Saving the world one drink at a time
There are a few classic euro-cocktails out there that everyone needs to try, and the Aperol Spritz is one of them. I put a little more orange into the flavor, but not so much that it becomes sweet and heavy – it stays light and refreshing. If you find yourself with a leftover bottle of…
The last course of my cocktail party this week was the Mochatini. The last few chocolate and coffee flavored drinks that I did were a big success, so I continued on with this great recipe using a lot of local North Carolina products. This doesn’t come off overly-chocolate, and it definitely tastes more like a…
For Thanksgiving, I prepped my making a Cranberry mixer that had all of my favorite flavors in it. I canned these in mason jars for use in all my upcoming Thanksgiving week cocktails, and it worked out perfectly. To start I took 64 oz of Cranberry cocktail juice and set it on the stove to…
You know a cocktail has to be a classic if it’s on “The World’s 10 Most Famous Cocktails in 1934” list. Some things evolve over time, but this recipe is more or less the same as what it was back then. This drink is actually a little older than that, though, and dates from somewhere…
I usually despise anything that calls itself a “martini” that isn’t gin and vermouth, but this cocktail just seems so classy and delicious I’ll let this one slide. I was looking for a solid coffee-influenced cocktail for the winter months, especially one that could be served after a nice big meal in lieu of a…
What came first: The Martini or the Martinez? If you dig into the history there are a few different legends surrounding the origin of the Martinez, mostly from the San Francisco area in the mid-late 1800s. It definitely appeared around that time, since it’s in the 1862 Bon Viviants guide. The question is, did the…
When I was a kid I loved Terry’s Chocolate Oranges, and not just because the label says “Whack and Unwrap”. The instructions seem pretty simple. I usually got these guys around the holiday season, and the orange-milk-chocolate flavor is something that’s been ingrained into my taste buds for quite a few years. Coming into…
I’ve been on a coffee kick, thanks to Durham Distillery’s Damn Fine Coffee Liqueur, so I’ve been finding more and more great cold coffee drinks. This one is relatively new, sometime in the last few decades, attributed to Jon Santer, of the Prizefighter bar. Of course I had to experiment a little bit with it, and…
Sorry folks, the contest is over! Thanks to everyone who submitted photos and recipes, there were some awesome ones! Alright folks, here’s a great contest for a chance at some free Durham Distillery stuff! I love their gins, and have been working this week with their liqueurs, which are also outstanding, tasty products. Here’s…
The Brothers Vilgalys also make a liqueur called Beatnik that includes the flavor of Beets, Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Fennel Seed, & Orange Zest. It has a great sweet, earthy taste that lends itself well to some fall cocktails. To start us off I made a version of a classic Manhattan, with a rooty beet kick!…