Mary Bloody Murphy, Lil' C & Tyce Diorio: Summer Cocktail Week 1 (Amie & Bonnie)

For our SYTYCD theme week creation we were originally inspired by the cocktail potential of the double entendre (to be pronounced in Nigel Lythgoe's voice) "Mary Bloody Murphy!" and thus began our *Hot Tamale Train* week of brainstorming. Our beverages all use Hot Tamale infused vodka, are presented in shot-glass format, and are inspired by three of the judges from this week's SYTYCD premier show: Mary Murphy, Lil' C and Tyce Diorio.

Two helpful hints if you decide to try this project at home. First, the mini shaker was invaluable. Not only does it provide a well-sized utensil for shaking experimental concoctions, but the top of the shaker is a mini-measurer (3.5 of these will fill a standard shot glass). When the recipes call for "1 part x" know that the lid of the mini-shaker was used (pictured sitting on top of the box of Hot Tamales). Second, although some infusions become better over time, the cinnamon flavor of the vodka is mature at 2-3 days and by day 4 the candies begin to lose their structure. Thus we strongly recommend straining the infused vodka into another bottle sooner than you might for other infusion projects.

Ingredients:

Hot Tamales (1 large box)

1 bottle of vodka, 750ml (Absolut used)

Remove 5-6 shots from the full bottle of vodka to allow room for the entire box of Hot Tamales to be poured in. Shake occasionally over the course of 2-3 days. 

Mary Bloody Murphy

2 parts HT vodka

1 part V8 juice

7-8 drops Lea & Perrins

4 drops Tabasco

1 healthy squeeze of grapefruit (this addition nicely bridges the varying palates of the sweetness and tomato)

Lil' C

2 parts HT Vodka

1 part Patron Citronge Orange Liqueur

1 part freshly-squeezed orange juice

1 healthy squeeze of lime (approx. 1/4 part)

1 drop Angostura Bitters

Tyce Diorio

1 part + another dash HT Vodka

1 part Chocolate liqueur (Godiva Dark Chocolate used)

1/2 part Chocolate vodka (Godiva used)

Mighty Mango Tango: Summer Cocktail Week 1 (Adam & Michelle)

Mighty Mango Tango (and Mango Tango Shooters)

Music Pairing: Objection (Tango) by Shakira

Dance Genre Pairing for SYTYCD: Tango

We kept the drink simple for week 1 but I think it's a perfect fit for the SYTYCD theme.  Our "Mighty Mango Tango" is a great mango margarita but you could make lots of small changes to adjust this drink to your own tastes.  Some things we didn't do that you could try would be the addition of Triple Sec or 151, a little spice sprinkled on top to balance the fruit, swap out the fresh mango for other fresh fruit, etc.  One thing we DID do was make a bonus drink out of the same ingredients.  If you're buying mangos and limes we figured we should help you use them up!  The bonus drink is a "Mango Tango Shooter."  This one is really simple--to make 2 shooters simple blend 2 ounces of tequila, 1/4 of a cleaned fresh mango and the juice from half a lime until smooth and divide between 2 double shot glasses.  I highly recommend chilling all of the ingredients before blending to maximize deliciousness.

Ingredients (makes 2 drinks):

Mighty Mango Tango 'Naked' Smoothie

Mango

Lime

Tequila (used 1800 Silver)

Frozen Raspberry (optional garnish)

Ice

Peel and clean the mango.  Add 1/2 of the mango to a blender along with juice from half a lime, 2 jiggers of tequila, 6 ounces of the 'Naked' smoothie and a pint glass of ice.  Blend on low 10 seconds, then on high 10 seconds.  Divide between two stemmed glasses and garnish each with a frozen raspberry.

Might Mango Tango

Mango Tango Shooters

Saturday Smoke ('Summer Cocktails' kicks off Sunday!)

Smokey Smash

Do you feel like making something super simple with stuff already in your fridge?  If so, please scroll down to a different recipe as this is the opposite.  I generally don't care for drinks (or food) with smokey flavor in them but this one just has a subtle hint from the bourbon and is balanced by a unique mix of ingredients.  I saw them make this on Drink Up (which is an awesome show for cocktail enthusiasts) and it just took a couple tries to get the proportions right.  They recommended pairing it with grilled meats, which is good but I'd say any warm evening on the patio will pair nicely with a Smokey Smash.

Ingredients:

Red Bell Pepper

Green Bell Pepper

Lemon

Bourbon (used Maker's Mark)

Pineapple Juice

Maple Syrup

Ginger Ale (used Diet Schweppes)

Muddle 2 strips red pepper, 2 strips green pepper and 2 lemon wheels in the bottom of a shaker.  Add ice--I like to fill the glass I'm going to drink from with ice and then pour into the shaker so I get just enough.  Add 1 jigger bourbon, 1/2 ounce pineapple juice and about 1 teaspoon of maple syrup.  Cover and shake well for at least 20 seconds.  Pour (don't strain) into a low-ball glass.  Top off with ginger ale.

Irish It Up

Big Ginger

Patrons of most Twin Cities pubs have at least heard of a Big Ginger.  They used to be made with Jameson whiskey until the owner of most of the local pubs created his own 2 Gingers whiskey, which has now become the more traditional key ingredient at the bars.  While I like the 2 Gingers, I happen to have Jameson on hand and enjoy it at least as much.  I've made a couple small tweaks to the drink, but think it rivals any Big Ginger you can get elsewhere in town!

Ingredients:

Irish Whiskey (Jameson used)

Lemon

Ginger Ale (Diet Schweppes used)

Honey (optional)

Fill a low-ball glass with ice.  Add 1 jigger of whiskey and the juice from about 1/3rd of a lemon.  I add a small touch of honey (1/4 teaspoon?) to balance out the lemon juice.  Stir until combined and top off with ginger ale.  Garnish with a half slice of lemon.

Side notes: I used to make this in a high-ball glass but as my taste for whiskey has developed I like it a little stronger.  If you are so-so on whiskey try this in a high-ball glass, which basically just waters it down with more ginger ale.  Also, I just tried an extremely tasty martini version of this drink at Doolittles recently and will likely try my hand at that sometime during the Summer of Cocktails!

5 Days & Counting!

Only 5 days until the first cocktails of Summer Cocktail 2012 are revealed.  Here are the theme weeks we'll be choosing from throughout the summer, along with some "side notes" which sounds more cocktail-friendly than "rules."

Summer Cocktail 2012

Memorial Day through Labor Day

Themes to Chose From

100+ Proof

3 Ingredient Cocktail

Beer Cocktails

Dessert

Fresh Fruit

Gin 

Herbs

Infused Vodka

Pisco

Rum

Shot/Shooter

SYTYCD Theme

Tequila

Tribute to Our City

Whiskey/Scotch/Bourbon

Wine Cocktails

Side Notes

4 weeks should have a music pairing

2 weeks should have bitters

2 weeks should contain a lime

1 week should have an appetizer or snack pairing

1 week should have a secret/unusual ingredient

Each cocktail should be accompanied by a recipe and photo

Embrace the Egg

Pisco Sour

I didn't have a strong feeling about what tonight's cocktail should be, but upon opening the fridge the stars...or ingredients...just aligned!  I happened to have half a lemon, half a lime and one last shot of pisco in the refrigerator--it's worth having a well-stocked fridge I guess.  My Pisco Sour recipe has raw egg white in it, but don't let that scare you--it adds a smooth, velvety texture and some froth to the drink when made right and it has yet to kill me (knock on cheap wood table).

Ingredients:

Pisco (Capel...the store had a $40 bottle and a $14 bottle and I went with the $14).

Triple Sec

Fresh Lemon

Fresh Lime

Egg (white part only)

Angostura Bitters

As usual, start by filling your martini glass with ice to let it chill.  Add 1 shot (my jiggers were dirty so I used a standard shot glass tonight) of pisco, 1 shot of triple sec, the juice from half a lemon, the juice from half a lime and about half of an egg white to a shaker.  DO NOT ADD ICE YET!  Cover and shake.  It's important to shake for about 10 seconds before adding ice or the egg won't get frothy.  Add the ice from your glass and shake for another 10 seconds.  Strain into the martini glass.  Add 2-3 drops of bitters to taste.  If you're still laughing from when I said, "my jiggers were dirty" then nice job making it through Tuesday with a sense of humor.

Awesome Answer to a Manic Monday

Boston Sidecar

Nothing says Monday like a 3 shot martini!  Welcome to one of my favorite drinks: the Boston Sidecar.  It's such a balanced combination of flavors and the optional sugar rim almost transforms it into a totally different drink by bringing out more of the citrus notes.  Warning: this goes down really easy and you won't realize how strong the first one was until you're half way through the second.

Ingredients:
Bacardi Rum
Triple Sec
Brandy (E&J VSOP)
Fresh Lime
Sugar (optional)

If you want a touch of sweetness, start by wetting the top of a martini glass with a lime wedge.  Put a little sugar on a flat plate and slowly rotate the top of the glass around in the sugar to coat.  Add equal parts (I use 1 jigger on the weekend or more like an ounce for a weeknight) of rum, triple sec, brandy and fresh lime juice to a shaker with ice.  Shake for at least 20 seconds to give it a good chill and strain into the glass.

Sunny Sunday

It's not quite summer yet, but it is 80 and sunny today.  So I need something cool and light to enjoy on the patio and a Rum Ricky is radically refreshing!  I alternate between original H2Oh sparkling water and the strawberry flavored depending on my mood--either is delicious.  Side note: if you're counting calories or weight watchers points, etc. this is a great drink for you--the only calories are in the alcohol (which are always worth it).

Ingredients:
Bacardi Rum
A Fresh Lime
Sparkling Water (H2Oh)

Fill a high-ball glass with ice.  Add 1 jigger of rum, the freshly squeezed juice from half a lime and top off with sparkling water.  Stir and garnish with a half slice of lime.

Cleaning Out The Fridge

Tonight's cocktail was an exercise in cleaning out the fridge.  Did you know an orange supposedly stays good in the fridge for 2 weeks?  Me neither and I'm suspicious, but the alcohol in this should kill any bacteria.  I was craving strawberry-infused vodka this winter so tried a batch with less-than-prime strawberries.  The result was not nearly as delicious and sweet as my summer batch will be.  The good news is it's still vodka and this was the last of it.  So here's my Clean-out Cocktail!

Ingredients:
Strawberry-infused Vodka (Absolut, home infused)
A Fresh Orange

Add 2 jiggers vodka and 1 jigger freshly squeezed orange juice to a shaker with ice.  Give it a quick shake (the ingredients were all refrigerated and already cold) to blend.  Strain into a chilled martini glass or serve on the rocks in a low-ball glass.  Garnish with a quarter of an orange slice.

Warming Up

As a warm up to our official summer cocktail event I decided to add my daily refreshments.  Since last night was the St. Cloud YMCA wine & beer tasting evening (several new favorites discovered), I definitely need a cocktail today...something sip-able and mellow.  I decided to go with a Brandy Manhattan.

Ingredients:
Brandy (E&J VSOP)
Sweet Vermouth (Martini & Rossi)
Cherry Juice (from jar of cherries) or Grenadine

Chill a martini glass with ice.  Add 2 jiggers brandy, 1 jigger vermouth and 1/2 ounce of cherry juice to shaker.  Pour ice from the martini glass into the shaker.  Cover and shake for 15-20 seconds to give it a good chill.  Put 1 cherry in bottom of martini glass and strain the contents of the shaker over it.

Coming soon...2012, the summer of cocktails!