Pure Glee!

I, like many of my friends and family, am a total fan of Glee. I give into the overprocessed wonderful mashups of unlikely songs and overdone solos by girls that dress way too nicely for high school and make terrible faces while they sing. Regardless, I spent a good portion of my unemployment re-watching the first season and enjoying all the shameless fun. And tonight, with a week off due to the State of the Union, I drink to dirty pleasures!


Glee-tini

Something wonderfully fruity, bright, delicious with a little kick to make you get up and sing along


1.5oz of XRated Fusion Liquor
1 oz of Bacardi O (Orange)

2oz of flavored Italian soda (this was a weird find at Target) so if you can find any yummy fruit mix juices or even a tad bit of orange juice, you'll still enjoy!
a small splash of Cupcake Vodka Chiffon (a lemon flavor)

Mix all your ingredients in a shaker, shake till chilled and strain.




This picture doesn't have the juice included.

Also, a liquor many may not be familiar with is the main ingredient in this martini and in the center of the picture. It's called XRated Fusion Liquor and you will never feel bad about drinking a pink drink again. They name it as a sweet mixture of vodka, blood orange, mango and passion fruit and you could drink it straight and enjoy every moment of it. The bar I worked in throughout college picked up on this liquor when it was first introduced. It's actually this liquor that made me think about working in the liquor industry. XRated has an incredible marketing program. They make everything from t-shirts to purse hooks to even lipgloss. They have a great thing going for them and they make a damn good alcohol. It used to be a little more expensive but they've since changed the shape of the bottle and dropped the price about $10 I think.


Also, if you notice in the picture, this blog was made possible by the AWESOME new bar gear I received for Christmas that you can spot in the picture above. Thanks Mom, Dad and Aunt Chris! It's being put to good use :)

Ladies Night In

There are a few things you just never grow out of, the happiness you get from new warm socks, and a good old fashion sleep over. I'm lucky enough to have amazing friends, who stick by through time and miles, and have the ability to make me belly laugh for hours, even sometimes just over a Facebook thread we've been posting on for 4 years. I love them dearly, and loe when we're able to have sleepovers, watch bad movies, worse home movies of when we were awkward and dressed up and snuck alcohol thinking Bankers Club was a shot-able vodka. Oooof. There's really nothing better than getting drunk in your pajamas and waking up at noon the next day for some super greasy diner food. For future sleepovers, here are some fun and girly drinks to enjoy with great friends.

This one completed goes to my sister: a Pickeltini.

2.0 oz of Vodka
1.0oz of dill pickle brine
One pickle slice
And one sliver of lemon.

Fill liquid in shaker and garnish with pickle and lemon. If you think this sounds gross, think WAY again. in college, we used to do pickel juice shots at the bar I worked at. My boss loved them and I thought they were gross, till he handed me one and all was good in the world. It's worth it folks.

A Cosmojo

We all love some Carried Bradshaw on these ladies nights in, and these ladies love their cosmos. This is a simple twist on the old standby.

1.5oz Bluberry flavored vodka
.5oz triple sec
.5 oz cranberry
Splash of Sprite
Splash of Chambord (this is a very yummy raspberry liquor)
Shake, strain and garnish with a lime.... Yum!

And finally,
Warm weather Long Island

1oz Tequila
1oz Blueberry flavored vodka
1oz Orange flavored rum
1oz Gin
.5oz triple sec
Fill with pineapple juice and a splash of Coke
Float a small bit of the Raspberry liquor on top

Yep, it's girly and yep, it'll get ya drunk but it is awesome!

I love finally being closer to my friends, because I get to see them a bit more than I used to being 5 hours away or touring. But I'm grateful for whenever our schedules work out. I love them and live for the drunken sleepovers screaming Journey songs and watching our DVD of home videos.

Welcoming 2012

As New Years Eve approaches and we all start preparing for a night of debauchery that we leave in the past year and a hangover we'll remember until the next one. I am a big fan of the old school traditional new years eve, usually involving the following: sparkles, dresses, heels, and drinks you'll only ever order on that night. Take full advantage of that open bar, whever you are, and do yourself a favor... order the traditional drinks done right. When was the last time you ordered or made yourself a gin martini? Enjoy one and feel oh-so-extra fancy in those new heels :)

 

 

 

Traditional Gin Martini

 

Pour a little bit of Dry Vermouth in a chilled martini glass, swirl it around so as to coat the glass with the Vermouth. Pour any excess inside a shaker.

Have the shaker about half full of ice. Pour in two ounces of the gin of your choice and swirl or stir gently before straining into your martini glass, do yourself a favor and DO NOT SHAKE. Garnish with an olive or lemon twist and feel so extra fancy.

(Note, if you prefer a vodka over gin, just substitute for a traditional martini)

 

 

Traditional Cosmopolitan

 

Combine in shaker full of ice:

 

1.5oz of Vodka

.5oz Triple Sec

splash of lime juice

slapsh of cranberry juice

 

shakeshakeshakeshake, strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lime on the rim.

 

 

Traditional Manhattan

(a Slavin family favorite)

 

2oz of Rye Whiskey (Segrams VO, Canadian Club, Bulliet Special, Wild Turkey, etc.I personally like Bulliet)

1.5oz of Sweet Vermouth

2-3 dashes of bitters

garnish with a cherry

 

Combine ingredients into your shaker, stir, strain and garnish. Another DO NOT SHAKE.

 

 

And finally, to have some fun and celebrate 2012, which is not only the year the world ends, but more importantly, a leap year, welcome it with this drink

 

 

The Leap Year

 

2oz of Gin

1/2oz sweet vermouth

1/2oz Grand Marnier orange liquor

squeeze of lemon

 

Combine in a shaker, stir and strain. Garnish with a lemon twist.

 

 

 

 

Raise your glass for an exciting and wonderful New Year!!

Things to keep you extra warm

Some of us grew up without the awesomeness that is a fireplace during the cold winter months. And many of us like to turn to whisky to keep those chilly bones warm. How, you ask, can we get the best of both worlds? A friend asked me to explore the wonderful new world of cinnamon flavored whisky, and boy is it fun! If you're looking to try this type of whisky, I would recommend Fireball Whisky. I know Southern Comfort just came out with a Tobasco flavored liquor, but I wouldn't try these drinks with that. The flavors would probably not cross over well.

Remember a few posts ago I made my version of a hottie toddy, the sleepy toddy? good news, you can make an even more fun version with cinnamon whisky!

Spicy Toddy

1.5 oz Fireball
fill the rest of your mug with hot water
1 teaspoon of honey
squeeze of some fresh lemon juice
a few cloves
and a cinnamon stick.

ohh yes! you can even make a very dangerous coffee drink

Cafe Risque

1.5oz Fireball
.5oz raspberry liquor
squeeze of chocolate
fill with coffee
top with whipped cream and melt into that couch.

and for those of us still enjoying cider-type drinks, here's a yummy way to add some spice

Spice Cider

1oz Fireball
1oz Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka
1oz Apple Schnapps
Fill with soda
garnish with a lemon

And finally, a bar favorite...

Dead Nazi #2

.5oz Fireball
.6oz Jagermeister

Tastes like college.

Your Holiday Drink Guide

Tis the season for wonderfully flavorful drinks! I find the most fun in creating yummy drinks to keep you warm on the chilly winter evenings. I'll keep the chatting part down, the important part is the drinks!

My personal favorite. One time Harrison and I were alone at the bar, I was working and he was visiting and we wanted to make a festive drink. Little did I know this was actually a pretty popular drink! We started with just the vodka, peppermint liquor and milk, but decided it needed a little lightness to it and added the sprite and grenadine.

Candy Cane

.5 oz Vodka
1.5oz Rumple Minze (or any peppermint flavored liquor)
Milk
splash of Sprite
splash of Grenadine

Make sure you stir or shake this drink due to the milk content. But serve on ice.

Something about the touches of grenadine and sprite will literally remind you of the red coating on the candy cane. So perfect for the holidays!


Chocolate Mint Eggnog


A friend asked advice on some yummy eggnog recipes. Now, I prefer not to make eggnog at home, I think Wawa makes the perfect version of it. However, sometimes you can make it more delicious than just adding rum.

1 oz of your new Peppermint infused vodka (remember, from the last entry?) Or, like before, any peppermint flavored liquor
Eggnog to fill
and a nice helping of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup.

Oh yeah, deliciousness!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate


Our little indulgence tonight.

Warm up 8oz of milk (or rice, help, almond milk if you are a vegan household) with 4 tablespoons of hot chocolate mix. We chose Ghirardelli's double hot chocolate mix, oh it is sooo delicious.

stir while warming, and add 1.5oz of your new peppermint infused vodka to your mugs. Pour hot chocolate in and enjoy. It is enough to make you taste the peppermint, but not enough to struggle through a heavy drink. And oh-so scrumptious.

Peppermint Patty


Rim your shot glass in chocolate syrup
chill and pour your peppermint infused vodka into shot glass
lick and drink!

You could even put an additional squirt of syrup in the bottom of the glass for an added treat. I owe half of this one to Bridget. We tested it the other night with just the syrup in the bottom of the glass, but you still have the harsh taste of vodka. The rim of the glass helps make the shot actually enjoyable.

Peppermint Mocha


1oz Peppermint Infused Vodka
1oz Pinnacle Double Espresso Liquor
.5oz Godiva Chocolate Liquor (Or any chocolate flavored alcohol)
Add milk, shake and strain into martini glass. Prior to serving, you can have some fun with the chocolate syrup and add a design to your glass like you see in the magazines. The more chocolate the better, right?



These are just some of my favorites. I am actually enjoying the flavor of the infused vodka over any schnapps or flavored liquor because it's less sugar and thus making it taste more like peppermint rather than a peppermint flavoring, if that makes any sense. Plus, it really is just fun to pour out of a mason jar!



Here's hoping we get snow pretty soon!

Tips for ordering

Ever feel totally and completely overwhelmed when you walk into a bar? I mean, there's a WALL of alcohol in front of you, as well as a bunch of tap handles of beers you can't pronounce and a bartender looking at you. It's all pretty intimidating, I know. But most of us already have a personal preference when it comes to adult beverage time. If you don't or never feel comfortable ordering for yourself, here are some tips to make this experience better.



1) More often than not, there is a board with listed specials, if you've missed it or can't read it, ask the bartender.

2) Don't be ashamed of asking prices, but understand it will be an extra step for your bartender because prices on alcohols change all the time, which means bars may fluctuate their pricing on certain brands.

3) DO NOT by any means, ask them to just "make you something good." That request is just a pain for those of us behind the bar. You see, customers have such different taste preferences that something delicious to me could be disgusting to you. This request just brings on a slew of other questions "do you like fruit drinks? do you mind soda? milk? strong?..." the list just goes on and on. I can make delicious drinks, but I can't read your mind or know what you are craving.
    * the ONLY exception to this rule is if there is a specific liquor on sale. If say, Pinnacle Whipped is on special, yes, we can make you something good. But if it's something like a "You-Call-It" special when almost the entire rack in on special, it's far more difficult. Just, stay away from this request.

4) As sort of an add-on to the above rule, if a bartender at another bar made you this "something good" drink and gave it some ridiculous name like a "Tropical Nemo", do not get annoyed with me because I don't know the name of it. Assume you bartender knows just about as much as you do when it comes to mixed drinks.

5) If we are busy, please PLEASE do not resort to any of these things
    a) screaming at me
    b) leaning on my bar and screaming at me
    c) telling other patrons I am not capable of doing my job, in front of me
    d) throw something over my bar or in my general vicinity

Some of you may cringe at that list, but all of these things have happened to me more times than I would like to remember. Just remember, we work on Fridays and Saturdays because they are busy and we serve a lot of people meaning we make money. Similarly, you go out on Fridays and Saturdays because it's busy and you can meet people. Have a little patience. I promise you, I am far more inclined to rush a drink for a smiling and courteous customer than I am for a rude one.

6) If the drink tastes weird, there are a lot of variables. Sometimes, our drink guns run out of juice or tonic or soda water. If it tastes weird, explain to me what it is that does not taste good, please don't criticize my ability to pour your vodka tonic.

7) I am not trying to short change your drink by "under pouring". A lot of bars have strict rules regarding correct pouring techniques and sometimes will even make you pay if your bar is out an excessive amount of liquor compared to your nightly sales. Again, we are JUST doing our jobs. The bar down the street might over pour and that is good for them. Then again, the less people I have to kick out because I don't know how much one bartender poured them in that one drink, the better my night goes.

8) Be VERY careful if you choose to start a tab. If we have 100 customers who give us a card during the night, sometimes things can go awry and your tab is higher than you expected. We ARE NOT trying to rip you off. Mistakes happen and you may have brought some crappy friends that added drinks to your tab without throwing you the cash. We didn't add it just for fun.

9) DO NOT ASK ME FOR FREE DRINKS. It is EXTREMELY rare I will ever give you one. The times we will? Your 21st birthday (MAYBE) and if a mistake happens and some extra drink is made. For me, I will almost NEVER give you a free drink, especially if you ask for one. As the shirts at my prior work used to say, "I don't come into your job and ask for free shit." Don't ask.

10) Finally and most importantly: TIP YOUR BARTENDERS. TIP TIP TIP. Regardless of specials or whatever, WE WORK FOR TIPS. And you better believe if you frequent a bar and you are a bad tipper, the bartenders remember and when its busy? Don't expect to get quick service. Sorry to be blunt but, if the person next to you has a better tipping track record, they come first. We have bills too.



Here is some easy terminology for you as a patron:

A "well drink" is one typically on special and not a name specific drink. It is also known as a house drink. These are drinks like "rum and coke", "vodka tonic", "gin and tonic" etc. Pretty simple. If you order this drink and do not request a specific liquor, you will not receive it. If you want a vodka tonic with Grey Goose, request it. It is not a well.

If you want your drink poured straight from the bottle into a glass, this means it is being served "neat"

"Rocks" means it is with ice. "Grey Goose with lemon on the rocks" means a shot of Grey Goose with a lemon on ice. No mix.

"Up" means chilled, but no ice. A martini is typically served "up"

"Splash" means I'm going to put a very small amount of something in the drink. If you want Absolut on the rocks with a splash of cranberry, your drink will only have a small amount of cranberry in it. Sometimes I like to add a "splash" within mixed drinks. Like, Absolut APeach with pineapple and a splash of cranberry (yum).



So there are the basics. There will be more updates soon about "classic drinks" and terminology for those. As well as how you can order a classic drink but add an easy twist. Stay tuned and don't forget to tip your bartender!

The Bottom Shelf

In the modern world of alcohol advertising, "bottom shelf" have become dirty words. But believe me friends, when it comes down to it, I would bet half the people ordering couldn't taste a difference. That being said, when a customer orders Belvedere you do not give them Bankers Club. What I'm saying is that if you are on a budget, there is nothing wrong with buying that plastic bottle. However, make sure you shop around first. Sometimes, you would be surprised at how much some bottles actually cost. If you want to stay on the cheaper side, I wouldn't go all the way down to Bankers Club. For almost the same price, you can grab the same sized bottle of Svedka. Which, thanks to some wonderful advertising techniques, many find as a recognizable brand which means a premium vodka right? Sure. It certainly tastes better!

There are ways, however, to make the bottom shelf enjoyable. First, you might not want to mix with tonic or club. Because these alcohols tend to be less smooth, you may just feel like you are choking your drink down. Which to me, if you are paying for it at a bar, you might as well enjoy it.

If you are a vodka drinker, mix with cranberry and orange juice, or orange juice and pineapple with a small splash of cranberry. If you are counting your calories, you can mix with soda or tonic, but simply ask for an extra lime (or lemon, for some).

Cheap whisky? Try with sour mix and a cherry. Ginger ale is a safe but enjoyable option as well.

How about some rum? Simple! Pineapple with grenadine. If it's spiced rum, ginger ale is my preference, it tastes like cream soda!

Tequila? make the cheap skinny margarita! mix soda water with a splash of triple sec and two fresh limes. You can use lime juice to save money, but I enjoy fresh limes instead.

Gin? Why are you drinking cheap gin?


Now if you are on a budget for the holidays and looking for a cute and creative gift, you can put that inexpensive vodka to good use! Grab some mason jars, your favorite candy and voila! Candy infused vodka! You can get a wonderful flavor by adding some of those super yummy peppermint sticks (you know the ones, that just melt in your mouth, yeahhhh those ones). Let the candy of your choice soak in the jar for about 2 days or to your desired taste and strain out any excess.

Wrap with a ribbon and maybe attach a packet of hot chocolate, it is guaranteed to make anyone smile on that first snow of the season.



I had so many wonderful blog suggestions in the past few days, I cannot wait to write about everything!