Hey Amy! » cocktails

Ixtapa…the drink

Amy — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:02:03 +0000

It’s bitter cold in NYC this morning and I am dreaming of far, far away warm destinations. Ixtapa comes to mind so I thought I would make this (tonight after work of course!) and dream of a tropical paradise.

It may sound like an odd combination of lime juice, tequila and Kahlua but it actually comes up with a familiar taste of coffee. I find it quite delicious.

Ingredients:

2 oz. Kahlua
1/2 oz. tequila
2 to 3 dashes of lime juice

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

If you really want to pretend it’s summer, put all ingredients in blender with some ice and sit in front of your fireplace pretending it’s the beach. That’s where you will find me. Enjoy!

xo–me

Brandy Alexandra

Amy — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:30:28 +0000

I came home last night to a torrential downpour, high winds and the lovely chill in the air that only a fall rainstorm can bring. I curled up on the sofa and thought about making a hot toddy. I was thumbing through my adult beverage books and remembered I always wanted to try a Brandy Alexander only warm. The ingredients are rich and full of a cozy-up-on-the-sofa moment, perfect for a night like last. So I omitted the crushed ice and warmed the heavy cream in a double boiler. And changed his name from Alexander to Alexandra.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. brandy
1 oz. creme de cacao
1 oz. heavy cream
1 rainstorm
1 sofa
1 blanket
1 great old movie

Warm heavy cream in a double boiler. Combine first three ingredients in a shaker and pour into a glamorous cocktail glass of your choice. Relax on the sofa, pull up that blanket and hit play on the DVR.

I can only hope for another storm so I can add a scoop of whipped creme or chocolate ice cream into to the recipe. Enjoy!

xo–me

Bacon and Cheese Paste on Cocktail Bread

Amy — Wed, 26 May 2010 10:16:57 +0000

I am enjoying trying recipes from my Calvert Party Encyclopedia. The recipes are mostly cocktails but they also have several hors d’oeuvres that are truly of the era. I tried this one over the weekend and it was quick, simple and very savory.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. cheddar cheese
8 slices crispy bacon
2 small onions
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. mayo or Miracle Whip
sleeve of cocktail bread

Turn on oven broiler. Combine first five ingredients in a blender or food processor. Spread on individual pieces of bread. Toast under broiler until golden brown. Serve immediately.

I love this recipe because you can continue to make these treats throughout your cocktail party without much effort. Make 3x’s this recipe and keep the mixture in the refrigerator while you are entertaining. Slip away occasionally to spread and broil. Enjoy!

xo–me

How Much to Buy

Amy — Sun, 23 May 2010 10:14:17 +0000

My mommie (yes, I am a grown woman who still calls her mother, mommie) found a delightful guide to home entertaining printed in 1964. It was gifted to me last week for my birthday and I could hardly wait to share the contents with you. It’s called The Calvert Party Encyclopedia and includes tips, recipes, party menus and hints for a successful party. I will share many recipes from this whiskey distiller’s vintage pamphlet but today I am sharing their grid for how much one should purchase in whiskey according to how many gets are expected. I got a bit of a giggle out of it and I hope you do it.

If You’re Having	For Pre-Dinner Cocktails	For a Party
4 people	8 to 12 drinks (one fifth required)	12 to 16 drinks (two fifths required)
6 people	12 to 18 drinks (two fifths required)	18 to 24 drinks (two fifths required)
8 people	16 to 24 drinks (two fifths required)	24 to 32 drinks (two fifths required)
12 people	24 to 36 drinks (three fifths required)	36 to 48 drinks (three fifths required)
20 people	40 to 60 drinks (four fifths required)	60 to 80 drinks (five fifths required)
25 people	50 to 75 drinks (five fifths required)	75 to 100 drinks (seven fifths required)
40 people	80 to 120 drinks (eight fifths required)	120 to 160 drinks (ten fifths required)

HTML Tables

As much as it made me giggle, I can say that the adults of the 60′s were a bit more genteel in their beverage consumption than those in my life today. I will drink to that.

xo–me

Sangrita

Amy — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 07:08:00 +0000

If you are slightly (or very) hungover today from indulging in my previous recipes, I hope to help usher you through your nightmare this morning. I found this recipe in a book entitled Drinkology Eats. It is a nice alternative to Bloody Mary’s and it does ease you back into the real world on those horrible morning afters.

Ingredients:

1 quart tomato juice
1 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. green Tabasco sauce
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 3/4 c. tequila

Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher. Chill. Sip or simply ‘take it to the head’, as Chris would say.

Now even if you are not feeling hungover, this is a delicious addition to Sunday brunch. I serve with whatever fruit is around. Enjoy!

xo–me

Sangria Blanca

Amy — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:42:50 +0000

I have shared a delicious traditional sangria recipe, made with red wine. This one is made from white wine and there is something secretly refreshing about it’s color. It’s a perfect drink that travels if you need to to take it to a picnic or an outdoor music festival, if you would be doing that this weekend.

Ingredients:

1 lemon cut into 4 thick slices
1 lime, cut into 4 thick slices
1 orange. cut into 4 thick slices
1/2 c. Cointreau
1 bottle of fruity Spanish wine like Verdejo or Albarino
a lot of ice

Put fruit slices in a large pitcher and pout in Cointreau. Carefully muddle the fruit and liqueur, smashing the fruit slightly. Add the wine and ice cubes ands tire Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

I like it best if the fruit soaks overnight. Double, triple or quadruple this recipe if you are entertaining or a simple drunk. I kid, I kid.

xo–me

Buddha’s Punch

Amy — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:23:56 +0000

I am spending the next few days in the California desert at what I believe to be the country’s premiere music festival–Coachella. Along with seeing old friends and some great music, I will, like most, raise a toast to the California sky a few times. I thought it would be fun to share a few great adult beverage recipes this weekend. Just in case you too are going to the desert and want to mix up something new.

This recipe is called Buddha’s Punch and I am not quite sure why the great enlightened one was chosen to share a name. Double or even triple this recipe to make a large batch of punch. It will last all day if you aren’t sharing with an army.

Ingredients:

2 c. dry Riesling, chilled
1 c. light rum, chilled
1/2 c. Cointreau, chilled
1 c. orange juice
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. simple syrup
4 dashes orange bitters
1 bottle brut Champagne, chilled
1 orange, thinly sliced

Place a cake of ice in a chilled punchbowl (or if you are traveling, the biggest ice bucket you can find!) and pour in the Riesling, rum, Cointreau, juices and simple syrup. Shake in the bitter and gently stir. Carefully pour in the Champagne and garnish with the orange slices. Indulge!

Make sure you have your sunscreen if you are enjoying this outdoors this weekend!

xo–me

Breakfast in Bed

Amy — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:27:33 +0000

Why not surprise your sweetheart with breakfast in bed on Sunday? Heart shaped pancakes (use a heart-shaped cookie cutter and pour batter inside), goat cheese scrambled eggs, mimosas and some fresh made muffins. You can assemble your menu here simply by searching over there, on the right, for all the recipes you need. If you are pressed for time, sneak out of the house while your loved one is still sleeping and pick up some bagels or danish, fresh coffee and make these mimosas at home.

Ingredients:

a few sections of a blood orange
1 oz. fresh-squeezed tangerine juice
1/4 oz. Mandarine Napoleon liqueur
5 oz. champagne

Pour the juice and liqueur into a champagne flute, and drop in the sections of the blood orange. Very carefully, top with champagne.

You could get really crazy and make a bucket of it. And by a bucket I mean a pitcher. Enjoy!

xo–me

After Dinner Tea

Amy — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:10:01 +0000

We have spent the last few weeks talking about what to eat on Thanksgiving day but not what to drink. I am going to share a couple of my favorite after dinner tea’s today. And these all have alcohol in them so they work in the after dinner drink category.

Dear Grandmother:

1 oz. amaretto
hot Ceylon tea

Pour amaretto into a warmed mug. Add tea and stir.

Triple C:

1 oz. Cointreau
hot Constant Comment tea
orange slice

Place orange in bottom of warmed mug. Pour Cointreau over slice, add tea and stir.

Two very simple alternatives to after dinner drinks and a nice way to warm your tea.

xo–me

Pomegranate Martini

Amy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:07:30 +0000

Last week as I was sitting in traffic I noticed a truck full of a red round shape fruit or vegetable. I first thought they could be tomatoes but as I got closer I realized the red was too deep of shade to be. I then thought they were red onions. No. They were pomegranates! Look at them over there. Just a truck bed full of them. Yummy! It got me thinking of a pomegranate martini I had earlier this year and called my friend for the recipe.

Ingredients:

lemon twist
2 1/2 oz. lemon flavored vodka
1/2 oz. pomegranate juice
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. grenadine
1/2 tsp. simple syrup

Rim a chilled cocktail glass with the twist. Combine the remaining ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Stir, then strain into the cocktail glass. Garnish with the twist or even with some pomegranate seeds.

It’s red so it’s a perfect addition to your Halloween party. You can call it a blood martini! Cocktail anyone?

xo–me