Great Gatsby

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

This cocktail from Matt Gilpin of Highlands Bar and Grill is light, bright and easy.  And as Highland's chef/owner Frank Stitt says "It's shockingly good-- it makes you feel on top of the world, kind of like Gatsby."
Be sure to use freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and good vodka. 

Ingredients:
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce Lillet Blanc
2 1/2 ounces grapefruit juice
Garnish:  Orange slice



Directions:

Fix mixing glass halfway with ice.  Add vodka, Lillet Blanc and grapefruit juice. Stir until cold.  Strain into ice-filled glass. Garnish with orange slice.

Serious Eats
seriouseats/recipes/2012

Blue Glacier Martini

Blue Glacier Martini made with Blue Curacao, ice, lemon, orange and Vodka.

2 splashes of Blue Curacao
1 cup of ice
4 twists of lemon
4 twists of orange
12 ounces of vodka

Chill martini glasses in freezer for 1 hour.  In a shaker, add vodka, curacao and ice. 
Stir mixture (40 times) with bar spoon.  Strain mixture into each glass.
Garnish each martini with both orange and lemon twists.

(idrink.com)

Lillet Rose Spring Cocktail

Lillet Rose, a fortified wine blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscatel, has the aroma of flowers and ripe berries -- perfect for a springtime aperitif.  Garnishing the drinks with flowers is a lovely touch.

Ingredients:

12 ounces Lillet Rose
12 ounces Ruby Red grapefruit juice
6 ounces Gin
6 edible flower blossoms (optional)

Directions:

Combine 6 ounces Lillet, 6 ounces grapefruit juice, 3 ounces gin and ice in a cocktail shaker.
Shake until well chilled.  Strain and divide cocktail among 3 stemmed cocktail glasses such as champagne coupes.  Repeat.  Garnish with flowers.  Serve immediately.

(marthastewart.com)

Happy Spring!!

Irish Coffee

1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger Irish cream liqueur
1 (1.5 fluid ounce ) jigger Irish Whiskey
1 cup hot brewed coffee
1 tablespoon whipped cream
1 dash nutmeg

In a coffee mug, combine Irish cream and Irish Whiskey. Fill mug with coffee. Top with a dab of whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg.

(allrecipes)

Shamrock drink recipe

Ingredients:

1 tsp. Green Crème De Menthe
1 olive
1.5 oz. Rye/Whiskey
0.5 oz. Dry Vermouth

Directions:

Stir all ingredients (except olive) with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Add the olive and serve.

http://www.idrink.com/stpatricksday.html

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Emerald Isle

Ingredients:

3 dash bitters
1 tsp. Green Crème De Menthe
2 oz. Gin

Directions:

Mix together with crushed ice in a glass and garnish with mint leaves.

St. Patricks Day Drink recipes
http://www.idrink.com/stpatricksday.html

Sparkling Lemon Drop Martini

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounce Lemon Vodka
2 ounces fresh lemon juice
Pinch of sugar or liquid stevia, optional
2 ounces sparkling water
1 lemon wedge
Sugar for rimming




Directions:

Rim the top of the martini glass with the lemon wedge. And dip into sugar to coat.  Set aside.
In a shaker, add the lemon vodka, lemon juice, sugar/stevia if using and a handful of ice.
Shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a martini glass, leaving the ice in the shaker.
Top with sparkling water. 
Serve immediately!

(celebrations.com)

Vieux Carre

Feb. 28th was Fat Tuesday
Mardi Gras

A complex, complex rye whiskey and cognac cocktail named after a hotel in the Old Quarter of New Orleans."

1 1/2 cups ice                

1 fluid ounce rye whiskey                

1 fluid ounce cognac                

1 ounce sweet vermouth

1/8 ounce Benedictine® liqueur                 

1 dash Angostura bitters                

1 dash Peychaud bitters                

1 lemon twist

Put ice in a cocktail glass. Pour in rye, cognac, vermouth, and Benedictine. Shake in Angostura and Peychaud's bitters. Stir, then strain into a short cocktail glass, and garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

(all recipes)