Crystal Light Liquid Cocktails

Posted on March 5, 2013 by mg

If you know anything about, me, you certainly know of my passion for a well-crafted cocktail, but it’s quite unlikely you know of my weakness for a certain non-alcoholic drink mixer: none other than the fabled Crystal Light. And that’s why I was so excited when Crystal Light came to me with a new product, Crystal Light Liquid, and asked me to design a line of alcoholic cocktails based around it. It’s great when two of your favorite things come together like that!

Now, there was a bit of a challenge to this, and one well worth undertaking… You see, in a cocktail with alcohol using a mere mortal fruit juice, like cranberry or orange, you can rely on that juice to take up a good portion of the cocktail in order to provide the desired flavor. But with Crystal Light Liquid, a single squeeze from the bottle – less than a teaspoon – was all it took. Now I’m all for a good strong drink, but seven ounces of vodka in a glass with a single squeeze of flavor is, shall we say, a bit intense – this Crystal Liquid is superhuman stuff! So, to tame down the alcohol content a bit, I looked into additional fruits and fruit juices that would compliment the Crystal Light Liquid flavors and alcohols in each cocktail. And while one of Crystal Light’s strengths is its potent sweetness, when mixing with alcohol, sometimes you want to balance things a bit. So, this meant using acids, generally citrus juices, to finish off the cocktails.

And so, with great delight, I share with you below six of Crystal Light Liquid cocktails I created. And if you’re looking for something with flavor and flair, but without the alcohol, have a look at 6 virgin cocktails (click on ‘mixology’) I created that still have that classic Crystal Light kick.

BLTea

You don’t have to be from Kentucky to enjoy this fresh twist on a southern classic. Kick off your shoes with this sunny afternoon sensation on ice!

Ingredients:

1 squeeze Crystal Light Iced Tea
4oz bourbon
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
Fresh lemon (makes 2 servings)

Method:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice
Add Crystal Light Iced Tea, bourbon, and fresh lemon juice
Shake vigorously for 30 seconds

To Serve:

Pour over ice in a rocks glass
Garnish with a slice of fresh lemon and enjoy!

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Peach Bellini

Brunch time with the girls but don’t feel like getting dressed yet? Make the magic happen at home with this dazzling peach bellini.

Ingredients:

1 squeeze Crystal Light Peach Bellini
5 oz sparkling wine (such as Cava or prosecco)
2 oz peach juice or nectar
2 tbsp fresh diced peach

Method:

Add Crystal Light Peach Bellini to a Champagne flute
Add peach juice or nectar and fresh diced peach
Top with sparkling wine

To Serve:

Make a sassy toast, look someone in the eye,
and enjoy!

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Pomtini

Shake up the party with this decadent cocktail that will have them all drinking out of the ‘pom’ of your hand!

Ingredients:

1 squeeze Crystal Light Pomtini
2 oz vodka
1 oz orange liqueur
1 oz fresh lime juice
Fresh orange or strawberry

Method:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice
Add Crystal Light Pomtini, vodka, and lime juice
Shake vigorously for 30 seconds

To Serve:

Pour into a martini glass
Garnish with orange or strawberry and enjoy!

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Strawberry Lemonade Gin Spritzer

Be a smash hit at the tennis courts when you serve up this dangerously flirtatious fruity gin spritzer – advantage, you!

Ingredients:

1 squeeze Crystal Light Strawberry Lemonade
2 oz gin
1 oz fresh lime juice
Fresh Lime
Club Soda

Method:

Fill a rocks glass with ice
Add Crystal Light Strawberry Lemonade, gin, and fresh lime juice
Top with club soda

To Serve:

Garnish with a slice of fresh lime and enjoy!

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Mango Passionfruit Mojito

When the party’s getting hot, stay cool with this ultra-refreshing cocktail that dances to a Latin beat.

Ingredients:

2 squeezes Crystal Light Mango Passionfruit
2 oz rum
¾ oz lime juice
4 sprigs fresh mint
2 tbsp diced fresh mango
Club Soda

Method:

Muddle fresh mint with Crystal Light
Strawberry Lemonade in a highball glass
Add diced fresh mango
Fill remainder of glass with ice
Add rum and lime juice
Top with club soda

To Serve:

Take a sip and get out on that dance floor – Salud!

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Berry Rum Punch

Ingredients:

6 squeezes Crystal Light Blueberry Raspberry
12 oz rum
18 oz orange juice
9 oz grapefruit juice
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries (makes 6 servings)

Method:

Add Crystal Light Blueberry Raspberry, rum, orange juice
and grapefruit juice to a punch bowl
Add fresh blueberries, raspberries, and sliced strawberries

To Serve:

Pour into rocks or punch glasses and enjoy!

An Evening with The Black Grouse

Posted on January 17, 2013 by mg

Sometimes, new discoveries come about completely by chance, and when those serendipitous encounters come in the form of the form of a deliciously smoky new whisky, all the better!

While taking an after dinner walk through the West Village recently, I came across the launch party for a new product from the makers of The Famous Grouse – no way was I passing up this opportunity! Not only were some old friends already on their third drink inside, but the space – a new venue by the fantastic The Little Owl – was beautiful and inviting, and they had truly gone out of their way to make the evening memorable, with mixologists performing custom drinks and a calligrapher on hand to record the recipes as souvenirs.

The Black Grouse, the whisky that was the cause celebré of the evening, takes it’s name from a rare bird, and a rare bird this whisky is, indeed. Described as ‘the darker side of The Famous Grouse’, this is a rich whisky, full of peat smoke, and great on it’s own or in any of the outstanding cocktails we were treated to that evening.

Now me, I love bitters, and the outstanding cocktail of the evening for my tastes was one that included not one, but two varieties of bitters, which I will share in all its calligraphied glory…

Just a beautifully balanced drink! And props of course to the talented mixologist who made it happen – Frank Cisneros (who you can see hard at work below) has worked at award winning bars all over the city, and currently spends most of his time behind the stick at the Gin Palace, in the East Village.

A memorable evening with old friends and a great new whisky. Who could ask for more?

The Season calls for Eggnog!

Posted on December 9, 2012 by mg

Check your Lipitor at the door and try these two eggnog recipes. Definitely adds spirit to the holidays.

Easy – very easy: This straightforward and delicious recipes comes from my dear friend and colleague Sara Moulton:

Ingredients

• 2 pint(s) premium-quality vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup(s) rum, cognac, or bourbon (add more to taste)
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1. Place the ice cream in a large covered glass or stainless-steel bowl in the refrigerator to thaw.
2. Once thawed, stir in the rum or desired flavoring and nutmeg. Blend well. Serve cold.

More intensive: I love this recipe from epicurean colleague Alton Brown. So many layers of flavor!

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 pint whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 ounces bourbon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 egg whites

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.

Cook’s Note: For cooked eggnog, follow procedure below.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon, pour into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture.

Hidden Gem: Pittsburgh on the Rocks!

Posted on September 22, 2012 by dtavares

I have not been back to Pittsburgh in over 25 years. The city has just not been on my radar screen — especially when it comes to food and drink. Well if I have anything to do with perceptions about Pittsburgh, this will change! Recently, I was in Pittsburgh to emcee and judge “Shakin’ It Up!” — A cocktail competition to benefit Lungevity.org.

Many of the top mixologists and emerging bar chefs on the Pittsburgh scene entered this taste-off. I assumed that the cocktails would be solid, but had no idea how many of these drinks would knock me off my judge’s seat!

The rules were simple — all cocktails needed to have Penn 1681 Vodka (http://penn1681.com) as the base spirit. Cocktails were judged on appearance, taste, and creativity. There were two awards — a People’s Choice Award and the Judges award. In a future post I’ll highlight all of drinks, including the recipes and a little bit about the passionate bar chefs who created them.

The People’s Choice award went to Stephen Pacacha a.k.a. “Stevie P.” Currently Stevie P is the proud owner of a beverage catering company known as “Liquid Flair Entertainment.” Liquid Flair specializes in full-service beverage catering, custom cocktail menus, smoothie bars, and last but not least — flair bartending.

Stephen takes the boring and mundane and turns it into a one-of-a-kind show behind the bar. Coupled with master mixology and custom cocktail concoctions, his mixing style is dramatic and engaging and his drinks are superb.

Here’s his winning recipe:

BOBBING FOR PUMPKINS

¥ 1.5 oz Infused Vanilla Vodka
¥ 1.25 oz Homemade Pumpkin Simple Syrup
¥ 1 oz Freshly Juiced Gala Apples
¥ Shake and Strain into a Graham Cracker Rimmed Martini Glass
¥ .75 oz Sparkling Wine (Fizz 56)
Garnish with an Apple Chip and Flamed Cinnamon
Homemade Pumpkin Simple Syrup:

In a saucepan:
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
Pumpkin Puree
Ground cloves
Ground ginger
Cinnamon
Vanilla extract
Simmer 20 minutes while periodically stirring

Spirited! The Ultimate Gin & Tonic Experience at the SLS in Beverly Hills

Posted on September 22, 2012 by dtavares

I’m a gin guy. And I’ll tell you why. Because I like that little hint of flavor that gin has. It’s the same grain as vodka, but the herbs that give it flavor are the magic. That’s why I love the “Ultimate Gin & Tonic” at the SLS. For a gin lover who savors all the subtle notes of a great liquor and herb infusion, it’s truly the ultimate.

The cocktail is served in both the hotel and in the connected Bazaar by José Andrés. It’s made with Hendrick’s gin and your choice of tonic water. I chose Fever Tree and the extra herbal undertones really added to the symphony. I can’t describe it any other way.
The thing that seriously made the Ultimate Gin and Tonic a wow-inducer was the addition of edible flowers, lemon/lime garnish, and the gorgeous round ice ball.

This is a masterpiece drink and one of the best gin and tonics I’ve ever had.

When I got back to New York, I was so inspired to create my own herbalicious gin and tonic, I started mixing and mashing. I’m still working on fine tuning my creation and promise to share the recipe once it passes the divine test.

I Don’t Always Drink Beer, But When I Do…

Posted on September 22, 2012 by dtavares

Who hasn’t seen the Dos Equis man commercials? The most interesting man in the… yeah yeah… we know. He’s all that and a bag of tortilla chips.

Or is he?

I’m all for a good glass of Dos Equis when the occasion presents itself, but I venture to guess that the most interesting man in the “world” is drinking something a little more… um… interesting.

Enter the Michelada.

It’s a man’s man’s beer. The kind daddies tell their three year-olds will put hair on their chest. And it might.

If you’re going to drink a beer and actually be interesting to the people sitting down the bar, order a Michelada! I think I see more conversations sparked at a bar over a red-looking beer than pretty much anything else. Barring the cotton candy mojito (Magic Mojito) at Bazaar, in L.A.

And ask for it with Negro Modelo. Dos Equis is for beginners!
So here’s my take on the Michelada, the “Michaelada.” Be warned, I like it hot!

MICHAELADA
1 bottle Negro Modelo
1 oz. freshly-squeezed lime juice
5 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
1.5 oz. Spicy Tomato Juice (I prefer Clamato or Blood Mary Mix)
6 dashes of Tabasco Sauce

Rim the edge of a pint glass with chile limón or smoked salt.
Fill the pint glass with ice cubes, squeeze in the lime juice, top with the tomato juice, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Pour beer until it reaches the top.

Garnish with a lime wedge. Sip with a straw so you can continue mixing as you add remaining beer.

Mixing the Perfect South Beach Margaritas

Posted on September 22, 2012 by dtavares

This year’s South Beach Food & Wine Festival was an epicurean’s delight. Thanks in no small part to my blue-tinged “sno-cone” margaritas that Buick served at the Grand Market.

In advance of the Festival, I experimented with several recipes, all designed to reinforce the brand by taking on features of the Buick vehicles on display. It came down to two recipes — the Regal Rum Red and the Buick Blue Ice Margarita.

Buick chose the Blue Ice! The blue represented the unique blue lighting within the vehicle when the dashboard lights up at night.

This cocktail was served with shaved ice, and was a welcome refresher during that long hot day of eating and mingling!

Here’s the recipe:

BUICK BLUE ICE MARGARITA
Ingredients:
1 . oz. White Tequila
1 . oz. Blue Curacao
1 . oz. Pucker Island Punch
1 . oz. Simple Syrup
1 . oz. Fresh Lime Juice

Method:
Simple syrup can be either store-bought or easily made by mixing 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan. Stir, cover and boil for fifteen minutes, and let cool.

Ratio of ice (i.e. cone/cup size) to topping is 3:1
For example a 9 oz. serving cup will require approx. 3 oz. of topping