Martini Marathon Day 13 – Cupid’s Cosmicpolitan

Cupid's Cosmicpolitan

Today, I worked hard on the house and honestly, I am NOT feeling like having a martini. A beer sounds way more appropriate! My lovely wife decided to help me in the marathon by having the cocktail tonight. Isn’t she sweet. 🙂 Thinking of what she wanted, it was leaning toward a Cosmo. This is just what I need: a revenge on the extra dry cosmopolitan made earlier this week.

We had to try two recipes tonight. The first one is not worth mentioning as it tasted exactly like a bad cough syrup! Blha! The second one we tried, the Cupid’s Cosmicpolitan, was way more enjoyable:

Cupid’s Cosmicpolitan

Ingredients

• 4 parts Cranberry Juice
• 1 1/2 parts Vodka
• 1 part Grand Marnier
• 1 part Lemon Juice
• A Maraschino Cherry for Garnish

Preparation

Pour the liquids in a shaker filled with cracked ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a Maraschino Cherry.

Appreciation

For me, a “Real” or “Classic” Cosmo is made with just a dash of cranberry juice, for a stronger, yet fruity taste. This version is for anyone who prefers a higher juice ratio in their cocktail to “camouflage” the alcohol taste. 🙂

Enjoy!

October 26, 2011July 16, 2012 by Dave Richard Categories: CocktailsTags: Cosmopolitan, Cranberry, grand marnier, Martini Marathon, Sweet, Vodka Leave a comment

Martini Marathon Day 12 – Mochatini

The Mochatini (without the optional rim)

Do you like coffee? I do! Very much so. That’s a good thing for any game designer as we need a lot of the stuff to survive ;). It was obvious that I would try a coffee flavored martini at some point. So here it is: the Mochatini. Okay, okay! It`s not a pure coffee drink, but still, coffee and chocolate promises to create a great drink right?

I found two different recipe for the Mochatini from which I am forwarding you the best version, by far. The first recipe I’ve tried, from a martini collection book I refer to quite often, was disgusting! It used gin as a base, which frankly doesn’t have anything to do in the coffee / chocolate flavor spectrum. I am tempted to throw away the book right now as it’s not the first time I get a disgusting combination from it…but really, it’s my fault. I should’ve detected this unacceptable mix! 😉

Here is the good recipe to use:

Mochatini

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 parts Vanilla Vodka
• 1 part Coffee Liqueur (or Espresso)
• 1 part Dark Crème de Cacao
• Coffee Beans for Garnish
• Sugar for rim

Preparation

First off, and this is totally optional, you can rim your glass with the coffee liqueur and sugar. Pour the vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur and dark crème de cacao in a shaker filled with cracked ice and shake until froth. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with two floating coffee beans.

Appreciation

This mochatini is incredible, any mocha lover will enjoy it. I will redo it for sure, it can easily replace a desert. Note that if you would prefer a stronger coffee flavor and/or a less sweet cocktail, you can substitute the coffee liqueur by chilled espresso or another good coffee.

Enjoy!

October 25, 2011July 16, 2012 by Dave Richard Categories: CocktailsTags: Chocolate, Coffee, Crème de Cacao, Espresso, Martini, Martini Marathon, Sweet, Vanilla Vodka Leave a comment

Martini Marathon Day 8 – Cinderellatini

Why Cinderellatini? No idea! Should be called "Liquid Skittles".

Tonight I am home alone with my kid so of course I need to be the responsible dad, which I am, and stay 100% sober, or if you prefer: 0% drunk. Oh no! Tragedy! What about the Martini Marathon, is that over?! …and comes the Mocktini to the rescue :).

The following cocktail is a nice surprise. Even though it’s virgin and “just” a mix of juices, the result is incredible! It looks really nice in a cocktail glass (the photo doesn’t do it justice), but it is so good that you might as well make yourself a bucket of the stuff. It tastes like refreshing liquid Skittles, no kidding. If that makes any sense. Of course you can always add 1 part of vodka to make it a “real” cocktail.

Cinderellatini

• 1 part Orange Juice
• 1 part Pineapple Juice
• 1/2 part Sour Mix
• Club Soda
• 1 dash Grenadine
• A Maraschino Cherry for Garnish

First thing, put the maraschino cherry in your glass. Pour the orange juice, pineapple juice and sour mix in a shaker with cracked ice and shake until your hands hurt. Strain into a cocktail glass and top with club soda by being careful to keep the nice juice foam on top.  Now find the Jackson Pollock in you and drizzle grenadine syrup on top to create spots and lines (I use a spoon handle).

Enjoy!

October 21, 2011July 16, 2012 by Dave Richard Categories: CocktailsTags: Grenadine, Martini, Martini Marathon, orange, Pineapple, Sour mix, Sweet, Vodka 1 Comment

Martini Marathon Day 7 – Bikini Martini

A Bikini Martini

I needed some color today because the weather has been grey for a week. Even though I LOVE the rainy weather of autumn, it doesn’t mean I can’t lighten it up a bit with a colorful cocktail with tropical notes.

The Bikini Martini has many variants out there, some with gin and some without juice. Here is mine:

Bikini Martini

• 1 part Coconut Rum
• 1 part Vodka
• 1 part pineapple juice
• Grenadine
• An orange wedge for garnish

Pour everything but the grenadine in your favorite shaker with cracked ice and shake until froth. Strain into a cocktail glass. Slowly add a dash of grenadine and garnish with an orange wedge.

Enjoy!

October 20, 2011July 16, 2012 by Dave Richard Categories: CocktailsTags: Coconut, Grenadine, Martini, Martini Marathon, orange, Pineapple, Rum, Sweet, Tropical, Vodka Leave a comment

Martini Marathon Day 6 – Buckly Martini

The Hazelnut Flavored Buckly Martini

After a hard day of work on the house, I think I totally deserve the following treat made with frikin’ hazelnut liqueur. If you never tried this particular liqueur, you are in for a treat! If you like anything hazelnut, like the infamous Nutella for example, try it, you won’t regret it!

Buckly Martini

• 5 parts Vodka
• 1 part Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur

Pour everything in your favorite shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. No garnish…wait what?

By the way, this is the original recipe, but I prefer to make it with a ratio closer to half and half. Like almost anything, cocktails are a matter of preferences. So if you prefer the hazelnut taste, don’t hesitate to change the ratio of the alcohols, the cocktail police won’t get you for that…they’ll let you off with a warning.

Enjoy!

October 19, 2011July 16, 2012 by Dave Richard Categories: CocktailsTags: Hazelnut, Martini, Martini Marathon, No Garnish, Sweet, Vodka Leave a comment

Martini Marathon Day 4 – Apple Pie Martini

The Apple Pie Martini and...it's pie couterpart.

As you probably guessed it, today I went apple picking with my family. Big deception, we couldn’t even pick our own apple as apparently the season is already finished! Yep, seems like mid-October is too late for apple picking in Québec…it’s just too damn cold! or like we say here: “Y fait trop frette batinse!“

We still had a good time trying still ciders and ice ciders (the parents, not the kid ;)). If you can get your hands on a bottle of our fine ciders, do! Québec ice ciders are just too good to be true! You have to try it.

But anyways, this marathon isn’t about ciders is it? Here is an apple themed martini recipe which is on the sweeter side, but still holds quite a punch.

Apple Pie Martini

• 3 parts Vanilla flavored vodka
• 1/2 part Calvados
• 1/2 part Dry Vermouth
• Cinnamon & Sugar for the rim
• Apple slice for Garnish

Like any garnish, this is totally optional, but I added a cinnamon and sugar rim to this cocktail. I thought it was a welcomed addition to the strong alcohols and really made it taste like an apple pie. So if you choose to add a rim, do it now. Pour the vanilla flavored vodka, Calvados and dry vermouth in a shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into the rimmed (or not, but really, you should) glass. Garnish with a tin slice of apple.

Try it!

All right, now I’m going to go eat the real thing (the pie you see in the background, that’s real baby! 😀 ) and go review my level design class for tomorrow. Have a good one!

October 17, 2011July 16, 2012 by Dave Richard Categories: CocktailsTags: Apple, Calvados, Cider, Cinnamon, Martini, Martini Marathon, Sweet, Vanilla Vodka, Vermouth 4 Comments