CHOCOHOLICS DELIGHTED

Valentino's Delight Recipe:

Luscious, opulent and complex

1 1/2 oz. bourbon
1 oz. ruby port, the sweeter the better
1 oz. Kahlua
1 1/2 oz. heavy cream
Ground nutmeg

Chill, then strain into a large chilled martini glass. Gently sprinkle nutmeg on top and impart these words: "Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt that I love." — Shakespeare, Hamlet

 

CHOCOLATE MANDARINE:
This divinely decadent and sensual cocktail is wonderful for a romantic Midsummer's Night, Twelfth Night — or any night for that matter.

1 1/2 oz. mandarin Absolut vodka
1 oz. Godiva white chocolate liqueur
1/4 oz. mandarin Napoleon liqueur
1 tbs. sweet cocoa powder
1 tsp. dark chocolate shavings
Orange wedge

Rub the orange wedge around the lip of a large chilled martini glass. Lightly rim the lip of the glass with cocoa powder. Fill a shaker with ice and add vodka, liquor and liqueur. Shake well for five to 10 seconds, and pour into a chilled, rimmed martini glass.

Scatter the chocolate shavings around the top of the drink, serve with a chocolate candy kiss and say: "Love goes toward love. I can express no kinder sign of love, than this kind kiss." — Shakespeare, King Henry VI

SPANISHTINI:

2 oz. coffee liqueur
3/4 oz. crème de cacao
3/4 oz. Cointreau
2-1/2 oz. chilled black coffee
1/2 oz. Bacardi 151
sugar
heavy cream
cinnamon
nutmeg
chocolate

In a shaker, combine 2 oz. coffee liqueur, 3/4 oz. crème de cacao, 3/4 oz. Cointreau, and 2-1/2 oz. chilled black coffee. Shake vigorously and let stand. Pour 1/2 oz. Bacardi 151 into a cocktail glass with a sugared rim. Strike a match, let the sulphur burn off and carefully light the 151 on fire. Rotate the glass at a 45-degree angle, letting the flames caramelize the sugared rim. Sprinkle in nutmeg and cinnamon over the flames. Extinguish the fire and strain the contents of the shaker into the glass. Top with heavy cream and garnish with cinnamon and grated chocolate. 

Almond Joy Martini:

Miss trick-or-treating days? This adults-only drink tastes like an Almond Joy candy bar, with a mixture of chocolate vodka, hazelnut liqueur and coconut rum.

1 oz. Three Olives chocolate vodka
1 oz. Frangelica
1 oz. coconut rum

Chill, then strain into a chilled martini glass.

CO COJITO:

a mojito with Chocolate-infused Van Gogh Chocolate Vodka

Fresh mint and limes

dark chocolate shavings for garnish 

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Co Cojito
Signature creation on the menu at Co Co. Sala in Washington, D.C.
1 lime
6 mint leaves
½ ounce simple syrup
1 ½ ounces clear chocolate-infused vodka
Soda water
Dark chocolate shavings
Cut the lime in three pieces and combine with the mint leaves and simple syrup in a shaker; muddle. Add ice and the chocolate-infused vodka. Shake well and pour contents into a rocks glass. Add a splash of soda water and top with dark chocolate shavings.

BROWNIE COGNAC:

1 1/2 oz. Courvoisier® VSOP cognac
1 oz. amaretto
Dash of chocolate syrup

1. Fill pint glass with ice.
   
2. Add1 1/2 oz. cognac.
   
3. Add 1 oz. of amaretto.
   
4. Add a dash of chocolate syrup.
   
5. Shake and pour into a chilled martini glass.  

THANKSGIVING COCKTAIL

Thanksgiving marks the traditional beginning of the holiday party season. It's a time to share with relatives, good friends, and a nice holiday cocktail. Here are some ideas for you.

This award-winning cocktails will make its debut at the Inaugural Ball or the Hawaii Delegation at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C. All created by Bridget Albert, author of Market-Fresh Mixology: Great Seasonal Cocktails and master mixologist for Southern Wine and Spirits of Illinois.

THE APPLE COCKTAIL:

Recipe from Market Fresh Mixology by Bridget Albert

1 Whole Apple
juice of 1 lemon wedge
1 apple wedge (cut in half)
1 oz apple juice (unsweetened if you can find it)
1 oz limoncello
1/2 oz vanilla vodka
splash cranberry juice
cinnamon stick (for garnish)

Using an apple corer (or a knife, if you’re skilled), core the apple to the halfway point. DON’T cut through the bottom, or your drink will leak out all over your guests’ pants. Squeeze the lemon wedge on the inside – this will stop the apple from going brown.

In a mixing glass or a cocktail shaker, muddle the apple wedge and the apple juice. Add ice, limoncello, vanilla vodka, and cranberry juice. Shake well. Strain into the cored apple and serve with a short straw. Garnish with the cinnamon stick.

This is a great cocktail to make in batches. Core 4 or 8 apples at once, being sure to prep them with lemon, then multiply up the recipe to make a small pitcher’s worth. You can even keep a refill on hand for everyone.

AMERICAN DREAM COCKTAIL:

1 ounce PAMA pomegranate liqueur
1 ounce black cherry rum
1 1/2 ounces POM Wonderful pomegranate cherry juice
1/2 ounce fresh sour mix
White fondant
Blueberries

Cut mini stars out of white fondant. Using water, gently wet the back of each star and press into the inside of the cocktail glass. Let sit for 5 minutes.

In a Boston shaker, fill mixing glass with all ingredients and add ice to tin. Shake together well and strain into star-studded cocktail glass. Garnish with blueberries on a pick.

AIR FORCE ONCE COCKTAIL:

2 ounces Hpnotiq liqueur
1 ounce citrus vodka
fresh lemon juice
Lemon-lime soda
Lemon spiral

Fill tall glass with all ingredients and add ice. Stir well. Garnish with lemon spiral.

Cinnamon Cider Martini:

3 oz. HAN Asian Vodka
½ oz. Cinnamon simple syrup
1 oz. apple cider

Cinnamon stick and/or Fuji apple slice
Shake with ice and strain into glass.

"I love Thanksgiving turkey... it's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts."

Arnold Schwarzenegger

RAISE AWARENESS

The Pink Ribbon became worldwide symbol to help awareness about disease that strikes at the heart of families, friends and neighbors.

Mixologist all over the world are joining in the pink cause by creating a special pink ribbon themed with a percentage of the proceeds going to Breast Cancer research.



THE PINK RIBBON:
2.0 OZ Stoli Vanilla
1.0 OZ fresh Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
1.5 OZ PAMA Liquor
chill and strain into cocktail glass



THE PINK RIBBON II:
Sparkling rosé wine or sparkling water, to top off the glass
2 oz pomegranate juice
1 oz rose petal vodka
fresh rose petals

Add pomegranate juice and vodka to a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Shake and strain into chilled champagne flute. Top off with sparkling water or sparkling rosé wine. Garnish with fresh rose petals.


BAY OF PASSION:
1 part 42BELOW Passionfruit Vodka
3 parts Pineapple Juice
2 parts Cranberry Juice
Finely Diced Ginger
Orange Twist Garnish

Combine liquid ingredients and diced ginger in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into highball glass over fresh ice. Garnish with twist of orange.

CREATED IN CANADA

       

HER MAJESTY'S MARMALADE
Victoria
Cocktail created for her majesty Queen Victoria. Only Canadians could think of such a royal reason to drink on a Monday . The marmalade toasts sitting next to this cocktail remind us of the traditional breakfasts of Great Britain where the ubiquitous item on the table is always a sturdy jar of thick-cut marmalade. If one is not opposed to drinking at breakfast, then why not enjoy a drink that combines both. Think of it as a Scottish mimosa - The Marmalade Cocktail.  So cheers to Victoria!  She didn't drink, but doubtless she would have been amused.

Ingredients:
1 oz Victoria gin, or good, stiff, British version

1 oz TripleSec

2 oz lemon sour mix

1 tsp English marmalade

Method:

Shake the gin, triple sec and sours in a shaker with some ice. Strain out the ice and put back in the shaker with the marmalade (the chunky kind.) Shake again and serve in a glazed Martini glass. It should be quite thick, with bits in it.

"THE CRUTCH"

Ingredients:
2 oz Kentucky bourbon
2 oz fresh pressed golden delicious apple juice
0.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
0.5 oz vanilla bean syrup
3 dashes of angostura bitters
whole egg white

Method:

Shake hard with ice (shake long to emulsify the egg), and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish:
Grate some roasted hazelnut atop the drink.

HALLOWEEN COCKTAILS

Happy Halloween my friends. Although Halloween is not my favorite holiday, I enjoy this autumn time of a year, especially making all kinds of variations on pumpkin martini. I'd like to share a recipe that has been created for Oprah's website by my mixology teacher, Illinois Master Mixologist Bridget Albert. 

R.I.P. Cocktail:

Makes 1

* 1 1/2 ounces fresh orange juice

* 1 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka

* 3/4 ounces Pumpkin liqueur

* Lemon juice from one lemon wedge

Shake all ingredients well with ice. Strain into a Halloween-themed cocktail glass. Orange twist garnish optional.


There is plenty of variations of great pumpkin pie and other holiday cocktail recipes....

                              

SAVORY BARBADOS FLIP

Created by: Charles Joly

1 1/2 oz Mount Gay Rum
1 oz Frangelico
1 oz coconut milk
1 whole egg
fresh sage sprigs
whole nutmeg
cinnamon stick

Combine coconut milk in mixing glass with 3-4 fresh sage leaves. Muddle well. Add whole egg, Mount Gay Rum, and Frangelico. Shake thoroughly with ice. Shake some more. And shake again!
Strain into a white wine glass. Use grater to dust top of drink with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Garnish with a small sage sprig.


All these variety of  pumpkin cocktails should taste like an old fashioned piece of scrumptious pumpkin pie with a modern kick.  Here is a variety of recipes, choose the one that sounds most delicious to you.

Falling Leaf Fizz: 

1 part Grey Goose La Poire (pear-flavored vodka)
1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin butter
Pinch of pumpkin pie spice
Dash of simple syrup
4 parts of sparkling wine
Garnish: dried apple chip

Chill vodka, pumpkin butter, spice and syrup in the shaker, then pour into a Champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine and garnish

The Pumpkin Caipirinha:

1-1/2 ounce Leblon Cachaça

1/2 Lime

1/2 Agave Nectar (substitute honey in a pinch)

1-1/2 ounce Pumpkin Puree

1/2 ounce Canton Ginger Liqueur

Cut lime and place in a shaker with agave nectar and muddle. Add crushed ice, Leblon Cachaça, pumpkin puree and Canton in the shaker. Shake well and garnish with nutmeg, pumpkin flesh twist and lime wheel.

Stilleto Caipirinha:

2 ounces Leblon Cachaça

2 ounces Pear Nectar

1/2 Fresh Lemon

1/2 teaspoon Simple Syrup

Small piece of Ginger

Pinch of Nutmeg

Pinch of Ground Cinnamon

Fresh squeeze the juice of ½ a lemon. Muddle ginger and lemon in a shaker. Pour simple syrup, nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and pear nectar into the shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add Leblon Cachaça. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a pinch of nutmeg.

Pumpkin Martini:

The puree

Palm-sized pumpkin slice

1 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. butter

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Spread butter and sprinkle spices on top of the pumpkin slice, then bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Spoon out the seeds and set them aside. Carve off the skin, then chop up the pumpkin and place slices into a blender (if slices are not soft yet, bake for a few more minutes). Puree slices until mixture is a liquid consistency, adding a touch of lime juice if necessary. Strain into a container. Let cool.

The Pumpkin Martini 2:

2 oz. Kettle One vodka

1 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. pumpkin puree

Touch of lime juice

Touch of simple syrup

Spiced pumpkin seeds

Pour ingredients into a mixer with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Rim the glass with spiced pumpkin seeds. Serve.

PUMPKIN FRENCH 75:

1 oz. Plymouth Gin

1 oz. Pumpkin Puree

1 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon juice

1 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup

Champagne

Directions:

Shake all ingredients (except Champagne) in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain the mixture into a Champagne flute. Top with chilled Champagne and serve.

PUMPKIN DIVINE: 

1 part Grey Goose La Poire vodka  
1 part pumpkin butter  
1/2 part triple sec  
1/2 part simple syrup 
pinch each of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and ginger  
grated nutmeg and apple chip for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat.
3. Strain into a cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with nutmeg and an apple chip.  

David Wolowidnyk's 'Pie' Cocktail :

Infusion Ingredients and Measurements:


1 small organic sugar pumpkin (approx. 1.75kg)
1 fresh vanilla bean pod
1 cinnamon stick
20 cloves
14 – 16 cardamom pods
1 – 1.14L Vodka (pick your favorite)
1 – 2L Jar with a tight closing lid


Infusion Preparation Method:

1. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the pulp and seeds from the inside. Do not discard the pulp and seeds.

2. Slice the pumpkin into long strips, and remove the outer skin with a sharp knife, then cut the pumpkin flesh into small pieces approximately 3-4 mm thick.
The small pieces increase surface area of the pumpkin for maximum contact with the Vodka and a slightly faster infusion.

3. Place half of the sliced pumpkin into the 2L infusion jar.

4. Take the vanilla bean and make an incision down the length of the pod then insert it into the infusion jar with the pumpkin pieces, next add the cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods.

5. Separate the pulp from the seeds and put the pulp into the infusion jar.
(Roast the seeds in the oven with a little seasoning salt, they make a great snack and are loaded with zinc)

6. Add the remaining cubes of pumpkin and fill the jar with your favorite vodka.

7. Time to let it sit for approximately 2 weeks at room temperature; occasionally gently stir the mixture with a spoon. The Vodka will preserve the ingredients so refrigeration is not necessary. During the infusion time the flavor of the spices will evolve and color will be extracted. The color desired is a brownish orange.

Once time has passed and the infusion complete…

1. Line a colander with a single layer of cheesecloth and place it in a large bowl to strain the pumpkin infusion. Press the pumpkin with a muddling stick or the back of a spoon to remove some of the vodka that has absorbed into the pumpkin.

2. Re-strain the vodka through a new single layer of cheesecloth to remove some of the sediment. The resulting color of the infusion is held in the small amount sediment that is left.

3. Funnel the infused vodka back into an empty bottle and store in the refrigerator indefinitely. I always keep one bottle from the previous year so that I can start serving this cocktail as soon as the season’s first pumpkins are ripe and this years infusions are working their magic.

HALLOWEEN TOAST

2 oz Pumpkin Vodka
½ oz simple syrup
3 ginger snap cookies ground into crumbs
1 slice of orange (for moistening the rim of the martini glass)
1 nut of nutmeg and a fine grater
Freshly whipped cream

Cocktail Preparation Method:
1. Moisten the outer rim of the chilled martini glass with the slice of orange and coat the rim by placing the glass upside down into the cookie crumbs. Lifting the glass and holding it upside down still take a napkin to remove any crumbs from the inside rim to prevent them from falling into the cocktail and disrupting the appearance of the drink.
2. Fill a cocktail mixing glass with ice and add 2oz of the Pumpkin Vodka.
3. Next add ½ oz of simple syrup.
4. Shake vigorously until well chilled.
5. Taste & adjust the sweetness if necessary to balance the flavors.
6. Strain into the prepared martini glass.
7. Top with whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg.

STRAWBERRY BLISS

STRAWBERRY BLISS
2 oz strawberry infused vodka
3/4 oz rhubarb syrup

shake cold - strain into chilled cocktail glass
top with sparkling rose and garnish with strawberry

Strawberry Infusion:


1. 2 packages of organic rinsed clean and stems cut off strawberries
(fill the jar to the top)
2. Fill the jar with Absolut vodka
3. Leave it on the counter or stashed it in the fridge in a brown paper bag.
The infusion will need to steep for about two to three weeks

The strawberries turn white in the jar quickly. Not to worry, that's suppose to happen :).

Rhubarb Syrup

4 C chopped rhubarb

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Combine everything in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook gently until the fruit is soft and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Use a fine strainer (or a coarse strainer lined with cheesecloth) that has been placed over a large bowl than strain until most of the liquid is in the bowl. Give a little press on the solids with a spoon to extract more syrup.




Carefully pour the syrup into a clean bottle, cover or cork the bottle and refrigerate. It should keep for quite some time in the fridge.