After having an excellent muddling lesson in Vegas with Tony Abu-Gamin, I have become a fan of all things muddled. Muddled cucumber and Jett energy vodka make a green, refreshing and simple St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail. OK the name doesn’t really suggest a St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail, but why not. Leave a comment with your “Irish” name for this cocktail. Recipe courtesy of Jett Vodka, photo by Steve Bao.

Our friends at p.i.n.k. Vodka are ready for St. Patrick’s Day and created this new cocktail for this years celebration. Vodka laced with guarana and caffeine mixed with Irish cream and creme de menthe all served up in a chocolate laced martini glass. Green chocolatey goodness.

Hail the “holy trinity”! Last week I had the pleasure to meet the faces behind Le Tourment Vert (www.letourmentvert.com) and experience their vision of what this wonderful spirit offers after such a long hiatus from our shores. This Absinthe is handcrafted in small batches by Bruno Delannoy of Vinet Ege and combines fourteen herbs to create a truly inspirational blend. Moving beyond the ritualistic, yet fun, Classic and Bohemian Method of enjoying Absinthe, Le Tourment … Read more

In keeping with our turbulent times anti-energy drinks have emerged to help us try to take the edge off. We tried a few of the following at this years annual Las Vegas Bar Show.

Drank, (www.drankbeverage.com), which uses melatonin, rose hips, and valerian root, is a purple elixir whose sole purpose is to help you relax. With the added melatonin probably best used after you get home.

Blue Lotus, (www.bluelotuslifestyle.com), incorporates the blue … Read more

Does your cocktail need some chocolate? A Cholive could be just what you’re looking for.

Cholive = chocolate + olive … get it? Don’t worry, they are not actually chocolate-covered olives.

They are olive-shaped chocolate truffles. Skewer them and you have a delicious cocktail garnish.

Here’s one recipe that sounds like a good use of chocolate!

Dirty Grasshopper
Ingredients

1 oz Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka
1 oz Green Creme de Menthe
1.5 oz White … Read more

Spring is coming and it is time to shed those extra holiday pounds, what to do? Created by nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot, the Skinny Mini is a slenderizing sipper low-cal libation.

The Skinny Mini

1 cup of Svedka vodka
1.5 cups of Crystal Light, Orange Sunrise flavor
.5 cup fresh raspberries
.5 cup fresh oranges
Ice, crushed

Blend together vodka, crystal light, fruit and ice. Pour into tall glass. Add fruit to garnish. Sip and Enjoy!… Read more

Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, is the day before Ash Wednesday but can fall anywhere from February 3 to March 9. The floating date is always 47 days before Easter. This Mardi Gras we keep the Hurricanes flowing and forget the economy if only until Wednesday. Learn more about Mardi Gras.

SoCo & Lime Hurricane
Ingredients

3 oz Southern Comfort
1.5 oz sweet and sour mix
½ oz blue curacao
½ oz sweetened lime … Read more

Carnival is the party that runs up to lent. One of the biggest celebrations takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. to celebrate the season the makers of Leblon Cachaca sent us some Caipirinha cocktails. The traditional Caipirinha is Brazil national drink and for Carnival they add blackberries for color. For some added color checkout this years body painted Carnival Queen (NSFW). Courtesy of Leblon Cachaca.

The Traditional Caipirinha

Ingredients:
2 oz Leblon Cachaca
½ … Read more

Celebrate Oscar like the stars. How? With swanky cocktails of course. The folks at Oval Vodka and Absinthe Mata Hari sent in a few fun recipes you can try at home. Enjoy “The Red Carpet” as the stars parade into the auditorium, and the “Starlet Cocktail” as they dole out the statues.

The Red Carpet

Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Oval vodka
1 oz Campari
1 oz Hiram Walker pomegranate schnapps
1 oz pomegranate juice
½ … Read more

Mardi Gras is upon us and Fat Tuesday is around the corner. So why feature the classic New Orleans Cocktail. No, I’m not talking about a Hurricane, I am talking about the Sazerac one of the very first cocktail recipes in history. It was created in the 1830′s by Pharmacist Antoine Amedie Peychaud, as a way to deliver a dose of his “health” elixir, Peychaud’s Bitters. These bitters are still used today.

This classic cocktail … Read more