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Budget-Friendly Drinks

White Russian Mixed Drink

Saving money during the recession can be difficult and often it is the luxuries like cocktails that suffer first. However, you do not have to sacrifice taste and variety while saving a buck or two.

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Cocktails Spotlight10

Martinis for Mother's Day

Wednesday May 9, 2012

If you plan to celebrate Mother's Day by making a special cocktail for Mom, check out these recommendations:

And here are more Mother's Day ideas...

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Booze News: May 9, 2012

Wednesday May 9, 2012

Fun stuff in the news this week. Beyond all of this, don't forget that the Manhattan Cocktail Classic kicks off Friday.

Try This...

Strawberry-Basil-Gin Lemonade - I am still on a lemonade kick so this recipe on Imbibe last week caught my eye. Definitely worth a taste.

Glenfiddich Tasting on Everest - You can join Glenfiddich tomorrow for a live whisky tasting that will be hosted from Mount Everest - specifically Everest Base Camp at 5364 meters. This worldwide event will also include a panel at The London Stock Exchange and they will be sampling from the Scotch producer's single malt reserves. Check out the link for live streaming locations. The event is supposed to begin May 10 at 7pm BST, which to my calculations makes that 2pm EDT. I wonder how whisky tastes at that altitude...

The Get Drunk Spray - Try it if you want, though I see no point for multiple reasons, least of which is that you're skipping the best part of the drink... the taste. It seems that another 'bright' idea popped up somewhere once again and this time it is a mouth spray that instantly gets you drunk. The feeling lasts for only a few seconds and you will need about 1,000 squirts to equal one real drink. Again, the point?

Read This...

James Beard Foundation Awards - Monday night the best of the best in the food world were announced and below are the highlights from the drink side...

  • Best Beverage Book - Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, & Formulas by Brad Thomas Parsons
  • Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages Journalism Award - Sarah Karnasiewicz of Imbibe for "Fizzy Business"
  • Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional - Paul Grieco of Terroir in NYC
  • Outstanding Wine Program - No. 9 Park in Boston
  • Outstanding Bar Program - PDT in NYC

Read More...

May 2012: Vodka Cocktail Contest

Tuesday May 8, 2012

As I revive the cocktail contest after its winter rest, I want to give everyone a blank canvas to work with. It does not get much more transparent then when we work with vodka as the base and that is the theme of this month's contest.

This should be an easy one for most because vodka is the most versatile spirit in the cocktail world. However, the  challenge here is greater because in order to impress us your drink needs to be creatively designed, not simply a spiked juice drink, for instance.  We will be looking for ingenuity, craft, and a nice complement for the vodka of choice. As always, I'm open to manipulating the vodka itself (i.e. infusions) or using a store-bought flavored vodka (including those new dessert vodkas like the Smirnoff's Marshmallow used in the Dark 'n Fluffy pictured). The deadline on this one is the 31st.

Have fun with this one, show us that signature vodka cocktail that you have been dying to share. I look forward to seeing what you have.

Submit a recipe to the Vodka Cocktail Contest...

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More Drinks for Cinco de Derby

Saturday May 5, 2012

We have two great fiestas on the same day and I think that requires just a few more drink suggestions. Even if you do not enjoy one of these today, keep them on your agenda to try out.

Pineapple Chili Margarita
The Money Maker
Photo Courtesy: © Shannon Graham
  • The Money Maker - Mint and tequila find a friendly home in this single drink, and if you have ever tried this combination before you know how tricky it is to make it work. In this Hornitos Tequila recipe The Drawing Room Mixologist, Charles Joly, found a solution to that issue with the mix of mint-infused tequila, raspberry, Branca Menta, lemon, and egg. It is delightful and a nice change of pace.
  • Cherry Lane - I know some people are tired of hearing about tequila and juleps, so here is a drink of an entirely different variety. This one is primarily made of vodka and Benedictine, with the vodka being the latest release from Grey Goose. The Cherry Noir bottling is, by far, one of the best cherry vodkas available because it does not have that astringent aspect that so many others do and it is well played in this cocktail.
  • Durango Royale - Another new spirit and another talented mixologist. In this case they are Kahlua Cinnamon Spice and Lynnette Marrero and the combination is a great one. The drink combines the spiced up coffee liqueur with Scandinavian aquavit and sparkling apple cider.

Want more recommendations for Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby drinks? Browse these collections...

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