Super Bowl Cocktails

At your Super Bowl Party serve up some fun cocktails - one for the Colts and one for the Saints!!

A Colt One

1 1/2 parts Malibu Rum
3/4 part Malibu Pineapple Rum
3/4 part blue curacao
1 3/4 parts pineapple juice

Mix contents in a shaker and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Hurricane

1 oz. Light Rum
1 oz. Dark Rum
1/2 oz. Passion Fruit Juice
1/2 oz. Lime Juice
Garnish with a lime squeeze, cherry, pineapple spear, and a paper Umbrella, of course. Serve in a footed vessel.

Spiced

When I think of October I of course think pumpkins, halloween, turning leaves and my sons birthday but I also think of everything with 'spice'.
So I searched Spiced Cocktails!
Check these out:
Since iced tea vodka is so popular right now and I have some Appleton's Rum in my cabinet I love this!


Appleton Spiced Iced Tea

• 2 oz. Rum, Jamaican (Appleton Estates)
• 1 can (Lipton Brisk®) Iced Tea
• 1 pinch (optional) Cinnamon
• 1 pinch (optional) Nutmeg
  

  Fill glass with ice, pour 2 oz. Appleton Estates Jamaican Rum into a large glass or mug. Add Spices then add Lipton Brisk Ice Tea.

Perfect for after pumpkin picking:

Captain's Spiced Cider Drink

• 2 oz. Rum, spiced (Captain Morgan's)
• Fill with Cider, apple

Pour over ice

and lastly Spiced Pomegranate Sipper from a previous post.

Party Ideas

Pottery Barn is now offering PARTY PLANNER
Party ideas, recipes, tips and products for throwing a casual party.

Check out this Tequila Tasting Party
Margarita recipe:
1 1/2 parts tequila
1 part fresh squeezed lime juice
1 part blue curacao
simple syrup

Shake with ice in cocktail shaker, pour over ice into a chilled, salt rimmed margarita glass and then add a lime wedge.

They also have movie night, cocktail party, dinner party and bridal shower themes.
They have great recipes and ways to set up your table.

Love Gin

My favorite drink is a gin and tonic with lime - can't get much better - classic and refreshing. My second favorite is a mojito - When I came across this recipe from GQ's top cocktail list I thought it sort of combined both. Very Good!

Romeo and Juliet!

2 oz Gin of your choice - I prefer Bombay!
.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
.75 oz Simple Syrup
3 drops Rose Water
3 drops Angostura Bitters
3 slices Cucumber, peeled
6 sprigs Mint
Salt

Muddle cucumber and pinch of salt. Slap the mint. Add rest of ingredients. Let sit for 30 seconds (time allowing). Shake. Strain. Garnish with 1 floating mint leaf and 1 drop rose water on top of leaf, and 3-5 more drops of angostura on the surface of the drink.

I know most of you don't keep rose water handy but this is a great summer time drink!

enjoy

Cocktail of the Week

I have a bottle of Vanilla Vodka in the cabinet and I was trying to find something to mix with it - voila!


Wedding Cake Martini

2 oz vanilla vodka
2 oz pineapple juice
2 oz sweet n sour

Shake vigorously over ice then strain into sugar rimmed martini glass.

I have also seen another version - just swap out the sweet n sour for Amaretto (Disaronno).

enjoy!

Sippin

Memorial Day is coming up this weekend.
You have your grilling items I am sure...now you need a fun cocktail!

Strawberry Basil Mojito

3 fresh strawberries
3-5 fresh basil leaves
2 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. white rum
crushed ice
club soda

Slice the strawberries and place at the bottom of a tall glass along with the basil leaves. Pour in the simple syrup and muddle the mixture. Stir in the rum and top with crushed ice. Top off with club soda and garnish with strawberry slices.

Even better its red!
As a non alcoholic option serve up some lemonade with frozen blueberries now you have your red and blue!

Here is a cute idea from CocoKelley:





Traditions of Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue - Your Signature Drinks!
Something old: Ask your grandma what her favorite drink is!
*Something new: Whip up something new using your favorite mixers!
*Something borrowed: How about a drink your best friend had at her wedding!
*Something blue: Anything with Blue curacao or blueberries works great!

You can have the wait staff serve these on the same tray or just set up a menu at the bar.

Irish Eyes Cocktail

Forget the Green Beer - try this fun concoction on St. Patty's Day!

IRISH EYES (very similar to a white russian)

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Irish whiskey
• 1/4 oz crème de menthe, green
• 2 oz cream
• maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.
2. Shake well.
3. Strain into an old fashioned glass.
4. Garnish with the maraschino cherry.

Chocolate Kisses

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!
Godiva Chocolate Kisses

1 oz Godiva Liqueur
3/4 oz vodka
1/2 oz raspberry liqueur
and some fresh strawberries

Combine first 3 ingredients in a chilled shaker. Mix well then pour in a martini glass, rim glass with chocolate shavings and garnish with sliced strawberries.


Delish!

Slushy Red Rooster

For your New Year's Eve Party offer up some Slushy Red Roosters, you can make and freeze ahead of time to prevent you from staying in the kitchen too much. Just get a friend to manage the blender.

Makes 3 qt.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 (12-oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 cups vodka
• 4 1/2 cups water

Preparation

1. Stir together cranberry juice cocktail, orange juice concentrate, vodka, and 4 1/2 cups water. Place 1 (1-gal.) zip-top plastic freezer bag inside another 1-gal. zip-top plastic freezer bag. Pour about 4 cups cranberry mixture into inside bag. Seal both bags. Repeat procedure with remaining cranberry mixture. (Double bagging is a precaution to avoid spills.) Freeze bags 24 hours. Remove bags from freezer; let stand 5 minutes. Process cranberry mixture, 1 bag at a time, in a blender or food processor until desired consistency. Pour into glasses. Serve immediately.

SPICE UP THE GLASSWARE:

Wrap glasses with short lengths of silk and velvet ribbon, and secure with double-sided foam tape. Use Glue Dots to attach embellishments such as glitter-covered card stock stars or use stick-on jewels.

Reindeer Spritzer

Yum! Reindeer Spritzer

5 cups orange juice
1 cups chilled lemon lime soft drink
1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Garnishes - lemon slices and fresh rosemary sprigs

Stir together all ingredients and serve over Ice. Makes 2 QT

Tipsy version
Stir in 1 1/2 cup vodka to above recipe -

Spiced Pomegranate Sipper

Can't wait to try this on Thanksgiving:

Ingredients

• 1 (2 1/2-inch-long) cinnamon stick
• 5 whole cloves
• 5 thin fresh ginger slices
• 2 (16-oz.) bottles refrigerated 100% pomegranate juice
• 4 cups white grape juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• Garnishes: pineapple chunks, orange rind curls

Preparation

1. Cook cinnamon stick, cloves, and ginger in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until cinnamon is fragrant.

2. Gradually stir in juices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a heat-proof pitcher; discard solids. Serve warm. Garnish, if desired.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice and Welch's 100% White Grape Juice.

Tipsy Hot Spiced Pomegranate Sipper: Prepare recipe as directed. Stir in 1 1/4 cups almond liqueur just before serving. Makes 9 1/4 cups.

Cold Spiced Pomegranate Sipper: Prepare recipe as directed. Let stand 30 minutes. Cover and chill 2 hours. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days. Stir and serve over ice. Prep: 10 min., Cook: 25 min., Stand: 30 min., Chill: 2 hr.

Fizzy Spiced Pomegranate Sipper: Prepare Cold Spiced Pomegranate Sipper as directed. Stir in 1 (33.8-oz.) bottle ginger ale just before serving. Makes 16 cups.

Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2008

Spooky Icey Hand Punch

This is a simple punch where the ice is the center piece. Not only is the icy hand super spooky, but it keeps things cool as well.

To make the Icy Hand

Take 2 (always good to have an extra hand) latex gloves, put them on and wash your hands with dish soap. Rinse well and turn the glove inside out so the just washed side is on the inside. Next, fill the gloves with water, tie the end and freeze. Once frozen remove the glove and you are good to go.

To make the Punch

1 750 ml bottle premium Vodka or White Rum
2 2 liter bottles of Lemon Lime Soda - make sure to get a clear brand
red food coloring
marshmallows (optional)

Chill the Vodka (in the freezer) and Soda (in the fridge) for at least 24 hours. Just before the party combine the two liquids in a large punch bowl. Add a few drops of the red food coloring to make it blood red, well maybe more than a few drops. Add one of your icy hands in the center of the bowl, throw in the marshmallows and squirt some more food coloring over all of it for extra bloodiness.

Thanks to drink of the week for the recipe

Perfect Pear

Yummy Cocktail Idea for your wedding reception:

750 ml extra-dry champagne
8 oz pear schnapps
8 oz pear nectar
2 limes
350 ml apple seltzer
pear slices

Chill all ingredients. Combine schnapps and nectar in large bowl. Squeeze in juice from two limes and stir. Add seltzer and champagne just before serving. Garnish with pear slices..

Best Party Sangria!

I hosted Book Club at my house last night and made the most awesome Sangria!

(well my guests liked it anyway, I obviously couldn't drink any)

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:

• 1 Bottle of red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 1 Lemon cut into wedges
• 1 Orange cut into wedges
• 1 Lime cut into wedges
• 1 Apple cut in cubes
  
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• Splash of orange juice
• 2 Shots of gin
• 1 Cup of sliced strawberries or raspberries (may use thawed or frozen)
• 4 Cups ginger ale

Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) then add sugar, orange juice and gin. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale, berries and ice just before serving. If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice. However, remember that the best Sangrias are chilled around 24 hours in the frig. - allowing the flavors to really marinate into each other.

Summertime Drink

Well I have been looking for a fun non alcoholic drink for the summer - I think I found it:

Raspberry Iced Tea Slushy
1 cup sweetened frozen red raspberries
2 cups unsweetened iced tea
1 1/2 cups ice

Place all ingredients into blender in above order, whirl until slushy. Makes about 4 cups

Add in a fun straw or stirrer and voila

Cocktails and After diner drinks

Most, ok all of my clients offer a cocktail hour for their guests between ceremony and reception. I love adding a signature drink, fun cocktail napkins and maybe personalized stirrers.
But
what about doing something fun for after dinner drinks?
Spruce up the coffee station by offering Sambucca, Baileys or Peppermint schnapps with coffee.
What about setting up a signature drink station at this time -

Espresso Martini's
1 oz cold espresso

1 1/2 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz Kahlua
1 oz white creme de cacao

Pour ingredients into shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into chilled martini glass.

Add a chocolate rim to the glasses first:
-Melt semisweet or white chocolate in microwave to get thin.
-Hold glass at angle and rotate rim of glass in chocolate. Repeat around glass and make sure its even.
-Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I wanted to pass on a great idea I read on the Hostess with the Mostess Blog.
Margarita Ice Pops - she has a great recipe on there.

Enjoy today or save for a Hot July evening!

That will be $4

Whatever your financial situation is or what your reception site tells you, it is NOT cool to have a cash bar! You would never ask your guests to pay for her chicken satay appetizer, you shouldn't ask guests to pay for drinks.

If money is tight or you are trying to cut down on costs just have beer and wine available or have a signature drink station. Maybe margaritas on the rocks to go along with the beer and wine or a maybe a Vodka bar. Think about your theme, time of year and location.

Along the same lines it is also very tacky to have tip jars or cups on the bar. Your guests should NOT have to tip for their drink at YOUR wedding. This note of etiquette also goes to my wedding guest readers - please don't tip the bartenders. A gratuity is included in the catering bill already. It is best to discuss this with your sales person prior to your wedding and of course your wedding planner will make sure there is not tip jar in view.

On The Go

I just came across this great idea on wine.com
You can get Champagne on the Go - a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and 2 glasses in a convenient yellow travel case. The case is made of neoprene and leather and is insulated.

Have this ready in your get away car after your reception.
Then refill and reuse it for picnics or excursions.

I want one!!