Income Tax

Income Tax

2.5 shots out of 5

It's Income Tax Day, it's Income Tax Day!!  

That could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on whether or not you are getting or paying money.  

I have been so busy this last week I have not been able to post in over a week.......I'm sorry.

We have been putting off doing our taxes (which usually I'm on it as soon as the W2 comes), so we needed to get that done, plus I had my next article due today for the Simply Gluten Free magazine.  

Toss those in with too many baseball games, a soccer game, I lost count of the number of practices and 3 days of Tae Kwon Do.........phewph........just typing it out exhausts me!

I gave tonight's cocktail 2.5 shots out of 5.  

My new friend gin.  

I had found a few different versions of this cocktail online and decided to go with the one from Kitchenriffs.  

This one looked like the best quantities of each ingredient.  

This is not a bad cocktail.  

The gin does give you that "gin burn" a bit as you swallow it, but it's not too bad.  

Vermouths (sweet or dry) usually make me run the other way, but the amount you actually put of them into this cocktail isn't horrid......which is a good thing!  

All in all, if you like gin and vermouth, I think you will absolutely like this one!

Here is a photo of the end result:

Here is a photo of the ingredients:

Here is the recipe for a Income Tax:

• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 1/4 oz sweet vermouth
• 1/4 oz dry vermouth
• 3/4 orange juice
• 2 dashes of bitters

In a shaker, add ice and all of the ingredients above.  Shake and strain your cocktail into a martini glass, sit down, sign your taxes and mail them in!

Here's to a day that scares a whole lot of Americans and a cocktail that goes along with it!

Cheers!!

The Cocktail Lady

Perfect Manhattan

Day 357

Perfect Manhattan

1 shot out of 5

I have known that I would need to make some version of a Manhattan during my year.  Whether it was a Dry Manhattan, a regular Manhattan or a Perfect Manhattan it really didn't matter to me.  I knew that I was not going to like this cocktail no matter how I made it, but to honor my mom and her signature drink, I had to make one.  My mom drinks them dry, but I decided on the perfect.

I gave tonight's cocktail 1 shot out of 5 (and I was feeling generous).  I really hoped that I would like this cocktail a lot more then I did, especially since to my surprise I did like the Kentucky Waffle.  I can hear and feel you shaking your head in disappointment.  I apologize for not being a bourbon person.  My mom had given her her recipe for a perfect Manhattan, which with a 3:1/2:1/2 version I knew I couldn't handle so I turned to the internet.  At many different sites I found more or less the recipe over and over so I decided to go with it.

Here is the recipe for a Perfect Manhattan:

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
• 1/2 oz dry vermouth
• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
• cherry or lemon to garnish

In a shaker, add ice and all of the ingredients above except for the cherry or lemon (which ever you choose).  Shake and strain into a martini glass and garnish with your choice of a cherry or lemon.

Here is a photo of the end result:

Here is a photo of the ingredients:

Here's to a Perfect......or not so Perfect Manhattan.

Cheers!!

The Cocktail Lady

Leap Year Cocktail

Day 14

Leap Year Cocktail
3 shots out of 5

Happy Leap Year Day!!  

In honor of tonight's holiday (not sure if you call it a holiday or not)  I found a cocktail that fits the day, Leap Year!  

14 days into my 365 days of cocktails!  That's the 2 week mark.  How fun!!  

Now wait a minute......Leap Year?  That would make this a blog of 366 cocktails now wouldn't it!  

Oh yeay, one more day to find a new and different cocktail!  

To my utmost and utter surprise, I give tonight's cocktail 3 shots out of 5.  

Why am I THAT surprised?  

GIN!  

Aaahhhh, gin!  

The mere smell of it makes my nose sqwinch up.  

Needless to say, I'm not a big fan of gin.  I must say, if I was a big fan I would really like tonight's cocktail!  

My husband likes gin and he likes tonight's cocktail.  For a non-gin liker, I have to say that I am honestly going to finish this entire cocktail.

Along with the gin, this is my first time ever having vermouth (sweet, dry or extra dry).  Vermouth reminds me of my mom, because she enjoys her Manhattans which are the same color as tonight's cocktail thanks in part to the vermouth.

Here is a photo of the ingredients:

Here is a photo of the end result:

Here is the recipe for the Leap Year:

• 2 shots gin
• 1/2 shot sweet vermouth
• 1/2 shot Grand Marnier
• 1/4 shot lemon juice

Put ice into a shaker and add the gin, sweet vermouth, Grand Marnier and lemon juice.  Stir it up real good!  Strain it into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy!

Tonight I've learned that gin is OK, and there is a possibility that I could sort of like it.

Cheers to gin!!

The Cocktail Lady