 1/4 Tsp. Vanilla Extract (or one split vanilla bean) 2 Tbsp. Real Maple Syrup   DIRECTIONS  Toast your walnuts in a saucepan for about 3 to 5 minutes, keeping an eye on them as they can burn easily. You want a light toast. Combine all the ingredients and allow to infuse for a minimum of 2 weeks and up to a month. Strain through cheesecloth to remove the walnut pieces. (DON'T THROW THE WALNUTS AWAY! More on this in a bit! )   Now you can bottle your Toasted Maple Walnut Bourbon and enjoy!   SOME COCKTAILS FOR YOUR TOASTED WALNUT MAPLE BOURBON:   SWEET SURRENDER 1-1/2 Oz. Toasted Walnut Maple Bourbon 1/2 Oz. Bailey's 1/2 Oz. Heavy Cream Pinch of Cardamom Crushed Walnuts   Dip your glass rim in some of the Bailey's then into the crushed walnuts. Chill glass in the freezer. Combine the Toasted Walnut Maple Bourbon, Bailey's, Heavy Cream and Cardamom in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until blended and chilled. Pour into a coupe, dust with a little more cardamom and enjoy.   PUMPKIN PATCH 1 Oz. Toasted Walnut Maple Bourbon 1 Oz. Pumpkin Spice Liqueur   Pour both into a shooter and, well, shoot! Oh, okay, you can add a dollop of whipped cream.   HEY! Don't go away just yet! Remember I said don't toss the walnuts? You didn't? Good! There's another fabulous way to enjoy your sweet, nutty bourbon! Take a nice scoop of those bourbon maple soaked walnuts, mix in an ounce or so of your Toasted Walnut Maple Bourbon and pour this right the heck over a nice scoop of rich vanilla bean (or maybe fresh peach or dark cherry or chocolate) ICE CREAM! I'm your best friend now, aren't I? 
MORE COCKTAIL RECIPES USINGTOASTED MAPLE WALNUT BOURBON:
TOASTED MAPLE BOURBON COCKTAILSTRANGER THINGS BOOZY SLUSHY

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The GUY FAWKES COCKTAIL

Remember, remember!

The fifth of November,

The Gunpowder treason and plot;

I know of no reason

Why the Gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot!

Guy Fawkes and his companions

Did the scheme contrive,

To blow the King and Parliament

All up alive.

Threescore barrels, laid below,

To prove old England's overthrow.

But, by God's providence, him they catch,

With a dark lantern, lighting a match!

A stick and a stake

For King James's sake!

If you won't give me one,

I'll take two,

The better for me,

And the worse for you.

A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope,

A penn'orth of cheese to choke him,

A pint of beer to wash it down,

And a jolly good fire to burn him.

Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring!

Holloa, boys! holloa boys!

God save the King [Queen]!

Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

Once upon a time, in Merry Olde England, this group of English Catholics hatched a plan called The Gunpowder Plot. Headed by the infamous Guy Fawkes aka Guido Fawkes, the idea was to blow up King James and the House of Parliament. The coup failed, heads rolled, a holiday was born. For his crime, Fawkes was hung, drawn and quartered and his decapitated head was displayed for all of London to see on Traitors Gate. The lesson? If you're looking for evening activities you're better off having a pint or a toddy than planning a plot.
In modern times, the V for Vendetta comic book series and film adaptations have adopted the Guy Fawkes mask as their anarchist symbol, Harry Potter's headmaster wizard, Dumbledore, named his Phoenix Fawkes, two Doctor Whos have Tardis-ed back to the failed plot and the Internet anarchist group, Anonymous, has used the mask when making physical appearances. For his efforts, ineffectual as they were, the original Fawkes did get a drink created in his honor, by none other than cocktail master Anthony Caporale.
The Guy Fawkes Cocktail Created by Drambuie Brand Ambassador, Anthony Caporale
"This drink brings together Guy Fawkes’ English roots in DRAMBUIE® along with his Spanish exploits connoted by the sherry, overlaid on the smokiness of Islay Scotch to evoke the infamous Gunpowder Plot to which he is inextricably linked."
2 parts DRAMBUIE® 1 part Islay Single Malt Scotch 1 part Oloroso Sherry 5 drops Bitter End Moroccan Bitters Burnt Grapefruit Peel Garnish
Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice until the tin frosts over. Strain into your chilled rocks glass, garnish. Enjoy by the light of a bonfire.
Despite saying "interpreted by", I did not do a personal adaptation of this drink, I love it just the way it is. You don't mess with perfection. 

Updated 11-2025 PLEASE DRINK - and Plot - RESPONSIBLY

Arctic Chill Ice Ball Maker Review

Rizzi over at Arctic Chill sent me a pack of four of their BPS free Silicon Ice Ball Makers to try out and review a few weeks ago and I've been having fun experimenting with them.
They come in a pack of four and each mold makes about a 2" diameter ice ball. The instructions are easy enough, after thoroughly cleaning you put the top and bottom together tightly, fill with filtered water and freeze:

The instructions say to leave about a third of an inch open at the top to accommodate expansion as the water freezes, though this is not easy to judge because the balls are not transparent. I tried this but usually ended up with a sphere with a flat top. So I played around a bit and discovered my technique of tapping out a bit of water after filling up the mold worked pretty well.
I also tried filling them nearly to the top and this caused a little bit of ice to pop out the hole in the top. This was to be expected and I handled this by simply holding the whole mold under some running water and rinsing off the excess ice that popped out. A few times this "full up" technique caused the mold to separate slightly from over expansion resulting in a less than perfect sphere. No biggie, I just evened them out under running water.
I didn't attempt to adjust my home freezer to accommodate the suggested lower freezing temperatures so I did get air trapped in my ice as it froze, resulting in some opacity. I did use filtered water and I found that letting the filled molds sit at room temperature before freezing allowed some of the trapped air to escape and gave me a more translucent ice ball.
Most of the time I got pretty nice round balls of solid ice using my techniques. The only difficulty at the beginning was in removing the ball from the mold, but I discovered a quick twist of the top and bottom in opposite directions often popped the ice right out. If not, I simply ran the mold under cold water.
If a smaller ball was required for a smaller glass, I simply held the full size ball under cold running water, rotating it until I got the size I wanted, then stuck it back in the freezer, directly on a rack bare naked, to chill out until needed!
I have to say I'm pretty pleased with my Arctic Chill Ice Ball Makers. And, being the experimenter that I am, I was soon filling the molds with coffee, orange juice, herbs and even some fun candy eyeballs to complement my cocktail recipes.

All in all I have to give a 4 out of 5 martini rating to this product. The main issue I have is not getting truly clear ice balls, (which has more to do with home versus professional freezing equipment.) These are a great way to chill a cocktail without lots of dilution and wonderful for iced tea and other soft drinks, especially here in Arizona where summer temps can melt standard ice cubes to oblivion in minutes!
They also make a drink pretty cool looking.

For just under twenty bucks ($19.95), the Arctic Chill Ice Ball Makers are a great addition to my bar toys and I might just have to get a couple more for parties.


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Candy Cocktails

 

If you have a sweet tooth and like it to come out to play at happy hour, you've landed in the right spot! If it has sugar or chocolate I have found a way to toss it in a cocktail shaker and add booze.

All your childhood candy favorites from Snickers, Almond Joy, Tootsie Rolls, Skittles and Rocky Road to Easter Peeps, Gummy Worm Creeps and Christmas Sweets, to Gumdrops, Lollipops and Peanut Butter Cups, all liquored up and grown up and poured into a cocktail cup!

 CANDY COCKTAILS       After Eight Chocolate Mint Martini Almond Butter Crunch Martini
Almond Joy Martini Bourbon Peanut Butter Cup Cocktail
Bubble Gum Martini 1
Bubble Gum Martini 2
Butterfinger Martini
Candy Apple Martini
Caramel Apple Martini
Candy Bar Martini
Candy Cane Martini
Candy Corn Martini
Candy Corn Martini, Sparkling
Candy Corn Creeptini
Candy Corn Moonshine Cocktail
Chocolate Blue Bunny Peep Martini
Chocolate Cream Egg (Cadbury) Martini
Chocolate Saltwater Taffy Cocktail
Chocolate Fondue Martini
Cotton Candy Cocktail
Easter Peep Marshmallow Martini
English Toffee Martini
Gumdrop Martini
Heavenly Hash Martini
Jelly Bean Martini
Jelly Beanie Martini
Licorice Martini for Friday the 13th
Licorice Stick Martini
Lollipop Cocktail
Marzipan Martini
Milky Way Martini
Peanut Butter Cup Martini
Penuche Fudge Martini
Rocky Road Martini
Skittles - All A Skittle-Tini - Martini
S'Mores Cocktail
Snickertini
Tootsie Roll Martini
White Chocolate Martini
Winter Solstice White Chocolate Martini
CANDY INFUSED BOOZE Chocolate Liqueur, Vodka and Chocolate Candy Liqueur Candy Corn Vodka Candy Corn Rum Moonshine and Cocktails Indian Candy Corn Vodka Chocolate Candy Cane Vodka and Martinis Good and Plenty Liqueur and Martinis Gummy Rummy and Shooter Recipe Gummy Worm Edible Cocktails (jello shots)
Edible Candy Cocktails    Booze Infused Truffles
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Edible Cocktails
White Russian Truffle Cup
I have left no candy wrapper unturned nor calorie counted in my obsession for sweet libations. If you can get it in a vending machine or grab it from a candy counter, I have thrown some high proof hooch at it! Enjoy, but don't blame me later if your spanks don't work!

National Candy Day is November 4th.

    

Updated 11-2021 

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POMEGRANATE COCKTAILS

I heard tell that it was a really pomegranate that Eve used to tempt Adam in the Garden of Eden, not an apple. This makes sense because the Garden of Eden was supposedly somewhere in the Middle East and pomegranates originated there whereas apples come from Asia. It makes sense from a taste point as well, there is something so temptation worthy about pomegranates!

Evidently I am tempted by pomegranates as well. I had no idea I had so many pomegranate cocktails until I put this list together. I used pomegranate juice, pomegranate vodka and Pama Pomegranate Liqueur in a lot of cocktails! But then I really do like pomegranates, and they are so good for you health wise. I always have pomegranate juice and fresh pomegranates around so it's easy to grab when I want to add some tart fruity element to a recipe.   Below you will find a classic pomegranate martini, Christmas pomegranate cocktails, Halloween, Valentine's Day, chocolate, cherry, orange, lemon, cranberry and several combinations where pomegranate is featured. I'm sure in the future I'll come up with more and I will add them to this list!   POMEGRANATE COCKTAILS Adam and Eve Martini Angel's Kiss Martini Berry, Berry Black Cat Cocktail Cherry Pomegranate Martini Cranberry Pomegranate Martini Jingle Bells Martini Love Potion #9 Martini Nosferatu's Revenge Orange Pomegranate Martini Pomegranate Martini Pomegranate Margarita Pomegranate Martini Popsicles Pomegranate Lemon Drop Pomsicles - Frozen Pomegranate Ice Pop Cocktails Purple Ghost Martini Raven's Wing Cocktail Sparkling Pomegranate Martini Spiced Rum Pomegranate Fizz Tequila Pomegranate Smash True Blood Martini     And, of course, my recipe for HOMEMADE POMEGRANATE SYRUP (aka Grenadine)    FYI: National Pomegranate Month is November.    Here's a cute video on how to open and deseed a pomegranate "for your beloved".    Updated 7-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY    

GRINNING SKULL Day of the Dead Cocktail

Diá de los Muertos, or The Day of The Dead, is a Mexican holiday that dates back hundreds of years to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl (Queen of Mictlan, the Underworld in Aztec mythology). It is a holiday celebrated throughout the world that remembers friends and family members who have died with prayer, favorite foods of the dearly departed and gatherings in homes, churches and cemeteries. The festivities start on October 31st and continue through November 2nd.
Alters (ofrendas) are erected, foods are shared and colorful sugar skulls and skeletons join the party from the beyond. Generally November 1st is dedicated to children and infants who have died (Día de los Inocentes, "Day of the Innocents" or Día de los Angelitos, "Day of the Little Angels") and November 2 is reserved for the adults (Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos, "Day of the Dead").
The three-day fiesta is filled with marigolds (the flowers of the dead), muertos (the bread of the dead), sugar skulls, cardboard skeletons, decorations, fruit and nuts, incense, fireworks, and the sharing of gifts, favorite foods and drinks of those who have passed on with both the living and the dead.

To celebrate my loved ones from beyond I have created this lively and delicious craft cocktail:

GRINNING SKULL Day of the Dead Cocktail INGREDIENTS 1-1/2 Oz. Tequila 3 Oz. Pineapple Juice 1-3/4 Oz. Orange Juice 1 Oz. Lime Juice 1 Oz. Triple Sec Dash of Chipotle Sauce Splash of Grenadine
Garnish: Orange Slices, Black and White Sprinkles, Day of the Dead Gummy Skulls DIRECTIONS Dip your glass rim into Pineapple juice, then into the sprinkles. Chill your glass in the freezer. Fill a fun skull glass with ice then add the tequila, triple sec, juices and chipotle sauce and stir well. Pour in the grenadine which will sink to the bottom. Add your gummy skulls and orange slices to a cocktail pick and set this across the rim. Enjoy as you celebrate your dear departed.

Hay más tiempo que vida. There is more time than life.
Updated Nov. 2017 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

REVENGE of the MUMMY HALLOWEEN MARTINI

One of the scariest movies I saw as a little kid was "The Mummy" starring Boris Karloff. One of the most fun movie series I've seen as an adult is "The Mummy -The Mummy Returns" starring Brendan Fraser. I like mummies! Don't ask me why, I suppose I have mummy issues.
When I happened on some adorable gummy candies in the shape of a mummy I knew I had to do a cocktail using that as the garnish. I have my cute black and white hand painted martini glasses that I made a few years ago and decided a black martini was required.

That meant sacrificing my very last bottle of Blavod* Vodka. But then I had hoarded two cases for years** just for Halloween cocktails so what was I silently kvetching about? I pulled the last bottle of my beloved black spirit from the box and cracked it open. I swear a cold wind passed through my body and a sigh whispered past my ear as that bottle opened . . . or maybe the gummy mummies were coming back to life. But I digress.
The recipe also had to be fruit based because the gummy candies are fruity and I always repeat the flavors of my cocktails in their garnish. I didn't want to desaturate the black color so I pulled out my Chambord and Blue Curacao. These not only added a deep purple depth to the black but they brought citrus and black raspberry flavors to play! A bit later I grabbed my Homemade Blueberry Simple Syrup to add a bit more fruit and some extra body and sweetness to the cocktail then squeezed a bit of lime in for a dash more acidity.
A few tears over lost vodka, a few cocktails to get the balance right, a few more shakes of my trusty Boston andThe Mummy Returns:
REVENGE OF THE MUMMYTINI
INGREDIENTS 2 Oz. Blavod Black Vodka (Yes, you can color plain vodka if needs be) 1/2 Oz. Blue Curacao 1/2 Oz. Chambord 1 Tbsp. Blueberry Syrup 1 Tsp. Fresh Lime Juice
GARNISH: Gummy Mummy
DIRECTIONS Chill glass in the freezer. Add your Blavod Vodka, Blue Curacao, Chambord, the blueberry simple syrup and the lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Pour, rub the rim with a bit of lime zest, garnish the drink with the gummy mummy and enjoy by the light of a Halloween moon.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

Have no fear of creatures that go bump in the night, your mummy will protect you.

*A Little 411 on Blavod Vodka: Blavod is a premium vodka distilled in the UK which uses the herb Black Catechu to achieve their black colored vodka. The company's media states this herb is used because it doesn't add flavor and it fosters a smoother taste (less burn) from the herb's tannins. The herb itself, particularly the deep black variety, has a slightly sweet acerbic taste and, though I've tried, I have never been able to detect the taste in the straight vodka, let alone in a cocktail. The color is truly a deep black and it is a superior vodka, suitable for sipping unadorned, especially when ice cold from the freezer!
**There was a disruption in the importation of Blavod to the United States back in 2015, disrupting my black cocktails for a few years. These days I lay in a good supply of favorite spirits just in case there's some kind of import SNAFU or some fool in Beancounterville decides to pull a product I love just because it doesn't make them profits!

Updated 10-2021

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