Summer Beer Cocktails: Not as gross as it sounds!

A few that have me and licking my lips:

Black Velvet - 1 part Stout, 1 part Champagne

The Snake Bite - 1 part Lager, 1 part Cider

Michelada - 6 parts Mexican Beer, 3 parts tomato juice, 1 part lime juice, 2 dashes Worcestershire, 2 dashes tobasco 

The Diesel - 1 part Lager, 1 part cider, 1 dash Blackcurrant Cordial 

A great chart by Fabio Rex.

http://www.surfdash.com/sections/viewsection/2754-the-barender

Strawberry Fields Forver (Cocktail)

Strawberries are more than just fruit—they’re a sweet, edible sign that spring has turned into summer. The juicy red berries make a dry piece of shortcake memorable and are delectable enough to eat plain or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. They can also be used in a range of delicious and refreshing drinks. =) 

Thanks Maria Hunt! Hostess of the champagne appreciation and entertaining web site www.thebubblygirl.com and author of The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion.

So the next time you pick up some fresh strawberries, forget about making dessert and start mixing up some cocktails instead.

Balsamic Berry

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Strawberries, hulled
• 2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
• 1 tsp Strawberry jam
• 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper
• .5 oz Fresh lime juice
• .25 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water)
• Several large dashes Balsamic vinegar
• Champagne

Garnish: Lime peel    Glass: Coupe

PREPARATION:

In a shaker, muddle the strawberries. Add the remaining ingredients except the Champagne and fill with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a coupe glass. Top with Champagne and garnish with a lime peel.

Ward III

INGREDIENTS:

• Large strawberry
• 2 oz Maker’s Mark Bourbon
• .75 oz Fresh lime juice
• .5 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water)
• 3 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• 1 Egg white
• Garnish: Grated nutmeg and strawberry slice
• Glass: Rocks glass

PREPARATION:

Muddle the strawberry in a shaker. Add the other ingredients and fill with large ice cubes. Shake vigorously for at least one minute and strain into a chilled rocks glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg and a slice of strawberry.

Sbagliato Grosso

INGREDIENTS:

• Ricard
• Fresh strawberry
• 1.25 oz Hennessy VS Cognac
• .75 oz Campari
• .75 oz Carpano Antica Formula
• Garnish: Orange peel
• Glass: Rocks

PREPARATION:

Mist a rocks glass with Ricard and fill it with ice. Set it aside to chill. Muddle a strawberry in a mixing glass and add the other ingredients and ice. Stir. Dump the ice from the rocks glass and fill it with two fresh ice cubes. Strain the liquid from the mixing glass into the rocks glass and garnish with an orange peel.

 Follow more cocktail recipes here and on my surfboard @ http://www.surfdash.com/sections/viewsection/2754-the-barender

MUGGA'S MALIBU RUM JELLO SHOTS!

 

http://www.surfdash.com/sections/viewsection/2754-the-barender

I WAS AT MY FRIEND'S DAD'S 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY AND THE HIT OF THE EVENING WAS MUGGA'S MALIBU JELLO SHOTS! OF COURSE I NEEDED TO SHARE THIS WITH WORLD!!

1.) CUT UP SOME LEMON AND ORANGES FOR THE PEEL, AND USE THE FRUIT TO MAKE SOME LEMONADE!

2.) IF 1OZ = A SHOT, TO NOT BE OVER POWERING- MAKE HALF-AN-ONCE = A JELLO SHOT.
(POUR HALF THE BOTTLE LOL)  

3.) JELLO FLAVOR IS YOUR OWN PREFERENCE, BUT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACKAGE. 

4.) COOLING PROCESS IS VITAL! BE PATIENT, AND KEEP REFRIGERATED UNTIL THE PARTY STARTS!! 

I'VE GOT MY OTHER ONLINE RECIPES @ http://www.surfdash.com/sections/viewsection/2754-the-barender

But DO YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO DRINK VODKA?

I think I understand vodka quite differently than most people. I get vodka. I actually feel vodka. Or maybe it’s because I bar-back at a bar in Austin, TX that has more than 100 kinds of VODKA on it's shelf and I have to clean it up every day!



Consumers see it as a low-calorie, zero-carbohydrate spirit that’s easy to drink and blends with virtually anything, while bartenders find it an uninspiring ingredient, like tofu for a chef. However, the liquor was never created for mixing—it was intended to be a food spirit. Just as wine in southern Europe was developed to be enjoyed with meals, so were the vodkas of northern Europe, where grapes didn’t grow easily.

Each vodka will behave uniquely, since they’re made from all kinds of things. Winter wheat gives you a crisp, fresh palate presence, while potato provides a more creamy and lush mouthfeel. Rye, on the other hand, will be a touch sour, with a recognizable “needle” on the side of the tongue.

In my bartending class we had this little guide help us understand VODKA!

For fruity cocktails:

Use vodka made from 100 percent wheat or potatoes, like Absolut or Ketel One,

For savory cocktails:

Go with corn- or rye-based vodkas like Belvedere or Tito’s

For Martinis:

Vodka Martinis with spirits produced from winter wheat like Stolichnaya Gold or those that are produced from a blend of grains like the rye-, wheat- and barley-base.

Flavored vodkas:

Like Hangar One of Stoli blueberry.

The Perfect Irish Coffee!

http://www.surfdash.com/sections/viewsection/2754-the-barender

If you're looking for a mid-day warm up that gets you ready to go back out there and face the cold, nothing is easier than brewing a cup of coffee and adding your favorite dark spirit.

The Irish had the right idea when they combined robust Irish whiskey with hot, black coffee. This hot cocktail has long been a favorite in Irish pubs, with a popularity that could be said to rival Guinness (as tough as that may be). Beyond choosing the best Irish whiskey possible, using fresh whipped cream can turn the mundane Irish Coffee into something spectacular. 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 oz strong, hot coffee
• 1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 oz whipping cream

Preparation:

1. Pour the coffee, Irish whiskey and brown sugar into an Irish coffee glass or mug.
2. Stir well.
3. Float the cream on top. 

http://video.about.com/cocktails/How-to-Make-5-Coffee-Cocktails.htm