A Hungry Bear

muay thai mai tai

I have a very special drink to share with you for today’s happy hour. Today A and I are heading off to Vegas for a weekend of our 2 favorite things: eating and UFC. When I asked A for help figuring out a drink for this week, he pulled a dusty copy of “the bartender’s bible” off the bookshelf. Five minutes later he was pitching the idea of a “muay thai mai tai” to me. How creative is that??

I know a lot of places make very girly mai tais with lots of fruit juice. Fortunately I found a recipe for an authentic hawaiian mai tai that only mixes different liquors with a lime and a few drops of simple syrup. This drink is so strong, it’s definitely deserving of its new name. (more…)

metropolitan

I’m not sure this is a metropolitan exactly. But the name of this cocktail isn’t important at all if you’re going to make it yourself. If you want to order it from a bartender who actually knows what they’re doing, you might want to just ask for a “cosmopolitan made with citrus vodka.” This confusion - and love for a drink that may or may not be named metropolitan - started when I ordered a cosmo from our local favorite, Murphy’s. The bartender offered to make a variation on it that he swore would be better - and it was. He called it a metropolitan, so who am I to question him? Like a cosmo, it’s potent but easy to drink, so be careful!

Cast of characters: citrus vodka (I prefer Stoli Oranj), lime, cranberry juice, simple syrup. (more…)

dark-n-stormy

Remember the Pimm’s Cup I made a few weeks ago? It required ginger beer, which I could only find in 4-packs. I don’t drink ginger beer plain, unless I’m in Sri Lanka and feeling adventurous, so I’ve been looking for new drink recipes that call for it. This is probably the easiest one out there - just a mix of dark rum and ginger beer, with a slice of lime. The fizz in the ginger beer make it extra refreshing on these 98-degree days in Atlanta. (more…)

bufala negra

This drink is an unexpected union of my two favorite flavors, the classic Italian balsamic + basil combination and Maker’s Mark bourbon. I would never have imagined putting something like this together - but when I saw it on Food & Wine’s website (they have a beautiful cocktail slideshow for inspiration), I knew I had to try it. And I’m happy to report that this is one of the best drinks I’ve ever made.

Cast of characters: 4 basil leaves, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon simple syrup, Maker’s Mark (or your favorite bourbon whiskey), ginger ale. (more…)

strawberry mojito

Last week we received no fewer than four (4!!) pints of strawberries in our fruit and vegetable delivery from our CSA (TaylOrganic Farms). And they were fat, juicy, perfect strawberries, too - almost too good to eat any other way but plain. But I did manage to spare a few to make one of my favorite summer drinks, a strawberry mojito. It’s really simple - just smash up a couple strawberries with some sugar and mint leaves, add rum and club soda, and slurp away.

Cast of characters: 3-4 strawberries, 3 sprigs of mint, 1 tablespoon simple syrup (or you can use sugar), 1 lime, white rum (I like 10 Cane), club soda. (more…)

pimm’s cup

When I first read about a drink called the Pimm’s Cup, I think it was Bon Appetit… It was suggested for an outdoor grilling party, and it sounded like grown-up PJ. (Is PJ a universal high school experience? A bathtub full of Bacardi 151, fruit juices, and pieces of every kind of fruit you can get your hands on - normally followed by a 2-day hangover…) I don’t think I ever want to see PJ again, but I’ll try a new drink for the sake of blog research. I looked up the definition of this drink, and was surprised to see how popular it is, especially in the UK. According to most recipes I could find, it is made with ginger beer (a strong form of ginger ale), sometimes lemonade, and always with a piece of cucumber. There doesn’t seem to be a wrong way to make it.

Cast of characters: Pimm’s #1 (a liquor made with gin, plus citrus and other secret ingredients), orange, cucumber, lemon (or lime), 1 bottle ginger beer, splash of club soda, sprig of mint, simple syrup (or use lemonade in place of the lemon + simple syrup). (more…)

gordon’s cup

I will be drinking this all summer. And I strongly suggest that you whip up a batch of simple syrup and make these right now (as in, happy hour Friday, not as in, whatever exact moment during the workday that I happen to click “publish” on this post).

Even A, who only drinks single-malt, had one taste of it and asked “could you make me one?” (He eventually gave up halfway through when the night started cooling down and the smell of single malt became more appealing than crisp cucumber and tart lime - he has basic tastes.) (more…)

dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives

If I take a week off from posting and pick back up on a Friday happy hour, will you think I need an intervention? A and I took a few days off for Miami (where we could drink “real” mojitos as early as 11am, not that we would ever do such a thing) and I’ve had so much going on with work I didn’t set up any posts for the week. By way of an apology, how about I share with you my favorite drink?

You won’t believe the difference it makes to stuff your own olives from scratch. My little brother, who also makes the world’s best martini, taught me how to do this. It really only takes about 3 extra minutes, and it makes a martini taste 10 times more indulgent. (more…)

cuban mojito

With the impending thaw in US-Cuba relations (we might actually be able to travel there soon!) thanks to Obama, I’ve been feeling the Cuba love lately. Not very many people know this, but I actually majored in both history and political science - surprising since I’m now in software marketing. Not only that, but I wrote my thesis on the Cuban Revolution! Completely irrelevant to how I make a living now, but I’m still fascinated by Cuba. To help count down the days till I can finally see it in real life, I’ll stay busy with my Cuban Mojitos and re-reading my favorite revolutionary hero biographies. And even if you don’t care an iota about Cuba, if it’s warm outside where you are, there’s nothing more refreshing than a fizzy, minty mojito. (more…)

passionfruit punch

This is my favorite drink from Food 101 Atlanta. While I don’t have a recipe to follow, I’ve tried to recreate what I’ve had at the restaurant. It’s become one of my favorites, especially as the weather heats up… The important part is the J. Love passionfruit vodka, which gives the drink it’s flavor without any overwhelming sweetness. (more…)