2019: The Year of the Paloma

Oh 2019 ... I miss you so. Not only were we allowed out of our homes, but the Palomas were flowin'...

Hi there. It's been a long time since my last post, and a lot has change. I moved out of the city, got married, started a family, stopped drinking cocktails and started sipping a lot of wine. Fast-forward six years, and all that wine started giving me headaches. So enter the Paloma. The grapefruit version of a margarita that I discovered during brunch at NYC's Cosme early last year.

When I got back to my lovely little suburban home, I immediately started Googling recipes. This one from Bon Appetit is my go-to, but I have made a couple tweaks -- the first is that I swap Lacroix Pamplemousse for regular club soda. To rim the glass and give my sip a spicy kick, I also use Tajin, a chili-lime seasoning that I discovered pre-quarantine at Papatzul, an old favorite in Soho. And don't even think about using anything other than fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. No bottled stuff here. The result is a light, fizzy, and refreshing sip that goes down easy -- perfect for the warmer weather that will be arriving soon.

Photo Courtesy of Danny Kim

PALOMA
Courtesy of Bon Appetit Test Kitchen

Kosher salt (or substitute Tajin)
1 grapefruit wedge
¼ cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup mescal or tequila
¼ cup club soda (or substitue Lacroix Pamplemousse)

Pour some kosher salt on a plate (I use Tajin). Rub half of rim of a highball glass with grapefruit wedge; dip rim of glass in salt. Combine grapefruit juice, lime juice, and sugar in glass; stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in tequila, add ice, and top off with club soda. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.

New Year, New Blog

Happy New Year, everyone! I wanted to announce that Martini Talk is currently undergoing a re-branding of sorts. As my lifestyle has changed over the past two years and my thirst for innovative cocktails has grown more towards red wine and Veuve Cliquot, there has been less and less coverage on my blog. But I have missed writing, especially since leaving the publishing world a year ago. So I have decided to use this space as sort of a journal to record what has been happening in my life since I’ve stopped frequenting hidden cocktail dens and fancy restaurants.

 

Of course, I’ll always have a passion for tasty sips (espresso martinis, bloody mary’s, pineapple martinis and margaritas being my faves), and you may occasionally find a recipe or two on here if the post seems fit. But for now, I hope you’ll enjoy reading what’s to come. Hint: I’m going back to my roots … but this time, I’m turning the spotlight on my own wedding, and not someone else’s J .

Batten Down the Hatches

Our beach vacation got cut a little short today, as we were asked to evacuate Ocean City, NJ, way too early this morning due to Hurricane Irene. I'm still not over it. If you're heading out to the store with everyone else tonight, be sure to add the following ingredients to your emergency checklist so you can mix up this weekend's signature sip.

Hurricane
Courtesy of Dale DeGroff, Craft of the Cocktail

1 oz. dark rum
1 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. Galliano
2 oz. passion fruit nectar/syrup
2 oz. orange juice
2 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. simple syrup
Dash of Angostura bitters
Fresh tropical fruit, for garnish

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a hurricane glass filled with ice. Garnish with tropical fruit.

Congrats to Employees Only!



I have only been to Employees Only once -- and it was way before I was into the cocktail craze or even started this blog. Unfortunately, I didn't have the good sense back then to order a proper sip and the only thing that really made an impression was the fortune teller by the entrance.

But now I have a reason to go back, because this West Village speakeasy was just named Best Cocktail Bar in the World at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans last month! Click here to see what the guys behind the bar had to say about this well-deserved honor.

And if you can't make it to Employees Only any time soon, consider stirring up the recipe below, a modern take on a classic punch.

The Remedy
By Steve Schneider, Employees Only

1/2 part absinthe (2 cups) (Schneider's prefers Pernod 68 Absinthe - decent price, high proof, very well balanced)
1 part raw sugar syrup (4 cups)*
1 part fresh lime (4 cups)
2 parts filtered water (8 cups)
1 part Champagne (1 bottle)(Schneider's rec: Perrier Jouet Grand Brut for its level of dryness)
1 pound strawberries, sliced
2 long English cucumbers, sliced
3 limes, cut into wheels
grate nutmeg to taste

Take all the ingredients, except the Champagne and nutmeg and place them in a container overnight. The punch and the fruit will soak together nicely overnight. Once ready to serve, add the decorative ice mold** and add punch. Top off with the Champagne and grate nutmeg to taste***

*Sugar syrup: 2 cups of water to every 1 pound of sugar. Heat all ingredients in a saucepan and stir until sugar is dissolved, let cool and bottle.

**Decorative Ice Mold: Purchase any sized bundt pan and fill it up by strategically placing strawberries and cucumbers with ice cubes in the pan before topping it off with water and freezing overnight. This provides a nice large block of ice to keep your punch cold, and as it melts, it will add more fruit to your punch -- it also adds a cool decor element to the table.

***Don't add the Champagne until the end so it doesn't go flat. A note about the fruit that's been sitting in the punch overnight: Schneider likes to discard the original fruit because it can get mushy after sitting overnight and replace it with new, diced fruit small enough so it can comfortably fit in the glass and won't hinder the drinking experience.

Bloody Dave's

Charlie and I have sipped our fair share of Bloody Mary's this summer. It all started at Dayna & Dave's house a few months ago, when Dave whipped up a batch as pre-dinner cocktails. So good, we've adopted his recipe as our own, and on the weekends you'll find us sippin' "Bloody Dave's" for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Dave Gray's Signature Recipe: 1 shot of vodka; clamato juice; 1 lemon and lime slice each; couple dashes each of black pepper, worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce; horseradish to taste (found in the deli section of the grocery story, btw); Spanish olives and black olives.

Here are a few of my other favorite places to try this classic brunch thirst-quencher:

Standard Tap, Philadelphia
Stubbs, Austin (make your own Bloody Mary bar)
Blue Pig Tavern, Cape May
Mother's, New Hope (shown above)

Dirty Monkeys & Flaming Coffees in Cabo

The No. 1 highlight of our vacation to Cabo San Lucas this past spring? We got engaged (awww....). The No. 2 highlight of the trip? The drinks, of course (at least for the purposes of this blog)!

I'm obsessed with pina coladas, but to curb my waistline I treat them similar to the way I treat Philly cheese steaks (two per year for the sammies; only when I'm in a tropical destination for the sips). So, as the bartender at the Riu Palace pool bar was mixing up my second colada of the day, she stopped and realized she made a slight mistake. "You want to try a Dirty Monkey?" she asked. Why not? I was on vacay, after all. Her mistake turned into my new favorite by-the-pool sip.

Dirty Monkey
1 oz. coconut rum
1 oz. creme de bananas
1 oz. creme de cacao
1 oz. Kahlua
2 scoops vanilla ice cream or milk

Blend six ice cubes with ice-cream in a blender until smooth. Add liqueurs and continue blending, again until smooth. Add more ice-cream if needed (for milkshake consistency). Pour into a highball glass, and serve.

Another highlight? Flaming coffees at Los Deseos on the marina. Gimmick? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely!

Lemony-licious

I love all things lemon. Lemon-blueberry pancakes, my mom's lemon biscotti, lemon bars and, of course, lemon-y cocktails. So for my best friend's bridal shower this past May, I mixed up a batch of Sparkling Lemon Vodka cocktails as the celebration's signature sip. They were so good that this pretty container didn't last very long as a decor element!

Lemon Vodka Sparkling Cocktails*
1 cup vodka, chilled
1/2 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 2/3 cups Champagne, or other sparkling wine, chilled

Combine vodka and lemonade in a pitcher; chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, add Champagne and stir gently. Yields 8 half-cup servings (I think I tripled this recipe for the party).

*This recipe was adapted from Cooking Light's gin version.

Another lemon cocktail recipe I'm obsessed with? Lemon Verbena Gimlets

Wake Up Sippin'

As I sit here sippin' a double Nespresso cappuccino (my new favorite non-alcoholic drink on a weekend morning), I was reminded that I forgot to post about one of the most brilliant additions to my favorite spirited sip - the Espressotini.

Genius-ness was found at Balthazar (a place I dearly miss for a breakfast since leaving my last job which was located just around the corner. Eggs Florentine, yum...). The drink was the Pradotini (or Pravotini?). The additional twist? A splash of orange vodka which added a delicate hint of citrus to the finish. Devine. Unfortunately, I can't find the recipe anywhere, but if I was gonna give it a shot at home, I'd start with this and adjust accordingly:

Espressotini...inspired by Balthazar
2 oz. espresso
1 oz. Absolut Vanil
1 oz. Grey Gooose L'Orange
1/2 oz. Starbucks Coffee Liqueur

Shake over ice, and strain into a very chilled martini glass.

Countdown to 2011

There seems to be a few recurring themes on my Top 10 sip list for 2010: anything flamed, spicy, coconut-flavored, or mixed with a brown spirit made the cut. But having said all that, #1 is made with none of the above. But that's OK, because it's still the Best. Cocktail. Ever. Let's take a look.

10. Grilled Pineapple and Cracked Pepper Martini
9. Maharaja's Martini
8. The Calabria
7. El Halcon
6. Sazerac
5. Pale Rider
4. Mulberry Street Vesper
3. Verbena Pisco Sour
2. 8 Days a Week
1. Peared Sake

Happy New Year everyone!

Sippin' Mele-Kalikimaka Style

For my birthday this year, we decide to do something a little different. Since the cold seems to be sticking around, we decided to hit up the new tiki bar right around the the corner from office, Lani Kai.

This new hotspot is the brainchild of Hawaiian-born, cocktail maven Julie Reiner. And like all Reiner establishments, the cocktails are absolutely out of this world. I think between the nine of us, we had one of everything on the menu. Here's a sampling:

8 Days a Week (my personal favorite): Haitian, Jamaican and Guyanan Rums, toasted coconut milk, demerara, vanilla syrup and Donn's spices.

Pacific Swizzle: white rum infused with rosehip, lemongrass and hibiscus tea, lime juice and passion fruit.

Hotel California: Dried apricot infused Old Tom gin, pisco, lime, pineapple juice, toasted almond orgeat, and Peychaud's bitters.

Leilani's Fizz: Gin, lychee, lime juice, lemongrass syrup and club soda.

Isle of Islay Swizzle (another fave): blended scotch, coconut liqueur, house falernum, passion fruit, and lemon juice.

The Lone Palm: Gin, ginger syrup, melon, basil, lime juice.

E Kipa Mai: Mezcal, agave syrup, pineapple, lime juice and amara.

The Maya Well: Raspberry tea infused blanco tequila, ginger, pineapple, and lime juice.

And of course, we needed to try a Mai Tai: aged Martinique and Jamaican rums, lime juice, toasted almond orgeat and curacao.

What I should have blogged about in 2010, but didn't...

I have a bad habit of typing up cocktails in my iPhone notes while I'm at the bar and then forgetting about them. I should tweet them, but I can't get the hang of the Twitter to save my life - LOL! So here are a few tasty sips I discovered on my trek back and forth across the U.S. this year. Enjoy!

Rock the Casbah at the Ace Hotel, New York: vodka, hibiscus syrup, lemon juice and prosecco.

Verbena Pisco Sour at Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak in San Francisco: pisco, fresh muddled verbena, housemade verbena syrup, fresh lemon juice, egg white, fresh distilled verbena water spray.

Cherry Blossom at Spice Market in NYC: G’Vine gin, cherry yuzu, and Thai basil.

I'm Effen Sexy at Magnolia in Pasadena: Effen Black Cherry Vodka, X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, Peachtree Schnapps, and cranberry juice.

Flying Wasp at Brinkley's in NYC: Iced Tea Vodka, housemade lemonade, and mint.

Warming up at The James

Last night, I got the opportunity to check out one of the sexiest new rooftop bars in NYC: Jimmy at The James hotel in Soho -- a brand spankin' new spot you won't want to miss.

David Burke is the mastermind behind this hip, urban spot, which has stunning views of the NYC skyline, a cozy vibe complete with a fireplace, and a few holiday trimmings to set the scene (think elegant seasonal flowers and a few twinkle lights).

It was an insanely cold day and we were looking for a warm-up, so Justin -- the extremely knowledgeable bartender and doppleganger for Dominic Monaghan, stirred up the following sips made with fresh herbs taken right from the on-site Chef's Garden:

Mulberry Street Vesper: Luksusowa Vodka, Plymouth Gin, Lillet, Liquore Strega & a dash of Cynar served up with a flamed orange twist.

Adirondack Sazaerac: Michter’s American Rye & muddled rosemary with fresh mint & housemade bitters.

Legal in Vermont: Knob Creek Bourbon and organic Vermont maple syrup served over a cinnamon ice block (super cool and dee-lish!), and red shiso garnish.

'Tis the Season to Sip

I've just been asked to recommend some cocktails for the holiday season, so I thought I'd do a quick blog post with a round up of a few of my faves from past years. Hope this season is a very merry one for everyone!

Coquito
Courtesy of The Food Network
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 (14 oz.) can condensed milk
2 egg yolks
2 cups fresh coconut milk or 1 (15 oz.) can coconut milk
Pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup Bacardi white rum

Place all ingredients in a blender and process for 3 minutes at high speed until frothy. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator and serve chilled, dusted with a little cinnamon.

Christmas Cosmo
Courtesy of RecipeZaar.com
1 1/2 oz. rosemary-infused vodka
1/2 oz. triple sec
1 oz. cranberry juice
1 inch rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Cranberries, for garnish

To make the rosemary-infused vodka, coarsely chop 1 bunch of rosemary and put it in a fifth of vodka overnight and then strain out the rosemary. To make the drink, shake all the liquids in a cocktail shaker and then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with 1 cranberry and a little sprig of rosemary.

Sugar Plum Fairy
Courtesy of Stirrings
2 oz. Stirrings Sugar Plum Martini
1 oz. Ciroc Vodka
Splash sparkling wine or dry Champagne

In a champagne flute, top Sugar Plum Martini and vodka with sparkling wine or Champagne.

Eggnog Martini
Courtesy of Stirrings
2 oz. Stirrings Egg Nog
1.5 oz. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
Stirrings Egg Nog Rimmer Garnish

Shake with ice and serve straight up in a Stirrings Egg Nog rimmed glass.

Poinsettia Cocktail
1/2 oz. Combier
3 oz. cranberry juice, chilled
Orange twist
Champagne

In a champagne flute, combine Combier and cranberry juice. Add the orange twist, top with champagne and serve.

Spiced Cherry Collins '
Courtesy of Jonathan Pogash
1 1/2 oz. Christmas Tea-infused Bombay Sapphire Gin**
3 cherries, pitted
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. clove syrup**
Club Soda
Garnish: cherry and cloved lime slice
Glass: highball

Muddle the cherries, then shake other ingredients except for club soda in a cocktail shaker then strain into highball glass with ice. Top w/ club soda. Stir briefly.

To make Christmas tea-infused Bombay Sapphire Gin: For every one 750 ml bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin, add in 3 Christmas tea bags to airtight container w/ Gin. Allow to infuse for approx. 30 minutes. Remove tea bags and serve.

To make clove syrup: Combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of demerara sugar or sugar in the raw. Add in 1 tbsp whole cloves and heat until sugar is dissolved. Then simmer for approx. 10 minutes. Strain out cloves, chill, and serve.

Spicy Elf
Courtesy of Jonathan Pogash
1 oz. Belvedere IX Vodka
1/2 oz. Allspice Liqueur
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. agave nectar
Ginger Beer
Garnish: peppermint sprig

Shake the first four ingredients together in a cocktail shaker and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with splash of ginger beer.

Warming up for the Holidays

Charlie and I survived not only our first major holiday together, but also a weeklong vacation that didn't involve us leaving for a far-off, fun-filled destination. Luckily, we made out pretty well, which has me even more excited for our move next week!

But Thanksgiving was just warm up - we got a busy December ahead as I'm sure you all do as well. So here's a little something to help get you through what I like to refer to as "the Holly Daze".

Winter Warmer
Courtesy of The National
2 oz. Maker's Mark Bourbon
1/2 oz. Pimms No. 1
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 dash orange bitters
10 rosemary leaves
2-3 oz. hot cider

Combine Maker's Mark, Pimms No. 1, orange bitters, lime juiice, cinnamon and shredded rosemary in a mixing glass and stir for 20 seconds. Strain liquid into a mug and add hot cider. Garnish with fresh grated cinnamon. Finish and repeat.

The Best Of Begins...

Tasting Table NYC just posted its Best of 2010 Cocktail list today. Click here to see who made the cut. This one in particular caught my eye (maybe 'cause I'm off to Texas in about an hour...):

Chupacabra
Courtesy of Fatty 'Cue
1 ounce silver tequila
¾ ounce chile-infused Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur (see Note)
1 ounce fresh watermelon juice
½ ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce pineapple syrup (see Note)
Ice
1 lime wedge, for garnish

Combine all of the ingredients except the lime wedge in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, shake well and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with the lime wedge and serve.

Note: To make the infused Domaine de Canton, open a full bottle of the liqueur, pour off 1 ounce and drop in one long, fresh red chile and three fresh Thai chiles, all stemmed and cut lengthwise. Allow the mixture to stand for at least 24 hours before using. To makes the pineapple syrup, peel, core and quarter one fresh pineapple, then slice into 1/4-inch pieces. Combine the pieces with a quart of raw sugar and a quart of water, bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer until the pineapple turns translucent. Turn off the heat, allow to steep for one hour, then strain out the pineapple and reserve for another use.

Stay tuned for Martini Talk's Best Of 2010 list later next month!

Making it Official

Today is a good day. Not only is it my 5-year anniversary of living and working up in NYC, but Martini Talk is finally "official" according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office - the seal arrived in my mailbox this morning - woo-hoo!

In addition to the two milestones above, there is a also a slew of other reasons to celebrate:

My best friend, Dayna, finally got engaged to her longtime boyfriend and best friend, Dave.
My other best friend, Tracy, is expecting her second child. Here she is with her super-cute Grady.
My awesome brother and his wife Jenn celebrated their 5-anniversary this past week.
My parents are turning 60 and lookin' and feelin' fabulous.
And my boyfriend Charlie and I are moving in together in a couple of weeks.

So tonight, we are kickin' the holiday season off a little early, poppin' some champagne, and mixin' up a few signature sips with our closest friends to celebrate all of the above. Good times :)

Oh and for today's cocktail recipe, I think the Lovely Day -- a blend of Milagro tequila, Ribena blackcurrent syrup, lime juice, and club soda -- from the lobby bar at the Ace Hotel couldn't be a more perfect sip.

Spanish Sips

The other night, I met a friend at one of my very favorite restaurants in New York, Sala 19. This place is one of those rare restaurants in New York City where I feel the urge to visit again and again. It's my go-to place for meeting up with friends, celebrating Big City milestones and first dates (though I happily believe my days of those are long gone...). Sala 19 is sexy, sophisticated, loud, dimly lit, affordable -- and the tapas are so damn good.


For drinks, I usually get the red sangria, but the other night, bartender Joe concocted up his own specialty for us, the El Halcon, a smooth blend of Hendrick's Gin, St. Germain, grapefruit bitters, a splash of cranberry (for color). Once all the ingredients are shaken and poured into a martini glass, Joe singed and orange peel with a match to give this sip a smokey flavor. The finishing touch? Topping the whole thing off with some bubbly cava. Salut!

Sips from The Knot Gala

This past week, we celebrated the 15th anniversary of The Knot at an amazing gala at the New York Public Library (check out all the pics here). Of course, no party is complete without a menu of signature cocktails, so we called upon the Cocktail Guru himself, Jonathan Pogash, who just launched his Wedding Cocktail Design blog and graciously hopped behind the bar to mix up the following sips for our 750+ guests. Thanks, Jonathan!

Manhattan Wedding Punch
(wedding theme: simple, backyard, harvest, seasonal)
(season: fall/winter)
(color scheme: caramel)

2 parts Bols Genever
1 part Sailor Jerry Rum
1/2 part Domaine de Canton Ginger liqueur
1 part Apple Cider
3/4 part Fresh Lemon juice
1/2 part maple syrup
The Bitter Truth Aromatic bitters to taste

Directions: Add all to punch bowl with several lemon and orange wheels, and chill and dilute w/ ice. Add freshly grated nutmeg when ready to serve.

Cranberry Spice Sparkler
(wedding theme: Holidays, Valentine’s Day, modern)
(season: fall)
(color scheme: cranberry, cardinal, burgundy, candy apple)

5 whole fresh cranberries
1 heaping tsp. pumpkin pie spice agave nectar
splash of fresh lemon juice
3 oz. Sparkling wine

Directions: Muddle the cranberries in the pumpkin agave nectar and lemon juice. Add the sparkling wine and ice and gently fold. Strain into a chilled champagne flute.

Garnish: a floating cranberry

New Favorite NYC Cocktail Den

I know, I know - long time, no sip. Honestly, I didn't do much sippin' (of exciting cocktails, that is), this past summer. However, last week I did venture out to the big, bad East Village to check out a cocktail den I've been dying to try. Mayahuel is this great, little Mexican restaurant off Second Avenue that, of course, barely has a sign for it's name outside. Inside, its sexy, dark, and romantically lit - if there is more than two in your party, squeezing into one of their cave-like booths could be difficult, or just cozy depending on how comfortable you are with getting a little closer - but this is New York, right? We're used to this.

OK, so onto the cocktails. Three words: Smokey. Spicey. Tequila. An excellent cocktail combo in my opinion. Here's what we sipped:

Pale Rider: Fino sherry, jalapeno-infused tequila, sugar cane, and lime juice.

Blackfriar Cobbler: Mescal, sloe gin, lemon juice, sugar cane, and blackberries.

In addition to tequila-infused sips, Mayahuel also has a lengthy list of cerveza cocktails, tequila flights, punches, wine cocktails and more. Seriously, there is so much to try, I may just make Mayahuel my bar of choice for fall and try to sip my way to Mexico.

Not Your Daddy’s Gin & Tonic

Guest blog post from my sippin' sister, Linda.

This is my first time doing a guest post (after being a devoted reader), but I was compelled to write about the buzz surrounding what some may consider an 'old school' spirit. I’m no certified expert, but gin is back and in a big way (or, at the very least seems to be popping up everywhere these days).

Confession: I've always loved a good gin and tonic. However, recently, I tasted an absolutely fantastic cocktail which blends gin with another ingredient that turned out to be equally as refereshing as my old standby –- strawberries (Martini Talk called it earlier this summer -- this fruit is hot)!

Maybe it was the beautiful night under the stars, maybe it was the picturesque location (outdoors by the lily pool), but at a recent Brooklyn Botanic Garden benefit, the bartenders were mixing a signature cocktail (courtesy of Hendrick’s Gin) that simply hit the spot and had me dreaming of the start of summer!

Light and refreshing without being too sweet. It’s a crowd pleaser perfect for your next outdoor party!

Enjoy and happy sipping!!!!
-- LDV

Playful Perennial Punch
(serves 4)
3 oz Hendrick's Gin
2 oz Lillet Blanc
4 med strawberries
1 oz fresh strained lime juice
1.5oz Raspberry Zinger syrup (2 bags: 4oz H20; 4 oz sugar)

Muddle strawberries and syrup. Add Ice, shake with vigor and double strain into a punch bowl with an ice block inside*. Top with 4oz sparkling wine and 4oz Sparkling Water. Garnish with thin peach slices and the freshest edible flowers.

*Take a quart container or jell-o mold, fill it with filtered water and freeze overnight. Pour a little warm water over the outside of the mold just before service to release the ice.