OPULENT Skittles Vodka

This is a fairly easy concept, simply infusing a 750ml. bottle of Opulent Vodka with Skittles - it's like juice for adults!  What you will need:

14 oz. bag of Skittles, separated by color
5 - 750ml. bottles of Vodka
Liquid measuring cup
4-Cup Gravy Separator
Coffee Filters

Roughly pour 1/2 c. of vodka out of each bottle into the liquid measuring cup and set aside.  Place each bunch of Skittles colors into it's own bottle, so all the orange into one bottle, all the red into another, etc.  Replace cover and allow to sit for a day.

I use the gravy separator because it is the perfect size and I also use it for several other things in my kitchen. It is a definite investment into your culinary adventures.

Place two coffee filters inside the strainer basket of the gravy separator and allow the mixture to filter on its own.  Do not try to rush it as it will force debris back into the vodka.  If the filter is plugging up, replace it and start using another set of filters inside the basket.  Once you have the bottle filtered, you can strain it once more if you desire a lot of clarity - this is what I did, it is fine either way.

Continue to do this with each color, the filtering process takes a little time so it is nice to do this while you are simultaneously doing something else that way you are not standing there waiting for it to finish.  Once you are done, top them off with the initial vodka you poured out.  At this point, you can chill, freeze them or use them as is.  Enjoy!

Three Gingers Cocktail

I was recently introduced to 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey and instantly fell in love with it's smooth, complex flavor.  I knew I had to create a cocktail using it, so I decided to bring the ginger theme one step further and make remixed version of the traditional simple syrup.  Here I served it in a half-pint canning jar.
2 oz fresh ginger, coarsly-grated
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. water

Bring to simmer, turn off heat and let sit for one hour - then strain to remove ginger bits.  Chill in refrigerator.

Fill a glass with ice and pour the ginger syrup in first, almost half full then top off with 2 Gingers Whiskey - stir and enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Ginger Beer

Just in time for Spring weather, a take on my traditional ginger beer recipe.  The delicious flavor of ginger infused with Meyer lemons - you are going to want to double this recipe as it vanishes quite fast.   Not only is this great tasting, but ginger is good for your digestive system.   Turn this into a cocktail using Domaine de Canton ginger liquor.   For the sparkling soda, I use either my SodaStream or my iSi Twist and Sparkle - we are just making still water fizzy here, not reinventing the wheel.  Here is the recipe!

Ginger Beer:
8 ounces of ginger, grated or sliced
8 cups water
2 cups white sugar
2 Meyer lemons
Cold Club Soda for mixing

Using a microplace box grater, zest and juice the lemons, then place into a pot.  Grate the ginger on the large grate into the pot - then add the sugar and water

Bring to simmer and turn off heat. Let sit for 30 minutes, then strain. Put into refrigerator to chill. Fill a glass with ice, fill up with a 50/50 mix of ginger syrup and club soda - enjoy!

Royal Cup Cocktail

Here is a drink I call 'Royal Cup' - they are fantastic. You can serve them in martini glasses or champagne flutes.  It is easy to make a pitcher of them for small gatherings or serve them up one at at time. 

1 ounce Grand Marnier

3 drop bitters

4 ounces Astoria Lounge Prosecco

Relax and be Royal!  'Look Charles, it thinks I'm fancy...'

Spiced Golden Apple Cocktails

I love punch, and as people around me say 'Ross loves anything gilt' - so I figured why not mix the two together this holiday.  I have been obsessed with apple cider this season, but realized the pressed variety would be too murky to enjoy the shiny addition of Goldschlager so I decided to use the apple cider found in the regular juice isle and it worked out perfect.  Lastly, I enjoyed some wonderful Presecco at my friend Art Smith's wedding this past summer and realized it would make the pefect combination.  This even good the next day as well!

In a punch bowl mix together the following -
4 bottle of well-chilled Prosecco
6 cups cold apple cider (see note above)
1 cup Goldschlager

Autumn Sangria

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  The flavors of Autumn were the inspiration for this sangria, rich with intense flavors and color.  It is so simple to make, there is no need to do it ahead of time.  I use Simply Apple in this recipe due to it's rustic and unprocessed nature - you can also use a country cider as well.  There is no ice in this recipe as it is meant to be enjoyed at room temperature.
  
  
  3 bottles of Merlot (I use Charles Smith Velvet Devil)
  1 quart Simply Apple juice or rustic cider
  1 1/2 c St. Germain
  Mulled syrup (see below)
  1 lb. fresh figs, sectioned
  3 plums, sectioned
  3 pears, sectioned
  1 orange, peeled, then sliced
  
  
  Mulled Syrup
  1 cup brown sugar
  1 cup water
  4 cinnamon sticks
  2 tsp. cloves
  2 tsp. allspice berries
  3 star anise
  
  
  Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.  Add all of this mixture to the sangria.
  
  
  Section up your fruit and place into the bottom of the bowl to create a cushion for your wet ingredients to they do not splash all over the place.  Slowly pour the St. Germain and mulled syrup over fruit, followed by the Simply apple juice.  Using a long spoon, stir ingredients to help the brown sugar dissolve.  Slowly add the remaining liquids, Merlot and club soda - stirring again to combine.  Enjoy!
  
  
  
  

Rhubarb Ginger Tea

16 stalks, 2 lbs. rhubarb (preferably crimson red), cut into 2-3 inch lengths

16 cups water
6 slices crystallized ginger
1 cup sugar

Put rhubarb, sugar, ginger and water into a pan, bring to simmer and cook for 1 hour. Strain liquid. Serve over ice and enjoy. As a side note, you could add a vanilla bean after you turn off the heat if you want to add an extra bit of dimension.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

This is a great treat from far away.  Takes a little planning in that you have to cold brew for a day, but that is not much.  To make the cold-brew coffee, I use my Bodum Cin Cin which I have used to tea, flavored waters or even infusing vodka because it comes with a reusable filter.  Place 1/2 lb. coarse ground coffee in the filter and place into pot, then fill with water and let stand for 24 hours.

In a glass place:

2 Tbsp. Sweetened Condensed Milk
3/4 Cold-Brewed Coffee
1/2 Milk

Stir to combine and add Ice to top off

Champagne - remixed

I love Champagne and see it as useful for many ocassions. The obvious use is for grand celebrations and parties, but I do not think that many people think about also using it for less grander-scaled get togethers. I have uncorked Champagne when a friend has come over to chit chat about the week as well as when having a group of people over for a casual dinner. Champagne is extremely versatile, I just think most people are of the mindset that it is out of range for their pocketbook. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just as with wine, you can get very good estates that range from low to high. I can also say from experience that spending three times more on an estate has never meant it was going to be better - at times, the opposite was true.

I am a fan of Piper-Heidsieck, they have been around since 1875 and I have found consistent value in every bottle I have purchased. With many summer celebrations coming, I wanted to tell you about the Baby Piper. A regular-sized bottle, split into four separate bottles so you can carry it around yourself - no need for Champagne glasses here. It even comes with its' own straw. Your friends will never forget your party regardless if it is casual or formal, this is entertaining at the best level. It is the small elements that elevate the ocassion. Any local liquor retailer can get this for you if they do not have it, just ask - you wil not be disappointed.

Winter Punch

This punch says festive and friends all over it.  It requires a little planning in order to let the flavors blend but it helps me stay more organized since I do not have to worry about pulling everything together at once.  This recipe is slightly reminiscent of traditional sangria but with a twist. 

Combine in a large sealable container
3 bottles Pinot Noir
2 cups Pomegranate Blueberry juice
3/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup Cointreau
Chill for at least six hours

Then add 2 liters Black Cherry Soda

Before serving add 2 liter bottles of black cherry soda.   If placing in a large punch bowl, chop up four pears and 2 oranges and place in punch bowl for visual interest.  Serve in glasses over ice.

Honey Glögg

Here is something I resisted for years - Glögg. It just seemed unappetizing to drink hot wine, but then I decided to make it and fell in love with it. I had read many recipes for years and saw many wonderful things to put in, I opted to try and make it simple yet utilize some of my Scandanavian heritage as well. I place all of the ingredients into a carafe from my KitchenAid Pro-Line Coffee maker that has a satellite warmer, this works fantastic and slowly mulls it as opposed to dealing with the stove. You could also put this in your Cuisinart Slow cooker and set it on low. Either way, you want to let it mull for at least 30 minutes. I also would add a third suggestion in that if you do not have one of these fantastic countertop appliances and prefer to heat it up on the stove - keep it warm in the Alfi Carafe, I have found it keeps my beverages hot for up to 12 hours.

Recipe:

Peeled zest & juice of one orange

10 allspice berries

10 whole cloves

1 large cinnamon stick, broken

4 cardamom pods

1 cup honey

2/3 cup Grand Marnier or Cointreau

1 bottle of Merlot or other fruity wine

In a tea ball or cheesecloth, place the zest, allspice, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Combine tea ball, honey, liqueur, orange juice and wine in vessel of your choosing. Steep for at least 30 minutes and serve hot accompanied by a large orange zest, star anise or cinnamon stick garnish if desired.

Stars & Stripes Tea

The Long Island Iced Tea updated for your 4th of July Celebration.

In a tall glass fill with:

¾ oz Blue Curaçao
¾ oz Gin
¾ oz Tequila
¾ oz Light Rum
¾ oz vodka

Fill ice

1 ½ oz sour mix - preferably homemade
1 oz Sprite (or any lemon-lime soda)

Combine in a pint glass, shake and serve with a lemon wedge. This one really packs a punch. Too many of these will have you seeing stars and stripes.

Caipirinha

What a refreshing way to spend the day than with a Caipirinha, it is the National Drink of Brazil if you did not know.  Made with Cachaça, which is Brazil's version of Rum manufactured from sugar cane.  The Caipirinha is similar to a Mojito only made with Cachaça instead of rum.  You can try a twist and make it with turbinado sugar if you like.  It's refreshing, but watch out - it packs a punch!

2 oz. Leblon Cachaça

1/2 Lime
2 tsp Superfine sugar
Ice - preferably crushed

Cut the lime into four wedges. Muddle the lime and sugar in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add Leblon Cachaça. Shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Saffron Orangeade

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
½ tsp. saffron threads
8 cups fresh orange juice (18 oranges), or ½ gallon Simply Orange

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add saffron. Allow to cool. Combine orange juice and saffron syrup (strain, if desired). Pour over ice and serve.

Red Sangria

The weather is getting nice and it's time to start thinking about refreshing beverages to sip on while you enjoy the sun.  One of my favorite staples is sangria.  It is simple to put together, but does require some planning by placing all of your ingredients in the refrigerator overnight to chill them.  And to be honest, it's not all that essential since you are going to be pouring it over ice-filled glasses - but it's still what I do.  You can easily double this recipe if it is all you are going to be serving AND you can make it ahead of time so you can use your time more efficiently.  Lastly, you can either put the fruit in with the sangria OR have it out in a bowl separate and let your guests put it in the glasses themselves which is what I prefer.  Oranges, Lemons, Apples and Grapes are my choices as well - it all depends on what I have on hand.

3 bottles Zinfindel

1 quart orange juice - (I use Simply Orange, pulp free)

1 quart club soda

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup Courvoisier

1/4 cup Cointreau

1/2 cup superfine sugar

4 cups assorted diced or sliced fruit

Thoroughly chill all ingredients. Pour the wine, brandy and Cointreau into a punch bowl. Stir in orange, juice, lemon juice and sugar, stirr until sugar has dissolved. Place fruit into the bottom of a glass, top with ice and add Sangria. 

Claddagh Martini

St.Patrick's Day is coming and I needed to inspire the leprechans to come out of hiding so I could get their pot o' gold, so I created the Claddagh Martini.

1- 3 parts Bushmills, 1 part spiced-sugar syrup.
2- Pour in a shaker with ice, shake to chill
3- Strain into a martini glass.
4- Wait for the leprechans to come...

Spiced Sugar Syrup Recipe-
In a medium saucpan combine the following:
Peeled zest of two limes
Juice of two limes, plus water to equal 2 cups
2 cups brown sugar
2 oz. ginger, sliced

Bring to a boil, allow to cool, strain to remove zest and ginger. Serve with Claddagh Martini

Leblon Cachaça [ka-SHAH-sa]

Cachaça, pronounced [ka-SHA-sa] is unknown to many outside Brazil. Cachaça, the third most-consumed spirit in the world, is the key ingredient to the Caipirinha [kai-pur-EEN-ya], Brazil’s national drink. Cachaça (ka-SHAH-sa) is made from fresh-pressed cane juice fermented and distilled, and can only come from Brazil. Many are proclaiming Cachaça as the ‘Next Tequila,’ with the Caipirinha as the new ‘Margarita,' but I would consider it a very close relative of the Mojito. Muddled with fresh lime and sugar, the Caipirinha is something special - made with Leblon Cachaça, even more special. Leblon is the only cachaça I use, it is what I consider an ultra-premium cachaça - ultra smooth.

Although non-Brazilian’s compare cachaça to rum, their only similarity is that they both originate from sugarcane. Cachaça first gained popularity among slaves and peasants during Brazil’s colonial period but the spirit has recently become a favorite domestically and internationally regardless of the drinker’s class. Also, Brazilian cachaça exports to Europe and the United States have been aided by the trendy drink, the caipirinha. The cocktail’s global success has inspired other Caribbean and South American states to produce their own 'cachaça-like alcohols'. Consequently, the Brazilian government has initiated protectionist measures at home and abroad to preserve cachaça’s foreign markets. These developments bring together cachaça’s trade, cultural, and environmental aspects.

To protect its cachaça industry, the Brazilian government has imposed several regulatory measures in recent years. In 2001, President Fernando Enrique Cardoso signed a decree establishing cachaça as the official and exclusive name for cane alcohol in Brazil. However, while it tried to prohibit the use of the name elsewhere, the Brazilian government failed on several grounds due to lack of clarity and clear definition. In October 2003, the government, under President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, issued another decree with greater specifications on cachaça and the caipirinha. Brazil has also sent the issue to the World Trade Organization in hopes that cachaça will gain protection under the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement (TRIPS). Moreover, Brazil is currently involved in bilateral negotiations with the European Union to ensure that the cachaça name will be used only with Brazilian products within member states.

Bad Romance Martini

I was listening to Lady Gaga this past weekend while doing some mixology and came up with this martini. Dirty and spicy, just like a bad romance. Get caught up in it...

3 oz. Nemiroff Vodka

1/2 oz dry vermouth

Splash of Olive brine to taste

2 Stuffed Olives for garnish

2 Pickled onions for garnish

Fresh-Cracked pepper

Mix vodka, vermouth, and brine in shaker with cracked ice. Pour into chilled martini glass, grind pepper over top and garnish with two pickled onions and two olives. Serve immediately.

Hot Cocoa

Tis the season when we all need a little comfort, and there is no better way than to relax with a cup of hot cocoa. Making the mix yourself is easy - you can do it in large batches as gifts as well. Use the best quality cocoa you can afford and I also use superfine sugar (Bakers Sugar) if I have it on hand. Topped here with one of my vanilla-bean marshmallows and voila - effortless kon-tent for your life!

4 tbsp. cocoa

3 tbsp. sugar

2 cup milk, 1/2 & 1/2 or cream

Espresso Con Panna

Espresso Con Panna - or Espresso topped with whipped cream, served in a wonderful Bodum Pavina double-walled glass.