Wednesday March 17, 2010
The Manhattan is one of those classic cocktails that, like the Martini, continues to inspire variations. It is a testament to how great the drink is even though it is very simple, but it is that three ingredient base that we can build on to create equally impressive cocktails.
Lance Mayhew has recently shared three variations of the Manhattan from The Gallery Bar at the Millenium Biltmore Hotel in LA. Each has a different flavor profile and all have that great bourbon base that is so popular in today's Manhattans.
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St. Patrick's Day Menus:
Today's menu is from Bryce Eddings, About.com Guide to Beer, Molly Watson, About.com Guide to Local Foods, and Syrie Wongkaew, About.com Guide to Australian & New Zealand Food.
- Let's look beyond Guinness this year for our St. Paddy's day stout fix. Here are the different styles of stout from cream to Russian imperial. A Layman's Guide to Stout
- Is emerald green beer what you're looking for to make St. Patrick's Day complete? Here's a step-by-step guide to making green beer. How to Make Green Beer
- Butter Braised Cabbage couldn't be easier: gently cook chopped cabbage in a bit of butter and salt for a meltingly tender, richly flavored side dish perfect to serve with roast meats of all kinds - including corned beef or roasted lamb.
- Potatoes & Cabbage are cooked with a bit of cream and topped with cheese for a hearty dish perfect for a vegetarian nod to St. Patrick's Day.
- Irish-inspired comfort food with mouthwatering scones and a hearty beef & vegetable stew.
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Monday March 15, 2010
Every St. Patrick's Day I am asked about how to make green drinks. It is the one day of the year when everyone wants everything possible to be green and luckily there are plenty of cocktails to choose from.
One of the easiest ways to create green cocktails is to use one of the many green liqueurs. For traditionalists there is the option of employing absinthe, Green Chartreuse, or green creme de menthe. For the modern, sophisticated drinker premium green liqueurs like Midori and TY KU are great, and for those who just want an easy, greenest of green cocktails there are always the artificially colored sour apple schnapps. However, let's not forget that green can also be obtained with fresh fruits and herbs like lime and mint.
The options are numerous for going green on Wednesday. Find more suggestions in this article: How to Make Green Cocktails.
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St. Patrick's Day Menus:
Today's menu is from Elaine Lemm, About.com Guide to British and Irish Food
- St Patrick's Day can be long with all the celebrations and parades, so make sure you start out with a good breakfast. A Full Irish with bacon, eggs, sausage and potato Fadge and a couple of slices of Soda Bread will keep you going.
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Saturday March 13, 2010
As many drinks have shown over the years, rinsing your glass with absinthe (think Sazerac and Monkey Gland) can make a world of difference. This week's featured sipper, the Irish Tea Party, is a great example of this and makes a great option for celebrating St. Patrick's Day.
The base of the Irish Tea Party is very straightforward and the chilled green tea and Jameson are tasty on their own, so if you are not a fan of absinthe whatsoever that option is available to you. However, for those who enjoy a touch of "the green fairy," the quick act of rinsing your rocks glass with it before adding anything else is the tweak that makes this drink something very special. It seems to enhance the flavors of the Irish whiskey and is a great herbal accent to the tea. Sip and enjoy this easy libation.
Irish Tea Party cocktail recipe...
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St. Patrick's Day Menus:
Today's menu is from Jen Hoy, About.com Guide to Macrobiotics.
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Friday March 12, 2010
The Macallan has an interesting project starting tonight that is essentially a virtual tasting. It is taking two of the scotch producer's essential expressions, the Sherry Oak 12 Year and Fine Oak 15 Year, and collecting tasting notes from anyone and everyone who want to participate via Twitter. You can find more on The Macallan Blog.
I find this interesting because, as many of us who write about and spirits understand, taste is always subjective and wholly dependent on the drinker. What some may find spicy others may concentrate on sweet, and where there are vanilla notes apparent to "the professionals" caramel may be found by an "average joe." To be able to see this mix of opinions come together in a virtual, relatively anonymous environment regarding these two very fine whiskies will be a lesson in relative taste that I for one find fascinating.
The details of the event are that nightly between tonight and Tuesday the 16th The Macallan will be hosting a live "Tasting Experience" at The Registrant's Lounge of SXSW in Austin, Texas from 4-7 pm. Those of us not in that locale can share our tasting notes via Twitter with hashtags #Maccallan12 and # Maccallan15 marking our tweets. If you've enjoyed one of these in the past you're welcome to share from that experience, otherwise open a bottle and see what you find in one or both of the scotches. Also, if you live in a state that is eligible, The Macallan is having a sweepstakes for those who tweet. The grand prize is a private tasting for 10 and that would be quite the tweet treat, wouldn't it? My scotch is ready so I'll see you on Twitter!
Read my review of The Macallan 1824 Collection...
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St. Patrick's Day Menus:
Today's menu is from Donna Pilato, About.com Guide to Entertaining.
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