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Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com/media/feed_logo.gif Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/LeNell It All - Playboy Bourbon Coolerhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/19/lenell-it-all-playboy-bourbon-cooler/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/19/lenell-it-all-playboy-bourbon-cooler/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/19/lenell-it-all-playboy-bourbon-cooler/#commentsFiled under: Recipes, Cocktails, How To

playboy bourbon cooler

Photo: LeNell Smothers

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

My first truck load of household goods has arrived at Casa Cóctel, my new home in Baja, Mexico. As I am unpacking my vintage Playboy collection and eagerly awaiting the arrival of my bourbon collection, I am reminded of one of my favorite drinks of all time.

Several years ago for my birthday, Miss Flighty Alberta Straub combined both her jamaica and her famous "Spa Mix" with other delicious ingredients in what she calls her Playboy Bourbon Cooler.

When she first sent me the instructions to prepare this drink for my birthday party, I was so nervous about getting every detail perfect. I was a bit intimidated about finally meeting this famous bar personality who had made plans to come to my former shop LeNell's in Brooklyn to host not only my birthday, but the store's anniversary.

As we assembled all the ingredients in some of my beautiful antique punch bowls and got to know each other better, I realized there was no need for the fear of not getting it all "perfect." It's not always about having an exact recipe, but understanding flavor and pleasing guests. Important lesson, indeed.

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]]>Lenell It Alllenell smothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersplayboyplayboy bourbon coolerPlayboyBourbonCoolerLeNell SmothersThu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Spa Mixhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/11/lenell-it-all-spa-mix/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/11/lenell-it-all-spa-mix/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/11/lenell-it-all-spa-mix/#commentsFiled under: Recipes, Cocktails, How To, Spirits

lenell's spa mix

Photo: LeNell Smothers

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

While unpacking into my new home in Mexico, my drink making options remain limited. We still await the delivery of my wine and spirits collection. No drinks possible with original Amer Picon, Red Hook Rye or Old Schiedam genever just yet.

I have grown accustomed to having hundreds of bottles of liquor and wine on hand to experiment with every day. When faced with limited supplies, our creativity can often open up combinations we normally would not consider. However, I've just honestly been too exhausted from this move to get very creative these past few weeks. Having easy yet delicious old favorites on hand gets us through hard times.

All the stress from this major over-the-border move from New York to Baja, Mexico, has taken its toll on my body. I cannot afford a real spa visit, but I have a spa-mix recipe. Bartender Alberta Straub's famous "Spa Mix" is one of those easy standby's that's healthy and so versatile when you don't have a pantry full of esoteric liqueurs and bitters on hand.

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]]>cocktailslenell it alllenell smothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersspa mixSpaMixLeNell SmothersWed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Jamaicahttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/09/lenell-it-all-jamaica/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/09/lenell-it-all-jamaica/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/09/lenell-it-all-jamaica/#commentsFiled under: Recipes, Cocktails, Cocktail Hour

dried hibiscus jamaica flowers

Dried hibiscus flowers. Photo: empracht, Flickr.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

My first truckload of household goods from the States arrived in Mexico this past week. As soon as the refrigerator powered on, we headed to the market for groceries. First stop was a stand labeled "Semillas," meaning "seeds," where we found nuts, spices and dried hibiscus known as "jamaica" heaped tall in metal tubs and baskets. Tired of the boring jamaica we've found in restaurants -- over diluted and often made with jamaica concentrate -- Demian and I were excited to make a big batch of deep ruby red, tart jamaica as one of the first things to put into Casa Cóctel's refrigerator.

Alberta Straub, aka Miss Flighty, is a bartender committed to organic, natural ingredients in her drink making. She introduced me to making cocktails with jamaica. Miss Flighty loves using it as a replacement for cranberry juice and has been quite the evangelist for jamaica's refreshing, inexpensive and kidney-cleansing benefits. Jamaica is one of Alberta's bar essentials and she proved to me how delicious and versatile it is. Now it's a bar essential for me, too.

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]]>dried hibiscus flowersDriedHibiscusFlowershibiscushibiscus drinksHibiscusDrinksjamaicaLenellItAllLenellSmothersLeNell SmothersMon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Absinthe Servicehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/28/lenell-it-all-absinthe-service/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/28/lenell-it-all-absinthe-service/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/28/lenell-it-all-absinthe-service/#commentsFiled under: Cocktails, Spirits

absinthe lenell smothers

Photo: LeNell Smothers.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

A dear friend who loves his absinthe fully deserved my splurge on a 1910 sample of pre-Prohibition absinthe as the perfect way to celebrate his birthday. Older absinthes made without the use of fake coloring often show off what the French call "feuille morte" (or "dead leaf"), simply meaning the green hue has turned more golden. This old sample had stood the test of time and proudly displayed a golden-green hue.

We tasted it on its own, then enjoyed a nice glass in traditional French style, diluted with ice-cold water, enjoying the slow milky color that appeared. The French call this precipitation of essential oils out of the absinthe the "louche." Other methods of serving might include the addition of anisette, maraschino or sugar syrup. The pure pleasure of tasting an old sample was enough for us to savor simply with sugar and water.

True absinthe is back on the retail shelves again in the U.S., but sad to say this delightful beverage is still grossly misunderstood. Yes, the real product contains wormwood. No, you will not hallucinate and kill people by having a glass of it.

Modern science has revealed that true distilled absinthe even made with wormwood contains very little thujone, the ingredient in artemisia absinthium that our government officials claimed to be so worried about. Funny thing is that the herb sage has more thujone than wormwood, but the FDA never banned it. The truth is absinthe was not "legalized" again in the U.S. -- it just took 75 years for someone to work through all the bureaucratic red tape to clarify thujone limitations.

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]]>absintheAbsintheCocktailhow to drink absintheHowToDrinkAbsintheLenellItAllLenellSmotherslouchesazeracthujonewormwoodLeNell SmothersWed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Forget Me Nothttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/21/lenell-it-all-forget-me-not/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/21/lenell-it-all-forget-me-not/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/21/lenell-it-all-forget-me-not/#commentsFiled under: Cocktails, Spirits

forget me not

Photo: LeNell Smothers.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

When I had to shut down my liquor shop in Brooklyn due to a lost lease back in February of this year, I decided to hit the road the very next day after vacating the former LeNell's Ltd storefront. Guest bartending, teaching classes and learning from talented bartenders made the pain of losing my beloved business sting less.

I spent a month in Holland learning from the amazing men of Amsterdam's door 74, which is without a doubt Amsterdam's best classic cocktail bar. While there, I decided to reach out and see if I could finally meet a woman I had admired from across the Atlantic ocean.

Ms. Fenny van Wees, the distiller of A. van Wees Distillery de Ooievaar, runs the last authentic distillery left in Amsterdam. The distillery's heritage goes back as far as 1782. I was eager to meet this feisty woman, whose passion is to keep the old ways alive and not give into pressures to mass produce, which compromises quality. She uses only raw, natural products and hand-selects her herbs, flowers and spices. We spent a whole day together at the distillery, leaving me so elated I could barely get to sleep that night.

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]]>amsterdamAvanWeesDistillerydoor74forget me not liquerForgetMeNotLiquerlenell it alllenell smothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersparfait amourParfaitAmourVergeet mij niet liqueurVergeetMijNietLiqueurLeNell SmothersWed, 21 Oct 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Fécamp Frappehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/14/lenell-it-all-fecamp-frappe/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/14/lenell-it-all-fecamp-frappe/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/14/lenell-it-all-fecamp-frappe/#commentsFiled under: Cocktails, Spirits, Cocktail Hour

Fécamp Frappe. Photo: LeNell Smothers

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Back when I was first learning to make drinks, bartenders weren't overwhelmed with a gazillion competitions to prove their skills. Everywhere you turn now, some liquor brand is sponsoring a cocktail competition. As a result, bartenders and mixologists feel the pressure to expand their resumes with accolades and titles.

Last year, B&B celebrated its 70th Anniversary with a Master Mixologist Showcase. I realized I had judged several competitions, but never actually been in one, so I thought this experience would be good to humble an old dog like me. My drink didn't come in first place, but in the words of my British pals "my chat was on fire." What's the use of a bartender if she can't entertain you and make a decent drink at the same time?

The competition took place in New York's historic 21 Club where bartenders first served up a mixture of equal parts brandy and the herbal liqueur known as Bénédictine in the 1930s. Eventually this drink became so popular, Bénédictine decided to start bottling their liqueur with brandy themselves -- in 1937. I named my cocktail after the abbey where the liqueur was born in Normandy, France.

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]]>21 Club21ClubBandBBenedictinefecampfrappeherbal liqueurHerbalLiqueurLenellItAllLenellSmothersLeNell SmothersWed, 14 Oct 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Irish Coffeehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/07/lenell-it-all-irish-coffee/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/07/lenell-it-all-irish-coffee/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/07/lenell-it-all-irish-coffee/#commentsFiled under: Cocktails, Cocktail Hour

Irish coffee.
Photo: LeNell Smothers

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Whiskey and wine consume me as well as I them, but coffee must have captured my heart. Unfortunately, my household move from New York City to Mexico has been held up by the restoration of my antique Faema "Urania" espresso machine. Thank the java gods who inspire rare folks such as the Italian gents at Omnipak Imports in New York to work their magic and lovingly bring back to life such old monster machines. How can I ever serve guests at Casa Cóctel with my dignity intact without a proper machine to make lovely coffee drinks? Coffee is just yet another ingredient in the cocktail pantry.

Sean Muldoon is the mastermind behind the award-winning bar menu of the Merchant Hotel in Belfast. When I say award-winning, I mean they took the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail Spirit Awards by storm, with World's Best Drink Selection, World's Best Hotel Bar and World's Best Cocktail Menu. I had my best ever Irish Coffee in this gorgeous historic bar with the sweetheart, Mr. Muldoon, as my host.

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]]>belfastBuenaVistaIrishCoffeecoffee cocktailsCoffeeCocktailsfaemairish coffeeIrishCoffeelenell smothersLenellItAllLenellSmotherstales of the cocktailTalesOfTheCocktailTheMerchantHotelLeNell SmothersWed, 07 Oct 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Little Bit of Countryhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/30/lenell-it-all-little-bit-of-country/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/30/lenell-it-all-little-bit-of-country/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/30/lenell-it-all-little-bit-of-country/#commentsFiled under: Recipes, Cocktails, How To

lenell smothers

LeNell Smothers.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

The moving truck rolls into Brooklyn this week. The big international move to Mexico has been brutal to organize, but -- lucky me! -- I had the very cool cats called Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC) host a splendid Hasta Luego shindig in my honor.

One of the members, Elayne Duke, served up an original creation she called "Little Bit of Country," that's perfect for the chill coming in the air these days. Her cocktail pretty much sums me up: kick of bourbon, little sweetness, nice tartness, touch of spiciness and just enough bitter to balance it all out. My Granny sent me a fabulous leopard-print dress to wear that just had to have a pink feather boa for the party ... and I sported my cowboy boots for a "little bit of country."

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]]>bourbonjalapenoslenell it alllenell smothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersmaple syrupMapleSyrupmexicoLeNell SmothersWed, 30 Sep 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Rosé The Riveterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/23/le-nell-it-all-the-riveter/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/23/le-nell-it-all-the-riveter/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/23/le-nell-it-all-the-riveter/#commentsFiled under: Recipes, Cocktails, Cocktail Hour

The Riveter. Photo: LeNell Smothers.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

I drink rosé year round. Get over the idea that it's a flimsy soda-pop wine meant for picnics. When in doubt for food pairing, I often go with the pink. Rosé can be so versatile, even as an ingredient in a cocktail.

You can still find Bordeaux bottles every now and then, labeled claret, that are dark, dry, "serious" rosés. For my cocktail feature this week, I strongly suggest picking up a bottle. If not Bordeaux, look for a rosé made with Bordeaux grapes like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc or a malbec that's so dark, it's almost a light red.

Rosé ain't for wimps. Neither is this cocktail named after Rosie, the American icon who represented the many women who went to work in factories to help us make it through World War II. Toast all the beautiful and strong women in your life who make this world a better place!

Get the recipe for Rosé the Riveter after the jump. ...

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]]>bordeauxcocktailcocktail recipesCocktailRecipeslenell it alllenell smothersLenellItAlllenellsmothersroserose cocktailrose the riveterrose wineRoseCocktailRoseTheRiveterRoseWinerosie the riveterRosieTheRiveterLeNell SmothersWed, 23 Sep 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Beetroot Margaritahttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/16/lenell-it-all-beetroot-margarita/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/16/lenell-it-all-beetroot-margarita/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/16/lenell-it-all-beetroot-margarita/#commentsFiled under: Recipes, Cocktails, Tequila, Cocktail Hour

Beetroot Margarita.
Photo: LeNell Smothers

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Hotel bars have the potential to serve as a haven while you are on vacation, but often they are just places to get ripped off for a mediocre drink. When you're lucky enough to happen upon that truly special hotel bar where no detail has been overlooked, the sticker shock on the cocktail menu might just melt away into your highballs.

I had the quintessential hotel bar experience in London's lovely Connaught Hotel. The barmen were as beautiful as the surroundings, but the drinks were the showstoppers. After the most divine martini service ever, the barman suggested I try a margarita.

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]]>beetrootbeetroot margaritaBeetrootMargaritaConnaughtHotelGallianoBalsamicolenellitalllenellsmothersmargaritaLeNell SmothersWed, 16 Sep 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - The Lost Wager http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/09/lenell-it-all-the-lost-wager/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/09/lenell-it-all-the-lost-wager/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/09/lenell-it-all-the-lost-wager/#commentsFiled under: Recipes, Cocktails, How To, Cocktail Hour

The Lost Wager. Photo: LeNell Smothers

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Do you ever get a little argumentative when you've imbibed a little too much? Alcohol consumption often does loosen up the tongue. After a few drinks with my best friend Ben, I recently got all belligerent about Scotch cocktails.

Anybody who knows me knows I love my American whiskeys: bourbon, rye, wheat, even corn whiskey. I'll always prefer bourbon over Scotch -- although, I do enjoy plenty of Scotch whiskeys too. But I've rarely had a Scotch cocktail that made me want to come back for more.

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]]>lenell it allLenellItAlllenellsmotherslost wagerLostWagerscotchscotch cocktailscotch whiskyScotchAndSodaScotchCocktailScotchWhiskyLeNell SmothersWed, 09 Sep 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - The CiCihttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/03/lenell-it-all-the-cici/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/03/lenell-it-all-the-cici/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/03/lenell-it-all-the-cici/#commentsFiled under: Recipes, How To, Spirits, Cocktail Hour

The CiCi. Photo: LeNell Smothers

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

My man and I just closed on a cozy little house in La Paz, Mexico that we lovingly named Casa Cóctel. While working on the lettering for the Casa Cóctel logo, I was reminded of a cocktail my pal Ben and I made up several years ago called the CiCi -- a blend of cachaça and Campari.

Sweetness often pairs well with bitterness so we went for the pure cane sweetness of a well-made cachaça but added in a touch of Campari, an Italian bitter aperitif made with orange.

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]]>cachacacamparicicilenell it alllenell smothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersLeNell SmothersThu, 03 Sep 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Are Some Spirits Too Good to Mix?http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/26/lenell-it-all-are-some-spirits-too-good-to-mix/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/26/lenell-it-all-are-some-spirits-too-good-to-mix/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/26/lenell-it-all-are-some-spirits-too-good-to-mix/#commentsFiled under: Spirits, Tequila, Cocktail Hour

Margarita made with Partida Elegante tequila. Photo: Winemeup, Flickr.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Is a spirit ever too good to use in a mixed drink? My answer to this question is inspired by Julia Child, who taught us that, when cooking with wine, use a wine you would be happy to drink, not just some cheap plonk.

And just because you are making a margarita doesn't mean you should grab the cheapest rot-gut tequila. I'm not saying that you have to break your family savings to drink well, but I am saying that I feel no guilt when I use a rare spirit in a cocktail.

My man and I recently closed on a cozy little house in La Paz, Mexico. To celebrate, we popped a bottle of Partida Elegante tequila. Priced upwards of $300, this is not an everyday sipper for most of us.

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]]>aged tequilaAgedTequilacocktailsLeNelllenell it allLeNell SmothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersmixersPartida ElegantePartida Elegante tequilaPartidaElegantePartidaEleganteTequilaTequilaLeNell SmothersWed, 26 Aug 2009 17:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Micheladas for Muggy Weatherhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/19/lenell-it-all-michelada/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/19/lenell-it-all-michelada/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/19/lenell-it-all-michelada/#commentsFiled under: Beer, Cocktails

A michelada. Photo: Winemeup, Flickr.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

I love cocktails. I love my wine. However, sometimes nothing hits the spot like a cold beer when the sun's blistering down. If you are still in the mood for a cocktail but craving that beer, try a michelada.

As with many mixed drinks, you may get a different flavor depending on your location and bartender. A michelada may have some sort of tomato juice or it may not. Like a martini, always specify how you like your drink.

In Baja if you ask for a michelada, you'll typically get a cocktail with beer, salt, and fresh Key lime juice. On the mainland you can order a Clamato (which has clam broth) or some type of tomato juice spiked with various sauces. It's similar to a Bloody Mary, with beer instead of vodka. (Even if the cocktail does not contain the brand-name Clamato mix, the drink is still often referred to as "a Clamato.") I prefer a Clamato as a brunch drink rather than an afternoon refresher.

Two recipes for a michelada and a michelada Clamato, after the jump!

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]]>beer cocktailbeer cocktailsBeerCocktailBeerCocktailsclamatolenell it allLenellItAllmicheladaLeNell SmothersWed, 19 Aug 2009 15:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Pom Packerhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/11/lenell-it-all-pom-packer/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/11/lenell-it-all-pom-packer/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/11/lenell-it-all-pom-packer/#commentsFiled under: Recipes, Summer

packing liquor

Packing materials of every stripe. Photo: LeNell Smothers.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label (Red Hook Rye) and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

New Yorkers are no strangers to packing for a move. The search for a place to live seems to come around far too often. If you survive the apartment hunt without losing your mind, you will lose it in the search for boxes and a moving truck. Growing weary with the ever-present New York conversation about rent, landlords and brokers, my man and I decided on a house in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Moving time is when real friends get a chance to prove their devotion. To entice a few to help pack up my glassware collection, I filled an antique leopard-print shaker with some California spirits. I figured if I was moving to the Mexican side of Cali, my packing friends could be rewarded with a new cocktail creation using spirits from there.

After the jump, a new pomegranate aperitif and LeNell's Pom Packer.

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]]>Anchor DistillingAnchorDistillingcocktailjuniperoJunipero ginJuniperoGinlenell it allLeNell SmothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersmartiniPom packerPomPackerLeNell SmothersTue, 11 Aug 2009 16:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Ben's Good Humor Cocktailhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/lenell-it-all-bens-good-humor-cocktail/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/lenell-it-all-bens-good-humor-cocktail/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/lenell-it-all-bens-good-humor-cocktail/#commentsFiled under: Cocktails, Spirits, Cocktail Hour

drink

A Good Humor cocktail.
Photo: LeNell Smothers

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Back when my little liquor store LeNell's was in operation, my buddy Ben and I would experiment with cocktails during those last few late-night hours working at the shop. He was at my side during the opening of the store right up till the closing. As I shed tears during the process of losing my lease and having to shut down, he reminded me that it's all about the circle. We had built it together, and we were shutting it down together. I was reminded through the tears to keep finding joy and laughter.

Now I'm leaving town for Mexico; my man Demian and I are talking of big-life stuff like marriage and kids, and just bought a house. As for my best friend, he's gonna make me a great man of honor someday.

This is a cocktail of Ben's that reminds me of being a carefree kid in the summer, hearing that "ding ding" of the Good Humor ice cream truck, and running out with my change in hand to get an orange sherbet push-up pop.

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]]>bens good humorBensGoodHumorlenell it alllenell smothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersLeNell SmothersTue, 04 Aug 2009 16:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - The French Kisshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/28/lenell-it-all-the-french-kiss/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/28/lenell-it-all-the-french-kiss/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/28/lenell-it-all-the-french-kiss/#commentsFiled under: Cocktails, Spirits

frenchkiss

A French kiss.
Photo: LeNell Smothers.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

"How about a French Kiss?" I love to ask my dinner guests.

That usually gets someone's attention. One of the simplest, yet most delicious concoctions one can make to start off a party is a mixture of sweet and dry vermouths called a French Kiss. Vermouth is a classic ingredient in many aperitif cocktails, but many folks don't realize it's actually quite delicious just on its own with a few ice cubes.

If you are ever looking through old cocktail books and see "French" vermouth listed, it means dry vermouth. "Italian" in old books means the sweet version. (My mnemonic secret to help me remember which is which is to think of a "Dry-fel" Tower.)

French Kiss recipe after the jump.

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]]>cocktailslenell it alllenell smothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersthe french kissTheFrenchKissvermouthLeNell SmothersTue, 28 Jul 2009 13:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - The Mordidahttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/21/lenell-it-all-the-mordida/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/21/lenell-it-all-the-mordida/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/21/lenell-it-all-the-mordida/#commentsFiled under: Recipes, Tequila, Cocktail Hour

Mordida cocktail. Photo: LeNell Smothers.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

I'm not above a little hell-raising, but I swear I was not doing anything illegal a few weeks ago in Mexico when my sweetheart Demian and I got pulled over by the police on the way to the beach.

Demian was accused of drinking and driving. We were eating homemade pesto while driving, but last I checked that wasn't illegal anywhere in the world. We did have an unopened bottle of Champagne iced in a cooler. Demian showed the officer the pesto and the bottle of bubbly. In the end, the cops accused Demian of speeding. His excuse?

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]]>lenell it alllenell smothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersmexicomordidatequilaLeNell SmothersTue, 21 Jul 2009 15:00:00 ESTStarry Night Cooler - LeNell It Allhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/14/starry-night-cooler-lenell-it-all/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/14/starry-night-cooler-lenell-it-all/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/14/starry-night-cooler-lenell-it-all/#commentsFiled under: Cocktails, Spirits

starry cooler

Starry Night Cooler. Photo: LeNell Smothers.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Absinthe has been blamed for a lot of rowdy behavior, but I don't think any French folks could blame it for the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. Absinthe actually had its peak in France in the late 1800s, but the trend lasted into the early 1900s. Although it originated in Switzerland, most production during the heyday of the Green Fairy took place in southern France.

The idea for Van Gogh's magnum opus, "Starry Night," is also said to have originated in southern France. Although it was created a full 100 years after the Bastille showdown, I figured I'd celebrate le quatorze juillet with a tribute to beautiful night skies (black currant syrup), a bit of revolution (gin) and a touch of madness (absinthe). I call this my Starry Night Cooler. Oh, yeah, and to beat off the summer heat, I threw in some seltzer and a bit of family-recipe lemonade.

The recipe for LeNell's Starry Night Cooler is after the jump.

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]]>absinthebastille dayBastilleDayblack currantBlackCurrantcocktailginlenell it alllenell smothersLenellItAllLenellSmothersrevolutionstarry night coolerStarryNightCoolerLeNell SmothersTue, 14 Jul 2009 15:00:00 ESTLeNell It All - Rock and Rye Coolerhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/08/lenell-it-all-rock-and-rye-cooler/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/08/lenell-it-all-rock-and-rye-cooler/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/08/lenell-it-all-rock-and-rye-cooler/#comments cooler

cooler

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

When you say "cooler" in reference to a drink, the first thing that comes to mind is often an RTD, a ready-to-drink bottled wine cooler. But the term "cooler" actually refers to iced alcohol topped up with a citrus-flavored soda. Here's a great summer cocktail using my rock candy and rye recipe mix to keep you refreshed and inspired.

Yes, it does have vodka in it. You cocktail geeks who roll your eyes at the mention of vodka need to get over yourselves. Vodka does serve a purpose in the cocktail kingdom as a good workhorse spirit to cut stronger flavors or to just add a kick of spirity fire to juice. (Purists, yes, I love to drink my vodka chilled with a plate of oysters or a spot of caviar, too.)

Vodka has been a beloved spirit for hundreds of years. Stop the eye rolling and start the chilling out. We all need to relax and love a bit more.

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