Clean Coast Wines

Drink up and give back with Clean Coast Wines. $4 from the sale of each bottle goes to Gulf Coast recovery efforts. Clean Coast offers Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. We love the labels which were designed by LA tattoo artist Richard Queke. Wouldn't this make an excellent summer hostess gift? Stock up so you have some on hand for your Memorial Day BBQ's. Each bottle is $14 and available in select wine stores and on line at www.cleancoastwines.com.

The Bloody Maria

We keep learning about the joys of nuevo Bloody Marys—this week's twist is the Bloody Maria featuring tequila. We never would have thought to make the switch ourselves, but at a recent event for Sauza Tequila, party planner Cathy Riva (above) did just that and the results were delicious.

The Bloody Maria

2 parts Sauza Silver Tequila
2 tsp horseradish
3 dashes Tobasco
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
dash of lime juice
3 dashes celery salt
fill the rest of the glass with tomato juice
Garnish with celery stalk.

Mother's Day Cocktail Recipes

We hope you have a special way to celebrate your mother and your family this weekend. Here's hoping the weather is bright and sunny and serving up one of these cocktails would make things even better. Happy Mother's day!

MOM’S RED STILLETO

Created by Patricia Richards, Property Mixologist, Wynn & Encore Las Vegas

2 1/4 oz. SKYY Infusions Dragon Fruit

1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

1 1/4 oz. Simple Syrup*

1 1/2 oz. Diced Long

English Cucumber

1 Large, Ripe, Strawberry (washed & hulled)

Muddle cucumber and strawberry in cocktail shaker until the strawberry is pulverized. Add remaining ingredients and shake vigorously with ice. Strain over fresh ice into an old fashioned

glass. Garnish with strawberry and cucumber.*Combine equal parts water and sugar over medium heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. As an alternative, add 1 1/4 oz. water with 1 teaspoon sugar directly to cocktail and stir well.

GINGER MOMMA  

Created by Gregory Seider,

The Summit Bar New York

3/4 oz. SKYY Infusions Dragon Fruit

1 oz. Cinnamon Agave Syrup*

1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

2 Dashes Orange Bitters

Ginger Beer

Zac Posen's Bloody Mary

When we were in Miami the weekend before last, we enjoyed a pre-flight brunch at Rosa Mexicana. Hope ordered a tomatillo and cucumber bloody Mary that was made table side and was deliciously reminiscent of a cup of gazpacho. The experience taught us that a Bloody Mary can mean more than tomato juice and celery (though there's nothing wrong with the original!).

Designer Zac Posen is ahead of that trend, of course, and created two new cocktails to make the most of Belvedere's Bloody Mary, a vodka with flavors of fresh tomato, black pepper, horseradish, bell peppers; chili peppers, lemon and a touch of vinegar. "Brunch can be fabulous when you have the right meal, cocktail and outfit. I’m an avid fan of any brunch occasion so I’m delighted to be working with Le Caprice to create an irresistible menu to complement the new Belvedere Bloody Mary," Posen said.  The cocktails are available at New York's Le Caprice through June 26 or make them at home with the recipes below:

Belvedere Bloody Mary (shown above)
• 60ml Belvedere Bloody Mary
• 60ml tomato juice
• Dash lemon juice
• Tabasco to taste (optional)

Combine ingredients in a highball glass over cubed ice.
Garnish with a lemon wedge and/or celery stick

Belvedere Pineapple Mary
• 1.5oz Belvedere Bloody Mary
• 3oz Fresh Pineapple juice
• 0.75oz Fresh Lime juice
• 2 bar spoon Simple syrup
• 2 dashes Orange bitters
• 1/8 bar spoon Smoked paprika (hot)
Shake and strain all ingredients into a rocks glass filled with cubed ice.

St. Patrick's Day Cocktails

Sure, you could order a Guinness on St. Patrick's Day, but why not celebrate with a creative cocktail? Here are a few to inspire you:

CUCUMBER MINT COCKTAIL

3 slices of cucumber
2 large sprigs of fresh mint
1 ½ oz. Moon Mountain Vodka
¾ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. agave nectar

To Make:
1. Add 3 slices of cucumber and 2 large sprigs of mint to a cocktail shaker. Muddle to release the flavors. Add 1½ oz. Moon Mountain Vodka, ¾ oz. fresh lime juice and ½ oz. agave nectar and ice to fill. Shake and strain over fresh ice into an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a slice of cucumber and mint sprig.


THE GINGER

2 oz Irish Whiskey (Tullamore Dew)
¾ oz Spicy Ginger Beer
Freshly squeezed lime juice

To make:
Pour the whiskey and lime juice in an ice-filled highball glass, top with a spicy ginger beer and stir
gently to mix. Squeeze a fresh lime wedge and add a sprig of mint for garnish.


THE SPICY IRISHMAN

1 oz Russian Standard Vodka
1.5 oz Lucid Absinthe
¼ oz Siracha Hot Sauce
Killian’s Irish Red Beer

Mix the vodka, absinthe and hot sauce in a cocktail strainer. Pour into a beer glass. Top with beer.

Happy St. Patrick's Day (2 days early)!

Valentine's Day Cocktails

Whether your single, dating, or part of a couple, one thing we can probably all agree on, is that Valentine's Day calls for a drink! Here are a few Valentine's Day cocktails to celebrate the day with:

No Oxidantal Buzz (above)

Ingredients

* 8 oz Ice
* 2 oz Vodka
* 1 oz Pomegranate Liquor
* 1/2 oz Blackberry Brandy (Optional)
* 8 oz Cheribundi Juice
* 1 Tablespoon Sugar (Add or Subtract to individual preference)

Cupid’s Arrow

• 50ml/2oz Belvedere Vodka
• 15ml/1/4oz simple syrup
• 20ml /1/2 oz Lemon juice
• 6 fresh raspberries or 20ml/1/2oz raspberry puree
• Dash egg white
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass top with a splash of soda and garnish with a raspberry.

Sealed with A Kiss

• 40ml/ 1.5 oz Belvedere Vodka
• 4 fresh strawberries
• 1 Shiso leaf or apple slice
• 15ml/ ½ oz Koshinokaghiroi Sake

Muddle strawberries with a dash of simple syrup. Add rest of ingredients and shake with cubed ice. Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a strawberry slither and Shiso leaf or apple slice.

Hangover Cures

According to a new study, plain old aspirin and coffee is the best way to cure a hangover. The scientist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia got rats drunk and then tested what cured their headaches and what didn't. (We're picturing rats lying in bed with tiny ice packs on their foreheads.)

We have our own new favorite hangover cure (for a doozy of a hangover we had after our annual girls' night out). This one comes courtesy of Joe, a waiter at P.J. Clarke's in Washington, D.C. He recommends combining hot chamomile tea with ginger ale--a somewhat odd combo that surpisingly worked!

See some of our other favorite hangover cures. 

Enter to Win a Trip to the Birthplace of Kahlua in Mexico

When it comes time to reconnecting with friends and loved ones, more Americans prefer a night in, according to a recent survey sponsored by Kahlua. But if you're going to stay in, you have to have something good to talk about, along with good food and drinks. To help with the first part, Kahlua is sponsoring a Delicioso Night In sweepstakes where those who commit to staying in with friends one night a month are entered to win a one night trip to New York City prepared by chef Aaron Sanchez, immediately followed by a four day trip to Veracruz, Mexico, the birthplace of Kahlua.

When it comes to the menu for your night in, Sanchez suggests keeping it casual. He recommends inviting guests into the kitchen to help cook, serving a speciality cocktail with each course that features a liquor (that's a Kahlua espresso martini, above) and serving small bites of food that can be eaten with your fingers for a more playful meal.

Enter the Delicioso Night In on Kahlua.com.

JSG received a free sample. 

Snow Shots at the Dream Hotel

If you can't beat the cold with a beach getaway, you may as well enjoy it! Guests of New York's Dream Hotel are treated to a complimentary Snow Shot, a blend of Stoli Vanilla vodka & Godiva White Chocolate liqueur, in the hotel's 14th floor Ava Lounge. What better way to celebrate NYC's transformation into a winter wonderland.

Champagne Cocktails

While we don't usually promote the drinking of Champagne cocktails--because when you drink the good stuff, there's nothing you can do to make it better--these recipes from Moet + Chandon are tempting!

Winter Quiver
1 oz Skyy Infusions Cherry Vodka
½ oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
4 frozen Bing cherries
Splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Moet + Chandon Imperial Champagne

Gently muddle the Bing Cherries with Skyy Infusions Cherry Vodka in a mixing pint. Add ice, Maraschino Liqueur, and lemon juice and shake.  Strain into a champagne flute and top with Moet + Chandon Imperial Champagne.  Garnish with lemon zest.

Cherry Berry Delight
1 oz Skyy Infusions Cherry Vodka
2 tbsp raspberry preserves
4-5 frozen raspberries
Moet + Chandon Imperial Champagne

Gently muddle the raspberry preserves and frozen raspberries with Skyy Infusions Cherry Vodka in a mixing pint.  Add ice and shake.  Strain into two champagne flutes and top both glasses with Moet + Chandon Imperial Champagne.  Garnish with lemon zest.

Wintery Ginger
Created by Alex Straus of Suite 700 at the Hotel Shangri-La in Los Angeles
1.5 oz. Skyy Infusions Ginger
Sliced fresh kiwi

3 large slices of Anjou pear
Moet + Chandon Imperial Champagne 


Muddle kiwi and pear in a cocktail shaker.  Add Skyy Infusions Ginger with ice and shake vigorously.  Strain into a champagne flute and top with Moet + Chandon Imperial Champagne.  Garnish with a slice of kiwi.

DKNY for Clicquot in the Snow boot

Bubbleholics who love to ski take note: DKNY partnered with Clicqout in the Snow to create these limited edition snow boots. They come in the signature Veuve Clicqout yellow and like the Champagne, pair with apres-ski and other winter time events, like the Veuve Clicquot-sponsored Tube-a-Thon in Vail next February.

The boots are $98 and are available at DKNY stores and online.

A Caribbean Twist on Egg Nog

What's better than egg nog to get you through the holiday season? The Coquito, a Puerto Rican cousin to the traditional version, which has coconut for that Caribbean flare. Cheers!

DonQ Coquito
2 cans (30 oz.) coconut cream
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 or 2 cups DonQ Cristal
1/4 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tbsp. ground nutmeg

The Breeders' Cup Cocktail

While the Kentucky Derby is more famous, the Breeders' Cup is for the true racing fans--it's like the All-Star game for horses. It changes tracks from year to year, this year's happens to be at Churchill Downs this upcoming weekend. Even though it's in Kentucky, don't expect mint juleps to be served. The official cocktail of the Breeders' Cup is the Grey Goose Down the Stretch.


GREY GOOSE DOWN THE STRETCH 

1½ parts Grey Goose vodka 

2 parts lemon-lime soda 

2 parts cranberry juice 

Splash of sweet and sour mix
Blue curacao for floating 



Fill a highball glass with ice. Add Grey Goose, lemon-lime soda, cranberry juice and 
sweet and sour mix.  Float blue curacao.   Stir well.  Present with a lemon twist.

Italian Greyhound

Move over mimosa, we have a new favorite brunch cocktail, the Italian Greyhound. Here's the recipe:

1.5 parts X-RATED®Fusion Liqueur®
1/2 Aperol® or splash of Campari®
3 parts Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
Grapefruit Bitters (optional)
Build cocktail in a low-ball glass
Top with ice.

Find more X-Rated Liqueur cocktails.

On Our Radar: The Toronto Film Festival and the Fairmont Royal York

The 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival which begins today through  September 19th presents the best new movies for film lovers and industry professionals alike. The Fairmont Royal York is the perfect place to enjoy the festival and is offering a special package for festival go-ers.

The Toronto International Film Festival Package includes:


Four pairs of tickets and accommodations on the luxurious Fairmont Gold Floor
Availability Monday September 13, 2010 – September 19, 2010
Continental breakfast
TIFF festival gift bag
Official Film schedule
Program book
Starting from Rates: $459 for the first night, and $359 for additional nights
For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com/royalyork

To celebrate the film festival, the Fairmont is serving up a couple of yummy looking cocktails: the TIFF Tini and the Festival  Buzz (pictured below). Try them yourselves!

“TIFF TINI” RECIPE

chilled Fairmont Organic Jasmine tea
1 oz of pear vodka
5 oz of Galliano
freshly squeezed lemon juice
dash of simple syrup.
Garnish with fresh lemon zest.
Gently stirred and served on the rocks in fine china

“FESTIVAL BUZZ” RECIPE
1 oz White Peach Puree
¼ oz Royal York hotel honey
4 oz Moet Champagne
Stir puree and honey in a shaker glass. Pour into a flute glass. Top with champagne.

Labor Day Cocktails

If you're having a crowd over for Labor Day, it's fun and easy to make your cocktails in a carafe; but our proportions are often off and our drinks end up tasting more like fire water. Here's a delicious recipe from Leblon in just the right proportions:

Mixed Berry Caipirinha Carafe

8 oz Leblon Cachaça

20 blueberries

8 raspberries

4 strawberries, sliced

4 blackberries

3 oz simple syrup or 1.5 tsp superfine sugar

Açai & Pomegranate Vitacoco to top

Method:
Muddle berries and simple syrup/sugar in a carafe. Add remaining ingredients and a scoop of ice. Stir well and serve in a rocks glass, straining if needed. Garnish with one of each berry on a pick

Booze-Infused Ice Cream

We love when our two of our favorite foods are combined into one tasty treat. The Silver Moon lines of adult-only ice creams pairs the icy, sweet treat with liquor for flavors like Pomegranate Martini sorbet and Orange Creamsicle ice cream with Cointreau. The Silver Moon ice cream is available at Whole Foods in northern California or for order online.

Bacardi Torched Cherry Getaway

We first became fans of  Bacardi's Torched Cherry during the Hotel Thrillist weekend at the Fontainebleau. After tasting the Bacardi Torched Cherry Getaway a the Robert Verdi Twitter Getaways event tonight we're officially o-b-s-e-s-s-e-d! Drink enough of them and you'll have a vacation in a glass! Here's how to make them at home:

Bacardi Torched Cherry Getaway
2 parts Bacardi Torched Cherry
3 Blackberries
2 Lemon slices
Bunch of mint (6 leaves)
1/2 part simple syrup
Muddle blackberries, lemon slices and mint.  Add the rum and simply syrup, then shake, double strain and pour over ice. Garnish with mint, blueberries or raspberries.

Celebrate National Daiquiri Day

Though daiquiris have gotten a bad wrap as being the drink of choice of younger drinkers or the Applebee's crowd -- and admittedly, a banana daiquiri is our breakfast of choice when in the tropics -- the original daiquiri was not frozen or overly sweet. In fact, it was masculine enough to be a favorite of red meat eating, fishing fanatic Ernest Hemingway. Celebrate National Daiquiri Day today with an original-style daiquiri:

3 parts Bacardi Superior Rum
1 part lime or lemon juice
1/2 part sugar
In a shaker with ice, combine ingredients.
Shake and pour into glass