Moscow Mule

This is my favorite cocktail! It is very light and refreshing; one of the few vodka cocktails that I will drink. Despite popular belief this is an American cocktail. The cooper tin used to for the Moscow mule however, was created in Russia. Sophie Berezinski, a Russian cooper mug seller, immigrated to the US in 1941. With the burden of selling 2,000 cooper, mugs she walked into the Cock'N'Bull pub where she met John Martin of Smirnoff Distilleries and Jack Morgan, the owner of the Cock'N'Bull. The two men saw the mugs as a way to market Morgan's ginger beer. The three spent hours but eventually settled with the combination of vodka, ginger beer, and lime. They found that the cooper mugs kept the concoction extra cold, thus the Moscow Mule was born.

Ingredients
1/2 oz. lime juice
2 oz. vodka
4-6 oz. Ginger beer

Directions
Pour the lime juice into the cooper mug. Add ice, then pour in the vodka. Top it off with an ice cold ginger beer and mix the ingredients together with a long spoon. Enjoy!




Background info courtesy of: https://moscowcopper.com/pages/our-story

The Green Fairy pt. 2: Avada Tequila Shot

This is the second part of the absinthe series. This is shot is less of a strain on your wallet and it is strangely good. I would never think this combination would work ever! But I really like this shot. This is one of many of the concoctions that came out of the Harry Potter drink craze. This recipe is from Bustle.com. I will leave the link at the bottom. Once again, absinthe is not a beginner spirit! Drink this shot with caution.

Ingredients
1/2 oz. tequilla
1/2 oz. absinthe
1/2 oz. Mountain Dew

Directions
Layer the ingredients in the order listed in a shot glass. Enjoy!

 They have all of the other Harry Potter shots on there as well if you want to take a look. https://www.bustle.com/articles/112449-harry-potter-themed-shots-are-here-to-get-you-wizard-turnt-photos

The Green Fairy pt. 1: The Corpse Reviver #2

This is the first half of the two part series on The Green Fairy, or formally known as Absinthe. Absinthe is a spirit with a controversial past. It was is an anise flavored liquor that is distilled with wormwood. It was banned in the United States in 1912 because it was said to have hallucinogenic qualities. People claimed to see a green fairy every time absinthe touched their lips. A few years ago, the United States deemed absinthe legal again so it can be found in any liquor store. This first absinthe drink, the Corpse Reviver #2, is an expensive one! So if you are on a budget the second absinthe drink I will share is you won't put a dent in your wallet. The Corpse Reviver #2 is an old fashioned cure for a hangover; for those of you who believe in the "hair of the dog," this is the drink for you. This is also a strong drink, what most people would call an old man's drink. This is for an experienced drinker. The recipe I like for it is from Liquor.com.

There is really only one way to make this beverage, but liquor.com does provide more of the history behind the drink so if you would like to read more about it this is the link: http://drinkwire.liquor.com/post/cocktail-club-post-election-corpse-revier-2?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=post#gs.iIRhK3w

Ingredients 

1 oz. gin
1 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. Lillet Blanc
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 dash absinthe (or an absinthe rinse) 

Directions 

Pour all the ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake them together, and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon rind. 

Background info courtesy of Liquor.com: http://www.liquor.com/spirit/absinthe/#gs.Lxitezw 

Voodoo Punch

This is the ultimate jungle juice. Its sweet and fruity taste disguises the face that it contains 6 different types of rum. The original name is known as voodoo juice; however, I have created my own version of the drink that is guaranteed to make you drunk 5 times faster and certainly packs a punch (all puns intended). Voodoo juice has no special origin; everyone can create their own voodoo juice, the key is disguising an insane amount of alcohol. This recipe I decided to go with rum; you can choose vodka as well. It's another type of alcohol that's pretty easy to disguise. Tequila works too. This recipe is a combination of my own and the Cruzan voodoo bucket.
 If you want to see that original recipe I will leave a link: http://www.rumshopryan.com/2011/06/08/cruzan-rum-voodoo-juice-recipe/

Ingredients 
1 oz. Orange Rum
1 oz. Banana Rum
1 oz. Pinapple Rum
1 oz. Coconut Rum
1/2 oz. Dark Rum
1/2 oz. of any Caribbean Rum
1 1/2 oz. Pineapple juice
1 1/2 oz. Cranberry juice
1 1/2 oz. Orange Juice
1/2 oz. Simply Made Strawberry Lemonade
1/2 oz. Grenadine Cherry Syrup
Maraschino cherries (as many as you want)

Directions
Grab a bucket, any (clean) bucket will do. Fill it with ice. Next, take all of the ingredients except of the dark rum. Measure them accordingly (look back to the ingredients list) and mix them all together. Take a long spoon and mix all the ingredients together. Then, take the 1/2 ounce of dark rum and pour it over the top. Grab a straw and enjoy!

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Shot

This is not a drink for the faint of heart. If you usually drink a nice strawberry daiquiri or a fuzzy navel or Moscato on your Saturday night, I strongly advise that you stay away from this drink. I am a person who enjoys the taste of alcohol but let me tell you, this feels like pure gasoline going down. There is no real history behind this drink and there are very few speculations. Some think it was named after a notorious biker gang, others think it was named after some dudes on a football team. The only thing known is that it is considered one of the manliest drinks of all time. Some people even set this shot on fire before they drink it... I strongly advise AGAINST trying this. One thing is for sure about the four horsemen shot, a single sip will definitely make you grow some hair on your chest.

Ingredients
.25 oz. of Bourbon Whiskey (Jim Bean)
.25 oz. of Tennessee Whiskey (Jack Daniel's)
.25 oz. of Scotch Whiskey (Johnnie Walker Red Label)
.25 oz. of Gold Tequila (Jose Cuervo)

Directions
Pour all four into a shot glass (in no particular order) and knock it back. The downhill turn of your night served in a single shot.

La Sangre de Maria

This is my personal twist on the Bloody Mary. I personally, am a huge tequila fan but could take or leave vodka. There is A LOT of debate as to how the original Bloody Mary (with vodka) was created. One speculation is that Fernand Pietot, a bartender at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, created the drink in 1921. However, Colin Field, a competing bartender in Paris, claimed he was the inventor of the Bloody Mary and would rather die than say Pietot fathered it. There is also speculation that Ernest Hemingway had a lot to do with the creation of this drink because he would frequent both bartenders. No one actually knows the true creator of this drink and the controversy is still disputed today. The recipe I will be giving you is the Mexican Bloody Mary: La Sangre de Maria.

This recipe, originated from Food.com; this is my favorite Mexican Bloody Recipe but there are plenty out there that are outstanding. I use there ingredient list but have my own mixing instructions, I think it comes out better in a shaker but if you want to stir it you can do that also.  http://www.food.com/recipe/mexican-bloody-mary-46490

Ingredients
6 oz. tomato juice
1 1/2 oz. tequila
6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 (or more) dashes of Tabasco sauce
1 pinch of celery salt
1 lime wedge
1 pickled chili pepper

Directions
Add 6 ounces of tomato juice, 1 1/2 ounces of tequila, 6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, 1 or more dashes of Tabasco sauce (according to your taste level and how much of a kick level you want), and a pinch of celery salt into a shaker with ice. Shake the mixture for 10 seconds and strain over ice. Garnish glass with chili pepper and lime.

Background info courtesy of wiki and esquire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Mary_(cocktail) http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/recipes/a27481/bloody-mary-origins-recipe/

Cuba Libre

In the August 1900, Captain Russel of the United States Army Corps,
was celebrating Cuba's freedom from Spain. It was said that on that day, he ordered a Bacardi Rum with Coca-Cola and  lime to toast the evening.
Before toasting, he cheered, "Cuba Libre!" and the drink, as well as the name, has stuck since. Now the drink is a symbol of Cuban liberation from the Spanish and is frequently enjoyed by both Americans and Cubans alike. This drink is especially refreshing on a hot day!


Ingredients
2 oz. of Bacardi Rum
1 can of Coca-Cola
1 lime

Directions
Pour 2 ounces of Bacardi Rum into a tall glass. After the rum is poured, cut the lime into 4 equal wedges. Squeeze all of the wedges into the glass. Add a handful of ice to the glass ( make sure the ice takes up about 3/4s of the glass). Pour in the Coca-Cola until the glass is almost filled to the rim and add in 1 or 2 of the used lime wedges. And 1,2,3... you are ready to guzzle down your Cuba Libre!

Background courtesy of the Havannah Journal: http://havanajournal.com/culture/entry/history-of-the-cuba-libre-rum-and-coke-drink-902/

The Dirty Martini

     

No one really knows who invented this concoction. Ever since in came about in the 1950s, plenty of stories have been created and circulated, making this vintage cocktail legendary. Some think the drink was first invented by Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin, who were trying to help President Franklin D. Roosevelt cure his hangover during the Yalta Conference. Others believe that a bartender created the beverage to offend an unwanted guest. To the bartender's dismay, the bar goer ended up loving the drink and went back for it every single night (heard this story from a bartender). This drink was also seen as a symbol of power for a man during the mid 1950s; men would often enjoy a dirty martini while smoking a cigar. One think is certain when it comes to the dirty martini- it is extremely fickle!  Follow the directions carefully and enjoy this timeless drink!

Ingredients                     
Gin or Vodka - 2 Parts
Dry French Vermouth - 1/2 part
Mediterranean Olive Brine - 2/3 Part
Mediterranean Olives for mix - 4
Mediterranean Olives for garnish - 2 

Directions
In a shaker glass, combine 2 parts of any gin or vodka, 1/2 part of dry french vermouth, 2/3 part of mediterranean olive brine, 4 mediterranean olives, and ice. You want this cocktail to be as cold as possible. After all of your ingredients are together in the shaker glass, take a long spoon and stir the drink for 10-15 seconds. Next, strain the cocktail into a cocktail glass and garnish the drink with 2 skewered olives. Enjoy!

*Note that many of the ingredients in this cocktail can be to your liking. If you don't care for it with vodka, try gin or vise versa. If you don't like mediterranean olives, use regular ones. Don't have access to dry french vermouth? Any dry vermouth of your choice will do. Remember, this drink is about precision and ice; measure the parts correctly and add lots of ice when you are preparing the drink.*

Background info courtesy of: http://www.thelostartofthecocktail.com/2011/04/dirty-martini.html