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Before and After Dinner Drinks - LeNell It All

campariPhoto: pazavi, Flickr.

The French call the before-dinner drink an apéritif and the after-dinner version a digestif. The Italians say aperitivo and digestivo. In English, we call them aperitives and digestives. No matter what language you prefer, attempting to define a hard difference between the two can leave you scratching your head.

Aperitives are meant to stimulate your appetite, with the root of the word going back to a Latin base meaning "to open." These drinks are supposed to get your stomach ready for food. The exact origin of a drink before dinner is unknown. Commercial production of vermouths in Italy popularized the drink before dinner, often served with finger foods such as nuts and olives.

You may find ouzo before dinner in Greece, pastis served in France or sherry in Spain. The Italians love to serve bitter liqueurs known as amari before dinner. Campari and Aperol are wonderful examples.
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Filed under: Drinks

LeNell It All - The CiCi


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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Filed under: Cocktail Hour, Drink Recipes, How To

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Cocktail Ingredients Quiz

Can you identify the ingredients in a martini, cosmopolitan, Manhattan, Mai Tai, Long Island Iced Tea, Harvey Wallbager and more? See how well you know your cocktails.

Cocktail Ingredients Quiz

Crazy for Cosmopolitans? You'll need vodka, Cointreau or triple sec, lime juice, and one other ingredient to shake 'em up at home.

  • Grenadine
  • Orange juice
  • Cranberry juice
  • Pink grapefruit juice

Some folks get fancy with the recipe, but a traditionally-made Mai Tai gets its signature flavor from lime juice, dark rum, grenadine (or simple syrup), curacao and what other key ingredient?

  • Almond syrup
  • Mango juice
  • Coconut milk
  • Orange juice

Shaking up vodka, cream, and this variety of liqueur results in a White Russian.

  • Coffee
  • White chocolate
  • Vanilla
  • Peppermint

The rim of a Sidecar glass is coated in what tasty substance?

  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Cocoa
  • Honey

The non-alcoholic classic Shirley Temple contains ginger ale (or lemon-lime soda), orange juice and a sweet splash of what?

  • Fruit punch
  • Cranberry juice
  • Grenadine
  • Pineapple juice

Vodka or gin would need just this ingredient to be shaken or stirred into a gimlet.

  • Roses Lime Juice Cordial
  • Olive juice
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Pickle juice

Rye (or bourbon), vermouth, bitters and a cherry are the components of which classic cocktail?

  • Negroni
  • Old Fashioned
  • Manhattan
  • Rob Roy

Mix up rum, lime and Coca-Cola to make this drink.

  • Cuba Libre
  • El Presidente
  • Bronx
  • Corpse Reviver

Mint, sugar, lime, soda water and this liquor come together to be muddled into a mojito.

  • Cachaca
  • Tequila
  • Rum
  • Pisco

Standard ingredients in a Negroni include gin, vermouth and what other liquid?

  • Lemon juice
  • Egg whites
  • Angostura bitters
  • Campari

It's not just a punchline -- the Harvey Wallbanger is a fern bar staple featuring vodka, orange juice, and this odd liqueur.

  • Goldschlager
  • Rumplemintz
  • Galliano
  • Peach Schnaaps

When this is popped into a Martini in lieu of an olive, it becomes a Gibson.

  • Jalapeno pepper
  • Lime wedge
  • Gherkin
  • Cocktail onion

James Bond may be more commonly associated with the Martini, but writer Ian Fleming also had him slugging down Vespers, which are concocted from Lillet Blanc and which two liquors?

  • Brandy & Scotch
  • Gin & Vodka
  • Vodka & Bourbon
  • Bourbon & Brandy

Mix orange juice and this spirit for a hard-hitting Screwdriver.

  • Rum
  • Vodka
  • Champagne
  • Whiskey

Sure, you could ask for a vodka & cranberry with a lime wedge, but it's much more festive to order it this way:

  • Greyhound
  • Salty Dog
  • Cape Cod
  • Madras

If you've got bourbon, mint, and a splash of soda, you're on the right track to make the Derby Day classic, a Mint Julep. What's still missing?

  • Lime
  • Sugar
  • Bitters
  • Nothing

The Bloody Mary is a brunch standard, but this addition transforms it into a hearty Bloody Bull.

  • Beef broth
  • Red Bull
  • A whole hot pepper
  • Pepper vodka

Creme de menthe and cream are terribly tasty together, but if you want a Grasshopper, hop to the store for a bottle of:

  • Vanilla vodka
  • Creme de Cacao
  • Green food coloring
  • Mint extract

A Greyhound gets its distinctive flavor from vodka and this mixer:

  • Sweetened lime juice
  • Pineapple juice
  • Cranberry and orange juice
  • Grapefruit juice

We all know that a Long Island Iced Tea has no tea in the mix, but what liquor isn't part of the standard recipe?

  • Bourbon
  • Vodka
  • Rum
  • Tequila

Filed under: Quizzes, Drink Recipes

Holy Hump Day Happy Hour! Batman-related drinks!

Yes, there seems to be a whole bunch of drinks based around our favorite Gotham City crimefighter (and his friends and enemies).

The Batman Cocktail sounds like a variation on a Shirley Temple or Buck Rogers, something for the kids, and it includes grenadine and orange juice. The Penguin includes gin, cherry liqueur, and benedictine, while The Alfredo has Campari and gin. There are also drinks based on Robin, The Riddler, the Batcave, even Commissioner Gordon.

What, no drink for Catwoman? That sounds like a natural.

Filed under: Happy Hour, Drink Recipes

Friday Happy Hour: The Negroni

NegroniThe Negroni is one of my favorite drinks (Ted Allen and I even talked about it when I interviewed him here last year). It was out of favor (well, at least by the trendsetters) for a number of years, but it's suddenly making a comeback. Don't let the fact that more people are drinking it now steer you away from it. It's one of the great, classic drinks.

Here's one recipe (though I usually go without the orange slice):

1 1/2 oz. gin
1 1/2 oz. Campari
1 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
1 orange slice

Shake first three ingredients with ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with orange slice.

Here are some other Negroni recipes, and here are some other Campari drinks from the official Campari site.

Filed under: Trends, Happy Hour, Drink Recipes

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