Thirsty Thursday and Bonus Craft: Sunday is Oscar Night!

With Oscars this Sunday, here are a few cool things we saw on The Chew this week that could make your festivities more fun:

First, there's a great looking cocktail by Clinton Kelly called the Zero Dark Thirsty (we particularly liked the Thirsty part). It's a great combo of dark rum and ginger beer:

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Zero-Dark-Thirsty-Clinton-Kelly

To serve treats, consider making these super simple snack bowls (no wet stuff, but great for popcorn and pretzels). A nod to Clinton again for this idea:

Ticket Bowls

What You’ll Need:

-Roll of tickets – can buy at any party or office supply store for about $4
-Decoupage glue
-Foam brush or paint brush
-Bowl
How to Make It:

1. Mold roll of tickets over a bowl.  You can mix and match colors if you want

2. Apply decoupage glue to the outside and inside.

3. Glue tickets over the hole on the bottom to seal.

4. Fill with your favorite party snacks and voila!

Thirsty Thursday: Mapletini

 

 As we head into the holiday season filled with home entertaining, we thought we’d use this week’s Thirsty Thursday column to highlight a fun “fall-themed” cocktail you might consider serving as part of your Thanksgiving celebration.  The recipe was developed by Sandra Lee and is featured on Foodnetwork.com. 
Enjoy!

 

 

 

Mapletini

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 shots Irish cream liqueur
• 1 shot brandy
• 1/2 shot cinnamon schnapps
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• Ice
• Cinnamon stick, for garnish

Directions

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick

Thirsty Thursday: Drink Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 
The month of October affords us an opportunity to focus increased attention on the challenge of breast cancer and finding a cure.  So, in honor of all those who are battling this insidious illness now, those who have survived and those who lost their battle, and finally, those who will be diagnosed in the future, we’re devoting this Thirsty Thursday to drinking pink. 

• Rosé wine – Don’t feel like you have to drink white zinfandel (not that there’s anything wrong with that) to drink pink.  Today’s rosé wines are not the saccharinely  sweet versions of years past.   For great dry and fruity taste, usually at inexpensive prices, try a Spanish rose (rosado) made from the Grenache grape.  

Barb also swears by La Ferme Julien, a rose from Rhone Valley Vineyards available at Trader Joes for a very modest price.

• Pink Tickle – I first had this tasty cocktail at Table Three, a restaurant in West St. Louis County.  Just mix 2/3 champagne with 1/3 X-Rated Fusion Liquor and you’ve got a fabulously pink and tasty concoction!  
• Pink Squirrel – Flash back to our parents’ cocktail generation!  The pink squirrel is a frozen cocktail made of equal parts of Crème de Noyaux, Crème de Cacao, and half and half.  Blend with ice and serve.  Yum!
• Cosmopolitan – While not technically true pink, we think this one is close enough and it tastes good.

Thirsty Thursday: Fall is Here, Bring on the Pumpkin Beer!

courtesy of Zach Fowle

 

For most of us, October brings a cool breeze, leaves changing, and thoughts of Oktoberfest gatherings and Halloween. For me? Pumpkin Beer.

I started drinking pumpkin beer back in September in my attempt to feel "fallish" as it's rather challenging to feel that way here in Phoenix when it's still 103 degrees. 

Back when I was in St. Louis last month I tried Schlafly Pumpkin Ale.

According to their website, "pounds of pumpkin form a malty foundation that supports the fall flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove." It was a pretty tasty brew and I was sad to have to leave four of the six bottles in Sharon's refrigerator when I left. 

I came back to Phoenix and bought a six-pack of Uinta Punk'n. Tasty and refreshing, but VERY light on pumpkin flavor. 

Next up...headed to Four Peaks Brewery later this week to get some of their infamous Pumpkin Porter. 

For more suggestions on pumpkin beers from around the country, visit Chow Bella's Guide to Pumpkin Beer 2012.

Thirsty Thursday: Light and Refreshing

It may be getting colder and "fall-like" where you are, but here in the Southwest, its still going to be triple-digits this weekend. So, I was thrilled to see Rachael Ray's hubby John, whip up a "cucumber mule" cocktail that is light and refreshing. We're excited to hear he has a new book coming out in November called "My Year in Cocktails" (yes, we'll be faithfully working our way through it....). Here's a link to how to make the drink, and the recipe is below. Cheers!

Cucumber Mule
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces cucumber-infused vodka
• 1/2 ounce ginger syrup
• 2 lime wedges
• A few slices of cucumber
• Seltzer water, to taste 
• Fill a rocks glass 3/4 of the way with ice. Over ice, pour vodka, ginger syrup, lime wedges and cucumber. Stir with a large spoon. Fill the glass the rest of the way up with seltzer. 

Thirsty Thursday: Girl’s Night Out

Sometimes, there is absolutely nothing better than girlfriends getting together for a few cocktails and some great food. Last night, your fearless blog authors joined up with two old friends (okay, they are not old, they are younger than us, but we’ve been friends for a looong time) at a great St. Louis restaurant called Salt for drinks and dinner. The night evolved into constant chatter, laughter and some side-splitting conversation.

We arrived first. Sharon wanted the Salt Smash, a lovely bourbon, mint and peach syrup combo. Barb wanted something a bit more traditional – and the bartender happily made a house 1862 Manhattan using Buffalo Trace bourbon, orange curacao and bitters. Jen joined in with the aquavit-laced, slightly sour drink called “Momentary Lapse of Judgment.”  Then Sylvia arrived. She desperately wanted vodka but there wasn’t a signature cocktail on the menu that contained that particular spirit. We asked our awesome, patient waiter Katie that she request the bartender to concoct a personalized vodka drink for our friend. Sylvia listed that she wanted a fruity, summery, flirty, sparkly and fun cocktail. Moments later, the drink arrived…the cosmo-based but still unique concoction hit all of Sylvia’s requests. We love it when a bartender can use his/her creativity to make a patron happy!  

Cheers to friendship, cool cocktails, and a fun time! 

Thirsty Thursday: Cocktail Chemistry

Last night, we found ourselves in the back alleys of Scottsdale, seeking a local speakeasy, Citizen R+D to immerse ourselves in a fun, new trend in cocktails.  In true speakeasy fashion, we called the phone number listed on a clipboard hanging by a nail and then awaited our burly gatekeeper, Tony, to enter the intimate, swanky club.


This particular night, mixologists Kris and Tara, prepared for us three drinks we selected from an extensive list of 27 options -- this particular night's rotation of choices.  First up, was the Shell Shock, which tasted fabulously similar to the Pusser's Painkillers we wrote about last week.  This version was a concoction of rum, vanilla ice cream, pineapple juice, the coconut milk from the fresh coconut our drink was served in, all topped with a sprinkle of nutmeg. 

Next up, the Black Blazer.  Prepared table-side, this flaming combination of Jameson Irish whiskey, Blackmaker root beer liqueur, Stroh black strap molasses high-proof rum, maple syrup, topped with whipped cream and toasted orange peel, packed quite a wallop.  And, yes, before you exclaim that we ordered another drink, please note that there were three of us in attendance.

Our third, and final selection, was the La Flama Blanca, another table-side flaming creation (we like fire), this time with Patron XO Cafe, Stroh black strap molasses high proof rum, espresso, grated Mexican chocolate, and whipped cream on the top.  Similar in some respects to the Black Blazer, but it evoked a completely different flavor profile. 

Among the other concoctions we spotted in the club, were paint can punch (literally served in a paint can), and dry ice charged drinks that brought to mind a witch's brew.

Speakeasies are a hot new trend, with establishments like this popping up in cities across the country.  These aren't the old-fashioned speakeasies where you could get yourself a tumbler full of moonshine.  Back in the day, bartenders were forced to try to find innovative ways to hide the awful taste of the hooch.  Today, these modern speakeasies are the dens of creative mixologists who are taking old-fashioned drinks and reinventing them with unique ingredients and a flair for the dramatic.  While clearly not illegal in modern times, their hidden locations, nondescript entrances,  and limited capacity, make you feel like you just might be doing something illicit.

Thirsty Thursday: Pusser’s Rum Painkillers

Back in a previous life, Sharon and I both found ourselves on the British Virgin Island of Tortola -- she on her honeymoon in 1991, and me with my hubby and friends during a cruise in 1996. There's not a lot to do on this island, other than go to Pusser's Bar and enjoy their (in)famous Painkiller cocktail. I don't remember much about that day after a few of these tropically tasty beverages, other than the fact that we DID make it back to the ship on time.

Sharon & Dan on Honeymoon circa 1991

Flash forward to last weekend, we went to Beckett's Table, an excellent restaurant here in Phoenix, and lo and behold, they offered up a Painkiller on their cocktail menu. Hubby ordered one immediately. One sip took us back to our Caribbean adventures. They were so good he had a second.

So, there's a holiday weekend coming up next week that marks the "end" of summer. Go get yourself some Pusser's Rum (here's a link that will help you locate it in your town) and whip yourself up a Painkiller (or two or three -- the website has a recipe on how to make them in batches) and lounge by your pool, lake or sprinkler. Cheers!

The Painkiller® is a blend of Pusser's Rum with 4 parts pineapple juice, 1 part cream of coconut and 1 part orange juice served over the rocks with a generous amount of fresh nutmeg on top. You have a choice of numbers 2, 3 or 4, which designate the amount of Pusser's Rum! Cheers!

• Painkiller #2 ... 2 parts Pusser's Rum
• Painkiller #3 ... 3 parts Pusser's Rum
• Painkiller #4 ... 4 parts Pusser's Rum

Thirsty Thursday: Happy Flag Day Everyone!

Cocktails should be fun.  And, what's more fun than concocting cocktails that go with a particular holiday or season?  So, this week, in honor of Flag Day (and in anticipation of Independence Day just around the corner), we looked around for ideas for patriotic cocktail recipes!  

In the search for ideas, we came across a new liqueur we hadn't tried before called Hpnotiq.  It is blend of French vodka, exotic fruit juices and a touch of cognac.  Most special is its wonderful vibrant blue color, which makes it a natural as a base for layered red, white and blue drinks.  (The same company also has introduced Hpnotiq Harmonie, which sports a beautiful violet shade which we will revisit on a future Thirsty Thursday.) 


For actual recipes, try one of the following: 

From www.drinksmixer.com

Old Glory

1/3 oz grenadine syrup
1/3 oz Hpnotiq liqueur
1/3 oz white chocolate liqueur 

Layer the drinks in above order into a shot glass. Red/white/blue like old glory. Shoot.

Simply Stated, a blog by Real Simple, had a series of red, white & blue cocktail recipes.  Check it out!

Thirsty Thursday: It's Getting Warm Out There!

Summertime is coming up on us faster than many of us want (spoken like a Phoenician prepping for five months of triple digits). We asked our buddy, Atlanta food PR maven Melissa Libby to have one of her restaurant clients provide us with a refreshing summer cocktail perfect for Memorial Day cookouts or just sitting by the pool.  Lara Creasy of JCT. Kitchen and Bar shared this fine tasting recipe. And one big bonus, it contains one of our faves -- Herbsaint. In keeping with JCT's farm-to-table mission, this summer-inspired twist on the Tom Collins also calls for Farmer's Organic Gin, in tribute to "our farmers."

Photo credit: McCall Webster/MLA

Farmer Tom's Collins

2 oz. Farmer's Organic Gin

1/2 oz. lemon juice

1/2 oz. simple syrup

1 bar spoon Herbsaint

Fresh herbs for muddling and garnish.

Soda water.

Tear fresh basil, thyme and dill or fennel fronds and muddle in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add Herbsaint, lemon, simple syrup and gin to glass. Add ice, cover with a shaker tin, and shake vigorously to combine. Fill a collins glass with fresh ice and strain cocktail into glass. (I like to allow bits of herb into the glass, so I don't double strain.) Top with soda water. Garnish with a piece or two of fresh herbs.

 ABOUT JCT. KITCHEN & BAR

JCT. Kitchen & Bar is one of Atlanta’s best restaurants located in the charming Westside Urban Market at 1198 Howell Mill Road.  JCT. Kitchen & Bar serves “Southern Farmstead Cooking” daily for lunch and dinner.  Head upstairs to JCT. Bar, voted one of the “Best Bars in America” by Esquire magazine, to keep an eye on the railroad tracks and enjoy the skyline with a drink in hand – it’s the perfect spot to enjoy Chef Ford Fry’s small Southern plates menu along with live music. JCT. Kitchen & Bar has been seen in Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Elle Décor, Atlanta Magazine, PEACH, The Atlantan, Jezebel, Daily Candy, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, John Mariani’s Virtual Gourmet, The Today Show.com and more. To make a reservation, call JCT. Kitchen & Bar at 404-355-2252 or visit www.jctkitchen.com.

Thirsty Thursday: Mystery Martini by Guest Writer John Pilate

Pilate's Drink

It's not often I'm asked to share my favorite recipes--probably because I'm happy with a can of beef stew, a grilled cheese with Miracle Whip or--when I'm feeling exotic--conch fritters. That's why I was a little confused when the FeedingFrenzy folks asked me about my favorite recipe. After I realized they wanted to know what my favorite drink recipe is, I felt much more confident and jumped at the chance.

I keep it simple when it comes to drinks. Nothing too fancy. Therefore, at the risk of being boring, here is my favorite drink.

I think it's a killer.

John Pilate's Mystery Martini aka Simon's Stir
Ingredients:
2 ½ oz Vodka of your choice (That's the "mystery." I prefer CLEAR10)
½ oz Lillet (I prefer its slightly sweeter taste--vermouth is boring)
Lemon or orange twist for garnish (an olive won’t be so great with Lillet.)
Preparation:
First, make sure your glass is well-chilled. (I can't abide a warm martini glass. How Hawkeye Pierce, et al. of M*A*S*H* could stand all those warm martinis, I'll never know. Then again, it was war.) You can put your martini glass in the freezer for an hour, or fill it with ice and put it in the freezer for ten minutes--just be sure to dump the ice out before you pour the drink into the glass.
Next, make the ingredients conspire. Pour them into a 20 oz mixing glass half-filled with cracked ice. Stir (sorry Mr. Bond, but stirring is actually better for the overall flavor of the drink. But do what you want--shake it if that's your thing) for 30 seconds (or 20 stirs clockwise, 20 stirs counter clockwise if you want to practice your safecracking skills). Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon or orange twist and serve.

You can imagine the look I got when I tried to order this at the saloon in Cross Township. (You'll have to read the book!)

I hope this solves the mystery of which drink to order. Enjoy!

John Pilate is the author of Murder 101: The Cross College Conspiracy, the story of how he unraveled a 40-year-old mystery and was nearly killed in the process. Pilate has been featured on 60 Minutes, Dateline NBC and in numerous national publications. He is currently promoting the book across the U.S. He pointedly refuses to explain why the drink is also known as "Simon's Stir."*

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*"John Pilate" is actually the lead character in two mystery novels, Pilate's Cross & Pilate's Key by J. Alexander Greenwood. The books are available in paperback and ebook form at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and on order at your local book store.  A third book in the series, Pilate's Ghost, is set for October release. Greenwood also enjoys Pilate's Mystery Martini every Friday at 5 pm.

Thirsty Thursday: Prepping for the Easter Brunch

We didn't want to wait until next Thursday to talk about beverages for that Easter Brunch you'll be hosting next weekend.  We figured you'll be way too busy at that point thinking about what you're cooking (we're making cheesy potatoes among other things -- more on that in a future post) and how you'll be decorating (Sharon will weigh in with some tips).  But, for now, let's get that bar stocked.

• Something bubbly -- you'll need some sparkling wine, whether it be Champagne, Prosecco, Cava or that pretty tasty, inexpensive Verdi they sell at Trader Joe's.  Serve it well chilled. You can mix it with orange juice for Mimosas, blood orange juice for beautifully colored Mimosas, or peach juice for Bellinis. Oh, and pick up some sparkling grape juice or apple cider for the kids and non-drinkers.
• Wine -- depending on what you're serving, you'll want to have a few bottles of crisp, fresh white wine. Think minerally, flinty, clean, like the Skouras Moschofilero from Greece.
• Beer --  now is not the time to be trying to get rid of your dark brews you have in the beer fridge. Today, serve some cold, crisp ales, perhaps one with a summery, citrus note like Shocktop, a Belgian White ale that is redolent of oranges and lemons.

Happy Spring!

Thirsty Thursday -- It's March Madness!

Our friends at getta!Table have put a fun twist on March Madness (especially for those of us who aren't all that into basketball) with a pick your favorite cocktail bracket contest.  There have been a few shocking upsets, and some surprises that lasted longer than they should have (holiday egg nog?!?).

Today's match up is between the margarita and the vodka tonic, or the Jager Bomb versus Cosmopolitan. To vote to see your favorite drink get to the Final 4, go to their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/gettatable.

Thirsty Thursday -- Bourbon School

Barb was lucky enough to attend Bourbon School last weekend at a great local bar Old Town Whiskey as part of Arizona Cocktail Week (which incidentally was the same week as Arizona Beer Week -- we were busy!).

Led by master mixologist John Christie, the 40 participants learned about the history of Bourbon, the making of it, and then...we got to sample. We tried four different Bourbons, with John helping us decipher the various nuances of the spirit. Bourbons, depending on their grain mix (though all have to be at least 51% corn) can be sweet, smooth, spicy, tangy, smoky and harsh.  Brands like Maker's Mark are pretty mellow as they target the mass audience. Bulleit adds in rye for a spicier finish that works really well in cocktails such as a Manhattan.  We then tried two different cocktails using Bourbon -- the Old Fashioned and the Mint Julep. The Julep was so good my companion and I stuck around and ordered another, and then bellied up to the bar to try their Manhattans and their stellar happy hour food (short rib sliders with an amazing cheddar sauce, and duck fat fries!!!).

There are a lot of great sources for Bourbon information....including www.bourbonblog.com and on Twitter, @bourboncc.

In the next week or so, John has agreed to share a cocktail recipe for a Thirsty Thursday.  Stay tuned!

Oh....and I passed Bourbon School!  Check out my report card!