When it comes to assembling the bar for your holiday party, there's a certain list of basics you must have on hand--vodka, gin, whiskey, cola, tonic, etc. Such a bar will certainly serve to make a decent drink and satisfy most customers, but won't add anything special to the festivities. The easiest--and cheapest--way to add a little magic is with unusual mixers. Here's five that will add a twist to your cocktail menu.
1. Canada Dry Sparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale It mixes equally well with bourbon, vodka and light rum and works nicely in a punch. The antioxidants listed on the bottle may come in handy when battling the holidays' excesses, but the large amount of sugar won't help with that Christmas waistline.
2. Sence Rose Petal Nectar If you wish to offer chick drinks that are more Deneuve/Dietrich than Carrie Bradshaw, rose petal nectar can come in handy. Try the elegant American Beauty--not the brandy version, but one made with vanilla vodka, lemon juice and rose petal nectar.
I don't actually drink a whole lot of soda, so when I indulge in a bottle of carbonated sugar-y syrup, I want it to be good. I want it to be as bubbly and flavorful as possible, because I sometimes go months between tastes. I was excited to receive this sample pack of Thomas Kemper, mostly because they've recently switched to sweetening their sodas with cane sugar (down with high fructose corn syrup) so there isn't as much guilt in drinking this beverage as with the conventional stuff.
On first taste, the root beer flavor was everything I look for in a soda. Fizzy, strongly flavored and creamy, I was ready to keep on drinking it. However, I was really disappointed by the other two flavors (and I hate saying this, since I really do like the Thomas Kemper company). The Black Cherry lands on the wrong side of the cough syrup divide and the Ginger Ale just doesn't have enough punch. My boyfriend was willing to finish the bottle of Black Cherry, but neither one of us wanted to kill the Ginger Ale. It was sort of disappointing.
Who says that drinking has to start at five o'clock?
It's probably pretty warm where you are today, and you could use a cold drink, right? I know, I know, you're not supposed to have alcohol or caffiene on hot days. Whatever! This is the Naranjita (via GourmetSleuth.com) a cool drink that will make you think of the Caribbean.
Naranjita
1 ounce light Puerto Rican rum 2-3 ounce ginger ale 1 ounce orange juice orange slices for garnish carambola (star fruit) for garnish
Combine all ingredients, pour over ice in a highball glass and garnish with orange slices and star fruit.
As you folks know I really enjoy premium spirits. I'm a quality over quantity kind of guy, and was brought up from a young age to really enjoy life and all it has to offer. I was taught that when we celebrate we should pull out the champagne, when we want to relax then sip something sublime. The thing is that most mixers just don't do justice to a fine liquor.
For the past few months I have been seeking out premium mixers, especially tonic water and hard to find ones like bitter lemon. I finally narrowed down the field to the top few, but none were what I would call premium. I then caught news about some new mixers coming to market. Several are just in test stages and one that seems very promising is in the pre-production phase and will be coming out later this spring. (Yes I will have a review and interview with the creator)
I had heard about Fever-Tree premium mixers from the UK but they haven't been available in the US. For the past 18 months they have been taking Europe by storm, but with always a limited availability. Well now things have changed and they are coming to the US market. I was sent some samples to try a few weeks ago, but a severe bout of the flu had me on my back for almost two weeks. Finally, with great anticipation, I felt well enough to open them up, and I am so glad I did.
My favorite thing to do with carrots (well, besides just munch on them raw, of course) is to cook them with this interesting little recipe I picked up off an episode of Good Eats some years back. It's become a staple side dish for Thanksgiving dinners, but it's equally tastey for any occasion or for none at all. Ginger ale is not the first thing I'd think to glaze my carrots with, but try it -- I find it works wonderfully, providing the perfect amount of sweetness without being overbearing. The carrots turn out tasting more essentially carroty than any raw carrot, so of course I love them. It's a pretty simple recipe and certainly worth the trouble if ever you're in the mood for carrots.
When it comes to assembling the bar for your holiday party, there's a certain list of basics you must have on hand--vodka, gin, whiskey, cola, tonic, etc. Such a bar will certainly serve to make a decent drink and satisfy most customers, but won't add anything special to the festivities. The easiest--and cheapest--way to add a little magic is with unusual mixers. Here's five that will add a twist to your cocktail menu.
Who says that drinking has to start at five o'clock?
As you folks know I really enjoy premium spirits. I'm a quality over quantity kind of guy, and was brought up from a young age to really enjoy life and all it has to offer. I was taught that when we celebrate we should pull out the champagne, when we want to relax then sip something sublime. The thing is that most mixers just don't do justice to a fine liquor. 
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