January 2009

Considering that this week we began hitting historic notes -- ringing in a new year and leaving the year that marked the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition in the U.S. -- I thought it appropriate to serve up for this month's recipes some cocktails with historic pedigrees.

• WARD 8

This concoction, sort of a variant on the whiskey sour (see that recipe below), was dreamed up in Boston at the Locke-Ober restaurant bar in 1898, according to the most persuasive version of the story. Ward 8 was the section of the city that consistently delivered a winning margin of votes to the powerful Democratic political leader Martin M. Lomasney, who reigned for a half-century. The drink supposedly was created to honor him.

There are variartions on the drink, using bourbon or rye or blended whiskey, and using lemon juice or lime juice or no juice. This is the original version re-introduced to legal drinkers at the Locke-Ober after Prohibition was repealed.

2 ounces rye whiskey
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ ounce fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grenadine
Maraschino cherry

Shake the whiskey, lemon juice, orange juice and grenadine with ice. Strain over ice into a chilled Collins glass or Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a cherry. (Originally, the drink was decorated with a small paper Massachusetts flag.)

• TEQUILA SUNSET

Unlike its more famous cousin, the Tequila Sunrise -- which is nothing more than a splash of orange juice and a dash of grenadine in a glass of tequila, this drink that is popular in Mexico's high society has been around since the 1920s. Now, with tequila's increasing presence on the U.S. liquor scene, it would make an excellent holiday offering. Here's the recipe and procedure as it appears in Stuart Walton's "The Ultimate Book of Cocktails (Hermes House, London, 2005).

1 measure tablespoons gold tequila (not 100% agave)
5 measures fresh lemon juice
1 measure fresh orange juice
1 or 2 tablespoons clear honey
2/3 measure créme de cassis

Pour tequila, lemon juice and orange juice in a chilled cocktail glass and mix well with a swizzle stick. Carefully trickle the honey into the center of the drink. It will sink and create a layer at the bottom of the glass. Add the créme de cassis, but do not stir. It will create a glowing layer above the honey at the bottom of the glass.

• WHISKEY SOUR

The "sour" in the name is a derivation of the old Anglo-Saxon surigan, which was eventually shortened to sour and stuck because of the taset of lemon or lime in the concoction. This recipe comes from "The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book," first published just before Prohibition.

½ lemon
½ teaspoon bar sugar
½ pony of water
1 jigger of whiskey
Fresh ice
Orange slice
Maraschino cherry

Put the water and whiskey in a cocktail glass, squeeze in the juice of the lemon-half, then the sugar. Stir vigorously until all ingredients are blended, pour over fresh ice in the glass, and garnish with the fruit.

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December 2008

Think globally, drink locally. For this month's collection of recommended cocktails I've perused a lot of different sources. These offerings I've culled from that research should help you spice up the usual array of drinks served at holiday season get-togethers.

• CONQUISTADOR

Ryan Duvenage won the recent International Bartending Association World Championships qualifying spot from South Africa. (The main event is scheduled for Berlin in 2009). This is one of the two original cocktails he created en route to the title.

50ml Havana Club Anejo Reserva
12.5ml Tio Pepe Fino Sherry
10ml Monin Raspberry
10ml Monin Blackberry
10ml Balsamic Vinegar
2 dashes Peychauds Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail or champagne glass. Garnish with an orange twist and a nasturtium flower.

• GOLDEN CADILLAC

The International Bartenders Association, which will turn 58 in February, has a list of "official" cocktails. This is one of the after-dinner ones.

2 parts Liquore Galliano
2 parts Créme de cacao (white)
2 parts fresh cream

Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake briskly for few seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

• IN-LAW HOUSE RULES COCKTAIL

This cocktail was inspired by the in-laws of owner Chris Ojeda for The Edison restaurant and lounge in Los Angeles. It's a hot toddy-ish recipe you can make to sedate your family after holiday dinners.

2½ ounces applejack bonded or applejack
3 ounces of hot water
½ ounce mulling spiced syrup*
Slice of a baked apple**
Lemon peel (expressed in the drink)
Star anise
Grated nutmeg

In toddy glass or mug place the baked apple slice in the bottom and slightly muddle to break up. Pour the applejack, mulling spiced syrup and water and stir. Add the star anise and grated nutmeg for garnish.

(* Mulling spices syrup: Make simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water) and let the spice steep like you would a tea over a low heat. Turn off heat and let them steep for 30 minutes and strain out. Mulling spices are available at most grocery stores or health food stores.)

(** Bake an apple for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.)


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November 2008

As we head into the holiday portion of the year, our thoughts turn to hearty cocktails -- if we're smart.

I've perused a variety of recipes from numerous sources to select this trio of treats for my monthly collection of drinks for you to try at home, or in your bar.

• CIDER MILL MARTINI

This recipe is from Natalie Mouyianis, co-owner of the Hard Luck Lounge in Grosse Pointe Park, MI. The drink is shown above.

For the apple-cinnamon vodka infusion:

1 750 ml bottle of vodka
3 cinnamon sticks
4 red apples (any kind you like; organic are best)
1 doughnut hole

Put cinnamon sticks and vodka in air-tight container or jar, seal. Let soak for a few days, then wash, seed and quarter the apples and put them into the cinnamon vodka. Leave it refrigerated for four days, then strain into an empty bottle. Infusion will keep for up to a week refrigerated.

For the cocktail:

5 ounces apple-cinnamon vodka
2 ounces fresh apple cider
1 ounce simple syrup

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, shake well, strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a mini regular doughnut or cinnamon doughnut hole on the rim. Makes 1 cocktail.

(Note: To make simple syrup, put equal parts sugar and water in saucepan, heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Chill.)

• KURANT IMPERIAL KIR

This festive wine-spirits combo comes from Drink of the Week. It is made by gently pouring in a champagne glass ...

1 oz. Absolut Kurant Vodka
1 oz. Creme de Casis
Fill with Champagne

Stir gently and serve immediately.

• BITTER LOVE

Jaime Boudreau, whose names sounds Cajun but whose venue is the Tini Bigs cocktail lounge in Seattle, is getting rave reviews from regional press for his imaginative cocktails. Here's a simple, but unusual, example.

2 oz. chardonnay
1 oz. gin
¼ oz. Campari
2 oz. grapefruit juice

Shake hard and strain into a cocktail glass.

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October 2008

Now that we officially are in the autumn of the year, our thoughts turn to more seasonal cocktails and maybe even more seasonal apparel for our cocktail events. Here is a collection of fitting recipes I've collected from a variety of sources.

• COINTREAU TEESE

Cointreau's brand ambassador (right) goes by the name of Dita Von Teese, and has created her own cocktail. Violet is her favorite color, so the cocktail utilizes violet syrup for flavor and color.

4 parts Cointreau
2 parts apple juice
1½ parts Monin violet syrup
1½ parts fresh lemon juice
fresh ground ginger

Combine the four liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker full of fresh ice. Shake, then strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with fresh ground ginger.

• GALANA

This drink was created by mixologist Leo Ramirez at the Trina Lounge in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

2 ounces GranGala Triple Orange Liqueur
1 ounce Flor de Cana Rum
1 ounce cranberry syrup (*)
2 pieces of fresh ruby red grapefruit (no skin or white)
Dash of orange bitters
Drunken cranberries (**)

In a Boston glass add grapefruit and cranberry syrup. Muddle, add one scoop of ice then the GranGala, rum and bitters. Shake well and pour into a wine glass. Garnish with drunken cranberries.

( * To make the cranberry cyrup you need 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water and 2 cups of cranberries rinsed and de-stemmed. Add ingredients to a saucepan, adjust heat to medium-high. Allow to boil and then reduce to a simmer. The mixture is ready once the sugar has dissolved, the syrup is slightly thickened and has taken on the color and aroma of the berries, this should take about 5 minutes.)

( ** To make drunken cranberries you need 2 cups sugar, 1 cup dark rum, 1 cup fresh cranberries rinsed and de-stemmed. Follow cranberry syrup directions, and pull out the cranberries and use for the garnish.)

• BANANA NUT BREAD MARTINI

Christina Torres, mixologist at Geisha restaurant in New York (33 East 61st Street). It is perfect for fall.

1 ounce Frangelico liqueur
½ ounce banana liqueur
1 ounce biscotti liqueur
Dash of ground cinnamon
½ banana sprinkled with cinnamon and mint leaf, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients except the banana. Shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with ½ banana sprinkled with cinnamon, and a mint leaf.

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September 2008

Few among us likes to let go of summer. And the calendar is on our side until Sept. 21 when we experience the autumnal equinox and it's officially fall. So, in the waning days of the Summer of '08, enjoy these refreshing drinks I've collected from a variety of sources.

• BLOOD & SAND

It sounds like old Hemingway, but it actually is one of the cocktail recipes available on the Apple OS X iPhone. You can purchase "Cocktails" from the iTunes Store or the App Store (search on “cocktails”) on your device. The program costs $9.99.

1 part Scotch whisky
1 part orange juice
1 part sweet vermouth
1 part cherry flavored liqueur

Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with fresh ice. Shake vigorously and pour over new ice in a cocktail glass.

• BLUSHING DRAGON

The XXIX Olympics are over, but you still can't get enough of things Chinese? Then try this cocktail from the famous Lobby Bar of the Intercontinental Hong Kong hotel which overlooks Victoria Harbor.

1½ jiggers vodka
¼ jigger Cointreau
⅓ jigger lemon Juice
½ jigger simple syrup
4 strawberries
6 raspberries
6 blueberries
½ a fresh mango

Blend the liquor and fruit with ice then pour into a tall glass. Garnish glass with half a strawberry with its leaf and float a chopped strawberry, blueberry and raspberry in the drink.

• A DAY AT THE BEACH

This one comes from the recipe collection of DrinksMixer.com.

1 ounce coconut rum
½ ounce amaretto almond liqueur
4 ounces orange juice
½ ounce grenadine syrup

Shake rum, amaretto, and orange juice in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into a highball glass over ice. Add grenadine and garnish with a pineapple wedge and a strawberry.

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August 2008

For this month's selection of cocktail recipes, I did a little globetrotting to find offerings off the beaten path. Among the criteria for selection was the insistence that each recipe be simple to follow, considering we're in the lazy part of the year above the equator.

• BLUE HEAVEN

From the cocktail recipes at The Drinks Show, held each summer in Toronto, comes this cooling, colorful offering (shown here) that's summery looking and a snap to put together. Its main ingredient, Alizé Bleu, is a ready-made French drink composed of vodka, cognac, passion fruit, cherry, ginger and other flavors.

1½ ounces Alizé Bleu
Fresh lemonade
Fresh ice
Handful of blueberries

Fill a tall glass with fresh ice, pour in the Alizé, top with lemonade and in sprinkle a few berries that will slowly drift down through the drink as you serve it.

• BANANA BATIDA

Celebrity mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim presented this simple treat at the "Tales of the Cocktail" event in New Orleans recently.

8 ounces cachaça
2 small ripe bananas
4 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Put all the ingredients in a blender with crushed, fresh ice. Blend thoroughly and pour into large wine goblets, Makes two drinks.

• THE BASIL 8

This multi-flavored treat comes from chef Govind Armstrong at Table 8 on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, FL:

4 white grapes
3 basil leaves
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces lime juice
3 olives
1 ounce simple syrup
Ginger ale

Muddle the grapes in the bottom of a cocktail shaker , then add basil leaves. Fill shaker with ice. Add vodka, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake vigorously. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Top off with ginger ale and garnish with three olives on a pick.

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July 2008

This month's collection of cocktail recipes come from bartenders who competed in separate New York City events plus one from a Miami hotspot.

• THE WILD BLOSSOM

James Scarito of BLT Market in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 50 Central Park South, NYC, came up with this recipe to win the city's Department of Consumer Affairs 3rd annual Sidewalk Cafe Drink Mix-Off, held June 25.

2 ounces Plymouth Gin
¾ ounce St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
¾ ounce grapefruit juice
1 ounce cranberry juice

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add gin, liqueur and juices. Shake well and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist or wedge.

• MARTIN MILLER'S SPICY A&T

This concoction is from James Menite, beverage manager for PorterHouse New York, 10 Columbus Circle, fourth floor, who used it to win a bartender competition to re-invent the gin-and-tonic, sponsored by Martin Miller's gin.

2 ounces Martin Miller's gin
1/4 ounce Canton Ginger liqueur
1/4 ounce St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
Teaspoon of Martin Miller's gin infused with Mexican chili peppers for three days
1 tart green apple, washed
Tonic water, preferably Fever Tree

Mix the spirits in a shaker with ice. Cut the apple in half and then, using the small holes on a box grater, grate about a teaspoon of apple pulp into the mix. Shake vigorously to dissolve apple pulp, strain into a highball glass, and top with tonic water. Garnish with a few more grates of apple and a fresh wedge of green apple and/or a slice of strawberry.

• PASSION FRUIT MARGARITA

This is one of the currently popular cocktails at The Shore Club, 1901 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL.

1½ ounces tequila
1 ounce spring water
Juice of half a passion fruit (save the shell)
¾ ounce agave nectar

Measure all ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Shake; strain into a cocktail glass. Fill passion fruit shell with mescal and float on top.

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May 2008

This month marks a lot of things -- May Day, of course, plus Kentucky Derby Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, National Hoagie Day, Limerick Day, Eliza Doolittle Day, National Hamburger Day, End Of The Middle Ages Day, National Macaroon Day ... Here's a collection of cocktails to use in marking certain special days.

• TRIPLE ORANGE MARGARITA

Cinco de Mayo celebrations have grown from Mexico to be celebrated around the world. And with May 5th -- which commemorates a Mexican victory over the invading French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 -- looming, that Mexican cocktail icon klnown as the margarita comes to the fore. Here is one from Ronaldo P. Colli, mixologist at the Americano restaurant in San Francisco, who was asked by the makers of GranGala Triple Orange Liqueur to come up with a seasonal margarita (shown above) showcasing their product.

1½ oz. ultra premium tequila
¾ oz. GranGala Triple Orange Liqueur
1 ounce orange juice, freshly squeezed
½ oz. lime juice, freshly squeezed
¼ oz. agave nectar
1 lime wheel
1 orange peel

Pour GranGala, tequila, orange juice, lime juice, agave nectar and orange peel into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled glass filled with ice. Strain into a chilled margarita glass if you prefer your margarita up. Garnish with a lime wheel and the same orange peel on top of the cocktail. Salted rim is traditional, but optional.

(Agave nectar is a natural sweetener. Adjust according to desired sweetness. Available at gourmet stores or from online retailers.)

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• THE 54 JULEP

I don't often give space to a product or recipe simply because a certain date has rolled around again. However, in the case of the Kentucky Derby, how can one resist? The type of whiskey used in a Mint Julep is sometimes a matter of opinion. Various distillers like to push their own products, of course. Jimmy Russell, master distiller of Wild Turkey, insists on Wild Turkey 101, and since on May 1 he'll be witnessing his 54th derby, he has a lot of seniority.

2½ oz. Wild Turkey 101
3 sprigs of mint (six to eight mature-sized leaves)
1½ teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup crushed ice

In a traditional silver julep cup or double-old fashioned glass as seen above, mull two sprigs of mint with the brown sugar and one ounce of Wild Turkey 101 for a few minutes, crushing the mint leaves with a spoon. Add the crushed ice, the rest of the bourbon, and garnish with sprig of mint.

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• SCARLETT O'HARA

And, finally, in honor of the opening of the musical stage version of "Gone With the Wind" in New York City, I found this recipe on the Recipezaar.com site.

1½ oz. peach brandy (1 jigger)
1½ oz. Southern Comfort (1 jigger)
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. maraschino cherry juice
Crushed ice

Put all ingredients except ice into blender. Blend for a few seconds. Add ice to fill blender about halfway. Combine on high speed.

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June 2008

Australian mixology expert Ben Hehir has been commissioned by the Glenmorangie Distillery to come up with a line of signature cocktails -- or "serves," as he prefers to call them -- using the company's Scotch whiskies.

I had the opportunity to try several during a recent private dinner at Glenmorangie House in Cadboll, near Inverness, Scotland, and highly recommend them -- particularly The Kalamansi, made with the hard-to-find Indian fruit of that name.

• GLENMORANGIE SPRING TEA

1½ ounces Glenmorangie Original
¾ ounce Earl Grey tea
2½ ounces apple juice
¾ ounce strawberry juice
1½ ounce fresh lemon juice

Shake all ingredients and strain into a tall glass full of ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

• THE KALAMANSI

60 ml Glenmorangie Original
1/2 fresh lime
1 fresh kalamansi
2 barspoons soft Demerara sugar
20ml creme de peche

Muddle the lime in a stemless cocktail glass. Add remainder of ingredients and stir over crushed ice. Garnish with kalamansi fruit slices.

• THE ORANGIE

50 ml Glenmorangie Original
15 ml creme de peche
10ml Grand Marnier

Stir ingredients over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit slice.

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April 2008

The never-ending search for new, new, new cocktails goes on wherever there is curiosity, inherent mixology talent and an appreciative crowd. This month, in honor of the mixed weather that marks a typical spring, I've collected a trio of disparate cocktail recipes to add to your collection.

• OLD BLUE EYES

This simple concoction is the most expensive cocktail offered at NeoMeze, a Mediterranean restaurant/lounge in Pasadena, CA -- a $21 selection in a sea of $12 drinks.

2 parts Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 part Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch

Combine liquors in a shaker filled with fresh ice. Shake vigorously, strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a couple of olives.

• KOI COCKTAIL

You may have seen my recent post about TY KU, the sake liqueur. Here's a recipe utilizing the neon green liquid, from About.com: Cocktails.

1 ounce TY KU liqueur
2 ounces Irish whiskey
2 drops peach bitters
lemon twist

Place the lemon twist and peach bitters in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass. Muddle well to release and mix the lemon essence and bitters. Add ice, Irish whiskey and TY KU. Shake well. Strain into a champagne flute.

• MARY SUE'S PIMM'S CUP

This drink was created, and copyrighted, back in '97 by the Food Network duo of Mary Sue Milliken and Sue Feniger.

Ice cubes
1 measure of Pimm's
2 measures of ginger ale
Lemon slices
Long cucumber spears
1/2 measure dry gin
Sprig of mint, for garnish

Almost fill a tall glass with ice cubes and pour Pimm's over the ice. Add the ginger ale and lemon slices, and stir briskly with the cucumber spears. Float dry gin on top and add mint sprig.

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March 2008

Drawing by Richard K. Stoddard
The never-ending search for new, new, new cocktails goes on wherever there is curiosity, inherent mixology talent and an appreciative crowd. This month's set of cocktail recipes to add to your collection celebrates such efforts and results from some widely spaced places.

• SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

I came across this creation in a report in the San Francisco Chronicle on Daniel Wyatt, the young bar manager at the city's iconic Alembic bar on Haight Street. Many of his drinks are culinary-inspired, and he's heavily into offbeat creations that have helped build both a reputation and a dedicated following.

1 1/2 ounces Junipero gin
Juice of half lime
3/4 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce fresh celery juice
7 or 8 mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass, garnish with single mint leaf.

• BLACK & TAN

Allen Katz, director of mixology and spirits education for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York, whipped up this cocktail for an issue of Men's Fitness magazine.

2 ounce Rittenhouse rye whiskey
7 blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 ounce simple syrup
1/4 ounce fresh lime juice
8 fresh mint leaves
Ginger beer

Using a bar muddler or a wooden spoon, crush 5 blackberries in a shaker with simple syrup, lime juice, and mint. Add ice to the shaker, then add rye and shake vigorously. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice, and top with ginger beer. Garnish with fresh blackberries on a cocktail pick.

• WEDDING BELLES

If you're not familiar with LUPEC Boston, go here to get acquainted with the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails. Misty Kalkofen, who bartends at Green Street Grill in Cambridge, began the Boston chapter a year ago. The group posted this cocktail on their Web site along with a report on the nuptials of one of their members.

3/4 ounce gin
3/4 ounce Red Dubonnet
1/2 ounce orange juice
1/2 ounce cherry-flavored brandy

Shake in iced cocktail shaker and strain. Serve in a cocktail glass.

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February 2008

This month I'm looking at top-selling cocktails from "in" spots in the U.S. and Canada to add to our collection of great drinks recipes.

In two of the examples, the establishments have infused the basic ingredients to create new twists on old favorites.

• THE ONE MARTINI

Toronto Star writer Linda Barnard pried this recipe out of the folks at celebri-chef Mark McEwan's One restaurant in the Hazleton Hotel, located in the Yorkville section of Toronto. It presents layers of sweet, sour and spice.

Fresh ice
2 oz. apple-pear infused vodka
1/2 oz fresh pineapple juice
Splash of fresh lime juice
Splash of simple syrup

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Makes one drink.

(Note: The infused vodka is made at One. To duplicate it, you'll need one clear glass bottle or jar with lid, 1 cup apples, peeled and cut into small pieces, 1 cup pears, peeled and cut into small pieces, 750ml of plain vodka, a cinnamon stick, 4 whole closes. Put the whole batch into the bottle or jar, Cap tightly and steep in the refrigerator for a week, shaing it occasionally. Strain and use.)

• TODAY'S HARVEY WALLBANGER

This is an update of the '70s fad favorite, classed up by Stephanie Schneider and Andrew Boggs at their Huckleberry Bar, which opened four months ago on Grand Street in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, NY. They use freshly squeezed orange juice instead of the concentrate in the original recipe, and infuse the vodka with citrus.

2 oz. citrus-infused vodka
4 ozs. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 ounce Galliano
1 orange slice, for garnish.

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the vodka, orange juice and Galliano. Garnish with the orange slice. Yield: 1 serving

(Note: To infuse the vodka, use 3 lemons, one-half orange and one-quarter grapefruit, all sliced, in a 750ml bottle of vodka. Steep 2-3 days.)

• CIRRUS BLOSSOM

Todd and Ellen Gray, owners of Equinox Restaurant in Washington, DC, created this cocktail with Cirrus vodka from Richmond, VA. Cirrus creator Paul McCann tells me "It was originally done for the Cherry Blossom festival, but we are revising it for Valentine's Day."

2 oz. Cirrus vodka
1 oz. Bols cherry brandy liqueur
1/2 oz. Cointreau or triplesec
1 1/4 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz. sugar syrup
1/4 oz. grenadine syrup

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

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January 2008

Each year, cocktail competitions are held around the world. Some are sponsored by professional groups, some by manufacturers, some by neutral third parties. As I peruse results, I see some very interesting recipes.

This month, I'm looking at several that fall into that category. As is usually the case, a specific main ingredient is required to be part of the recipe. Thus, you often will see specific brand names used in the recipes.

• PEAR-CARDAMOM FLIP

This drink took first place in Imbibe magazine's Imbibe/USA Pears Cocktail Competition. It was created by Daniel Braun of Oliver's Twist in Seattle, WA.

1/2 a ripe Bartlett pear
1 1/2 oz. Bacardi light rum
3/4 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 oz. fresh ginger juice
3/4 oz. pear-cardamom syrup (recipe below)
2 dashes Fee's orange bitters
8 medium sized mint leaves
1 large egg white
1 tsp. huckleberry liqueur
1 tsp. Clear Creek pear brandy
Ice cubes
Tools: mixing glass, shaker, strainer
Glass: rocks or highball
Garnish: pear slice

Dice one-quarter of the pear into quarter-inch cubes. Place in rocks glass with huckleberry liqueur, mint and brandy. Stir and set aside. Cut another quarter of the pear into large chunks. Place in a mixing glass, add bitters and syrup and muddle to completely break down the pear.

To the mixing glass, add ice, rum, lemon juice, ginger juice and egg white. Shake for 30 seconds. Add ice cubes to the rocks glass. Strain ingredients from the mixing glass into the rocks glass. Garnish.

Pear-Cardamom Syrup: 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup water, 1/2 a peeled Bartlett pear, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom. Bring sugar and water to boil in a small pot. Remove from heat and add pear and cardamom. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain and chill.

• STARFISH COOLER

This cocktail won the top award in competition at the Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans. It was created by Stacy Smith, a bartender at G.W. Fins in New Orleans. Moët & Chandon White Star champagne was the main required ingredient.

1 oz. Moët and Chandon White Star
1 oz. lemoncello
1 oz. PAMA pomegranate liqueur
1 oz. Unsweetened iced tea
½ oz. simple syrup

Muddle orange slice and mint leaf in a Collins glass. Combine all ingredients and serve.

• NOW AND ZEN

This was the winning entry in the U.S. Bartenders Guild's National Cocktail Competition. Skyy vodka was the required ingredient. The recipe was created by Debbie Peek of Tramonto’s Steakhouse in Chicago.

1 oz. Skyy Citrus Vodka
1/2 oz. Zen Green Tea Liqueur
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. Monin Lemon Grass Syrup
1 oz. organic acai berry juice

Combine ingredients and fresh ice in shaker. Shake vigorously and serve straight up.

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December 2007

PHOTO BY WILLIAM M. DOWD

Signature drinks sometimes have close competition within their own establishment. I found that to be the case when I visited the luxurious Reluctant Panther Inn & Restaurant in Manchester, VT, where a cocktail created by one of the industry's top names is being challenged by the man in charge locally.

Then, we finish this month's collection with a new concoction from a trendy Manhattan watering hole.

• THE RELUCTANT PANTHER

This is the establishment's signature cocktail, created for it by Las Vegas-based mixology guru Tony Abou-Ganim. It fits in with owner Jerry Lavalley's penchant for grain-based vodkas.

1 1/2 ounces Belvedere vodka
1/2 ounce freshly- made lemon sour
1/2 ounce chambord
Champagne
Blackberries marinated in Grand Marnier

Combine vodka, lemon sour and chambord in a cocktail shaker with fresh ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Top off with champagne and drop in several of the berries.

• BLUEBERRY FUSION

Bar manager Josh Cohen came up with this spinoff drink that is giving the Reluctant Panther a run for the most-popular status at the inn.

1 1/2 ounces Stoli Blueberry vodka
1/2 ounce freshly-made lemon sour
1/2 ounce Blue curacao
Sprite
Fresh berries marinated in Grand Marnier

Combine vodka, lemon sour and curacao in a cocktail shaker with fresh ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with Sprite and drop in several of the berries. Note: Cohen says six hours is sufficient marinating time.

• RUBY MANHATTAN

This drink was created by Michael Waterhouse of the Devin Tavern (363 Greenwich St.) in New York, substituting ruby port for the usual sweet vermouth.

2 ounces Michter's Rye Whiskey
1 1/2 ounces ruby port
Dash of Reagan's Orange Bitters
Orange twist
Maraschino cherry

Dash orange bitters into a chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze and treat the glass with orange twist. Build ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice. Stir 20 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry and orange twist.

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September 2007

This month's collection of cocktail recipes gets a heavy dose of glamor, from the TV screen to the fashion runway to something between the covers.

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Our first recipe is from international model/magazine writer/cookbook author/TV personality Padma Lakshmi, host of Bravo television's "Top Chef."

• Padma's Sweet Lime-Ginger Rum Punch

2/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 cups dark rum
2 cups ice, plus more for serving
Lime slices, cilantro for garnish

In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar and ginger to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Strain the syrup into a large pitcher, pressing hard on the ginger. Let cool to room temperature. Stir in the lime juice, rum and the 2 cups of ice. Strain into ice-filled glasses and garnish with lime slices and cilantro. Makes 8 drinks.

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This cocktail was created for festivities surrounding New York's recent Fashion Week. It's made with Chambord Liqueur, a blend of raspberries, blackberries, vanilla and honey, made in France's Loire Valley.

• Chambord French Martini:

1 1/2 parts vodka
1/2 part Chambord
1/2 part pineapple juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass.

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Our final recipe was created by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck in honor of steamy-novel writer Jackie Collins' 25th book, "Drop Dead Beautiful," just released.

• The Jackie Collins

7 raspberries
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces lemonade
One-half fresh lime
1.5 ounces club soda
Simple syrup
1 fresh mint leaf

Muddle raspberries in a shaker with a splash of simple syrup. Add icem then the vodka and the lemonade. Squeeze juice of half a lime. Shake all ingredients vigorously. Add the club soda, then shake once more. Strain into a highball glass and garnish with a raspberry and the mint leaf.

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November 2007

As I poured a few ounces of Arizona Green Tea into the pan to deglaze it from the sauteed chicken and shallots I'd just removed, it occurred to me how underutilized tea is in much of our cuisine.

The ancient plant has seen a tremendous boom in popularity -- green tea, white tea, red tea -- in recent years, but primarily as a stand-alone drink. Too little use is made of it as a deglazing agent, a marinade base, or even as a component in cocktails.

So, in honor of the traditions of both tea and the upcoming holiday season, this month's cocktail roundup utilizes tea as a major component.

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• Esmeralda's Spiced Tea

This cocktail comes from the folks at Absolut vodka but, of course, any basic vodka can be used. The Fee Brothers syrup is made in Rochester and can be ordered online.

1 part vodka
3 parts freshly brewed cinnamon spiced tea
Sweeten to taste with Fee Brothers spiced cordial syrup

Combine, shake lightly without ice, garnish with a cinnamon stick and service in a cocktail tumbler.

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• Dowd's Marteani

I created this cocktail two years ago to celebrate the emerging popularity of both vodka and tea.

3 parts Arizona Green Tea with Honey and Ginseng
3 parts all-grain vodka
6 drops Angostura Bitters
1 teaspoon Galliano liqueur
1 mint leaf
2 orange slices

Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with fresh ice (you can substitute Strega for the Galliano if you like a drier drink), stir briskly with a cocktail spoon, then strain quickly into a frosted martini glass before the ice melts. Twist the juice from an orange slice into the drink and let it meander through the solution on its own. Garnish with an orange slice and a mint leaf for color.

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• Old Colonial Hot Tea Punch

The That's the Spirit Web site has a large archive of reader-contributed drink recipes. This recipe for a large bowl of punch with a definite punch is great for a party and honors the colonial-era penchant for hot drinks as opposed to our modern insistence on chilled ones.

6 cups hot tea
3 ounces Curaçao
16 ounces brandy
1/2 cup honey, orgeat syrup, or sugar syrup to taste
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 liter dark rum
1 pint lemon juice

Mix rum, brandy, hot tea, lemon juice, honey or syrup, and curaçao in a saucepan and stir until honey or syrup is completely dissolved. Check for sweetness, and when cool, pour into a chilled punch bowl with a large cake of ice. Garnish with lemon slices.

Makes about 30 servings.

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August 2007

Summer garden abundance is the common theme in this month's "What will they ..." installment.

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I'm a big fan of cucumbers. The water-laden vegetable is one of our more versatile items, good raw in slaws, salads or all by themselves. They're also great for infusing into vodkas, tequilas and non-alcoholic drinks.

Thus, Texas chef Tim Love's Jalapeño Cucumber Margarita (seen here) caught my eye when it was featured in a Forbes.com story on offbeat margarita recipes.

• Jalapeño Cucumber Margarita, Lonsome Dove Restaurant, Fort Worth, TX:
(Serves 4)

8 1/8-inch slices of jalapeño
8 1/8-inch slices of cucumber
1/4 cup sugar
8 oz. Cointreau or orange juice
10 oz. blanco or silver tequila
Juice from 2 limes
4 lime wedges
Large ice cubes
Kosher salt

Using a mortar and pestle, grind 4 slices jalepeño, 4 slices cucumber into 1/4 cup sugar. Pour mixture into a shaker. Add tequila, Cointreau and lime juice. Fill shaker with ice and shake heavily. Rub rim of 4 highball glasses with lime wedges and coat with salt. Fill with ice. Give the shaker one more shake and strain contents into each glass. Garnish with jalapeño and cucumber slices.

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• Flower Garden Martini, SideCar Restaurant, Ventura, CA:

Fresh ingredients from local markets are the catalysts for numerous cocktails created by Jennifer Peck and John Wheir.

5/8 oz. Flower Garden Serum (recipe follows)
2 ounces Belvedere vodka
1 1/2 ounces Patron Citronage liqueur
Sprig of lavender for garnish

Pour the serum into the martini glass. Into a shaker, pour the vodka, liqueur and a full pint-glass of ice. Cover and shake until the contents are white and foamy. Strain into the martini glass and garnish with the lavender.

Flower Garden Serum

3 to 4 geranium leaves
Petals of 2 roses in full bloom (red works best)
3 or 4 sprigs of lavender
1/2 cup water
1/8 cup sugar
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce orange blossom water

Simmer the ingredients together in a pan over medium heat, until the liquid has reduced by half. Allow to cool.

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• Cuban Mojito, Williams-Sonoma Guides, "The Bar Guide" by Ray Foley:

Mint of all sorts grows in profusion in most parts of the country this time of year. This drink lets you take full advantage of it in creating a very popular thirst-quenching cocktail.

6 fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 tbs. simple syrup
1 tbs. fresh lime juice
Crushed ice as needed
2 fl. oz. light rum
2 fl. oz. club soda
1 lime wedge

Put the mint leaves in the bottom of a highball glass. Add the simple syrup and lime juice and muddle well. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Add the rum and club soda and stir briefly. Add the lime wedge. Serves one.

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October 2007

Posh hotels need posh drinks. The ones you can duplicate at home are the best, so this month's collection of cocktails concentrates on that.

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The glitzy 50-seat Seasons Bar at the Four Seasons hotel in in San Francisco (757 Market St., overlooking Union Square) has a raft of special drinks. This is its signature one:

• Frost Bite: Made with Ciroc vodka, Inniskillin ice wine and white grape juice; you'll have to fiddle around a bit with the proportions to suit your taste. It comes with frozen grapes on the side.

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The next one comes from the Fontana Bar at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas:

• Autumn Dawn:

1 1/2 ounces Starbucks Cream Liqueur
1 1/2 ounces Grand Marnier
1/2 ounce DaVinci Pumpkin pie syrup
2 ounces freshly brewed chai tea (cooled)
Gingersnap crumbs
Cinnamon stick wrapped with orange peel spiral for garnish

Combine the Starbucks Cream Liqueur, Grand Marnier, pumpkin-pie syrup and chai tea in an ice-filled shaker. Shake, strain into a chilled cocktail glass rimmed with gingersnap crumbs. Garnish and serve.

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And, this one from the Athaneum in London:

• Apples and Pears:

Wyborowa Apple Vodka
Pear Liqueur
Lemon juice
Jonagold Apple Juice
Pear Puree

Combine to suit your own tastes, shake with ice, strain and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

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July 2007

PHOTO BY WILLIAM M. DOWD

On a recent trip to Windsor, Ontario, to visit the Canadian Club whisky facilities, I toured a local LCBO store -- Liquor Control Board of Ontario. It was an eye-opening experience even though I've lived in or visited U.S. states that have "state stores," as they call their heavily regulated wine and spirits shops.

In Ontario, the provincial government rules the roost, not only deciding how many LCBO stores are allowed, but what they can stock (there are several grades of stores, based on local population, sales volume, etc.), how many products each company can have displayed, which shelves they go on, and so forth.

That, combined with Canada's extremely high taxes on alcoholic beverages, might make one think Canada is trying to regulate the industry out of business. But, on the contrary, it's more about restraint -- of trade, in the minds of some, but in consumption in the minds of others.

Along with plenty of print information on alcoholism treatment and warning messages, the LCBO actually encourages intelligent use of alcoholic beverages. Its current glossy publication, "Hot City Cocktails," is available at no charge from LCBO stores. It contains information on how to make cocktails, what tools to have, and some very nice recipes collected from around the world. The latter prompted me to use them for this month's "What Will They ... " feature. Each recipe is for one drink. If you want to find entertaining-size batch recipes, check the LCBO Web site.

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• Apple Crush, Cruise Bar, Sydney, Australia:

1 1/2 ounces Bacardi Big Apple Rum
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
4 ounces fresh apple juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
apple slice

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients except the apple slice. Shake and strain into a goblet filled with ice. Garnish with the apple slice.

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• Pear & Cardamom, K Bar, Copenhagen, Denmark:

1 1/2 ounces Grant's Finest Scotch Whisky
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
4 ounces pear juice
3 cardamom seeds
lemon twist

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients except the twist. Shake and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with the twist.

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• The Madonna, Ravintola Teatteri, Helsinki, Finland:

1 ounce Beefeater London Dry Gin
4 ounces cranberry juice
1/2 ounce Soho Lychee Liqueur
1/3 ounce lime cordial
fresh lychee

To a highball glass, add all ingredients and stir to mix. Serve garnished with a fresh lychee.

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• Pomnediere, NoMi Restaurant, Chicago:

1 ounce Iceberg Vodka
1 ounce Pama Pomegranate Liqueur
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce mandarin orange or tangerine juice

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients. Shake and strain into a martini glass.

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• White Russian, Organza Bar, Warsaw, Poland:

1 ounce Polar Ice Vodka
1/2 ounce Kahlua
1 ounce whole milk or cream
maraschino cherry

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add all ingredients and serve garnished with the cherry.

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June 2007

Having spent most of my life in daily journalism, I had it drilled into my skull for decades that press releases should rarely be used verbatim because they're designed to push a particular product or point of view and, thus, are suspect.

This is one of those rare occasions when a press release seems so full of useful and intefresting information, I'm passing it along as this month's edition of "What will they think of next?"

It's from the folks at Knob Creek Bourbon, who have come up with a lineup of summer recipes for food and drink, beginning with a trio of classic cocktails that are beginning to undergo a resurgence among young consumers.

Obviously, you don't have to use the Knob Creek brand in the recipes, but they'd be pleased if you do.

Whiskey Sour
1 ½ ounces bourbon
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon superfine sugar
1 orange slice
1 maraschino cherry

In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the bourbon, lemon juice and sugar. Shake well and strain into a whiskey sour glass. Garnish with the orange slice and cherry.

Old Fashioned
½ orange slice
1 maraschino cherry, stem removed
3 dashes bitters
1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon superfine sugar
1 ½ ounces bourbon

In an old fashioned-glass, combine the orange slice, cherry, bitters, water and sugar. Using the back of a teaspoon, muddle the ingredients, dissolving the sugar and mashing up the fruit somewhat. Fill the glass with ice cubes, add the bourbon and stir gently.

Bourbon Sidecar
1 ounce bourbon
½ ounce triple sec
½ ounce lemon juice

Combine all ingredients with crushed ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon wedge.

COOKING WITH BOURBON

Bourbon & Brown Sugar Cocktail Sausages

3 lbs. cocktail sausages
2 lbs. sliced bacon
2 ½ lbs. brown sugar
2 ½ oz. bourbon

Wrap cocktail sausages with a small piece of bacon and skewer with a toothpick. Place in a crock pot and cover with brown sugar. Cook on low setting for four hours until sugar melts. Add bourbon and continue to simmer for one to two more hours.
Serve warm from the crock pot.

Bourbon Bleu Cheese Dip

6 oz. quality bleu cheese (Maytag, Roquefort, etc.)
3 oz. package cream cheese
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp. bourbon
1 cup whipping cream, well chilled
1 cup walnut halves, toasted*
Fresh pear and apple slices

Place the cheeses and butter in the food processor. Process until well blended and fluffy. Pour in the bourbon and process to blend well. Whip the cream until stiff. Stir a large spoonful of whipped cream into the cheese mixture to lighten the mixture, and then fold in the remaining cream. Spoon the mousse onto a serving plate and arrange the toasted walnuts on top. Spread onto the pear and apple slices. Serve as an appetizer or as the cheese course following the meal.

Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
2 cups ketchup
4 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
4 tbsp. cider vinegar
¾ cup bourbon

Combine ingredients and enjoy.

Bourbon Barbecued Shrimp

2 lbs. large (16 to 20 count) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. fine sea salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
The Sauce:
1 stick butter
2 cups finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup bourbon
1 cup bottled chili sauce
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. sea salt

Make the barbecue sauce according to the directions below. This may be done a day ahead. Cool the sauce, cover and chill. Reheat before the shrimp is added to it. Place the shrimp in a gallon-sized plastic bag. Add the salt and peppers and toss to coat well.

Heat the oil over high heat in a large skillet. Sauté the shrimp, turning once for about 5 minutes or until pink and lightly browned. Add to the hot barbecue sauce. Allow to sit for a few minutes and serve with crusty bread.

To make the barbecue sauce: melt the butter and sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring often.

Bourbon Marinated Flank Steak

1 large flank steak (approximately 2 lbs.)
½ cup light soy sauce
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger root
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
¼ tsp. hot pepper sauce
½ cup Knob Creek® Bourbon

Trim all visible fat from the flank steak. In a heavy duty, gallon-size plastic bag with a zip top, mix together all of the marinade ingredients. Add steak. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or as long as 24 hours.

Cook on hot grill for 8 minutes on the first side and 5 minutes on the second side for a medium-rare steak. Increase the cooking time according to taste. To serve, cut across the grain into 1-inch wide strips. Serves 4-6.

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May 2007

The return to classic drinks, or at least some classic ingredients, is the hottest thing on the American cocktail scene this year. Here is a look at several examples.

• Audrey Sanders, who owns The Pegu Club in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, has a growing reputation among cocktailians. Not only does she provide imaginative, fresh ingredients for her lengthy line of drinks, she's picky about the size and density of her ice cubes (1.25-inch squares, frozen very hard to keep drinks from getting watery), and she provides a condiment set to patrons who can add a touch of sweet, citrus or aromatic flavors to their drinks.

Sanders is big on gins, which I've noted in previous stories are making a distinct comeback in American cocktail circles, with about 30 brands on hand. Here's one of her recipes:

Star Tested

2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 oz. orange curaçao (or Cointreau if you omit bitters)
1 or 2 dashes orange or Angostura bitters

Put all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

• In Washington, D.C., the iconic McCormick & Schmick's recently introduced a Great American Cocktails menu that lists drinks by their years of creation. It also includes a brief history of each drink. A few examples:

1874 Manhattan: Gentleman Jack, sweet vermouth, Regan's No. 6 Orange and Angostura bitters.
Moscow Mule (1940s): Stolichnaya vodka, lime, ginger ale and soda.
Drambuie Fizz: Drambue Scotch liqueur with muddled limes, spiced honey, served over crushed ice.

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April 2007

This month's collection of cocktail recipes I've gathered from all over is headed by the delightful Seelbach Cocktail I recently sampled at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel in Louisville, KY.

The Seelbach is one of the South's "golden age" luxury hotels, opened in 1905 and since then host to nine American presidents and innumerable dignitaries. The stunning ambiance of the place, awash with oak and marble and gilded surfaces, inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald to use the hotel as the backdrop for Tom and Daisy Buchanan's wedding in "The Great Gatsby."

• The Seelbach Cocktail

4 ounces quality champagne
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce triple sec
7 dashes Peychaud bitters
7 dashes Angostura bitters

Add bourbon, bitters, and triple sec first. Fill rest of glass with champagne. Garnish with orange twist, serve in a champagne flute.

• Cocktail Times.com

The Balsamic Pear Cocktail is well off the beaten path. It was created by Gwen Kaiser, master mixologist for this Web site.

2 oz. freshly juiced pear nectar
2 oz. sake
1/2 oz. balsamic syrup
2 drops bitters
Pear slice for garnish

To make balsamic syrup: Simmer 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water, 1 cup balsamic vinegar for 20 minutes. Pour into final storage container, adding approximately 1 oz. vodka to aid in preservation.

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with pear slice.

• Houstonist.com

The Mint Julep Martini packs quite a punch. This Web site's bartender feature admits "We have a little penchant for brown drinks (ie. bourbon) and we are sharing this addictive version with you."

3/4 cup Maker's Mark or other bourbon
1/4 cup vanilla vodka
1 teaspoon Triple Sec or Cointreau
1 teaspoon peppermint schnapps

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and, well, shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with fresh mint or an orange twist. Sip carefully, rinse, re-chill or re-glass, repeat.

Note: Emergency glass chilling can be done by filling the glass with crushed ice while you make your luscious, bourbony concoction. Throw out ice, fill glass.

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The debut: March 2007

From time to time I come across some truly innovative cocktail recipes. Rather than let them go unappreciated by the reading public at large and enjoyed only by the select circle that frequents those cocktail bars, I've decided put together a monthly compilation of such drinks.

Here goes with installment No. 1 of "What will they think of next?"

• Gold Bar, 389 Broome St. near Mulberry, New York, NY (212) 274-1568.

Honey is for more than hot tea or flapjacks. A daiquiri here is a Bees Kiss when the usual sugar component is replaced with honey and mixed with rum and lime juice. For a Margaritas Begone use honey, tequila and lime juice. And, for a Gold Rush whiskey sour, mix honey with bourbon and lemon juice and serve it very well chilled.

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• Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 326 North 4th Avenue, Tucson, AZ (520) 740-1541

The BLTini, made by bartender Gary Crystal, turns the classic BLT sandwich turned into a drink. It begins with a generous pour of potato vodka, an inch or so of Bloody Mary mix, and a garnish of freshly-cooked bacon hanging off the side and a bit of leafy lettuce. He sometimes rubs the rim of the glass with the bacon.

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• Taste.com.au

This Australian Web site invites readers to contribute their own cocktail recipes. Valli Little came up with this strawberry cocktail recipe to serve eight:

1 pound strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon fine sugar
Crushed ice (optional)
2/3 cup vodka, chilled
1 bottle sparkling wine, chilled

Place the strawberries and sugar in a blender or food processor and blend or process until mixture forms smooth puree. Pass the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl and discard the seeds in the sieve. Cover the puree with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator. Half-fill 8 champagne flutes with the crushed ice, if using. Divide the chilled strawberry puree among the flutes, then top each with 1 tablespoon vodka. Top up with the sparkling wine. You can make the strawberry puree up to two days ahead.

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