Cranberry Margarita

 Cranberry adds colour and flavour to any recipe and this is no different.  This is nice for the holidays or on a hot day.

5 oz Tonic water

1 oz Grand Marnier

0.5 oz Campari

1.5 oz tequila

1/4 cup frozen cranberries

1 tsp fresh lime juice

Salt for rim

Rim your favourite cocktail glass with salt and then fill with ice and frozen cranberries.  Add lime juice, tequila, grand mariner and Campari to cocktail shaker then shake until mixed.

Strain into slated cocktail glass and top with tonic water.

Cool Cucumber Collins

This drink is definitely worth the work.  Refreshing and tart it is the perfect cool down for when the warmer days arrive.

Fill a highball glass three quarters full with ice.  Add 1 1/2 oz gin or vodka and 1 basil leaf, torn.  Top with 3 oz club soda.  Add 1/4 cup Cucumber Ice and a crack of black pepper.  Garnish with a basil leaf.

CUCUMBER ICE
Peel 1 cucumber and chop into pieces.  Put into a blender and puree.  Pour through a sieve to collect cucumber juice in a bowl, pressing down to extract as much juice as possible.  To the bowl, add 2 oz lime juice and 1 oz simple syrup.  Stir to mix.  Pour into a flat tray to freeze.  After 30 minutes remove the tray and use a fork to break up the mixture into a slush.  Place back in the freezer until ready to use.

SIMPLE SYRUP
Combine equal parts sugar and water in a pot.  Over medium high heat boil until sugar is dissolved.  Cool.

Bruleed White Chocolate Eggnog

A very rich and velvety eggnog.  Perfect for Christmas.

4 fresh pasteurized eggs
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 cup whipping
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup Calvados
1/4 cup Baileys Vanilla Cinnamon
Freshly grated nutmeg for garnishing

• Carefully separate yolks and whites into separate bowls.
• Place egg yolks in a large bowl.  Add 1/4 cup sugar.  Whisk until pale.
• Pour cream and milk into a large saucepan.  Set over medium heat until warm and steaming.  Slowly whisk about half of cream mixture into egg mixture, then whisk that mixture into cream mixture in saucepan.  Set over medium heat.  
• Cook, stirring frequently for 1 to 3 minutes until mixture coats back of a spoon or first bubble pops.  Strain into a large bowl or container, then cool completely.  Slowly whisk in Calvados then Baileys.  Refrigerate for about 1 hour until chilled.
• When yolk-Calvados mixture is chilled, beat egg whites with remaining sugar until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted.  Whisk egg white mixture into cooled egg yolk and Calvados mixture.  Refrigerate until chilled.  If making ahead, eggnog will keep well, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
• Just before serving, stir eggnog.  Pour into heat proof glasses.  Using a torch, lightly brûlée tops of each drink until fragrant.  Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

Spiced Rum Flip

A really delicious holiday drink.  From Food and Drink Holiday 2014.

To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 1/2 oz spiced rum, 1 whole egg, 1 oz cream, 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz maple syrup.  Shake hard until frothy.  Strain into a compete glass and add a dusting of nutmeg.

Pink Lemonade Sangria

A perfect summer drink - from Food and Drink Summer 2011

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 chopped wedge each of lemon and orange, 5 raspberries, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 1/2 oz simple syrup.  Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice, top with dry rose wine and garnish with additional raspberries and a slice of lemon or orange.
Serves 1

Pitcher Size
To a large pitcher, add 1 lemon and 1 small orange, both thinly sliced, and a cup of raspberries.  Stir to bruise the raspberries slightly and top with 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3/4 cup simple syrup 1 cup water and bottle (750ml) of dry rose wine.  Chill thoroughly for at least 4 hours to allow the flavours to steep, and serve in a tall glass or large wine goblet over ice.

Serves 6

Simple Syrup Combine equal parts sugar and boiling water and stir until sugar has dissolved.  Once cooled, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

The Colado Mojito

This is a great summer drink!  From Food and Drink Summer 2014.

To a blender, add 1 cup ice, 1 1/2 oz spiced rum, 2 oz Margarita mix, 2 oz Pina Colada mix and 5 mint leaves, torn.  Blend until slushy.  Pour into a Colada glass and garnish with a pineapple spear and a mint sprig.

Tropical Thunder

This is a great breakfast smoothie or post workout shake.  It is delicious and nutritious!

1 cup pineapple juice
3 to 5 cherries, pitted
1 peeled banana, sliced into coins
1 tbsp low fat yogurt
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

Toss all ingredients into a blender and puree until it reaches the desired consistency.

Pumpkin Harvest

I loved this cocktail!

To a cocktail shaker filled with ice add 1 oz spiced rum, 1/2 oz amaretto, 1 tbsp pumpkin puree, 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice, 4 oz milk or cream.  Shake sharply and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Bangkok Lemonade

From Food and Drink Summer 2011.  This is a refreshing lemonade with a tropical flavour.

Add 1 stalk chopped lemon grass, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 oz simple syrup (recipe follows) and 1 1/2  oz white rum to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.  Shake sharply and strain into a tall glass filled with ice.  Top with coconut water and garnish with an additional stalk of lemon grass and a wedge of lemon.

Serves 1

Pitcher size:
To a large pitcher filled with ice, add 3/4 cup lemon juice, 1 cup lemon grass syrup (recipe below) 5 cups coconut water and 1 cup white rum.  Garnish individual glasses with a stalk of lemon grass and a wedge of lemon.

SIMPLE SYRUP
Combine equal parts sugar and boiling water and stir until sugar has dissolved.  Once cooled, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

LEMON GRASS SYRUP
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup simple syrup with 6 stalks of finely sliced lemon grass.  Bring to a boil, remove from heat and allow to cool.  Strain and reserve syrup.  Discard the lemon grass.

The Colada Mojito

This is more suited to warmer weather…but if you crank up the heat and put on some summer music you can pretend you are on the beach.  From Food and Drink Summer 2014.

To a blender, add 1 cup ice, 1 1/2 oz spiced rum, 2 oz margarita mix, 2 oz pina colada mix and 5 mint leaves, torn.  Blend until slushy.  Pour into a Colada glass and garnish with a pineapple spear and a mint sprig.

Easy Eggnog

I know this is out of season but it is too good not to share!  The eggs are cooked so salmonella is not an issue here and the recipe is super easy.  The better the rum, brandy and ice cream the better the eggnog.  From Food and Drink 2000.

3 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup rum
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
2 cups milk
Ground nutmeg

1. Place a bowl over a pot of water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl.  Bring to simmer.  Add eggs and sugar and beat over the heat until light and fluffy.  Whisk in brandy and rum, continuing to whisk until mixture has tripled in volume.
2. Remove from heat, cool, then beat in ice cream and milk.  Pour into serving pitcher and chill until needed.  Serve each glass dusted with nutmeg.

Frangelico Hot Chocolate

A great combination…Amaretto is nice also.

1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped or 1 square semi sweet chocolate, chopped
2 to 3 tsp Frangelico

GARNISH:
Whipping Cream
Cocoa powder

1. Place milk and sugar in a saucepan and heat until piping hot.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted.
2. Pour into a large mug, add the Frangelico to taste and top with whipped cream.  Sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Serves 1

The Grand Ghoul

A nice after dinner aperitif.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 3/4 oz Grand Marnier, 3/4 oz Skyy Citrus Vodka, 1/2 oz lime juice and 2 oz Blood Orange Juice or 2 oz orange juice with 1 tsp grenadine).  Stir until chilled and strain into a martini glass rimmed with orange sugar.  Garnish with a black licorice straw.

Hot Rummed Cider

Another yummy festive drink :)

In a saucepan, bring to boil 6 cups apple cider and 4 tbsp brown sugar.  Reduce heat and add 1 tbsp butter.  When butter has melted, add 1 1/2 cups amber rum.  Stir and serve in heat proof mugs.

Hot Apple Brandy

A nice festive drink!

In a saucepan, simmer 6 cups apple cider, 1 cup brandy, 1/2 cup apricot brandy, 3 cinnamon sticks and 1/2 tsp ground cloves for 20 to 30 minutes.  Serve warm.

Baileys Bossa Nova

I don't know about you, but Baileys makes everything better for me!

In a glass coffee cup or mug add 1 oz Baileys and 1 oz Smirnoff Orange Twist.  Top with equal parts coffee and hot chocolate.  Garnish with whipped cream and orange zest.  Enjoy!

The Real Irish Coffee

Delicious, especially this time of year.

2 oz Irish Whiskey
1 to 2 tsp sugar
Freshly brewed black coffee
1 to 2 oz heavy cream, warmed to room temperature

First heat the glass with hot water.  Discard the water and fill the glass to within an inch or so of the rim with coffee.  Add the whiskey and sugar and stir well.  Pouring over the back of a spoon, float the cream on the top of the coffee.  Serve without a spoon.   The idea is for the coffee to be sipped through a layer of cream, not for the cream to be stirred into the coffee.

Brandy Alexander

This is apparently a traditional Christmas Eve drink - I think I just found a new tradition.

1 1/2 oz brandy
1/2 oz white creme de cacao
2 oz 10% cream

GARNISH
freshly grated nutmeg

Shake brandy, creme de cacao and cream with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Grate nutmeg on top.

Egg Nog

Got this from Food and Drink 2000!  I simple recipe that uses cooked eggs so you don't have to worry about salmonella.

3 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup rum
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
2 cups milk
Ground nutmeg

1. Place a bowl over a pot of water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl.  Bring to simmer.  Add eggs and sugar and beat over the heat until light and fluffy.  Whisk in brandy and rum, continuing to whisk until mixture has tripled in volume.
2. Remove from heat, cool then beat in ice cream and milk.  Pour into serving pitcher and chill until needed.  Serve with each glass dusted with nutmeg.

Monkey Business

A sneaky cocktail!  Tastes like the banana popsicles of my youth - but watch out these creep up on you!

1 oz Vodka

1/2 oz Banana Liqueur

Perrier

Pour Vodka and Banana Liqueur over ice in a rocks glass.  Fill with Perrier.  Garnish with a Cherry