Cocktails

It is only appropriate that the icon of the cocktail world has it's own day and this Wednesday is it, National Martini Day. It is a day to celebrate this fantastic drink in whichever way you please.

We have had many discussions about the correct or preferred way to make a Martini over the years and many of them are ongoing. The poll below continues to evolve and I find it interesting to check back every now and then to see if there are any changes in taste. It seems that shaking is preferred by the majority and over time the preference of gin or vodka remain almost equal with a few more readers opting for the gin (though a stirred gin Martini remains a close third). Although this is just a small sampling of the Martini drinking public, I think it proves one thing: the Martini is the ideal drink to adapt to your own personal preference and this is likely the reason why it remains such a popular cocktail.

For those interested in sharing and reading which gin makes it into other Martini fans' glasses, there is this discussion: Share Your Favorite Martini Gin. Read More...

Hillrock Distilleries is a new craft distillery in New York state, just a couple hours outside New York City. They began distilling specially crafted whiskies in 2011, released Solera Aged Bourbon late last year, and this month have released two new whiskies that are available at liquor stores in the state.

George Washington's Rye Whiskey

Hillrock Estate Distillery Single Malt Whiskey - Distilled from estate-grown, organic barley and malted on-site, this is the distillery's first in a line of single malts. Future bottlings will have peat notes, but there is not peat here, instead this one is dominated by clove and cinnamon. The 750ml limited edition bottles are selling for $125 and the distillery reports that about half have been pre-sold.

George Washington Rye Whiskey, Estate Edition - This is a special bottling from David Pickerell, Master Distiller at both Hillrock and George Washington's Distillery at Mount Vernon. Pickerell used Washington's original rye  whiskey recipe to distill a batch at Hillrock and they added a small amount of the rye distilled at Mount Vernon (which is only sold on-site) to create this limited edition, unaged rye. A 375ml bottle sells for $70 and this is a chance to taste this old recipe without a trip to Mount Vernon.

The whiskies from Hillrock are available in a variety of liquor outlets in New York State (some of which will ship out of state) and at an open house at the Ancram, NY distillery this Saturday, June 15th from 12-5 pm. Hillrock's website has more details on where to find their whiskies.

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Father's Day is Sunday and one quick gift you can give your dad is to mix him up a great drink or find him his favorite spirit to enjoy throughout the year. Here are a few ideas to help you out on those last minute decisions...

Manhattan
Photo Courtesy: © Shannon Graham

• Manly Drinks for Dad
• Best Bourbon Picks
• Canadian Whiskies for Fathers
• Craft Whiskey Gifts for Dads
• Does Dad like Scotch? Check out these top picks - Islay Single Malts, Speyside Single Malts, Highland Single Malts, Blended Scotch Whiskies
• Top 10 Summertime Beers
• Father's Day Wine Themes

You may also want to think about whipping up a meal to go along with those drinks. Here are some ideas from my About.com colleagues...

• Dairy-Free Father's Day Recipes
• Low Fat Father's Day Recipes
• Chinese and Asian-Inspired Father's Day Recipes
• Spanish Menu Ideas for Father's Day
• Father's Day Dinner on the Grill

More on Father's Day from the About.com network

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Calling all distillers, big and small... There is a new spirits competition this year and now is the time to submit your best liquors.

The International Spirits Competition is part of the 5th annual San Diego Spirits Festival this August and all "emerging craft distillers, American merchant bottlers and large distillers" are invited to enter. The competition will be a blind tasting  and medal winners announced during the festival, which is August 24-25, 2013.

The entry deadline is July 17th and you can read more about it and download the entry form here at SanDiegoSpiritsFestival.com.

Also, for those of you interested in attending the San Diego Spirits Festival, there is an early bird special on tickets now through the end of this month. The great thing about this one is that one tickets gets you into all of the events for that particular day. Learn more about the festival here...

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Most of us are familiar with the Tequila Sunrise. It is one of those great tasting and super simple mixed drinks that will forever be a favorite, but have you tried the Tequila Sunrise Margarita?

Tequila Sunrise Margarita

There are a number of variations out there for this drink. One is in this video and, to me, it has no 'margarita' elements to it, it is a Tequila Sunrise. The Tequila Sunrise Margarita I want to point out today is the frozen version that combines these two great drinks - the Margarita and the Tequila Sunrise - and celebrates the 'sunrise' effect in all its beauty.

The drink begins with a blender filled with ice, tequila, triple sec, sour mix, and orange juice. Right there you have a decent orange-flavored margarita (though I do prefer this orange sherbert recipe), and that's okay but there is an element missing that could make this a great drink. It needs a little sweetness and that is where we introduce grenadine. I like the effect a tall glass gives this drink, so we pour the grenadine in the bottom, add the blended orange mix, give it a stir, add a couple fruit slices, and we have a delicious and beautiful frozen drink. It is simple and fun. Here is the full recipe...

By the way, it is a common mistake to think of grenadine as cherry-flavored syrup. It is, in fact, pomegranate or pomegranate and black currant flavored syrup (though many of the commercial brands use artificial flavors). It is also very easy to make from scratch. Get the grenadine recipe here...

More frozen cocktail recipes...

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We are celebrating one of the best fruits of summer with this month's cocktail contest. The theme for June is strawberries and the contest is open through June 23rd.

Strawberry Margarita

What we are looking for in the Strawberry Cocktail Contest are drinks that have at least one strawberry-flavored ingredient. You could use fresh or frozen berries, a strawberry syrup, a strawberry liqueur or creme de fraises, or infuse your favorite liquor with the berries. Tall, short, frozen, or non-alcoholic, there are many possibilities here and I look forward to seeing what you have to offer.

Submit your strawberry cocktail recipe here...

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When I think of mint drinks the first word that comes to mind is refreshing and many of the recipes submitted in April's Mint Cocktail Contest are exactly that. It was a fun sampling of cocktails and all three of the finalists deserve the top honor, but Amy Stafford's Raspberry Mojito won out in the final decision.

Happily Ever After

There are a number of things that I like about Stafford's version of this drink, which I've had previously in other forms. The drink is made up of rum, lime, mint, raspberries, Chambord, and ginger ale and it is those last two ingredients that really added the sparkle to the drink. The Chambord is both the sweetener and the background for the fresh, muddled berries and the soft ginger is that perfect missing profile that brings it all together. The other thing that I love about her Raspberry Mojito is that it is accessible. All of the ingredients are readily available and it is likely that they are already in your bar. Mixing it up is easy and that is one aspect I tend to look for in a summer drink when there are so many other things to do. Get the complete Raspberry Mojito recipe...

Congratulations to Amy! Be sure to check out her blog A Healthy Life For Me. It is filled with fantastic fresh food and drink recipes.

Now that that is out of the way, let's pay a little tribute to the other two drinks that caught my fancy in the mint contest...

• Awww Snap - This one begins with sugar snap pea-infused gin and it is a lot of fun! To that, Joe Robinson adds fresh lemon and mint, and simple syrup. Rounding off the mix are Cocchi Americano and celery bitters. It is a herbaceous and fresh cocktail that would make a great aperitif for summer dinner parties.
• Cucumber Southside - Another ingredient that screams refreshing is cucumber and this cocktail pairs it quite nicely with mint, gin and sake, lemon juice, and simple syrup. It is filled with light flavors and is perfect for a garden party. Simply lovely.

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This weekend marks of unofficial start to summer for many Americans and that also means that it is barbecue season. If you are planning a Memorial Day weekend cookout I highly recommend you visit my colleague Derrick Riches' site BBQ and Grilling for all of the recipes and tips you will need. When it comes to the drinks for this all-American tradition, below are a few collections you will want to browse through. Enjoy the long weekend!

Charmides

• 10 Great Cookout Cocktails - A selection of tall and refreshing mixed drinks that are perfect for a backyard barbecue.
• Patriotic Cocktails - Get into the American spirit with these patriotic cocktails and red, white, and blue party theme ideas.
• Summer Cocktails - The full collection of summer-worthy cocktails.
• Ice Cream Drinks - A new collection, this directory includes those few drinks that use ice cream and the majority are family friendly.

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Flavored vodkas, what will they come up with next? It's a very good question because we have gone from fruits to fruit combinations and spices to desserts, candies, and even cereals (and purely crazy flavors like salmon and hemp) in the past few years. When a company like Pinnacle Vodka announces a new flavor you have to wonder what can they do now? To top off their portfolio of 30+ flavors, this spring Pinnacle has two new releases that sound delicious: Strawberry Shortcake and Rainbow Sherbert.

Pinnacle Strawberry Shortcake Vodka

The flavors are not farfetched, in fact they sound tempting and Strawberry Shortcake is quite good on its own and fun to experiment with in the bar. The cake aspect of it is a perfect compliment to strawberry, but not overpowering enough to discount its use in place of straight strawberry-flavored vodkas in cocktails. If you like Pinnacle Cake, I think you will really like this one.

Pinnacle Rainbow Sherbert leaves a bit to be desired on its own. It doesn't taste like the rainbow sherbert I know and love, but as a mixer, the lime, orange, and raspberry with a hint of cream is useful and interesting. I'm sure that with further experimentation more viable cocktails can be found for this one. Part of the disappointment could be due to my preconceived ideas of what sherbert should taste like, so the name correlation throws me off . There may also be something to the fact that some flavors are a challenge to make work with alcohol - I think of cherry liqueurs, which often come off as cough syrup - and this may be one of them.

Read the full review of Pinnacle Strawberry Shortcake and Rainbow Sherbert (cocktail recipes too)...

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Here is a fun treat as we head into summer: SnöBar, a line of alcohol infused ice creams and ice pops. They are cold, lightly spiked, and delicious.

SnöBar Brandy Alexander Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

The products include ice cream versions of three creamy cocktails: 2- Brandy Alexanders, Grasshopper, and Pink Squirrel. My personal favorite is the Brandy Alexander with chocolate chips and it is fantastic on brownies. All of these are made with brandy and creme de cacao, with the Pink Squirrel adding amaretto and the Grasshopper creme de menthe. Also included in the line are two ice pops, a Cosmopolitan and a Margarita. They are also tasty and refreshing, though I prefer the ice cream.

The only issue with SnöBar is availability, but if you live in Florida or the southwestern part of the U.S. you're in luck because those are their major markets right now. Read more about that and the full review of SnöBar here...

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