Add Veggies to Your Cocktail

Its National Vegan Month!
Try adding veggies to your drink.

Bell Pepper Cocktail

Ingredients:

Yellow bell pepper (four rings)
2 tsp. Fresh mint
3 oz Grapefruit juice
1/2 oz Lemon juice
3 oz Vodka
1 1/2 oz Chartreuse
Preparation: Muddle yellow bell pepper and fresh mint. Add grapefruit juice, lemon juice, vodka and Chartreuse. Shake well and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a ring of bell pepper.

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Carrot Ginger Splash

Ingredients:

Fresh ginger (five thin slices)
6 oz Carrot juice
2 oz Apple juice
3 oz Vodka
Splash club soda
Preparation: Muddle fresh ginger in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add carrot juice, apple juice and vodka and shake well. Pour into cocktail glass, top with a splash of club soda and garnish with a lime slice.

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Cucumber Martini

Ingredients:

Cucumber (5 slices)
2 Sprigs fresh mint
1/2 oz Lime juice
4 oz Vodka or gin
Preparation: Muddle cucumber and mint in a shaker. Add ice, lime juice and vodka or gin and shake well. Strain into chilled martini glass and garnish with a cucumber slice.

The truth about sulfites

Sulfites exist in nature and are also naturally contained in or even added to preserve a very long list of many common foods, including wine, cheese, yogurt and other processed dairy, bread and baked goods, tortillas, dried fruits, dried spices, shellfish, dried seafood, canned, bottled, or frozen fruits and juices, jams and jellies, tofu and other soy protein products, packaged pasta or rice mixes, etc.. The human body actually produces about 1 gram of sulfites daily through normal metabolism.

About 1% of the general population and about 5% of asthma sufferers may react to sulfites. Symptoms commonly include restricted breathing ability to varying degrees from mild to severe, even life-threatening, especially in asthmatics prescribed to steroids. Skin rashes, hives, itching and nausea are relatively rare symptoms for sulfite allergy. Reactions depend on both the sensitivity of the individual and the level of sulfites ingested. Headaches are not a symptom of sulfite reaction, although this is a common folk tale (see next section).

Foods may legally contain sulfites at levels ranging from 6 to 6,000 parts per million. The legal maximum for wine is 350 ppm, but the average content in premium wine is under 40 ppm. White wines are generally higher in sulfites than red wines. Inexpensive wines generally have higher sulfur content than expensive wines. There are no wines that are entirely sulfite-free, even those labeled "organic".

Fun Drinks

Banana-nana

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 Parts DeKuyper® Creme de Banana
1 Part DeKuyper® Peachtree®
5 Parts Pineapple Juice

Build over ice, stir gently, and serve.
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Plymouth Rockin Java

INGREDIENTS

1 Part DeKuyper® Vanilla Liqueur
1 Cup Hot Coffee

Fill mug with coffee and add ingredients.
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Lit Fuse

INGREDIENTS

1 Part Pucker® Peach Schnapps
1 Part Jim Beam®
2 Parts Cola
HOW TO

Build over ice, stir gently, and serve.
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Slap Shot
INGREDIENTS

1 Part DeKuyper® Blackberry Brandy
1 Part DeKuyper® Peppermint Schnapps

Add ingredients to an ice-filled shaker.
Shake and strain into a shot glass.

Ivanabitch Vodka...Tobacco Flavor

Ivanabitch Tobacco Vodka does not taste like cigarettes or smoke. There, I said it. The floral pipe shop aroma reminds me of walking into my local smoke shop where they sell dozens of different flavored tobaccos. While I can’t say I’ve torn open a cigarette and carefully inspected its aroma, I can say that Ivanabitch Tobacco Vodka smells, to me, like that of a pipe tobacco and not a stale cigarette! This is awesome

Ivanabitch also has a menthol version, which mingles tobacco flavor along with that of a peppermint schnapps. A bit more sweet than the original tobacco vodka and might make a bit of a surprising flavor to a holiday cocktail. While the menthol version is fun and quite amazing it’s really tough to get by my initial general reaction to a tobacco vodka in the first place.

Mead cocktails just in time for the Texas Renaissance Fest!

Its that time of year! The Renaissance Festival is back. At our store we have plenty of meads for everyone. Here's some extra ideas on how to use mead. The simplest drink is mead and whisky (2-1 ratio). Who needs premade honey whisky when you can make your own??
Be sure to ask about our meads, we will be happy to help.

Nectar Breeze

1 1/2 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz Malibu Rum
2 oz pineapple juice
Shaker of Blackberry, Raspberry Mead

Serve over ice in a tall glass

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Redstone Tea

½ oz each of vodka, gin, run, triple sec, tequila
Shaker of Raspberry or Traditional Mead

Serve on ice in a tall glass with lime and orange slices

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Meady Waters
1 oz. Traditional Mead
1 oz. each Kalua® and Bailey’s® Irish cream
4 oz.  dairy or nut milk
1 banana
3 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve with shaved chocolate in a margarita glass.

Hill Wine Company Cabernet

Dark purple in color, this Cabernet Sauvignon has intriguing aromas of chocolate, lavender, with fig, black currant, plum and blackberry fruits. The fruit flavor profile leads in with plums, raspberries and finishes with hints of cinnamon.

Jinro Soju

Jinro Soju – There’s no mistake – Jinro Soju, produced in South Korea, is the best-selling spirit in the world.  In 2012, this clear, fresh soju sold 65.3 million 9-liter cases…that’s more than double the sales the of the product currently holding on to the number two spot.
This distilled specialty distinguished by its yellow label has a neutral composition which lends itself perfectly to fresh fruits, juices and mixers.
It's alcohol content is just enough to give a "kick" to popular cocktails but mild enough for an extended drinking experience. Soju straight up is easy to drink, mild and fairly neutral but a bit watery. Unlike vodka, soju doesn't turn syrupy when left in the freezer. Soju has only 64 calories for a 1 oz. shot and 540 calories for a 375ml bottle. Additionally, its smoothness and flavor is a great accompaniment to BBQ dishes and grilled meat dishes.

Pink Lady Cocktail

October is Breast Cancer Awareness.  For those who have had, loved someone who had or lost someone who had breast cancer let's raise a glass in celebration or remembrance.  The key to this drink (and any shaken with egg) is to shake it longer than you would with most cocktails to ensure that everything is mixed well. The egg also makes a great foamy top of the pink liquid, creating an intimate looking finished cocktail. This recipe is easy and tasty.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce applejack
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1-2 dashes grenadine
1 egg white
Maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.Shake vigorously.Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.Garnish with the cherry.

OPC

This is a great wine to have with dinner....prime rib, lamb or duck! It has an array of berry aromas announces a fun wine with nice complexity. The elegant mixture of dark fruit and berry flavors, sweetened with spiced chocolate, vanilla and caramel notes, is pure seduction. The sexy, fleshy, chocolate-covered cherry thing going on during the finish is the ‘yum’ factor.

Kentucky Mule

While looking at the menu at dinner tonight I saw this drink called the Kentucky Mule. It had Jim Beam, ginger puree and lime juice. This is basically a Moscow Mule without vodka and bourbon instead. I was very pleasantly surprised at the flavor! Refreshing and spicy yet you could still taste the Beam. Very nice...wanted to share my take on this drink. Give it a try, its really good!

Kentucky Mule Drink Recipe
1 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey such as Jim Beam or 1835
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
4 ounces cold ginger beer
Lime wedge

Fill a glass with ice. Add bourbon and lime juice; top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime.

Makes 1 drink

Bourbon: Suffering Bastard

Time for a Drink: Suffering Bastard
Posted by Paul Clarke

Ingredients
serves makes 1 cocktail, active time 3 minutes, total time 3 minutes
1 ounce bourbon
1 ounce gin
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
4 ounces chilled ginger ale
Procedures
Pour ingredients into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass and top with ginger ale, adding more ice if needed. Garnish with a sprig of mint or an orange slice.

Churchill's Holiday

CHURCHILL’S HOLIDAY - courtesy of Pachanga Patterson
Perfect Fall concoction that incorporates the warmth of the bourbon with Autumn flavor classics – apple cider and cinnamon.

churchills holiday bourbon cocktail

Ingredients

1.5 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce of Cointreau
1/2 ounce of Apple Cider
1/2 ounce of Honey simple syrup (equal parts honey and water brought to a boil to combine)
3 pinches of cinnamon
Preparation:

Pour all the ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and stir gently to combine.
Strain it into a martini glass with a fine mesh strainer. Garnish the drink with an orange wedge or twist.

PEACH INFUSED BOURBON ICED TEA

PEACH INFUSED BOURBON ICED TEA - courtesy of Sarah Ashley Schiear
Good for the transition from Summer to Fall. A great hot-day drink, which we all may still be experiencing while waiting for the cooler temperatures to creep up on us.
peach infused bourbon iced tea cocktail

Ingredients

3 Large peaches
3½ to 4 Cup bourbon
2 Family-size tea bags (or 8 regular black tea bags)
1 Cup Light brown sugar, packed
Fresh peach slices and lemon wedges, for serving
Preparation:

To make the bourbon-infused peaches, you’ll need to first peel your peaches. Submerge whole peaches in boiling water for 1 minute. Transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. The skin will slip right off. Chop into large chunks and place in 4-cup mason jar (or a similar-sized container that will close tightly).
Pour the bourbon over the peaches (enough to reach the 4 cup line, or as much as you can fit in the jar). Secure the lid tightly and store in a dark, cool place for up to 1 week.
To make the iced tea, boil 16 cups water. Remove from the heat and add tea bags. After 4 minutes, remove the bags. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool, and pour into a large pitcher to chill.
Pour bourbon into glasses and top with iced tea (I like a ⅓ bourbon ratio to ⅔ iced tea, but measure each glass to your own taste). Serve with fresh peach slices and lemon wedges

Buttered Popcorn Vodka?!

OK, don't over think this... Have you ever taken a bite of popcorn, and then quickly taken a drink of cola… letting the popcorn just kind of dissolve in your mouth? It tastes kinda like that. Only sweeter. And you don’t taste the buttered popcorn so much as you smell it, which is actually a lot of fun!

I eventually made a mix of just the vodka and cola, which allowed the popcorn scent to come through even more, and you get that popcorn taste in the end as a bit of aftertaste. Its just… a fun vodka! I don’t know that I’d pick it up for every-day consumption. But for Halloween? Or perhaps a movie night with the girls? DEFINITELY. It’s quirky. It’s fun. It’s a conversation starter. Trick AND treat!

Caramel Corn Collins

1.5 oz 360 Buttered Popcorn
.5 oz Caramel Sauce
Combine vodka and caramel in mixing glass filled with ice. Strain into collins glass with fresh ice, top with root beer.

Night at the Movies
1.5 oz. 360 Buttered Popcorn
Cola
Add ice, top with cola, garnish with a lime wedge and popcorn on top.

And of course, the shooter:

Kettle Corn
1 oz 360 Buttered Popcorn
Rim shot glass with salt and sugar mixed rimmer. Shake with ice and stain into a shot glass. Salt and sugar rim (1/3 salt and 2/3 sugar).

Flux Red Wine

2009 Mark Herold Wines "Flux" Red Wine
SKU #1112925
93 points Wine Spectator
  Deliciously pure and refreshing, with snappy, vibrant red berry, pomegranate, subtle dusty earth, road tar and dried herbal flavors that are all well-proportioned. Ends with crisp tannins that give the flavors traction. Grenache, Syrah, Carignane and Petite Sirah. Drink now through 2023. 1,250 cases made.   (9/ 2012)

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The Grenache-based 2009 Flux is a little more perfumed and lighter in body than the 2008 tasted alongside it, but just as compelling a wine. Sweet roses, red berries, spices and licorice are some of the nuances that flow from this layered, silky red. This is a beautiful wine from Mark Herold. Flux is Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Carignan. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. This lineup from Mark Herold is full of delicious, bold wines that deliver tons of pleasure. The focus is on Rhone and Spanish varieties.    (2/ 2012)

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
  Good red-ruby. Spicy black cherry and licorice on the nose, with truffle and earth nuances emerging with air. Spicy, silky and mouthdusting, with good sweetness to its dark berry and spice flavors; hints of slightly jammy grenache. Finishes nicely broad, smooth and persistent, with substantial dusty tannins.   (5/ 2012)

Primo Amore Riesling

Most of us are used to Rieslings from Germany or Alsace. But Italy has done a great job making a Riesling that may make you forget about Germany... At least while you're having a bottle of this slightly sweet and really well balanced wine.  "Primo Amore, or "First Love", represents the joy of discovery experienced when unlocking its tropical fruitiness and delicate balanced Flavor. This Riesling evokes flavors of fresh apple, melon, and citrus. It pairs well with chicken, seafood, and spicy dishes." ~winery notes

Game Day Snacks

Cheesy Corn Dip

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups corn kernels (from 2 ears corn)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup yellow onion (chopped)
1/4 cup red bell pepper (chopped)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1 jalapeno (chopped)
2 teaspoons garlic (chopped)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 handful monterey jack (grated)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 handful sharp cheddar (grated)

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a pan.
2. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper and saute until the corn starts to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a pan.
4. Add the onion, and pepper and saute until the onions are soft, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the green onions, jalapeno and garlic and saute until softened, about 2 minutes.
6. Mix the corn, onions, peppers, mayonnaise, monterey jack and cayenne in a bowl.
7. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 inch baking pan and top with the cheddar cheese.
8. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until bubbling and golden brown on top, about 10-20 minutes
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Pizza Dip

Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
1 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
2 ounces pepperoni, sliced
2 tablespoons green pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons black olives, sliced

Directions:
Mix the cream cheese, sour cream mayonnaise, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano and spread it across the bottom of a pie plate.
Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheese, pepperoni, green pepper and olives.
Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the sides are bubbling and the cheese cheese has melted and turned golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.

Longboard Point Break

This is a great blend. Lots of dark fruit, smooth tannins with a bit of spice. I enjoyed this wine without food but would easily pair with anything from steak to cheese and crackers. Could use air, I suggest using on aerator for fast readiness. Will buy again.
"A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and a bit of Zinfandel, and Malbec join the fun in some years. I call this our "Regional Blend" a mix of some of the varieties that do best in the North Coast and especially Sonoma. Predictable and seamless, like the wave in your favorite California Coast surf point." ~ Winery notes

Labor Day Cocktails

Jalisco Sweet Heat

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces El Amo Silver Tequila

4 Large Pieces Watermelon (1" x 1 1/2")

1 tablespoon Hot Pepper Jelly

1/2 ounce Lemon Juice

Watermelon Slice for Garnish

Directions:

Muddle watermelon, jelly and lemon juice in mixing glass. Add tequila and ice. Shake vigorously to completely blend mixture. Double strain into large rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a watermelon slice.

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Ginger Crush

Ingredients:

2 ounces El Amo Silver Tequila

1/2 ounce Lemon Juice

1/2 ounce Simple Syrup

2 coins of Ginger

6 Mint Leaves

2 ounce Ginger Beer

Directions:

Muddle mint, ginger and simple syrup in a mixing glass. Add tequila, lemon juice and ice. Shake and strain into a tall glass with ice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with mint leaves.

No Label Brewery Ridgeback

This is a really nice looking beer. Beautiful, thick, creamy head that sticks around a while, then laces the glass. I wanted to be a little clearer, but the color is right on.

I'm getting floral hops and some roastiness in the nose. Tastes like slight caramel with some bittering that doesn't over power. Quite roasty. The body is excellent. The malts stick to the roof of my mouth.

This is a very nice beer. Feels much hardier than most Ambers. Also, with more flavor than most. Find it in our beer cooler.

*beer advocate