Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

Alas, Thanksgiving has come and with it the veritable feast that ensues. So while sampling your stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and turkey for days to come finish up the weekend with a full flavored delicious cocktail with a little digestif thrown in called the...

Smoking Turkey

2 oz. Wild Turkey Straight Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz. Fernet Branca
1 drop Lazy Kettle Brand All Natural Liquid Smoke
1 tsp. Maple Syrup

Garnish: Thanksgiving Day turkey leg on a separate plate.

Prep: Combine ingredients into a mixing tin with ice. Stir for 30 seconds and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.

Pineapple Punch

This delicious cocktail makes use of the nutritious and multifaceted pineapple. Originating in Brazil and Paraguay this obtuse looking fruit has taken crossed the world and is even used as a topical anti-inflammatory in some countries. The play on flavors and fresh components is prevalent in this delightful concoction.

Pineapple Punch

1 1/2 oz. Hendricks Gin
1 oz. St. Germain
1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
3 muddled Fresh Pineapple Chunks
splash of Demarara Syrup (2:1 ratio)
3 dashes of Fee Brother's Grapefruit Bitters
top splash Soda Water

Garnish: Lightly Grilled Pineapple Chunk

Preparation: Muddle the pineapple in a mixing tin. Add the remaining ingredients, except soda water, into mixing tin with ice. Shake and strain into a highball and top with soda water.

The Muses: Women of Style & Substance

I was invited to make cocktails for the The Muses: Women of Style & Substance issue release party for Palm Beach Illustrated and hosted at Neiman Marcus recently. The muses inspiration led me to the following cocktails with sponsor Zyr vodka:

White Rain grape cocktails: Muddled white grapes with Zyr vodka and a splash of fresh lime juice and agave nectar served over ice in a rocks glass with a grape garnish.

Cantaloupe Thyme cocktails: Zyr vodka with fresh cantaloupe, lime and a hint of thyme, lightly sweetened and served with a half rim of white pepper served over ice in a rocks glass

Fresh Yellow Watermelon Zyr martinis with red watermelon spear as garnish served in a chilled martini glass.

Fresh Squeezed Pomegranate Zyr martinis served in a chilled martini glass

The event went extremely well and the muses were inspired themselves after the first sip.

Beverage Alcohol Resource & The Manhattan Cocktail Classic Teaser

It has been a busy past few weeks...

I recently came back from NYC after Grand Marnier awarded me a scholarship and The Breakers helped sponsor me to take the five day Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) course. It is the epitome of spirits courses that is offered once a year with an average class of about thirty. After completing the course curriculum and practicals an arduous test awaited to receive a certification of being BAR Ready. It was quite an impressive class of people taking it and led by leaders in the industry: Dale DeGroff, Andy Seymour, Steve Olsen, Paul Picault, Doug Frost and Dr. David Wondrich. The course was held at the Astor Center, which had phenomenal facilities.















With a full brain, a desire celebrate surviving the course and a strong desire for a shot of whiskey...or three, I rolled right into prepping for the Manhattan cocktail Classic teaser. The actual five day event takes place May 2010, but what a teaser it was. With seminars during the day along with a fully functional cocktail bar manned by top bartenders of the nation (Yes, I was included in there.) people were able to try some spectacular cocktails created my Willy Shine of Contemporary Cocktails, Inc.

The final night gala's venue was none other than the New York Public Library. Over a 1,000 consumers came to the event, and I was there shaking crustas and smashes for the masses with Grand Marnier.



All in all, it was quite the experience on all fronts and many continued successes to The Breakers, Grand Marnier and the upcoming Manhattan Cocktail Classic.

Spice and Ice And Everything Nice

When the world turns upside down and nothing makes sense. What would a margarita do? It would drop its necklace of salt for pepper and its having a good time involves, thyme. Throw in a two for $4 deal on cantaloupes, and we have a Spicy Thyme Margarita.















Spicy Thyme Margarita

2 1/2 oz. Tequila
1 1/2 oz. Fresh Cantaloupe Juice
3/4 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
3/4 oz. Agave Nectar
Tsp. of Thyme (stripped off branch)

Garnish: Half White Pepper Rim and Lime Wedge

Preparation: Add thyme to mixing tin. Lightly press. Add remaining ingredients and shake and strain into a highball glass with ice.

kah-SHAH-sah...

Difficult to pronounce at first but extremely easy to drink using the right recipe, cachaça is a sugar cane made Brazilian rum that through its production maintains the flavor and scent of that cane goodness. Having served it in an Asian restaurant and sushi bar, this west meets east match did quite well. The cachaça was softened with a little organic sweetener. Then, the cooling effect of basil was added to help with that south Florida heat. Toss in a few muddled grapes for crispness and fresh lime to round it out and we had created an outsider to the cuisine that snuck its way in and impressed the masses. For those who wanted even something lighter to sip on I splashed a little home made Fiji soda water on top. Enjoy!














Green Gaijin

1 1/2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
5-6 Green Grapes
1 1/2 oz. Organically Sweetened Basil Lime Juice*
Splash Fiji Soda Water

Garnish: Fresh basil leaf wrapped around a green grape

Preparation: Muddle grapes in a mixing tin. Add Leblon and sweetened basil lime juice with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a highball with ice. Splash Fiji soda water on top.

*To make organically sweetened basil lime juice. Use the ratio of 1 oz. of fresh basil to every 6 oz. of fresh lime juice and 3 oz. of agave nectar. Combine all in a blender. Blend fine then run through a chinois to remove thickness.

Neiman Marcus Fashion Night Out Event

Even as the economy starts to roll over and wake up there are those that cast recession fighting tactics aside and go shopping. Neiman Marcus threw itself a swanky evening party to encourage these fashionistas, and it worked. The band played on, the DJ spun out and these are the cocktails I had in store for the invite only patrons of the evening.

Rose champagne with a white champagne foam and leopard print sprayed on top.



Vacuum infused Grand Marnier strawberries with a Navan white truffle cream served on a skewer over a rocks glass with a dollop of cream on each.

White Rain cocktails: Muddled white grapes with Zyr vodka and a splash of fresh lime juice and agave nectar served over ice in a rocks glass with a single grape garnish.



Zyr vodka martini with lobster and marscapone stuffed olives served over ice in a rocks glass.



Zyr vodka martini with metallic rose water and a rose petal with silver garnish served in a martini glass.