Thursday, December 24, 2015

Christmas Cocktail Round-Up

Christmas Cocktail Round-Up

christmas cocktails, eggnog, kahlua, coffee liqueur, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, blue curacao, blue christmas cocktails, egg balls, eggnog & coffee, mele kalikimaka martnini, white christmas, eggnog martini, white chocolate peppermint martini, mini chocolate candy cane, polar freeze, chocolate covered candy cane, holiday mint cocoa, silent night, coco snowball, coconut rum, malibu rum, vodka, tropical christmas cosmo, reindeer tracks, shot of grinch, two turtle doves, gingerbread coffee cake cocktail, turtle dove, candy cane martini, show white chocolate martini, christmas cookie, gingerbread cookie, santa's kiss, peppermint patty, brandy-kissed snowflake, the dirty grinch

Somehow Christmas Eve is tomorrow!!  

No......no wait, technically it's TODAY!!!!  

Are you ready?  

Are you?  

I finished wrapping my last few gifts tonight and then headed over to drop some off at my folks house so that we won't forget them tonight in our mad dash to get me, my husband our four kids and my two dishes of mashed potatoes out the door!  

Tonight will be the very last night our Elf Of The Shelf (his name is Buddy and yes it's totally after Will Ferrell in the movie Elf) will hide or do something silly for the year and then he'll be off until next December.

Given that today is Christmas Eve and tomorrow is Christmas, I wanted to give you a bunch of cocktail options to WOW your family and friends with!  

I have broken them down into categories to make it easier (I initially had a HUGE collage of a bunch of cocktails and it was a bit much).  

With out any more waiting and wondering, here are some great cocktails to enjoy this holiday!

Eggnog Cocktails

christmas cocktails, eggnog, kahlua, coffee liqueur, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, blue curacao, blue christmas cocktails, egg balls, eggnog & coffee, mele kalikimaka martnini, white christmas, eggnog martini, white chocolate peppermint martini, mini chocolate candy cane, polar freeze, chocolate covered candy cane, holiday mint cocoa, silent night, coco snowball, coconut rum, malibu rum, vodka, tropical christmas cosmo, reindeer tracks, shot of grinch, two turtle doves, gingerbread coffee cake cocktail, turtle dove, candy cane martini, show white chocolate martini, christmas cookie, gingerbread cookie, santa's kiss, peppermint patty, brandy-kissed snowflake, the dirty grinch


Chocolate & Peppermint

christmas cocktails, eggnog, kahlua, coffee liqueur, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, blue curacao, blue christmas cocktails, egg balls, eggnog & coffee, mele kalikimaka martnini, white christmas, eggnog martini, white chocolate peppermint martini, mini chocolate candy cane, polar freeze, chocolate covered candy cane, holiday mint cocoa, silent night, coco snowball, coconut rum, malibu rum, vodka, tropical christmas cosmo, reindeer tracks, shot of grinch, two turtle doves, gingerbread coffee cake cocktail, turtle dove, candy cane martini, show white chocolate martini, christmas cookie, gingerbread cookie, santa's kiss, peppermint patty, brandy-kissed snowflake, the dirty grinch



Blue & Coconut Rum

christmas cocktails, eggnog, kahlua, coffee liqueur, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, blue curacao, blue christmas cocktails, egg balls, eggnog & coffee, mele kalikimaka martnini, white christmas, eggnog martini, white chocolate peppermint martini, mini chocolate candy cane, polar freeze, chocolate covered candy cane, holiday mint cocoa, silent night, coco snowball, coconut rum, malibu rum, vodka, tropical christmas cosmo, reindeer tracks, shot of grinch, two turtle doves, gingerbread coffee cake cocktail, turtle dove, candy cane martini, show white chocolate martini, christmas cookie, gingerbread cookie, santa's kiss, peppermint patty, brandy-kissed snowflake, the dirty grinch


Different Vodkas

christmas cocktails, eggnog, kahlua, coffee liqueur, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, blue curacao, blue christmas cocktails, egg balls, eggnog & coffee, mele kalikimaka martnini, white christmas, eggnog martini, white chocolate peppermint martini, mini chocolate candy cane, polar freeze, chocolate covered candy cane, holiday mint cocoa, silent night, coco snowball, coconut rum, malibu rum, vodka, tropical christmas cosmo, reindeer tracks, shot of grinch, two turtle doves, gingerbread coffee cake cocktail, turtle dove, candy cane martini, show white chocolate martini, christmas cookie, gingerbread cookie, santa's kiss, peppermint patty, brandy-kissed snowflake, the dirty grinch


Bailey's Cocktails

christmas cocktails, eggnog, kahlua, coffee liqueur, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, blue curacao, blue christmas cocktails, egg balls, eggnog & coffee, mele kalikimaka martnini, white christmas, eggnog martini, white chocolate peppermint martini, mini chocolate candy cane, polar freeze, chocolate covered candy cane, holiday mint cocoa, silent night, coco snowball, coconut rum, malibu rum, vodka, tropical christmas cosmo, reindeer tracks, shot of grinch, two turtle doves, gingerbread coffee cake cocktail, turtle dove, candy cane martini, show white chocolate martini, christmas cookie, gingerbread cookie, santa's kiss, peppermint patty, brandy-kissed snowflake, the dirty grinch


Odds & Ends

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There you have it.  These are some of the BEST Christmas cocktails around!  Remember if you are looking for a certain ingredient or want to find a cocktail by a certain holiday, be sure to look in my "categories" section on the right hand side of my blog!

I wish you all Happy Holidays!!

Cheers!!

The Cocktail Lady

Friday, December 18, 2015

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Cinnamon Toast Crunch



cinnamon toast crunch shot, rum chata, fireball, cinnamon whisky


Happy Friday everyone!!  

Can you believe that the week is over?  

My children are officially out of school and winter break has begun!  Let the holiday parties, family gatherings, sports practices, games, Tae Kwon Do testing, video game playing, late night movie watching, family time, sleeping in (a girl can dream right?) and New Years Eve parties begin!

The other weekend one of my best friends was up for a visit.......OK, so I just consulted with my kids and husband and apparently she was up for Halloween.........but I'll tell you, in my world that was last weekend.  THAT'S how quickly this year is flying by!!  

Back to my story, she was up and wanted us all to try this Cinnamon Toast Crunch shot she had tried recently.  To be completely honest.......I didn't try it and have no clue what her recipe was.  

I know it had Rum Chata and Fireball in it and that's all I know.  I remember she made a shaker or two full.......but I don't remember if she actually remembered the recipe she was given or just winged it.  

I also seem to remember a mess in my kitchen where she was pouring it.......not sure if the shaker wasn't closed tight, or if she missed a couple shot glasses when she was straining the shots out of the shaker.....none the less, that is what inspired me to make tonight's cocktail!

This little shooter is REALLY REALLY good!  

My neighbor was walking by as I was taking my final photos for this post, so I convinced her to come into the backyard and have a shot with me.  

We both thought it was de-lish!  

Although she has a bottle of Fireball at home, I believe in the not too distant future she will be purchasing a bottle of Rum Chata to go with that bottle of Fireball.



Here is a photo of the end result:

cinnamon toast crunch shot, rum chata, fireball, cinnamon whisky


Here is a photo of the ingredients:

cinnamon toast crunch shot, rum chata, fireball, cinnamon whisky


Here is my recipe for a Cinnamon Toast Crunch shot:

  • 2 ounces Rum Chata
  • 1 ounce Fireball
  • cinnamon & sugar to rim the glasses (3 sugar : 1 cinnamon)

Rim two shot glasses with the cinnamon & sugar mixture.  In a shaker, add ice and all of the ingredients above.  Shake and strain into the shot glasses and enjoy!!



Here is to a fun filled weekend!  We will get to spend time with friends and family this weekend!  I'd love to hear what you all have planned for the weekend!


Cheers,

The Cocktail Lady

Monday, December 14, 2015

Pumpkin Pie Eggnog

Pumpkin Pie Eggnog




It's Monday!  

Time to start off a new week.  

I have to admit this morning my day started off good at the gym.......then I got into the shower at the gym and TWICE my flip flop stuck to the shower floor as I was moving my foot and EEEEWWWWW my foot touched the floor.  

Yup, you can bet I washed it real good......both times!  

I don't know how you feel about gym showers, but I become a real germ-o-phobe when I'm in there.  I DON'T want to touch the walls or the floor or the shower curtain, no-no-no-no-no!!  

After that my day turned right back around and was great!  

Tonight I am cooking dinner and having my folks over and am very excited about it!!

As I said in my last post, I am going to try my hardest to start blogging and giving you all more cocktails!  

Although eggnog doesn't always sit well with my tummy, I think that eggnog cocktails are pretty darn good.  

I decided to revisit my Pumpkin Latta Martini and tweek it a little bit to include eggnog.  This cocktail is the perfect blend of pumpkin pie and eggnog flavors.  

Delish!!  

Time to start preparing dinner.......and maybe another cocktail while I'm at it?  Yes, yes I think that's in order!



Here is a photo of the end result:

pumpkin pie eggnog, pumpkin pie vodka, pumpkin pie liqueur, eggnog, christmas cocktail


Here is a photo of the ingredients:

pumpkin pie eggnog, pumpkin pie vodka, pumpkin pie liqueur, eggnog, christmas cocktail


Here is my recipe for a Pumpkin Pie Eggnog:

  • 1 1/2 ounces pumpkin pie vodka
  • 1 1/2 ounces pumpkin pie liqueur
  • 1 1/2 ounces eggnog

In a shaker, add ice and all of the ingredients above.  Shake and strain into a cocktail glass and enjoy!!



Here's to the last Monday of school for two whole weeks!!  


Cheers!

The Cocktail Lady

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Tropical Christmas Cosmo

Tropical Christmas Cosmo


Tropical Christmas Cosmo, christmas cocktail, tropical punch vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, triple sec


Happy Saturday!  

It's the first official weekend of December (some how) and we have yet another busy weekend!  

Today we have soccer playoffs (one game down, one to go), a birthday party and a basketball tournament game.  

Tomorrow (weather permitting) we will put up our Christmas lights (and when I say "we" I really mean my husband will), take the kids to go get our tree and then decorate the inside of the house!  I love love love this time of the year!!

With all of those things about to happen, I figured I should start this weekend off right....with a cocktail.  

I present the Tropical Christmas Cosmo.  

I got a chance to use my Pinnacle Tropical Punch vodka, yum!!  

This cocktail kind of reminds me of Hawaiian Punch, which if you are in the mood for it, is a good thing!!  

I am going to try my hardest to start blogging and giving you all more cocktails then I have been lately.  This year has been jammed packed with lots and lots of amazingly fun things and it is finally slowing down........or not so much with Christmas right around the corner.  

Either way, my calendar seems to be a little bit more open for cocktails!!  Yea!!


Here are a couple photos of the end result:

Tropical Christmas Cosmo, christmas cocktail, tropical punch vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, triple sec

Tropical Christmas Cosmo, christmas cocktail, tropical punch vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, triple sec


Here is a photo of the ingredients:

Tropical Christmas Cosmo, christmas cocktail, tropical punch vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, triple sec


Here is my Tropical Christmas Cosmo:

  • 2 ounces Tropical Punch vodka
  • 2 ounces cranberry juice
  • 3/4 ounce lime juice
  • 1/2 ounce triple sec

In a shaker, add ice and all of the ingredients above.  Shake and strain into a martini glass.



I hope you all enjoy your weekend!  I'd love to hear about what your plans are below!


Cheers,
The Cocktail Lady xoxo



Monday, November 23, 2015

Few Spirits

Few Spirits



I was contacted by Few Spirits and asked if I would like to try some of their spirits.  I was not paid for my review.  All opinions are my own honest opinions.  

Um, yea I'd love to!!  

I told them to send me a couple they thought I'd like and was told that they would send me one of each!  Awesome!

I was also sent a list of cocktails that were created by different people to try.  

Now that I like gin I decided to try one with gin and another one with their single malt whisky.  
I like the smell of their gin, it smells pure and fresh (if that makes sense).  

I also wanted to taste the Anguish & Regret because the description of it was something that I had never heard of before.  

They describe it as "special twist on Chicago favorite malört.  This spirit is an 80-proof infusion of a house-made ras al hanout Moraccan spice blend with an earthy, floral bitterness that's great in a variety of cocktails."  "Something like Chartreuse but without any sugar.)  

I wasn't sure what to expect, so I took a little sip.


I absolutely tasted the earthy, floral bitterness!  In their list of cocktails there is a House Martini that is made with Anguish & Regret, so I think I am going to try that one soon.

These spirits are good!  I think if you enjoy gin or whiskey you will enjoy the variety created by Few Spirits.  Here is a short description (provided by Few Spirits) of each of the spirits they make:

  • Few American Gin, a unique gin distilled from a wheated-bourbon mash and flavored with juniper, coriander and citrus as well as more unusual botanicals including whole vanilla beans and Cascade hops grown at the distillery
  • Few Standard Issue Gin, a navy-strength gin (114-proof) made in the classic London dry style, with lots of juniper as well as a hint of fennel
  • Few Barrel Gin, a gin made from a different spirit base and using different botanicals than the two above, aged in a combination of new oak and used Few Bourbon and Rye barrels. It's sort of halfway between a gin and a whiskey and is great in cocktails that call for either one.
  • Few Bourbon Whiskey, a bourbon made from a mash of 70 percent corn, 20 percent rye and 10 percent malted barley. The high rye content makes for an especially spicy bourbon, as does the beer yeast we use for fermentation.
  • Few Rye Whiskey, an award-winning rye distilled from a mash of 70 percent rye, 20 percent corn and 10 percent malted barley. It's fermented using a French wine yeast from the Loire Valley, which contributes lots of fruity flavor on top of rye's traditional spiciness.
  • Few Single Malt Whisky, a truly American single malt distilled from 100 percent malted barley, a portion of which is smoked with cherry wood. There's a subtle fruity smoke and cappuccino notes in this unique whisky that's nothing like a Scotch.
  • Few Anguish & Regret, our special twist on Chicago favorite malört. This spirit is an 80-proof infusion of a house-made ras al hanout Moroccan spice blend with an earthy, floral bitterness that's great in a variety of cocktails. (It's something like Chartreuse but without any sugar.)

Here are pictures of the cocktails I made.  The first one contains Few Standard Issue Gin and the second one contains Few Single Malt Whisky:



If you are looking for a new kind of spirits to give away for the holiday season, you might want to give Few Spirits a try!  Here is a link to their site, you can also find out where you can buy it here.


Hope you all had a good weekend!  Happy Monday!

The Cocktail Lady




Monday, November 16, 2015

Pumpkin Nog

 Pumpkin Nog

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I was chatting with a friend last night and surprise, surprise the topic of alcohol came up!  

Whaaaaattt??  

She told me that Pinnacle has a Habanera flavored vodka (looks like a trip to the store is in order), then we talked about the Cinnamon Roll flavor they had and I got the cocktail making bug.  

I opened up my bar (you've seen that post) today and peeked inside.  

There it was, my Pumpkin Pie vodka!  

Oh, we've had some good times together...so I decided that it was time to make a cocktail using it.

I decided to log onto Pinnacles site today to see if they had any new cocktails with that flavor since last time I checked.......cha-ching, they sure did!  

I saw this one and crossed my fingers as I ran to the fridge in hopes that my 16 year old did not drink all of the eggnog.  He didn't!  

This cocktail created by the good people at Pinnacle is SO simple and SO delicious!  

I mean, it's got to be one of the easiest cocktails to make.  Plus it's the perfect Fall/Winter combo cocktail.  You have your pumpkin pie and your eggnog, WINNER!



Here is a photo of the end result:

pumpkin nog, pumpkin pie vodka, eggnog, pumpkin pie spice, graham cracker, thanksgiving cocktail, fall cocktail, autumn cocktail, christmas cocktail


Here is a photo of the ingredients:

pumpkin nog, pumpkin pie vodka, eggnog, pumpkin pie spice, graham cracker, thanksgiving cocktail, fall cocktail, autumn cocktail, christmas cocktail


Here is Pinnacle's Pumpkin Nog, with a couple tiny changes:

  • 1 1/2 ounces Pinnacle Pumpkin Pie vodka
  • 3 ounces Eggnog
  • Pumpkin Pie spice
  • 1/2 graham cracker

Wrap up the graham cracker in a paper towel and crush it until it turns into a bunch of crumbs.  Wet and rim your glass with water and roll it in your graham cracker crumbs.  In a shaker, add vodka and eggnog.  Shake and strain into your rimmed glass.  Garnish with pumpkin pie spice and enjoy!!



I have a feeling that this week might get a bit crazy, so I'm awfully glad that I am starting it out with one of these delicious cocktails!

Cheers!!

The Cocktail Lady

Linked To:
The Weekend Retreat
Friday Five Features

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

TDD - AKA The Drinking Dead

TDD - The Drinking Dead


Who watches The Walking Dead?

The Drinking Dead is a perfect Halloween cocktail that is delicious in flavor but looks a bit scary in color to drink.



OK, so I don't watch the Walking Dead (insert gasp here).  

My husband does and just about everyone else in the world seems to.....except me.  

When it came to naming this cocktail, I drew a blank.  

One of my daughters (who will be the pink dino ranger for Halloween......even thought she's never seen the show.....but thinks her gun is cool, therefore that's what she'll be) came into my office to help me name it, she had a few suggestions and together we came up with The Drinking Dead.  

So, Thank You my Pink Dino Ranger for helping mommy name tonight's cocktail!!

The week before Halloween around here is usually insane.  

It's filled with costume planning, last minute tweeks to costumes, Trick-or-Treat planning, Haunted "Garage" set up (my son and his friend did an AWESOME Haunted Garage/Driveway/Front Yard last year and they're doing it again this year), candy buying.......then doubting I have enough......then purchasing more, Halloween party planning (yeay it's on a Saturday this year!!).  

Through all of that (and more that I know I'm totally forgetting), I wanted to make a couple cocktails this week to share.  

I am happy to say that tonight's cocktail is #2 of the week and that makes me happy!

Tonight's cocktail........um, YUM!!  

Oh this is a good one!  

The color might not look fantastic, but hey it's a Halloween cocktail.......it's not supposed to.  

The taste though, cha-ching winner!!  

Although it doesn't look like it, you can taste the pineapple juice in this cocktail which is a nice surprise!  

I really like this one and know you will too!  

If you do have a bottle of black vodka at home and decide to try this cocktail, please let me know!  

I'd love to hear what you think!


Here is a photo of the end result:

Halloween cocktail, black vodka, chambord, pineapple juice

Here is a photo of the ingredients:

Halloween cocktail, black vodka, chambord, pineapple juice


Here is my recipe for a TDD:


  • 1 1/2 ounces black vodka
  • 1/2 ounce Chambord
  • 2 ounces pineapple juice
In a shaker filled half way with ice, pour in all three of your ingredients.  Shake up this cocktail really well to get some foam.  Strain into a martini glass and once it's all in the glass shake the shaker up and down to get the foam to drip in.



Here's to Halloween going as smoothly as possible!!  I hope you all have a fun and safe night!!

Cheers!!

The Cocktail Lady