marcia

Shrimp Cocktail Recipe

Shrimp cocktail is a classic cocktail party appetizer … and for good reason. It’s finger food that tastes fancy without a ton of work. Also, it goes great with cocktails and beer!

You can serve it in individual sauce-and-shrimp glasses or lay the shrimp out on a large platter and provide a bowl of cocktail sauce. It all depends on the type of party. You want these to remain cold—so it may be advisable to … Read more

Metal Wine Cage

Lock away your precious wine with this metal wine cage–complete with drawbridge door. The cage holds 12 bottles and is generally awesome. Also, it will totally impress and intimidate your guests.

“Even the most oblivious house guests can’t unintentionally uncork your finest bottle of Chateau Margaux when it’s kept under such tight security.”

Metal Wine Cage @ Cool Material (via NOTCOT)… Read more

Easy Deviled Eggs – Cocktail Eats

Deviled eggs are a tasty cocktail party finger food that you cannot go wrong serving!

They look fancy, but take less than 15 minutes to make.  Here’s my favorite, super-simple recipe:

Ingredients

12 eggs
½ cup safflower mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Paprika (garnish)

Instructions

Put eggs in a sauce pan, cover with water and add a splash of vinegar. Bring eggs to … Read more

Stone Cold Easter Island Ice Tray

I am a sucker for novelty ice trays … and therefore I am a sucker for FRED products. Love the Stone Cold ice tray! I’m ready to make cocktails with tiny Easter Island Moai in them.

Stone Cold Ice Cube Tray @ Perpetual Kid … Read more

How to Rim a Cocktail Glass

Many cocktails are enhanced with a rim of salt or sugar around the glass. Think of the salt coating a margarita glass. It looks great, and it’s also really easy! Here’s how you do it.

    Moisten the rim. For drinks that contain lemon or lime: take a wedge of the citrus with a slot cut into it and put it on the rim. Squeeze gently as you rub it around the rim of the

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Buffalo Wings

Whether it’s game time or just party time, buffalo wings are a crowd pleaser. They are also pretty simple to make. Here’s a basic recipe that will make ‘em come back for seconds … and maybe thirds!

Ingredients

    24 chicken wings
    ½ cup butter
    1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
    1 cup cayenne pepper sauce or Louisiana hot sauce
    Canola oil

Instructions

Cut the tips off the wings (throw them out or keep them to make a … Read more

Cocktail Party Tip: How to Batch Drinks

If you’re having a cocktail party, it is possible to make your drinks ahead of time for a large number of guests. The pros call it “batching,” which really just means making a larger number of drinks all at once to save yourself some time.

No matter what kind of cocktail you’re serving, the first step of batching is to take the recipe you’re going to make and multiply all the ingredient measurements by the … Read more

Wine Bottle Thermometer

There are so many fun gadgets associated with drinking! Here’s a fun one for the wine geeks — a wine bottle thermometer.

It has markings for the optimal serving temperature for different varieties of wine. So no more wondering how cold that Gewurtztraminer should be.

And, hey, it’s a lot cheaper than buying a special wine fridge!

Wine Bottle Thermometer @ Crate and Barrel… Read more

How to Make Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is a vital part of many cocktail recipes — mojitos, mint juleps and more. It’s the easiest, most reliable way to add a little sweetness to balance your drink.

It’s just sugar and water. (Truly simple, no?) Many recipes that call for muddling sugar or adding a sugar cube can just as easily be made with simple syrup.
Here’s what you do:

    Pour equal parts sugar and water into a container with a

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Holiday Gift Pick: Black Bull Blended Scotch Whisky

Normally, when I pick a scotch, it’s single malt all the way. But Black Bull 12 year blended scotch was a Whiskyfest find that I wouldn’t mind finding wrapped up for me under the tree this year!

Bottled by Duncan Taylor, which has a great stable of whiskies, this scotch is very mellow. The light vanilla and sherry nose gives way to a slightly peaty honeyed scotch that goes down smooth.

So if you have … Read more