This is a snap to make and tastes better than any bottled chocolate-flavored liqueur I have yet to try, and makes a killer chocolate martini.  The key ingredient to this recipe is the cocoa powder—the higher quality the cocoa powder, the better tasting the liqueur will be.  I would recommend visiting your local gourmet food shop and requesting cocoa powder made by Scharffenberger or Valrhona—two of my favorites.

Chocolate Liqueur

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vodka (I would choose something moderately priced)

• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the cocoa and boiling water together.  Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and remaining water to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has just dissolved.
• Then, stir the warm sugar water into the cocoa water, and add the vodka last.
• Strain the liqueur through a fine-mesh strainer into a container with a lid.  Store in the refrigerator overnight.
• To serve, stir the liqueur well, as some of the cocoa may settle to the bottom.  And keep in mind, like most homemade flavored liqueurs, the flavor will intensify over time.

Mulled beverages are usually served warm and made from wines, beers or ciders that have been sweetened and spiced.  This afternoon I picked up a gallon of fresh apple cider from my local farmer’s market and decided to mull my own using a variety of dried spices and rum.  I chose to cook all of the alcohol out of the rum to make the cider more flavorful, while keeping it kid-friendly.  But, if you plan on serving your mulled cider to a group of adults, consider adding the rum after you’ve simmered the cider—it makes a great cocktail that is sure to warm you up on a chilly fall evening.

Read more »

St~Germain, a new liqeuer artisanale, is advertising themselves as just that—the life of Paris in a bottle.  And until I saw more that adverts, I figured it was just another trendy drink that will come and go.  However, I think I was mistaken…
Read more »

Charleston has introduced me to a new cocktail—the Raspberry Ice Pick. It is made with sweet tea, spiked with raspberry vodka and is garnished with a lemon wedge. It is absolutely delicious and quite refreshing. And although it is southern inspired, its ingredients are easy to source and certainly would make a great cocktail for me to order when back in the Big Apple.

This classic non-alcoholic drink made of ginger ale and grenadine syrup was always my favorite way to feel “all grow up” when I was a child. But now, as an adult, I’ve found another version of the drink for a more mature audience…

Pama, a pomegranate liqueur, is a fantastic alcohol-based substitute for the grenadine. Simply add about a shot of Pama to a highball glass filled with ice and top off with ginger ale. To spruce it up, sugar the rim of the glass first and garnish it with a slice of fresh lime. It’s a perfect summer cocktail, and would certainly fancy up your Fourth of July festivities.

I went to dinner at Daniel in New York City last week and had one of the best cocktails I have had in a long time.  It was very simple in its composition—Grey Goose pear flavored vodka, homemade Earl Grey tea syrup and a twist of lemon.

I don’t usually like flavored vodkas, but this variety is great.  It tastes like the skin of a ripe pear without seeming artificially flavored.  The citrusy and floral flavor of the tea pairs well with the fruit and is rounded off nicely with a bit of fresh lemon juice.  But, best of all this drink easily be recreated at home (less the $15 price tag)!

Earl Grey and Pear Martini
1 oz. Grey Goose pear vodka
1 oz. Earl Grey Syrup (see recipe below)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Shake over ice in a martini shaker and strain into a chilled glass.   Garnish with a lemon zest twist.  (You could also rim the glass with a bit of sugar for a more finished look.  Or if you wanted to get really fancy, you could replace the vodka with pear brandy, my favorite being made in Portland, Oregon by Clear Creek Distillery.)

Earl Grey Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 Earl Grey tea bags

Bring the sugar and water to a boil for one minute.
Remove from heat, add tea bags and steep to a moderately strong flavor.
Remove tea bags and let cool down at room temperature.  Once cool, transfer to another container and let chill in the refrigerator until completely cold.

One of my favorite Latin American drinks is agua de tamarindo. The beverage is made similar to a tea, by boiling tamarind pods and seeds in water until the brew takes on a strong flavor and dark caramel brown color. It is then sweetened with white sugar, chilled, and served over ice—something like a Latin version of sweet tea.  It also makes a nice cocktail when mixed with Myer’s spiced rum and garnished with a fresh lime wedge.

The flavor of the drink is very distinct, and the best way I can describe it is by calling it sweet, sour and tangy. To really understand the flavor, you have to go try it yourself. I’ve found most people either love it or hate it—and not much in between.

You can also buy the beverage bottled by a company called Jarritos. Their variety is also very good, but it is a bit sweeter and is carbonated. And when you can’t get it homemade, it makes a fine substitute.

Since infusing liqueurs with different flavors has become very popular in recent years, bartenders (sometimes dubbed mixologists) are taking things to a whole new level.A couple of nights ago, I tried a small glass of bourbon, which had been infused with cedar.

The drink was very smooth and retained a good smoky oak flavor from its aging in barrels, which was accented nicely by the addition of the brighter and clean cedar flavor. I didn’t ask how they made the concoction, but if I had to guess, I would say they soaked cedar chips in a nice bottle of bourbon for at least a few weeks before serving. It was the perfect drink for a chilly evening and would probably mix very well with ginger ale.

This afternoon, while grocery shopping, I ran into some friends buying a case of EarlyTimes pre-mixed Mint Julep. Well, it is Derby time, almost a requirement to drink Juleps, however, New Orleanians hardly need horse-racing as an excuse to drink Mint Juleps and it was surprising to find someone here not making the drink from scratch.  This couple however are people “of an age” who love a good cocktail, have impeccable taste and they swear by EarlyTimes.  Accordingly, a bottle came home with me and I can attest that this is a darn nice Mint Julep poured over hand-cracked ice and muddled fresh mint.  Cheers!

There are certainly dining trends and at the moment, fancy cocktails are definitely en vogue. But, when I found a second drink this week with celery as its main flavoring, I was a little surprised. Who would have thought celery, which is used all over savory menus, could be so versatile off the plate?!

This drink was a lovely combination of prosecco and house made wild celery syrup (I’m guessing it was simple syrup steeped with fresh celery). It was crisp and sweet, with just a subtle hint of the fresh green celery flavor. Garnished with a celery leaf and a few tiny celery seeds, it made the perfect pre-dinner drink!