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Christmas Cosmopolitan

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Cranberry sorbet turns a classic cocktail into a beautiful holiday treat. This Christmas Cosmo has the appeal of a traditional Cosmopolitan with the added oomph of a dessert … all without being too sweet.

Ingredients

    2 oz cranberry sorbet
    ½-1 oz vodka
    ½ oz Cointreau
    ¼ oz freshly-squeezed lime juice

Instructions

With a shot glass, scoop out 2 ounces worth of cranberry sorbet and place in a cocktail shaker. Add vodka, Cointreau, and lime juice. … Read more

Brandied Apricots

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This simple recipe is very festive, making it perfect for holiday celebrations or homemade gifts. The brandied apricots are good by themselves or as a topping on ice cream or cake. You can even use the juice in cocktails. It’s probably possible to use dried apricots, although this was made with fresh ones that were flash frozen.

Ingredients

8 apricots, pitted and halved
¾ cup brandy (I used cognac)
¼ cup water
1-2 cinnamon sticks, … Read more

Giorgio G Cognac

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Giorgio G is fashion icon Giorgio Gucci’s foray into cognac. The distribution company, Emperor’s Brand, sent a sample of the Premier Cru Special Limited Edition, which is aged over 50 years. This was one of those situations where the small sample bottle left me wanting more.

The name implies it’s luxury liquor, but the taste confirms it. Made from Ugni Blanc grapes from the Grande Champagne area, it has a deep gold color and gentle … Read more

Macallan Amber Liqueur

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Macallan’s Amber liqueur is so good that it’s worth sharing–even though it’s hard to find since they stopped making it. It’s a single-malt scotch liqueur with maple and pecan flavors. NOTCOT gave us some to try, and if you’re curious there are sources online for procuring a bottle. It smells like scotch and maple syrup! Have I built up enough of a demand and air of mystery?

The light smokiness of the scotch pairs perfectly … Read more

Holiday Poached Pears with Bourbon

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Poached pears are a simple yet elegant dessert to serve at the holidays. This recipe has the colors and flavors of fall, making it perfect for Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

    4 fresh pears (I used Bosc)
    1 cup bourbon
    ¼ cup cranberries
    ¼ cup honey
    1 cup water
    1 tbsp vanilla
    1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Core and peel the pears, leaving the stems on. Combine all other ingredients in a pot and mix, then place pears … Read more

Harvest Highball

Autumn is my favorite season. The weather is mild but not yet cold. Nature changes colors. And it’s time for apple drinks!

The Harvest Highball uses apple cider, ginger liqueur, rye whiskey, and just a touch of cinnamon. It is a crisp, dry cocktail with an apple overtone and a ginger kick. The cinnamon and apple mixed just enough to make me think of fresh baked apple pie.

Ingredients

    1 1/2 oz rye whiskey
    1

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Medea Vodka with Programmable LED Labels

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Have something to say? Say it with vodka.

Medea Vodka’s bottle has an LED display that holds six messages up to 255 characters each.

The bottle won the double gold medal at the San Francisco Spirits Packaging Competition.

Inside the bottle is pot-distilled wheat vodka from Holland that goes for about $40. If you try it, let us know how it is!

Oh, the things you could do with 255 characters (times six!). Here’s just … Read more

10 Boozy Ways to Beat the Heat

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I don’t know about where you are … but where we are it’s damn hot! Here are some recipes to help you manage during this unseasonable heat wave.

1. Raspberry Sparkler: Raspberries, Campari, tequila and blood orange soda will help you stay cool.
2. Pineapple Mai Tai: Also known as a Pai Tai, this island cocktail is made for hot weather.
3. Strawberry Basil Mojito: Load it up with ice and enjoy the perfect pairing

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What’s the Difference Between Coconut Milk and Coconut Water?

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When trying to cook or mix drinks with coconut, there can be a bit of confusion. Cartons of coconut water are showing up at grocery stores everywhere … but how are they different from what’s in the cans labeled coconut milk. And which one do you make piña coladas with? Here’s the scoop!

Coconut water

Split open a coconut and the juice you’ll find inside is the coconut water. It tastes like water that slightly … Read more

How to Juice a Pomegranate

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Pomegranate juice tastes fantastic in cocktails. Looking at a pomegranate, though, you might be left wondering how to actually get juice out of that thing! Sure, it’s easy enough to find a bottle in the store. But it can be expensive. Maybe you hit the fresh-pomegranate jackpot and want to use the bounty. Or maybe like us you always use fresh juice whenever possible.

Here’s what to do to turn that funky fruit into juice. … Read more