Tag Archives: cosmopolitan

Oct 4: National Vodka Day

Uncategorized / October 4, 2016 / No Comments.

Happy National Vodka Day! Celebrate accordingly with these fun vodka facts and drinks:

Vodka accounts for almost 20-25% of spirits sold today in North America, making it the most popular libation.
Vodka is made from many different things such as beets, potatoes, wheat and even grapes. The final product doesn’t depend on the ingredients so much as the methods of production.
Many view vodka as one of the least dangerous alcoholic beverages because it’s filtered of many dangerous chemicals and has less of an after effect on the body. (It is one of the more potent drinks, able to intoxicate quickly and effectively- so drink responsibly!)
The word vodka stems from the Russian word, vodka, which means water.

In honor of October 4 being National Vodka Day, we’ve compiled four of the most classic vodka drinks that we love.

The beloved Moscow Mule. You’ve seen the fancy Instagram photos of a chilled copper mug garnished with a lime. The good news is they taste as good as they look. It’s the perfect combination of vodka, lime juice, simple syrup and ginger beer.
We couldn’t leave out the hangover-curing-Bloody Mary. Whether you like it spicy or smoky, this tomato juice based vodka drink makes any brunch better. Add Worcestershire, celery salt, black pepper, Tabasco, lemon and horseradish to tomato juice and vodka and you’ve got the perfect meal in a glass. These drinks can be garnished with anything from the classic olives and lemon wedge, to mini hamburgers, meatballs and bacon. The possibilities are endless!
And of course there’s the Cosmopolitan. We all have those nights where we’re feeling a little fancier than a vodka soda, so why not order a Cosmo. This refreshing, pink drink combines vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice. Garnished with a lemon or lime, this drink is sophisticated and delicious.
And last but not least, the Screwdriver. This was probably one of the first vodka drinks you ever made. With just vodka and orange juice, this drink is easy to make yet so good. Garnish with an orange wedge and get your drink on.

Her Shot: Say Yes to the Dress

Cocktails / February 26, 2015 / No Comments.

When you’re comfortable in your own skin, it shows. So work it from head to toe with this style guide of how to drink according to your dress. You would never dare wear socks with your peep toe pumps or accessorize your boyfriend’s band tee with your grandma’s pearls, so why not learn to tailor your cocktail to accent to your dress.

Here’s a little guide to matching the dress to the cocktail because a girl’s got to have flair.

The contour dress. She’s bold and confident. Ready to show those curves and move those hips. This dress and lady deserve nothing less than The Cosmopolitan.

Ingredients:
1 cup vodka
½ cup triple sec
½ cup cranberry juice
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and pour through a strainer into four martini glasses. Side Note: Do not consume all four drinks. Sharing is caring.

The princess dress. She’s the sunshine of the room no matter what time of day it is, cute as a button in a cupcake shaped dress. Cheers to all things sweet with a Strawberry Daiquiri.

Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Aged Puerto Rican or Jamaican rum
¾ oz fresh lime
1 oz rich simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water)
1 strawberry
6 to 10 ice cubes
Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth and pour into a Margarita glass or wine goblet. Garnish with an orchid.

The shift dress. Effortlessly classy and elegant, this chick never loses her cool. For the girl who has a good head on her shoulders, and keeps everyone else’s turning, enjoy an all time classic Gin + Tonic.

Ingredients:
3 ounces of your favorite gin
½ ounce lime juice
4 ounces tonic water
lime wedge or slice
ice
Fill a high ball glass with ice. Add gin and lime juice. Then, top with tonic water. Garnish with lime wedge or slice.

The mermaid dress. She marches to the beat of her own drum and is never afraid to make a statement. For a mysterious lady, only a Blue Lagoon seems fitting.

Ingredients:
1 oz vodka
1 oz Blue Curacao liqueur
lemonade
1 cherry
Pour vodka and cuacao over ice in a highball glass. Fill with lemonade, top with the cherry, and serve.

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Stay Cool with Cocktail Ice Cubes

Cocktails / July 13, 2014 / No Comments.

When you’re following a cocktail recipe and you get to the part that demands, “a few ice cubes,” pause for a moment. Yes, those frozen blocks will cool any liquid, but they’ll also water it down and ruin the flavor. So what’s the solution? We’ve been experimenting with enhanced cocktail ice cubes, a deliciously simple way to give virtually any booze a boost. Time to squeeze that citrus and freeze that fruit juice because your drinks are about to get a double take.

Each recipe correlates with a classic cocktail served on the rocks—let’s get crackin’.

Piña Colada: Start by filling an ice cube tray about ¼ of the way with pineapple juice. Freeze. Once the juice is somewhat solid, layer with coconut milk. Freeze again. You’ll want to keep alternating layers until there’s a complete set of beautifully striped cubes.

Mojito: Muddle lime juice and mint leaves. Freeze.

Hurricane: Mix lime juice and simple syrup. Place orange zest on top before putting tray in the freezer.

Bloody Mary: In a blender, pulse together tomato and celery until smooth. If you like some spice, add hot sauce. Freeze.

Cosmopolitan: Fill the tray with orange juice and pomegranate seeds. Freeze.

Long Island Iced Tea: Mix together lemon juice and a cola of your choice. Freeze.

Gin & Tonic: Squeeze some lime juice and mix with seltzer or tonic water. Freeze.

Margarita: Combine lime juice and lemon juice. Sprinkle in some sugar or add a sugar cube to each section. Freeze.

Martini: Fill the tray with olive juice. Put an olive in each section. Freeze.

Daiquiri: Depending on what flavor you prefer, squeeze or puree your favorite fruit (i.e. strawberry or mango) and freeze.

Fuzzy Navel: Puree a peach and blend with orange juice. Freeze.

Mai Tai: Fill a tray with orange juice and place a maraschino cherry in each section. Freeze.

White Russian: Follow the Piña Colada layering technique. Alternate between levels of coffee and milk. Sprinkle in some sugar if you wish before freezing.

Planter’s Punch: Combine lime juice and grapefruit juice. Freeze.

Salty Dog: Fill the tray with grapefruit juice. Place some lemon zest on top before freezing.

Know of another ice infusion? Share it with us!

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Her Shot: A Tribute to the Cosmo

Cocktails / November 13, 2013 / 1 Comment.

Attention Sex and the City fans: today is Mr. Big’s birthday. Chris Noth who played Mr. Big was born November 13, 1954, which means next year he hits the big 6-0 (seriously, how could he be that old?). As a toast to Mr. Big and the show that we still watch in re-runs every day, we’re paying tribute to the cocktail that defined Sex and the City… the Cosmopolitan.

The Cosmopolitan is a bit of a mythical creature because no one really knows where it came from. There are various theories out there as to who invented the cocktail and when, but none can be 100 percent proven. The most commonly mentioned creator is a woman named Cheryl Cook, a bartender from South Beach Florida. She is often credited with creating the drink in 1985, but again, there’s no real proof to back that up.

The drink started to become popular in major cities throughout the 1990s, but it rose to an entirely new level when Carrie Bradshaw and her gal pals started ordering them on Sex and the City. Suddenly, women around the country couldn’t get enough of the chic “Cosmo” and its pretty pink color. The Sex and the City 2 movie even took a bit of a dig at this trend; as the ladies sipped Cosmopolitans, Miranda asked “Why did we ever stop drinking these?” To which Carrie answered, “Because everyone else started.”

There are small twists made on the Cosmopolitan, but this is the standard recipe from the International Bartenders Association:

40 ml Vodka Citron
15 ml Cointreau
15 ml Fresh Lime Juice
30 ml Cranberry Juice

Add all ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake well and double strain into a large cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wheel.

How do you like to drink your Cosmopolitan? Do you use Rose’s lime cordial instead of fresh lime juice? Triple Sec instead of Cointreau? Do you stir instead of shake? Share your favorite recipe with us. Cheers to the man, the myth, the legend: Mr. Big.

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