Tiny Bubbles

‘Tis the season for bubbly…  There are few drinks as festive as a glass of champagne.  For decadent occasions, we highly recommend splurging on a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, yellow label.  It will probably run you around $50-$60, which is considerably cheaper than Dom Perignon, and a better buy for the money in our opinion.

While a good champagne is wonderful all by itself, we sometimes like to have fun and get a little creative with the bubbly.  For the following drink ideas, a less expensive bottle will work just fine. 

We are partial to Cava, the Spanish bubbly.  It is closer to the taste and quality of French champagne, but tends to be much less expensive.  A good inexpensive one that we like is Poema Cava, which you can probably pick up for about $12.  In that same price range, Korbel is always a good choice for a California bubbly, as is Freixenet Cordon Negro.  You can choose brut or extra dry.  The extra dry is a bit sweeter than the brut.

Hypnosas

This one involves Hpnotiq liqueur, which is an exquisite blend of premium vodka, fine cognac and natural tropical fruit juices.  It is a lovely shade of blue, comes in a frosted bottle and is quite yummy all by itself as well as great in cocktails.  Look for the “HQ” on the label.

Fill a tall fluted glass about ¾ full of bubbly.  Add a splash of the Hpnotiq, just enough to turn the liquid a nice golden blue. 

Divinely Dangerous

For this one, we use X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, a sensuous blend of ultra premium French vodka and rich blood oranges, mingling with mangos and passion fruit.  This one is the prettiest shade of pink and also comes in a frosted bottle with a large "X." 

Suzi tried this one out on the DIVA's one year, served at brunch along with her famous breakfast casseroles.  We hadn't yet named it, so she asked the girls to help come up with a name.  Of course, they immediately dubbed it a DIVA drink, and so it became Divinely Dangerous.

Fill a tall fluted glass about ¾ full of bubbly.  Add a splash of X-Rated, just enough to turn the liquid a lovely golden pink.  You can also add a strawberry for garnish. 

Raspberry Champagne

This one is particularly elegant and very tasty, using Chambord Liqueur. 

Fill a tall fluted glass about ¾ full of bubbly.  Slowly pour in a splash of Chambord, so that the pretty purple liquid pools slightly in the bottom of the glass, giving the bubbly a layered look.  Drop in one or more fresh raspberries for garnish.

Blooming Bubbly

For this one, you will need to find a jar of Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup.  We get them at a little boutique here in Islamorada, but you can order them on-line.  They are exactly what the name implies…hibiscus flower blooms soaking in sweet syrup, and they are delicious! 

Place one hibiscus flower in bottom of fluted champagne glass.  Add a few drops of the sweet red syrup, then fill the glass with bubbly.  As you watch, the bubbles from the wine will actually cause the flower bud to open up into a full blossom in the bottom of your glass.  When you finish the drink, you can eat the sweet flower.

We were first introduced to candied hibiscus flowers and bubbly one Valentines Day that we spent out on the boat.  It was quite festive and very romantic.

“I would rather be in a boat with a drink on the rocks than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.”

There is a saying here in the Keys, “I would rather be in a boat with a drink on the rocks than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.”  Whether you are on a boat or just in your own living room, “on the rocks” is the simplest way to enjoy

a premium liquor. 

In case you haven’t picked up on it yet, we are partial to rum.  After years of extensive taste testing, we have settled on what we deem to be, in our experience, the best rum in the world.

Funny story about how we came to find this particular rum.  Our brother Ken shares our love of fine rum, and when he visits us in the Keys, we normally consume mass quantities.  On a visit years ago, he picked up a bottle of Anniversario Pampero at one of our local Key Largo liquor stores, and we all agreed that it was, quite possibly, the best we had ever tasted (and it is still our 2^nd favorite.)  Upon returning home, Ken was unable to find it in Tennessee.  A few months later, Suzi’s parents were visiting, and Ken asked if they would pick up a bottle for him.  So, one day, we went to the liquor store where he had originally bought it and they were sold out of it.  Not to be daunted, we went to another store.  They were also sold out.  At the third liquor store to be sold out, we finally asked, jokingly, “Has there been a run on Anniversario rum this week?”  To which the store clerk replied, “Funny you should ask that.  As a matter of fact, there has been.”  It seems that John Travolta was in town (he keeps a place at a resort in north Key Largo) and apparently he always buys everyone on his staff a bottle of Anniversario rum when he’s here.  Apparently, he buys every bottle on the island!

We were very disappointed and feeling bad about letting Ken down, when the store clerk pointed out another bottle of rum that was just a little bit more expensive and said that for his money he thought it was the best rum out there.  On this recommendation, we bought two bottles, one for Ken and one to keep.  And so we were introduced to Ron Zacapa 23 Anos Rum from Guatemala, the best rum in the world.

Ron Zacapa On The Rocks

Half fill a high-ball rocks glass with ice

Free pour Ron Zacapa 23 Anos Rum, enough to cover about half of the ice

Gently shake glass

Drink

This rum is far too good for a lime, and friends would never ever under any circumstances let friends mix Zacapa with Coke.  But, if you are ever in Key West with Suzi, don’t be surprised if she splurges for a Zacapa Mojito at El Meson de Pepe’s outside bar on the way to Mallory Square for the sunset celebration.  They make the best mojitos and they have Ron Zacapa on the bar…sometimes you just have to do it.

If you want to spend the money, the Ron Zacapa XO is also a wonderful rum.  It is more than twice the price of the 23 year old, and for our money, we say buy it once to taste it and to get the pretty decanter, then go back to the 23 anos.



As mentioned, Anniversario Pampero is our second favorite rum.  Considering it's only two years old compared to 23 year old Zacapa, it has amazing character.  It also has a nice bite, in contrast to Zacapa's incredible smoothness.  But, sometimes you want the bite! 

Have you met the bar?

Allow us to introduce you to our bar.  Subscribing to the philosophy that life is too short to drink cheap liquor, we stock a pretty top shelf bar.  Cocktails don't always require the finest booze, but don't slum it too much.  Remember, life is too short...

Meet the regular players:

RUM 

Top Shelf:  Ron Zacapa 23 anos.  Anniversario Pampero. 

Mid Shelf:  Bacardi Gold, Captain Morgan's, Malibu Mango, Malibu Coconut, Myers's Dark (Coruba Dark is preferred if you can find it.)

VODKA

Skyy (Scott says "It's the only way to fly...")
Absolute
vs. Grey Goose (This is a running debate around here.  Scott says Goose is just popular and overpriced.  Suzi kinda likes it.)

GIN

Tanqueray No. 10.
Bombay Saphire.

TEQUILA

Top Shelf:   Herradura Anejo

Mid Shelf:  Jose Cuervo Gold

WHISKEY

Crown Royal

BOURBON

Top Shelf:   Knob Creek.  Woodford's Reserve

Mid Shelf:   Maker's Mark

LIQUEURS/MIXERS
Grand Marnier.  Kahlua Especial.  Disaronno Amaretto.   Bailey's Irish Cream.  PAMA Pomegranate Flavored Liqueur.  Limoncello.   Hpnotiq.   Chambord.  Blackberry Brandy. 

Hot Damn Cinnamon Schnapp's.  Dry Vermouth.   Sweet Vermouth. 
Angostura Bitters.  Agave Nectar.   Simple Syrup.

ABSINTHE

Trul Absinthium 1792.  Trul Absinthium Red.  Trul Absinthium
Black.
Le Muse Verte. (Our favorite Czech and French high thujone
Absinthe's, ordered from http://www.absinthe.fm/.)

You will have your own favorites and preferences, so feel free to substitute brands as you see fit.  The only rule is that you use good liquor.

Of course, you will need the proper bar tools and glassware.  A good shaker is a must.  Big Boy highball glasses, chilled soup bowl "up" glasses and frozen beer glasses are necessary.  Daquiri/girly drink glasses are helpful, as well as a wide assortment of toothpicks, stirrers, straws and proper garnishes.  (When we get to Absinthe we'll have to talk...)

The next thing you should know is that math is not too involved.  Scott generally free pours and eyeballs his measurements.  Mixology is as much an art as it is a science.  In our experience, the best cocktails are the ones you have a "feeling" for, rather than a strict, measured recipe.  Method of mixing is just as important (i.e. "shaken, not stirred" or "bruising" the liquor instead of simply mixing it.)  For those needing numerical volumes, this is about as good as it gets:          

1 Shot  = 1 oz
1 Jigger  = 1 1/2 oz
Also:
"Short Shot" = about 1/4-1/3 of a shot
"Splash" = fairly self-explanatory
"Threaten" = literally 1-3 drops
"Parts" = ratio for mixing large quantities

Happy mixing!  Cheers!

Hot Cider & Rum

So, for this one, we are kinda sorta famous.  We have been hosting a Hot Cider & Rum Holiday party nearly every year for the past 18 years or so, and Suzi has been doing it a few more years than that.  In the late 80’s, Suzi lived in a house at a busy intersection only a few blocks from “the” shopping mall in Chattanooga.  The cider party started as an open house on the weekend before Christmas.  She cooked up a big spread of food, mulled a big pot of cider, and an invitation was sent for friends and family to take a break from shopping and stop in for some cider, food and fun.  

But back in those days, with an underage brother and tea-totaling parents, we kept the rum hidden in the cabinet over the stove where the cider was mulling and spread the word to the “cool” folks to help themselves.

As the years passed, everyone in the group reached legal drinking age, and our multiple trips to Jamaica seasoned the parents to rum (side story: after our first trip to Jamaica, Suzi’s folks were visiting and she mixed herself a Coruba dark rum and OJ.  Her mom asked what she was drinking, to which she replied, “Orange juice, Mama.”  Mama said, “That is more than orange juice.”  Suzi: “Well, there is Jamaican rum in it.”  Mama: “Can I have one?”  Suzi recovers from shock and makes Mama a rum and OJ…) until finally the booze didn’t have to hide in the cabinet any longer.

After many years of cider parties in Chattanooga, we first introduced our friends in the Keys to our Cider & Rum back in 1998.  Since we do travel back to Tennessee for the holidays some years, the party has evolved into our “Annual If We’re Not Traveling Hot Cider & Rum Party.”  Over the past few years, it has also evolved into a musicians jam, or hootenanny as Suzi calls it.  We are fortunate to call many of the Keys finest musicians friends and when a bunch of them are gathered together in our backyard, all jacked up on cider, you never know what might happen.  Chances are good you’ll hear Scott singing “Merry Christmas From The Family” and Suzi singing “B Double E Double R U N” and if we are all very lucky maybe even Dave Feder singing one of his political songs (something about shooting huskies from a helicopter…?)

The recipe for the cider itself has also evolved over the years.  Scott has indeed perfected the mix and the mulling process into a fine art.  When we first decided to post on this particular drink, his initial reaction was that he was not going to divulge the cider recipe.  But, he did finally change his mind and agree to share. 

This recipe is for one large pot full of cider.  When we host the cider parties, we normally use 6-8 gallons of cider and adjust the other ingredients accordingly.

Hot Cider & Rum

One gallon Apple Cider

One quart jug Apple Juice

One cup Cranberry Juice

One Orange

Whole Cloves

½ t. Cinnamon

Dash Nutmeg

¼ cup Golden Raisins

¼ cup Dried Cranberries or “Craisins”

* Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum

Whole Cinnamon Sticks

*For a bit more complicated recipe, Scott sometimes makes a “Holiday Cider Blend” of rums, which changes from time to time, but is basically: Captain Morgan’s, Bacardi Gold, touch of good dark rum, touch of Hot Damn Cinnamon Schnapp’s.  You can make your own blend, but plain ole’ Captain works pretty well in a pinch.

Pour all liquids (except rum) into a large pot.  Cut orange into wheels.  Stick 5 whole cloves in each wheel.  Float orange slices on top of cider mixture.  Lightly sprinkle spices over the oranges.  Add raisins and cranberries.  Mull on low heat for at least one hour.  When the raisins turn back into grapes, it's ready to drink!

Fill a mug with hot cider mixture; add 1-2 shots rum mixture, according to taste and preference, garnish with a whole cinnamon stick.

GJ Royale

A couple of summers ago, when we got our first redneck pool, we were hosting redneck pool parties nearly every Saturday or Sunday afternoon.  It usually ended up being a bunch of girls floating in the pool and Scott tending bar... he didn’t seem to mind. 

He came up with this one as a twist on the Grapefruit Juicy-Fruit.  It is refreshing and tasty like the original, but using bubbly instead of vodka makes it more festive and kinda girly.  It was a big hit with the girls and quickly became the official redneck pool party cocktail.

You don’t have to use an expensive champagne for this drink.  We are actually partial to Cava, Spanish bubbly... Poema Extra Dry is one of our faves.  But, Korbel Extra Dry is always good too.

While GJ Royale’s are best when served to bikini clad women in a pool, they can also be enjoyed while laying in a hammock.

GJ Royale

Champagne/Bubbly

Short Shot Amaretto

Pink Grapefruit Juice

Fill a wine glass with ice.  Half fill glass with bubbly, add Amaretto. 

Finish filling glass with grapefruit juice. Stir well.  Garnish with a peeled grapefruit wedge, if desired.

Grapefruit Juicy-Fruit

Scott came up with this drink years ago.  It is a twist on a Greyhound.  The nutty, sweet flavor of Amaretto combined with the tartness of grapefruit juice is a magical mixture.  It is amazingly refreshing and the perfect accompaniment to a day at the beach.

The first time we went to Haulover Beach in Miami, we drove down from Chattanooga and stayed at a little hotel on the beach.  We had planned to drink Grapefruit Juicy-Fruits on the beach.  We even brought our electric juicer and fresh grapefruits.  We started the day off by squeezing up some juice, making a batch of drinks and heading down to the beach.  There were multiple trips back to the hotel for more squeezing and drink making.  When we ran out of fresh fruit, we bought canned juice from the hotel.  We got trashed.  If you are not familiar with Haulover Beach, it is a nude beach.  The next morning we had aching heads and burnt buns, but what a fun day.

Grapefruit Juicy-Fruit

1 Jigger Skyy Vodka

1 Short Shot Amaretto

Fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice

Fill highball glass with ice.  Pour in liquors and fill with grapefruit juice.  Stir well. 
Best when enjoyed on a beach.

The name is, of course, from the Jimmy Buffett song.  We take a little license with the lyrics...

"Grapefruit,

No bathing suit,

Chew a little juicy-fruit

Wash away the night

Yeah, you chew a little juicy-fruit

It's good for your soul"

Tee More Marthrinis

While we are still on the subject of martinis, I will admit that the classic and the pama are the faves, but we do like to mix it up a bit from time to time.  Here are tee more marthrini, I mean, three more martini recipes that we think you might enjoy.

#1

The Lemon Drop Martini is basically a lemon drop that is too good to shoot.  You’ll want to sip and enjoy!  Using the Limoncello liqueur, you don’t need to add extra sugar because the sugar is already in the liquor.  And remember, it is a martini, not a fru-fru girly drink so you don’t want it too sweet (not that there is anything wrong with fru-fru girly drinks.)

Lemon Drop Martini

2 shots Vodka

1 shot Limoncello

2 Lemon slices

Prepare glasses in advance by chilling and then dipping the edges in lemon juice then in granulated sugar. 

Pour vodka and Limoncello into shaker, squeeze one of the lemon slices, and add ice.  Shake well.  Serve in chilled, sugar rimmed glasses with a lemon slice for garnish.

“What a twist!”

(A nice twist on this one is to combine it with the PamaTini to make the PamaLemaTini.  Simply split the amount of Limoncello with equal parts Pama pomegranate liqueur.  We found a fun pre-made pomegranate sugar glass rimmer made by a company called Stirrings that is pretty good with the PamaLemaTini.)

#2

Another one we like is the Pear Martini.  We found Absolut Pears, and thought it sounded delicious, and so Scott had the idea for pear martinis.  We made them for a couple of happy hours and they were a big hit.  

Suzi also made them as a DIVA drink one year and they weren’t quite as big a hit.  But they sure were pretty…

Pear Martini

3 shots Absolut Pears Vodka

1 shot Goya Pear Nectar

Asian pear slice

Pour into shaker, add ice and shake vigorously.  Serve straight up in a chilled glass and garnish with an Asian pear slice.

#3

Ok, so we really got into martinis for a while there.  One night we were talking about the classic olive martini and started discussing things other than olives that would be good in a martini.  Of course there is the obvious cocktail onion, some folks like a jalapeno or chili for a little spice.  But then Scott came up with dill pickle, and Dill Pickle Martinis were born.  
This drink goes great with a club sandwich and a bag of chips. 

Dill Pickle Martini

3 shots Vodka

Threaten with Dry Vermouth

Threaten with pickle juice

Pickle slice for garnish

Pour into shaker with ice, shake vigorously, serve up in chilled glasses.  Garnish with pickle slice.

This is simply the Classic Olive Martini made dirty, but instead of an olive and olive juice, use a slice of dill pickle and pickle juice.  

Shaken Not Stirred

Martinis are a favorite around here.  PamaTinis, featured in the previous post, are standard happy hour fare, running neck and neck with the classic olive martini.  There is, without a doubt, an art to making a really great martini.  Most bars use too much vermouth or none at all.  The trick to the perfect martini is just the right amount of vermouth, vigorous shaking and good quality olives.  You want fresh vermouth too.  A bottle sits a long time on most bars and it will go stale.  Replace it ever so often even if it’s not empty.  For a while there, we were having a terrible time finding good olives.  They were hard, thick skinned, or bitter.  One drawback of living on an island is that we sometimes have limited supplies available to us.  We have settled on Iberia Spanish Olives, the small, pimento stuffed variety.  Scott is a purist and likes the solitary olive floating in the drink.  Suzi wants at least 3 olives, preferably speared on a toothpick, and if they happen to be stuffed with bleu cheese, that is even better. 

Classic Olive Martini

3 shots Vodka

Dry Vermouth … measurements can get tricky as this is really a taste thing.  You can experiment, but Scott says he gives it somewhere between “Threaten” and a “Splash.”  (Approximately ½ teaspoon at most for a 3 oz martini would be a good guideline.) 

Pour liquids into shaker, add ice and shake vigorously.  (The shaking is key here.  It is important to “bruise” the liquor, basically meaning, it becomes well aerated.)  Serve in chilled up glasses with olive(s) for garnish.

Remember, we use soup bowl glasses.  If your up glasses are smaller, you might need to cut back on the measurements or use a sidecar for the extra.

To make a dirty martini, instead of putting olive juice in the drink itself, try putting a juicy olive in the shaker along with the ice and other ingredients.

PamaTini

We were first introduced to pomegranate martinis in Chattanooga.  The girls took Suzi to lunch at a place downtown called Food Works once when she was visiting and they ordered pomegranate martinis.  If you know Suzi, you know that getting a buzz at lunch is one of her favorite things (she says, “It’s just so festive.”) 

A few months later, back in Chattanooga with Scott for her big 40^th celebration, she made the now legen- (wait for it) -dary plan of bar hopping downtown and drinking all day…the day before the BIG party.  It was a fabulous day of pomegranate martinis at nearly every bar in downtown Chattanooga.  With the benefit of hindsight, probably not such a hot idea, but a fabulous day nonetheless.

And so, pomegranate martinis became a favorite.  However, while we have tasted some very good ones in some nice bars, none of them quite lived up to expectations.  If you look up recipes, many of them call for ingredients like grapefruit juice.  It makes for a tasty drink, but just not pomegranatey enough to suit us.  Scott stepped up to the challenge and came up with the ultimate, juiciest pamatini using good pomegranate juice, and it has become a staple around our bar.  We have even squeezed and strained fresh pomegranate juice, and it was wonderful but a lot of work. 

They have been called dangerous, they’ve been called truth serum…they go down like kool-aid and they are delicious.

PamaTini

2 parts Skyy Vodka

1 part PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

1 part POM Wonderful pomegranate juice (any quality 100% pom juice will work)

Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice, shake well and serve straight up in chilled glasses.  A pitted black cherry makes a very nice garnish.

PamaTini’s were the featured drink in the Electric Swinging Pussycat Lounge at Gary’s 60’s Flashback Party, served by Austin Powers himself. 

"Cheers Baby, Yeah!"

Yapple Dapple

One hot Saturday morning during the summer, we were hanging out in the backyard, floating in the pool and getting some sun.  About drink-thirty, Scott went inside to make up something delicious for us to drink.  He is a bit of an apple juice addict, and had been raving about a particularly good batch of Simply Apple he had recently opened.  And so, Apple Pie Daquiri's or Yapple Dapple's were created. 

Make them up in the blender, go light on the Cinnamon Schnapps...you want to give it a hint of spice, you don't want a cinnamon daquiri. 

Best enjoyed while floating in a pool. 

And you  must use the Babu/Joe voice when you say "Yapple Dapple!"

 Yapple Dapple

1 part Gold Rum (Anniversaro for a decadent daquiri, but Bacardi Gold is fine.)

1 part Dark Rum (Coruba or Myers's)

Splash Hot Damn Cinnamon Schnapps

Simply Apple Juice

Ice

Mix all ingredients in blender, pack with ice and blend until smooth. 
Serve in hurricane glasses with a straw and apple slice for garnish.

Cheers!

Yucca

We were first introduced to this drink at Timberline Resort in Crossville TN, the first nudist resort we ever visited.  It is a particularly memorable experience to have shaken the Yucca jar with a group of naked people… centrifugal force and all…

This was also another DIVA drink.  Suzi tried to get the girls kicked out of their condo complex the first year by making this her happy hour drink. 

Complaints to management included, “They are gyrating their hips” and “They have a watermelon.”  To this day, we aren’t sure why anyone was so offended by gyrating hips or by a watermelon. 

If they had known that the towel wrapped package being shaken by a bunch of drunk gyrating women was actually a glass jar not a watermelon at all, they really would have had something to complain about!



The next time you have a group of scantily clad (or less) people and want a group activity drink, get out your suntea jar, squeeze some lemons, get shaking and have some fun in the sun!

Key Largo Lemonade

The name of our island is Key Largo.  We moved here from the great state of Tennessee, and used to live less than 100 miles from Lynchberg, where they make Jack Daniels.  Neither of us have ever been big whiskey drinkers, but Scott would from time to time make the classic Lynchberg Lemonade.  Suzi never liked it at all. 

Back in 2007 Suzi needed a DIVA drink idea so she went to Scott for help, like she did every year.  DIVA Fest is Suzi’s annual all girl vacation.  One of the highlights of the DIVA week is the themed happy hours.  Scott always helps her come up with a tasty and usually original concoction for the occasion. 
So that year he came up with a twist on the Lynchberg Lemonade, using rum instead of whiskey and making it a pretty and very key-sy pink... and viola, Key Largo Lemonade was born.  It was a big hit with the DIVA’s, and quite yummy served with bacon wrapped scallops.

It was a big hit again at Becky’s Beachin’ Birthday Bash in May 2008, when we built a beach in north Georgia for Beck’s 50^th birthday.   We made up large batches in sun tea jars and served them from the tiki bar.  Special glasses were printed for the event (thanks Dad!) 

Funny side story to this drink’s history is that the rum of choice isn’t made anymore.  We found the Pirates Choice Key Lime Rum in our local liquor store, liked the name and bought it.  Turned out it was perfect for this new drink so we started buying a lot of it.  Scott even ran into the distributor at Cheeca Lodge bar one night and told him about Key Largo Lemonade.  The guy was tickled.  He took the recipe and said he was going to have it added as an official recipe for the rum.  We never heard any more about it.  And unfortunately, we must have been the only people buying it because they quit making it.  There are other key lime rums…Parrot’s Bay makes a pretty good one.  But if you see Pirates Choice, get it.

Key Largo Lemonade

1 shot Key Lime Rum

1 shot Malibu Mango Rum

Pink Lemonade

7-Up

Ice

Lemon slices and maraschino cherries for garnish

Pour rums over ice, fill a hurricane glass almost full with pink lemonade and top with a splash of 7-up.  Garnish by floating a lemon slice on top with a cherry in the middle and a straw.

Cheers!