Pour More

Christmas Cookie Cocktails

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 | Cocktails | No Comments

What The Pregnant Lady Will Be Drinking

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 | California, Chardonnay, Cocktails, Germany, Holidays, Non-Alcoholic, Riesling, Wines Under $20 | 1 Comment

The holidays can be difficult for someone like me who loves wine or a cocktail and wants to celebrate along with everyone else, but happens to be in a situation where she can’t drink. But being pregnant or having a health issue that prohibits you from drinking doesn’t mean you can’t raise a glass of cheer — you just have to pick something non-alcoholic.

A couple weeks ago, we were at The Christmas Tree Shops and I saw a bottle of non-alcoholic Chardonnay (which I have since lovingly nicknamed “Chardon-not”). I joked to Drew that I’d be drinking the St. Regis Alcohol-Removed Reserve on Thanksgiving. At a mere $3.99 a bottle he suggested I give it a try. So we left the store with two bottles — one to try that evening and one for Turkey Day, provided it wasn’t terrible.

St. Regis is produced by Inglenook. It is made in California and has an APV of less than 0.5%. To my surprise, it was actually decent! There were floral notes on the nose, as well as hints of apricot and apple. Upon tasting I detected mostly apple flavors as well as a bit of grape (which didn’t surprise me). Overall it reminded me of flat champagne. Drew thought it reminded him of some of the Australian whites he had tasted. Now, obviously you can’t compare a bottle of alcohol-free wine to a bottle of regular wine. To try it with the same expectations is ridiculous, honestly. If I weren’t pregnant I wouldn’t be drinking this, but for the price it ain’t bad and I will happily chill a bottle for myself for tomorrow. I’ve had worse “real” Chardonnay, and I find this to be an acceptable substitute.

Another problem I’ve had to solve is the pre-dinner cocktail. In our family, we always like to enjoy a drink while we nibble on cheese, crackers, and sausage. Under normal circumstances, my go-to drink is a gin and tonic. Luckily, this one is easy to solve. I simply mix together tonic water, a twist of lime, and some sweetened lime juice. I used to prefer Rose’s lime juice, but recently I discovered Master of Mixes lime juice. I find it to be less sweet. (As a bonus, if you’re plagued by leg cramps later in your pregnancy, this make a mighty fine remedy as the tonic water contains quinine, which helps alleviate the cramping.)

My other favorite cocktail is a whiskey sour. By chance, last night I discovered a drink that comes pretty darn close. I simply mixed Cuervo margarita mix with ginger ale (I think I did I one-to-one ratio). Again, it has no alcohol in it so it’s not as potent, but hey — when you only have so much to work with, you make the best of it. Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry or two and enjoy.

Tomorrow we’ll be bringing a bottle of BEX Riesling to have with Thanksgiving dinner, so I am planning on tasting and spitting and seeing if it tastes any different to me now than it did when I tasted it a few months back.

To all my American readers, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! Please remember to enjoy responsibly.

Booze Boosts Berry Antioxidants

Monday, August 25th, 2008 | Cocktails | No Comments

We all know that antioxidants are important to our health. They help protect the body from dangerous free radicals. You’ve probably heard that berries are excellent sources of antioxidants. (I used this as an excuse to gorge on local blueberries last month ) Well, good news for cocktail lovers. According to the August issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine, researchers recently discovered that adding alcohol to berries actually boosts the amount of antioxidants in the fruit that can be absorbed by our bodies. The magazine also included this recipe for a delicious grown-up smoothie. (Just leave out the vodka for the kids!)

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries, blackberries, and/or raspberries
1 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 oz. vodka
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh mint
Mint sprigs for garnish

Blend the berries, ice, pineapple juice, vodka, sugar, and mint until smooth (about 2 minutes). Transfer to large glasses and top with a mint sprig. Makes 2 servings.

Sounds like a yummy way to wind down the summer!

Mm-mm. Mojito.

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 | Cocktails, Rum, Spirits | 1 Comment

Typically my summertime drink of choice is a gin and tonic. I love the tartness of the lime and how it’s just very refreshing. However, last year I started making mojitos and I have to say that this Cuban classic is a close second. It is made from rum, lime, sugar, and mint. Usually I make my mojitos from scratch, but recently I was sent a sample gift pack containing a 750 ml. bottle of 10 Cane Rum and a 32 oz. bottle of Stirrings Simple Mojito mix. It arrived just in time for Father’s Day, which was perfect! Drew has recently become interested in rums, and I had a feeling he’d really enjoy this treat.

First, let me talk about the gift pack itself. It retails for around $34.99, which is the standard price for the 10 Cane rum alone. Basically, you get the mojito mix for free, which is a great deal. Usually gift packs include a bottle of liquor and a glass or two, so I thought this was not only a creative way to co-market two products, but the Stirrings mix is far more useful (in my opinion) than a couple extra cocktail glasses that will only collect dust. I also appreciated the fact that this particular gift set is not encased in hard plastic. I find that many gift sets are often wrapped with it and they are very difficult to open. The two bottles were secured very well in the tray, which was also nice to see.

The mixing instructions were on the back of the box and certainly were easy enough. (I have to admit, it was nice to not need to muddle everything up!). The drink was great and although I did not do a side-by-side comparison of a mojito made from the mix and a mojito made from scratch, from what I remember mine tasting like last summer, I’d say this was pretty close.

With that said, I have to mention that honestly I think that 10 Cane is too nice to be used as a mixer. 10 Cane, which is produced in Trinidad, is made from sugarcane juice instead of molasses, like most of the rums people are familiar with. It is aged in oak for a few months so the color is not quite clear, but certainly not dark, either. It has a sweet, almost grassy nose and a subtle flavor of sugarcane. I found it to be very smooth. Although it is touted as a mixing rum, I really enjoy it as a sipping rum. So if you can get your hands on one of these gift sets, use the Stirrings to make a mojito before dinner, and then enjoy a bit of 10 Cane straight as an after-dinner drink.

If you can’t find the Stirrings mix, or just want to try mixing up a mojito from scratch, here is my recipe:

Mojito 

2 oz. light rum
1-2 oz. lime juice (depending on your taste)
2 tsp. superfine sugar (you can also use confectioner’s sugar)
2-3 mint leaves
club soda or seltzer water
lime slice and mint sprigs for garnish

Lightly muddle (that is, gently smash up) the mint and sugar with a splash of soda water in a mixing glass until the sugar is dissolved and you can smell the mint. Pour the lime juice into the glass, add the rum and pour into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Give it a few shakes and then strain into a collins glass. Top with soda water or seltzer water, garnish with a lime slice and a mint sprig. Serve.

Thirsty Thursday: Champagne Royal

Thursday, May 8th, 2008 | Cocktails, Cordials, Sparkling Wine, Spirits | No Comments

In case you didn’t realize, this Sunday is Mother’s Day. As a mom myself, there’s no chance I’ll be forgetting about it If you are lucky enough to be able to treat your mom to something extra-special, you might want to forgo the Mimosa at brunch and try something just a little bit different: Champagne Royal. The simple addition of raspberry liqueur adds a very subtle flavor and tints the champgane a lovely shade of pink. This is a light cocktail that is also very pretty on the table and making it could not be simpler!

Champagne Royal
1/2-1 oz. Chambord Rasberry Liqueur
4 oz. Champagne (domestic sparkling wine can be substituted)

Pour Chambord into the bottom of a champagne flute and top with champagne. Float a few raspberries in the drink for a pretty presentation.

[image source: DawnAllyn]

Derby Day Means Mint Juleps

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 | Cocktails | No Comments

While I, personally, am not a huge horseracing fan, I still get kind of excited about the Kentucky Derby and surrounding hoopla. My husband and I have vague plans to go one day (and of course, hit up Maker’s Mark while we’re down there). But until then, I shall live vicariously though those people who do attend. Perhaps in honor of the event, tonight we’ll mix up a couple Mint Juleps, which are the traditional Derby drink. But did you know that there is a real, honest-to-goodness, official Kentucky Derby Mint Julep recipe? It uses Early Times Kentucky Whiskey, which has been the official whiskey of the race for the past 18 years. (But I think it would be fine to use your bourbon.)

 The Early Times Mint Julep Recipe

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• Sprigs of fresh mint
• Crushed ice
• Early Times Kentucky Whisky
• Silver Julep Cups

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whisky. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

And in case you’re in the mood for something more, shall we say, desserty, be sure to check out this recipe for Mint Julep Cupcakes. Delicious!

Thirsty Thursday: The Vanilla Bean

Thursday, May 1st, 2008 | Cocktails | No Comments

Man cannot live by bread alone, as the saying goes. Nor can he (or she) live by wine alone. As much as I enjoy wine tasting, I also enjoy mixing up cocktails for my family and friends. And although it’s not officially summer (no, there’s a good month and a half to go), the warmer weather has inspired to me to break out my cocktail shaker and open up the liquor cabinet instead of the wine fridge. I thought it would be fun to start a “Thirsty Thursday” series and share some great cocktail recipes with you to help kick start your weekend. I hope you enjoy it!

For my inaugural cocktail, I’m sharing a favorite that I created last year around this time: The Vanilla Bean. One of my favorite summertime treats is iced coffee, and I thought it would be fun to make a kicked-up version.

The Vanilla Bean Cocktail
1 oz. Starbucks Coffee Liqueur
1 oz. Vanilla flavored vodka
2 to 3 oz. Vanilla flavored seltzer (depending on your preference)

Pour all over ice, and give a quick stir. Serve in a highball glass.