Category: Cocktails

Not surprisingly, most cocktails have their own histories. It’s almost never clear cut, but it’s always fun. Let’s find out a little more, shall we?

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cocktails? Yes, please.

So, in the ultimate celebration of childhood, someone in the world decided that April 2 was going to be National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. How fantastic is that? To fully honor such a brilliant day, I’ve collected cocktail recipes inspired by this favorite lunchbox sandwich.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Milkshake

Created by Cooking Channel’s Nadia G

Ingredients:

2 ounces PB&J Vodka
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
1/2 banana
1 heaping tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 heaping tablespoon fresh raspberries
Toasted peanuts for garnish

Add ingredients to a blender and blend to combine. Serve in tall glass and garnish with toasted peanuts.

PB&J Shot

Ingredients:

3/4 oz Frangelico liqueur
3/4 oz Chambord liqueur

Combine liqueurs in a shaker over ice. Shake well and strain into a shot glass.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Martini

Ingredients:

2 parts Vodka
1 Part Black Currant Liqueur
1 Part Hazelnut Liqueur
1 Part Strawberry Puree
1 Whole Strawberry

Combine all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a strawberry.

April 2, 2014
Schnapp Cocktails

If alcohol makes the world go round, then schnapps are the pit stops everyone must take along the way. They exist in many of the most popular cocktails, are guzzled in even the toughest shots and provide the perfect mix for punches, jungle juice, and girls nights alike.

The term schnapps originated from the German word Schnappen, to snap, and usually refers to a mixture of brandy, gin, vodka or other liquor. In the United States, the term has come to refer to a new generation of flavored alcohols. With flavors like butterscotch, sour apple, root beer, strawberry, peppermint, hazelnut, and bubblegum, schnapps have a little something for everyone, and become a major contributor to the popularity of fruity cocktails.

Drinks made from Schnapps come in all types, from combining it with hard alcohols like Jack Daniels to mixing it in Daiquiris, to combining it with simple recipes to make new combinations.

AppleJack

Like apple juice on fire, the combination of sour apple schnapps and Jack Daniels will sweeten up the night.

Ingredients:

2 oz Sour Apple Schnapps
2 oz Jack Daniels

In a shaker, combine ingredients with ice. Shake liberally and strain into a shot glasses. Serves 5.

Strawberry Mango Daiquiri

Ingredients:

1 part Strawberry Schnapps
1 part Mango Rum
3 parts Daiquiri Mix
2 cups of Ice
Pineapple Slices for Garnish

Blend schnapps, rum, daiquiri mix and ice in a blender on low speed until slushy. Pour blended mix into daiquiri glasses and garnish with a slice of pineapple.

Fuzzy Naval

The Fuzzy Naval takes the basic recipe of a Screwdriver and replaces vodka with peach schnapps.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Peach Schnapps
3 oz Orange Juice

Combine schnapps and orange juice in a cocktail glass with ice. Serve.

Goldschlägger

One of the most well known schnapps, Goldschlägger offers a cinnamon taste accented with small leaves of gold. While the majority of schnapps are around approximately 30% alcohol, Goldschlägger is 43.5%, making it popular with young men for use in shots such as Liquid Cocaine.

Liquid Cocaine

Ingredients:

.5 oz Goldschlägger
.5 oz Jagermeister
.5 oz Rumplemintz

In a shot glass, combine Goldschlägger, Jagermeister and Rumplemintz. Serve cold.

The flavors that make schnapps so popular have made their way into other liquors, giving way to flavored vodkas and rum such as Three Olives Grape Vodka and Bacardi Raspberry. Because of schnapps, the drinking world now demands more flavor.

March 26, 2014
St Paddy’s Day Shots: The Frogger

Trying to find a St. Paddy’s shot that doesn’t include Irish whiskey or slamming half a glass of Guinness? Look no further. Not only is the Frogger appropriately green, but it also tastes amazing, cutting the mint with coffee and cream flavors to form an amazing shot experience that is perfect for your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. This recipe serves five, so grab some friends and enjoy.

The Frogger

Ingredients:

3 oz of creme de menthe
3 oz of Kaluha
4 oz of Irish creme

In a shaker, combine creme de menthe, Kaluha, and Irish creme over ice. Shake well. Pour into shot glasses and serve.

March 17, 2014
The Great and Powerful Mimosa

The mimosa is a favorite cocktail for brunches, weddings and other celebrations. Because of its popularity, many variations on this drink have been formed.

The mimosa is a fizz cocktail made from combining champagne and orange juice in a champagne flute. It’s served traditionally as a brunch cocktail, and is often served as part of the morning festivities before a wedding or other special occasion.

Named for the creamy, frothy look of the mimosa blossom, the Mimosa cocktail was first introduced at the Paris Ritz in 1925. There has been some controversy as to whether the drink was stolen from the Buck’s Fizz recipe, introduced in 1921 at the Buck’s Club in London. The drinks are nearly exact, except for the ratio of orange juice to champagne. Most have come to accept them as the same drink, and it is most often referred to as the Mimosa, with the exception of Britain, where it is still referred to as the Buck’s Fizz.

The Mimosa

Ingredients:

2 oz Chilled Orange Juice
3 1/2 oz Chilled Champagne

Pour the orange juice in a champagne flute. Add the champagne, being careful not to let it over flow. Do not garnish.

To make a virgin mimosa, replace the champagne with sparkling water or lemon-lime soft drink.

Variations

Grand Mimosa

Ingredients:

1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1 oz Chilled Orange Juice
3 oz Chilled Champagne

Pour Grand Marnier into a champagne flute. Fill almost to the top with champagne and top off with fresh orange juice.

Poinsettia

Ingredients:

2 oz Chilled Cranberry Juice
3 1/2 oz Chilled Champagne

Pour the cranberry juice in a champagne flute. Add the champagne, being careful not to let it overflow.

Beermosa

Ingredients:

2 oz Chilled Orange Juice
3 1/2 oz Chilled Hefeweizen

Pour the orange juice in a champagne flute. Add the hefeweizen, being careful not to let it overflow.

Bloody Mimosa

Ingredients:

2 oz Chilled Tomato Juice
3 1/2 oz Chilled Pink Champagne

Pour the tomato juice in a champagne flute. Add the champagne, being careful not to let it overflow.

Preetmosa

Ingredients:

2 oz Chilled Pomegranate Juice
2 oz Chilled Champagne

Pour the pomegranate juice in a champagne flute. Add the champagne, being careful not to let it overflow.

Bellini

Ingredients:

1 oz white peach puree (can be made fresh or purchased)
5 oz chilled Champagne

Pour the peach puree in a champagne flute. Add the champagne, being careful not to let it overflow.

Kir

Ingredients:

1/4 oz Creme de Cassis
2 1/4 oz Dry White Wine

Pour the creme de cassis into a wine glass. Slowly add the dry white wine.

While it should always go without saying, drinking responsibly is the most important part of enjoying any variation of the mimosa. Have a designated driver, or ask the bartender to call a cab or the local safe ride home program. Know your limit and be smart.

March 10, 2014
Tequila Cocktails

The most feared alcohol behind a bar, everyone has a tequila story. Whether it makes you giggle, makes you crazy or just plain makes you sick, everyone knows tequila. Whether in a shot or mixed in a cocktail, tequila is an essential behind the bar. Many of today’s most popular drinks are made with this agave-based alcohol.

Tequila Slammer

Ingredients:

1 part Tequila
1 part 7-up or Ginger Ale

Pour Tequila and 7-up or Ginger Ale in a rocks glass. Put a napkin or hand over the top of the glass and slam it on the bar 3 times. Drink immediately.

Tequila Sunrise

Ingredients:

2 oz. Tequila
3 oz. Orange Juice
2 dashes Grenadine Syrup
A splash of lime juice
Highball Glass

Pour tequila in a highball glass with ice and top with lime and orange juice. Add grenadine by tipping the glass to its side and pouring the grenadine down the inside, making sure it settles at the bottom. The grenadine should rise slowly though the drink, resembling a sunrise. Serve.

Margarita (on the rocks)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Tequila
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Fresh Lime
Salt
Lime wedge for garnish

In a shaker, pour tequila, cointreau and lime. Shake until thoroughly mixed. Pour into a salt rimmed margarita glass. Garnish with a lime. Serve.

El Diablo

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. Tequila
1/2 oz. Crème de Cassis
1/2 Lime
Ginger Ale

Fill an old fashioned glass half full with ice, squeeze the lime over the ice and place the lime into the glass. Add tequila and crème de cassis, top with gingerale and stir gently.

Long Island Iced Tea

Ingredients:

1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Light Rum
1/2 oz Tequila
1/2 oz Triple Sec
2 oz Sour Mix or Sweet and Sour Mix
1 Splash Cola
Tall glass

Mix vodka, gin, rum, and tequila in a tall glass. Add triple sec and sour mix. Splash with cola for color . Serve with a lemon garnish.

Purple Gecko

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Tequila
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
1/2 oz Orange liqueur
1 oz Cranberry juice
1 oz Sweet and Sour mix
1/2 oz Lime Juice

In a shaker, pour combine ingredients over ice and shake well. Pour into a salt rimmed cocktail or margarita glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Cowboy Killer

Ingredients:

1 1/4 oz Tequila
3/4 oz Irish cream
1/2 oz Butterscotch schnapps
Half-and-Half

Pour tequila, Irish cream and schnapps into a cocktail glass. Add ice and half-and-half. Pour into a shaker, shake to mix and pour back into the glass. Garnish with a cherry, and serve.

Brave Bull

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Tequila
1 oz Coffee Liqueur
1 twist lemon peel

Pour tequila and coffee liqueur over ice in an cocktail glass and stir. Add twist of lemon and serve.

March 7, 2014
Jack Daniels Cocktails

Straight up, on the rocks, mixed with coke, or a pull from the bottle, Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey has been a whiskey lover’s favorite since the distillery’s inception in 1866. As popular it is, Jack Daniels is not traditionally used in many more complicated mixed drinks, nor do its drinkers necessarily want it to be. Jack Daniels cocktails do exist, however, and those who enjoy them take the time to come up with creative and delicious recipes. Try these tasty recipes and you may never go back to straight Jack again.

Japanese Jack

An oriental mix to sweeten the taste buds.

Ingredients:

1 oz Jack Daniels
2 oz Plum Wine
5 oz Sweet mix
Lemon or Lime Wedge for garnish

Combine ingredients into a glass over ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon or lime, and serve.

Tennessee Tea

A Jack Daniel’s distillery original.

Ingredients:

1 part Jack Daniels
1 part Triple Sec
1 part Sweet and Sour
2 part Cola

In a mason jar (if there is no access to a mason jar, a pint glass is sufficient), combine all ingredients over ice and serve.

3 Wise Men Hunting Turkeys in Mexico (Shot)

Consisting of all very potent alcohols, please be advised that this is not a shot to be taken lightly.

Ingredients:

1 part Jack Daniels
1 part Jim Beam
1 part Johnnie Walker
1 part Jose Cuervo
1 part Wild Turkey

In a shaker, combine ingredients. Strain into a shot glass and serve.

Alabama Slammer

Alabama Slammers are made many different ways, but when it’s mixed with Jack Daniels, the drink has a more pronounced southern feel to it.

Ingredients:

1/2 oz Southern Comfort
1/2 oz Jack Daniels
1/2 oz Amaretto
1/2 oz Sloe Gin
Orange juice

Combine liquors in a glass over ice. Fill with orange juice and serve.

Jack Daniel’s Lynchburg Lemonade

It’s only proper to name this cocktail after the home of the distillery.

Ingredients:

1 part Jack Daniel’s
1 part Sweet and Sour Mix
1 part Triple Sec
4 parts Sprite
Lemon Slices and Cherries for garnish

Combine ingredients in a glass over ice. Garnish with lemon slices and cherries and serve.

International Jack

For world travelers, Gentleman Jack offers this favorite.

Ingredients:

2 oz Jack Daniels
1/4 oz Dry Shack Sherry
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Orange Peel for garnish

Mix ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a glass. Garnish with an orange peel and serve.

Slow Comfortable Screw on a Dogbox

From the backwoods of Florida comes this creatively named aperitif.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Jack Daniels
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort
1 1/2 oz Sloe Gin
1 splash Grenadine
Orange Juice

In a pint glass (or a mason jar if there is one available), combine Jack, Southern, and Sloe gin. Fill with orange juice, add splash of grenadine, and serve.

March 5, 2014
The White Russian and variations

A pop culture icon and creamy after dinner drink, the White Russian is an American favorite. It has also inspired many spin-off drinks, all with tastes of their own.

Ask any man from 20 to 40 what they think of the White Russian and his response may likely be, “The Dude abides.” The reference, and the cause for the White Russian’s most recent surge in popularity, is the movie “The Big Lebowski.” In the movie, the main character, The Dude, drinks the vodka, kahlua, and cream combination religiously, and to a most hilariously fault.

The Dude’s favorite cocktail was around many decades before even he could enjoy it, inspiring new drinks and adding more options to after dinner libations. Each drink in the White Russian family has a uniqueness that makes it a tasty treat.

White Russian

It’s difficult to put a date on the invention of any cocktail, and the White Russian is no exception. However, the name of the drink dates it near the end of World War I, when the “White Russians”, an anti-Bolshevik group, was still in existence. The drink itself isn’t Russian, but the combination of vodka as its main ingredient and the white color of the cream, give the cocktail its name.

Ingredients:

2 oz Vodka
2 oz Kahlua
1 oz Cream

Pour vodka and Kahlua over ice in a cocktail glass. Add the cream on top. Serve. Half and Half, milk, and Irish creme are often substituted for the cream.

Black Russian

Called a Black Russian due to the absense of the cream, this cocktail officially originated in 1949 in Brussels. The story says that a Belgium barmaid at the Hotel Metropole created the drink as a tribute to the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, Perle Mesta.

Ingredients:

3 oz Vodka
2 oz Kahlua

In a cocktail glass, add the Vodka and Kahlua over ice. Serve

The Colorado Bulldog

By adding a little cola taste, the Colorado Bulldog, or .357, gives something special to the original drink.

Ingredients:

1 ounce Vodka
1 ounce Kahlua
.5 oz Half-and-half
.5 oz of Cola

Add Vodka and Kahlua to a rocks glass over ice. Add cream or half-and-half. Top with Cola. Stir Slightly and serve.

Black Magic

To make the Black Russian a little sour, add some lemon.

Ingredients:

2 oz Vodka
1 oz Kahlua
1 dash fresh lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.

February 19, 2014
The Original Margarita

The most popular cocktail in the United States, the invention of the Margarita is both controversial and happily celebrated. The taste is timeless and the recipe, simple.

Tracking down the real history of the Margarita is like trying to keep all its different flavors straight. It can be done, but there’s a lot of them to choose from. It is said to have been created for and named after Rita Hayworth (her real name was Margarita Cansino), singer Margaret “Peggy” Lee, and a nice young woman on her wedding day. Maybe it was created when a bartender didn’t know what a Magnolia was and improvised. Or maybe a bartender took a liking to a girl named Margarita and mixed together her favorites to form the splendid cocktail.

Margaret “Margarita” Sames

The most common story, or the most well known story, surrounds a woman named Margaret Sames. In 1948, in Acapulco, Mexico, she was determined to make up her own drink. Her favorite alcohol was tequila, so she decided to mix up a cocktail using it and another favorite of hers, Cointreau. After several unsuccessful attempts, she decided to put the two together with some fresh lime juice.

Being a tequila lover herself, she knew that salt often went with tequila, so she added salt to the rim of the glass, served the combination with some crushed ice, and the famous mix was born. Soon after her invention, her husband purchased some martini glasses with her name, Margarita, etched in the sides, and the name of the drink was solidified.

Sames claimed that the popularity of the cocktail was due to her relationships with several rich and famous people in the hotel and bar industries. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen; however, the drink was only seen in bar books starting in 1953, giving it a good five years to gain popularity and giving credence to her claim that she was the inventor of the drink.

Carlos Herrera

Another popular story of the Margarita’s origins says that Carlos Herrera, owner of the Rancho La Gloria in Tijuana, Mexico created and named the drink for dancer and sometimes actress Marjorie King in the late 1930’s. King was allergic to all liquor except tequila and since she didn’t like the drink straight, Herrera invented the drink for her.

The Original Margarita

No matter what the story, one thing is true of all; the original margarita consisted of three main ingredients: fresh lime juice, cointreau or triple sec, and good tequila, and most of them added a little salt to the rim of the glass.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Tequila (Golden or White)
.5 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
.5 oz freshly squeezed Lime Juice
Coarse Salt (or margarita salt)

Mix tequila, Cointreau, and Lime Juice with ice in a shaker or blender. Rub rim of a chilled Margarita or Martini glass with a piece of lime. Dip the rim of the glass in a saucer of salt until it is evenly coated. Strain mixture into glass and garnish with a slice of lime.

February 17, 2014
Valentine’s Day Cocktails

Sure, dinner and a movie is super fun, but this Valentine’s Day, grab your partner, and use it as an excuse to drink rich, sexy cocktails. You won’t regret it. With chocolate, strawberries, cognac, gin, oranges, and more, these drinks run the gamut and offer a little something for everyone. Whether topping off your night, or as a sensual nightcap, these drinks are sure to impress. So scrap the champagne, lock elbows, look into each other’s eyes, and enjoy.

Chocolate Strawberry Martini

Ingredients:

3 strawberries, sliced
1 oz milk
4 oz top shelf vodka
2 oz chocolate liqueur

In a shaker, muddle the strawberries and milk. Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into an over-sized martini glass.

Romance

Ingredients:

3/4 oz Kahlua
3/4 oz Irish cream
3/4 oz brown creme de cacao
1 oz heavy cream

Shake the ingredients with ice and strain them into a martini glass.

The Jack Rose

Ingredients:

2 oz applejack
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz grenadine

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled coupe cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Between the Sheets

Ingredients:

1 oz Cognac
1 oz Triple sec
1 oz Light rum
1/4 oz Fresh lemon juice

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Flame an orange peel over the glass and discard before serving.

The Scarlett O’Hara

Ingredients:

2 oz Southern Comfort
Dash of lime juice
6 oz cranberry juice

Pour the Southern Comfort, lime juice and cranberry juice into a shaker with ice, and shake well. Strain into a Collins glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Forbidden Love

Ingredients:

2 oz Hendricks gin
1 oz blood orange juice
Dash simple syrup, 2 strawberries
4 slices of cucumber

Muddle fruit with simple syrup, add gin and blood orange juice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with strawberry, cucumber spiral and orange peel hearts.

February 12, 2014
The Rob Roy

Named for the Scottish folk hero, Rob Roy MacGregor, the Rob Roy is similar to the Manhattan, but uses a Scotch Whisky rather than Rye or Bourbon.

The Rob Roy gives Scotch drinkers another option from the traditional Scotch and soda. Made with a combination of Scotch Whisky, vermouth and (sometimes) bitters, it is not surprising that it is often referred to as the Scotch Manhattan.

The Rob Roy made its first appearance in the US around 1894 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. The introduction was two-fold: the American launch of Dewar’s Scotch Whisky, and an Opera that opened near the Waldorf carrying the drink’s namesake. Once it had made its debut, the new classic was here to stay.

Rob Roy MacGregor

The cocktail gets its name from Rob Roy MacGregor, a Scottish folk hero and outlaw. It’s hard to say exactly why the drink is named for the Scottish Robin Hood, but there are two possible reasons. The first, and most likely, is that because the drink is made with Scotch, the originator of the drink chose a famous Scotsman as its namesake. Also possible is that because the McGregor was known to have red hair, and the Rob Roy has an amber tint, it seemed only natural to name it for the famous Scotsman.

The Rob Roy

1 1/2 oz Scotch
1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 Dash of Bitters (optional)

The Rob Roy can be served straight up or on the rocks, depending on the preference of the drinker.

For straight up, combine the ingredients in a mixing glass and stir thoroughly. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

For on the rocks, combine the ingredients over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a cherry.

While the Rob Roy is traditionally served sweet, it can be ordered dry by substituting dry vermouth for the sweet, or perfect by pouring equal portions of dry and sweet vermouth. For the best taste, be sure to keep the vermouth at a total of 1/4 oz or less.

Variations

A variation on its own, the Rob Roy is a member of the Manhattan family of cocktails, and has even spurred a variation of itself. Check out some of Rob Roy’s friendly cousins.

Green Briar

The only real variation spurred from the Rob Roy.

1 1/2 oz Scotch
1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Cointreau

Combine the ingredients over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a cherry. Can also be served straight up.

Ruby Manhattan

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz Port
1 Dash of Bitters

Combine the ingredients over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a cherry. Can also be served straight up.

The Latin Manhattan

1 1/2 oz Dark Rum
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
1 Dash of Bitters

Combine the ingredients over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Can also be served straight up.

February 10, 2014