Brian's Cranberry Smash

  For years and years, I've enjoyed making home made fresh Cranberry Sauce for my family and friends around the holidays. Most times I'll cook up several pounds of fresh cranberries and put them up in jars to gift for everyone's holiday meal. They just taste so much better than store bought cranberries in the can!

 So, one year, I decided to give some to my long time dear friends, Brian and Paula. Side note, I should mention that Brian's family and my family go WAY back, and Paula and I go way back as well, so they're like family to me, and I was happy to share.

 Now, if you know Brian, you know he's ever the party Host with the Most, so of course it came as no surprise that he didn't just serve the cranberries with their holiday dinner. Nope. Instead, he used my cranberry sauce to make a festive cocktail, which was apparently a big smash!! And now they make it every year around the holidays. How fun is that?? Leave it to Brian to come up with a new cocktail! Actually, when he first told me about it, I immediately whipped up an extra big batch of cranberries and canned them in jars so he'd have plenty for his holiday celebrations. He looked at me like I was crazy when I showed up at his house with a bunch of jars. True story! 

 Btw, I'm not exactly sure where he came up with the name.. maybe that's what happens if you have one too many... but I digress...

 Anyway, big thanks to Brian and Paula for including me in their new holiday tradition! I'm truly honored! And Brian, just let me know when you run out of cranberries. I'll have more ready for you!

2 ounces of whiskey

1 ounce of cranberry juice

a spoonful of jellied cranberry sauce 

 

Add everything over ice in a shaker, then pour it over a big square ice cube and drop in a cherry. 

That's all there is to it! So good!

 

 

 

Tips:

Even if you don't make home made fresh cranberry sauce, just use any cranberry sauce you like. It's a great way to use up the leftovers after Thanksgiving! 

If your cranberry sauce is a little too jellied, just stir in a teaspoon or two of hot water to sauce it up a bit!

 

Pometinis

This is Cathy's favorite martini, Kristin's a big fan as well, and I must say it's way high on my list too. Not only does it have a crisp taste but it looks festive and is perfect for your next cocktail party. Fabulous!

Use the martini shaker lid to measure:

1½ citrus vodka
1 Cointreau or orange liqueur
splash Pom Juice
splash seltzer
garnish with lemon or orange rind


Assemble all ingredients in bar or mixing glass. Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with spiraled orange or lemon rind.

Tip:
For a festive presentation, instead of garnishing with the orange rind, try rimming your martini glasses with superfine sugar and garnishing with a slice of fresh lime.
Btw, when I made them for TQ's Cocktail Lounge, I didn't have any seltzer, so I gave it a splash of ginger ale. It was great! Oh, and I always go a little heavy on the POM, just because I love it so much. Great then!

Chocolate Martini

There are a million different recipes for chocolate martinis, but in my opinion, this one wins. It was given to me by my friend Jeni P, who is the Queen of All Beverages. Thanx Jeni P! Cheers!


Use the shaker lid to measure:

1½ Chocolate Liqueur
1½ Crème De Cacao
½Vodka
2½ half-n-half

Place everything in your martini shaker, shake well, and strain into martini glasses.

For chocolate chip cookie martini, add 1 vanilla vodka, splash of chocolate syrup, chocolate shavings

Appletinis

This is my favorite martini of all time. Ever since I went out for drinks with Nick before seeing Dolly Parton's Hello Dolly concert, I've loved appletinis. It was the first time I had ever been to Bump, and honestly, I had maybe a little too much, but BOY! was that a fun concert!!! Nick, you're such a bad influence!
Since then, I've found that there are a million different recipes for apple martinis, and the variations range from green apple to sour apple to caramel apple and on and on. My personal favorite is the green appletini. It's sweet and tart and crisp, just like an apple. Good times!

1 oz vodka
1 oz green apple schnapps
1 oz apple juice
crushed ice

Place all ingredients into a shaker, and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a slice of apple or a stemmed maraschino cherry.

Variations:
Caramel Appletini - add 1 part butterscotch schnapps
Sour Appletini - substitute Apple Pucker schnapps for the green apple schnapps

Tip:
I've often seen this martini made with just the schnapps and the vodka, which I think is a little too harsh. I like to include the apple juice to cut the alcohol a bit. Great then.

Frozen Cranberry Margaritas

This one was given to me by one of my favorite people on the planet, Jessie. It's actually from the December 2006 issue of Bon Appetit, but since Jessie gave it to me, she gets the credit. Thanx Floss!

1 1/4 cup premium tequila
1 1/4 cups frozen cranberry juice concentrate, thawed
1 cup canned jellied cranberry sauce
1/2 plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (this is 10 tablespoons total)
6 tablespoons Grand Marnier

To make the Margarita base for 12 drinks blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour out half of Margarita base into a glass measuring bowl. Set aside. To the other half add 3 1/2 cups ice cubes and blend until it's slushy; pour into salt-rimmed Margarita glasses. Garnish with cranberries.

Pour second half of Margarita mixture back into blender and repeat process, adding another 3 1/2 cups ice cubes.

Tips:
Be sure to get Grand Marnier instead of using Triple Sec or some other lower grade of orange liqueur. It really does make a difference. It's the same with the Tequila. You don't have to use top shelf, but try not to get the bottom of the barrel.