This came about in the mixoloseum last night. Thee guys & gals get together every Thursday night to virtually mix cocktails and chat. The theme was “break out the bubbles”, so with Valentine’s Day just around the corner I whipped up this cocktail using Tequila, X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, a bit of Canton Ginger Liqueur, fresh grapefruit juice and, of course, champagne.

I turned to the group for a name, and Gabe aka “cocktailnerd” chose the winner, as the ingredients made him think of a “Vegas Phone Call”.

Got a better name? Let us know in the comments!

Vegas Phone Call

1 oz. Tequila Blanco
1 oz. X-rated fusion
1/4oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
2 oz. Grapefruit juice
Champagne

Shake and strain into a highball with fresh ice. Top with Champagne

more drink of the week cocktails

This prohibition era cocktail was named after the 1922 film Blood and Sand, the story of a young boy who becomes a famous bull fighter staring Rudolph Valentino.

It seems like an odd mixture, but it works. What you get is a well balanced drink with a hint of fruitiness and some kick.

Top bartender Dale DeGroff tells the the story of how he thought it would be “god awful” until he tried it. So good, in fact, BarSmarts named the Blood and Sand as one of 25 cocktails every bartender should know.

Blood and Sand

3/4 oz. Scotch Whisky
3/4 oz. Cherry Heering
3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
3/4 oz. Orange Juice (preferably fresh squeezed)

Combine ingredients in a shaker with a scoop of ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with an orange peel.

more drink of the week cocktails

Bourbon, pear and cherry … seriously, how can you go wrong with those flavors? Cocktailing alone is not as much fun, so I collaborated with my friend at Savvy Housekeeping on this slightly sweet and sparkling drink for winter made with bourbon, pear syrup and maraschino liqueur.

When you see maraschino liqueur in the ingredients, don’t think of those neon-red cherries that never go bad! It’s actually a liqueur made from real cherries, pit and all, that has a light nutty flavor.

Pearaschino

1 1/2 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Maraschino liqueur
1/2 oz. pear syrup
roughly 1 oz. ginger ale

In a shaker, combine the bourbon, maraschino liqueur, and pear syrup. Shake thoroughly with ice. Strain into a martini glass and top with ginger ale, about 1 oz. Garnish with a cherry.

Pear Syrup

2 pears
1 c sugar
2 c water
2 Tbs vodka (optional)

First, cut up the pears. Combine them with the sugar and water in a pot on the stove. Boil for about 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the syrup has a strong pear flavor.

Strain the pears from the syrup (you can also save the pears and use as an excellent topping on ice cream, yogurt, etc.). Transfer the syrup to a bottle. If you want it to last longer, add a little vodka to the syrup.

more drink of the weekcocktails

The playoffs are in full swing, so why not an easy drink to enjoy during the game. Sure this drink if just a whiskey & cola, but add a lemon slice and use Canadian Club and you have a Quick Kick.

Now isn’t that more fun?

Quick Kick

1 1/2 parts Canadian Club Whisky
4 parts cola
Slice of lemon

Pour ingredients into a tall glass with ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

more Football Cocktails

Courtesy, Canadian Club Whisky®

Oh my is cold everywhere. So cold that some have declared Global Warming over! Of course, we know it is cold because it is winter here in the Northern Hemisphere. So what does this have to do with cocktails? Nothing, except this little number will warm you up. Made with Tuaca, a 70 proof brandy based Italian Liqueur with flavors of vanilla and orange.

Italian Toddy

1 oz. Tuaca
1 Cup Apple Cider (heated)
Whipped Cream
Nutmeg or Cinnamon

Heat apple cider in a pan and our into a footed mug. Add the Tuaca, put a dollop of Whipped Cream on top, and then add a dash of Nutmeg or Cinnamon.

more Hot Drinks …
more Drink of the Week recipes

Happy New Year!

Being New Year’s Day we thought we’d need a little jump start, so we choose this simple drink of Benedictine and milk. The cognac based liqueur was originally created as pick me up for tired Benedictine Monks. It’s closely guarded recipe of 27 herbs and spices is also very soothing, even more so when combined with Milk. Served hot or cold, I think we could all use a little Milk & Honey today.

Milk & Honey

1 1/2 oz. ( ~50 ml) Benedictine
Milk

Cold: Pour Benedictine into a mug, add ice, and top up with cold milk. Garnish with a slice of orange and cinnamon
Hot: Top Benedictine off with hot milk.

photo courtesy of Benedictine

It’s cold, so let’s try a bit of the Tropics, here’s a twist on the classic Mai Tai, AKA the Pai Tai!

Drink this while you pretend it’s still warm outside! (Unless you live in Hawaii, where I took this photo, in which case you don’t have to pretend)

This recipe differs from the Trader Vic’s recipe … but both are pretty tasty! This one includes pineapple juice because it is inspired by my recent visit to the islands!

Pineapple Mai Tai (AKA Pai Tai)

1 1/2 oz. light rum
3/4 oz. dark rum
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
1 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

Put ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into glass and garnish with pineapple wedge and orchid.

more Tropical Cocktails
previous Drink of the Week cocktails