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.

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.

Move Over Watermelon ...

It's strawberry season! What does this mean for cocktails? Well, sips flavored with muddled strawberries just happen to be my summer drink of choice these days. Here are just a few I've recently had the pleasure of sipping:

Strawberry Caipirinha @ Morels: a refreshing twist on a Latin classic made with Cabana cachaca, muddled strawberries, and lime juice.

Art Nuvo [shown] @ Laguna Champagne Bar: A fizzy concoction of Grey Goose, lemon juice, fresh strawberry puree, and Nuvo vodka, all topped off with Moet & Chandon Imperial.

And here is one I hope to be making July 4th weekend - I think it will go perfectly with our patriotic festivities.

Strawberry Rose Gimlet
Recipe by Mixologist Matthew Biancaniello of Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel
2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. Rosewater syrup
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
3 to 4 fresh strawberries

To make stir up 3 to 4 fresh strawberries with Rosewater syrup and fresh lemon juice. Add gin, shake with ice, and strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with cut strawberries.

SATC Week: Flirty & Fabulous

No SATC week would be complete without my favorite SATC cocktail of them all. There are many versions of the Flirtini, but this one is my favorite. The Flirtini is cocktail that the four soulmates were sippin' on Samantha's rooftop in the season three finale - my favorite season of all. Enjoy!

The Flirtini
1 oz. Stoli Strasberi vodka
1/2 oz. triple sec
1/2 oz. pineapple juice
Splash of lime juice
Champagne
4 raspberries

Combine vodka, triple sec, and juices together in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Float with champagne. Garnish with raspberries.

SATC Week: An oldie, but goodie

The Cosmopolitan
1½ oz Absolut Citron
½ oz Cointreau
½ oz cranberry juice
¼ oz lime juice

Shake all ingredients well with ice and fine strain in to a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Or, try this version from the ladies over at Yay! DIY.

Martini Talk presents: Sex and The City Week!

I have to admit, I was not a fan of the first SATC movie, for a number of reasons: too long, too sad, too too much bad product placement. But surprisingly, with the arrival of the sequel I find myself planning a SATC-themed cocktail party and dedicating an entire week's worth of blog posts to the fab foursome. What's changed? Eversince I found out that a certain handsome someone other than Big was making an appearance, I've been secretly counting down the days until the premiere.

Sex and The City may have escalated the Cosmopolitan into superstar status, but the show has also turned out other great cocktails and inspired many spirit brands to create their SATC-themed sips. This week, I'll be posting a few of my faves. So let's get started. Here are a few, courtesy of Prairie Organic Vodka.

Carrie Cosmo
Prairie Organic Vodka
St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
Organic Cranberry juice
Fresh lime.








Red Headed Miranda
2 parts Prairie Organic Vodka
2 parts pomegranate juice
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Shake over ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf.


Sweet Charlotte
3 parts Prairie Organic Vodka
4 parts green tea
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Shake over ice and strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass.






Sultry Samantha
2 oz Prairie Organic Vodka
2 oz Fresh Apple Cider
25 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
5 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with an apple slice or cinnamon stick.

Best. Cocktail. Ever.

I thought I was over the pear vodka drinks. That is, until I sipped the Peared Sake at Sunda in Chicago the other night. Seriously, this was the best drink I ever had! And apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks so -- the Peared Sake even won Cocktail of the Year on Metromix.com.

Why? Blame it on the stellar ingredients. Think Grey Goose La Poire, Zipang sparkling sake, pineapple juice, ginger syrup, a delicious cinnamon rim, and a chewy dried pear slice for garnish. I can't wait to start shaking these up at my place in NYC.

And since I'm mentioning Sunda, I can't forget about the Toasted Ginger Snap: a decadent blend of Bombay Sapphire, red grapefruit juice, lime juice, egg white, ginger syrup, anise seeds, mint, and a crushed almond and orange honey rum.

It tastes better than it looks...

The photo of the Grilled Pineapple & Cracked Pepper Martini you see here is courtesy of Bar Solutions, an Australian-based bar consulting firm who pitched in on the cocktail menu at SM23 Lounge in Morristown, New Jersey. The Aussies know their stuff when it comes to cocktails - unfortunately, the bartenders at SM23 couldn't quite get the look right, which could've been why I didn't even think to whip out my trusty new iPhone and snap a shot of the actual drink I was sippin' last weekend.

Nevertheless, the cocktails at SM23 deserve a mention here because of their innovative ingredients and overall deliciousness. If you ever find yourself in Morristown (a really cute town, btw), I highly recommend a round of these pinapple-y potables:

Grilled Pineapple & Cracked Pepper Martini: peppercorn-infused Belvedere vodka, chargrilled pineapple, lemon juice, chamomile syrup, and pineapple juice

Grilled Pineapple & Cardamom Martini: Belevedere vodka, cardamom pods, pineapple juice, chargrilled pineapple, vanilla syrup, lemon juice

BFF Off Signature

Every girls night out calls for it's own signature sip. Here's what the ladies and I were sippin' last night. Insanely Dee-lish.

Maharaja's Martini
1 part Grey Goose vodka
1 1/2 parts guava juice
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 mint leaves
splash of coco lopez
1 sprig of fresh mint for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, combine ingredients with ice. Shake vigorously and double strain. Serve in a chilled martini glass.

Case of the Mondays

Have a rough time getting up this morning? If you're still in funk come 5 p.m., I suggest heading home and mixing up this yummy sip - I first tried it at Wicky's in Playa del Carmen - guaranteed to pick you up in no time.

Blue Monday
2 oz. vodka
1/4 oz. triple sec
1/4 oz. blue curacao

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

What will you be stirring up this Christmas?

If you haven't given your holiday cocktail menu a thought, now's the time. The flavors of Christmas are just too good not to serve up over ice (think vanilla, cherry, coconut and spice). Need a recipe? Jonathan Pogash (aka. the Cocktail Guru) can definitely help. Making the rounds on the Today Show and Fox News this week stirring up holiday sips, he also posted the recipes on his blog. Here are two that I'm hoping to try this Friday:

Spiced Cherry Collins
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
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.

Coming Up Roses

This past weekend I celebrated turning another year better with my amazing co-workers at Rayuela on the Lower East Side. Of course, I had to pick a place with delicious cocktails and this stylish, Latin American spot did not disappoint. I pretty much stuck to pisco sours (lime juice, pasteurized egg white, Ocucaje Quebranta Pisco and a dash of bitters) the entire night, but did take a little detour to try what everyone else at the table was raving about: the Coming Up Roses, one of Rayuela's signature sips made with rose petals, limes, rose water, Bacardi Razz and Champagne. So good. If you go, also be sure to try the Vodka, mixed with sage leaves, Anjou pear, Luxardo Maraschino Liquor and -- my fave -- Grey Goose La Poire.

Moondance

Did you contribute to the $140 million+ the Twilight Saga: New Moon made over the weekend? That's right: 140+ million -- the film had the third biggest opening weekend in movie history. Being a Twilight fan myself, I think that calls for a toast. I wonder if Grey Goose had an inkling of Twilight's magnitude when they posted this recipe on Facebook last week...
Moonlight Martini
1 parts GREY GOOSE vodka
1.5 parts GREY GOOSE La Poire
1 part freshly pureed blackberries
1/2 part fresh lemon juice
1/3 part sugar syrup
1 part cabernet shiraz

Fill a cocktail shaker with all ingredients. Add ice and shake vigorously until the shaker beads with seat. Serve in a chilled martini glass and garnish with orange zest.

Seasonal Sips

Of all the seasons, Fall is definitely my favorite: the changing colors of leaves, cozy sweaters, football on Sundays, comforting flavors like pumpkin, cinnamon, and butternut squash - what's not to love? And when it comes to cocktails, the season offers plenty of inspiration. Here are two to shake up over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend.

GREY GOOSE® Pumpkin Divine (shown)
1 part GREY GOOSE Vodka
1 part pumpkin butter
½ part orange liqueur
½ part simple syrup
Pinch of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and ginger
Grated nutmeg and apple chip for garnish

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add all ingredients. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with nutmeg and apple chip.

GREY GOOSE® Falling Leaf Fizz
1 part GREY GOOSE La Poire vodka
4 parts sparkling wine
Dash of simple syrup
1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin butter
Pinch of pumpkin pie spice
Dried apple chip for garnish

Place La Poire, pumpkin butter, spice and syrup in a champagne glass. Stir well. Top with sparkling wine, garnish with and apple chip.

Brunch & Bloody Marys

I never liked Bloody Marys. The funny things is, I never actually tried one. But the name alone and the celery garnish was enough of a turn off for me to make it this far in life without ordering one at brunch. That all changed last week when a few Bloody Mary recipes turned up in my inbox from Grey Goose.

At first, I let them sit there - not having the heart to tell the person who sent them that I actually didn't like Bloody Marys (her words: "I literally craved one for dinner on Tuesday."). Tempting, but I was still not convinced.

Then my best friend Dayna came up for a visit and we found ourselves at brunch at Edward's last Saturday. The thought of sipping a mimosa turned my stomach, and having a beer just didn't seem right, so I thought, why not? I ordered a Bloody Mary.

Not sure what their secret recipe is, but I was hooked (maybe its because there was no crunchy celery stick in my cocktail - I hate crunch - and the fact that it only cost $5). I liked it so much, I ordered one the next day at breakfast at the Kitchenette - not as good as Edward's (there was a celery stick sighting), but it did the trick.

Now for one of those Grey Goose recipes I was talking about. Stay tuned for more this fall.

Grey Goose Mediterranean Mary
MIX
3 heaping Tbsp. of pre-made olive tapenade
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1.2 tsp. dried basil
1 heaping tsp. celery salt
1 heaping tsp. fresh ground black pepper
32 oz. tomato juice
5 tsp. hot sauce
2 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 oz. fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher with a tight-fitting lid. Close the pitcher and shake vigorously. Prepare up to four days in advance.

COCKTAIL
1 1/2 parts Grey Goose vodka or Grey Goose Le Citron
1 part dry sherry
3 parts Mediterranean Mary Mix
2 Tbsp. coarse salt and lemon wedge for rimming

Rub the juice side of a lemon on the outer-edge of a tall glass then roll the glass lip in coarse salt. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into prepared glass and present with a cucumber spear and olive.