Two weeks ago, the editors at Parched No More posted their top ten choices for Thanksgiving cocktails.  As hard as it was to narrow the list down to ten drinks, it seemed daunting to choose one favorite.  With a variety of drinks from which to choose, including martinis, a margarita, a frappe, a cider drink, an eggnog, and a wine-tail, the options seemed overwhelming.

However, polling has ended, and our readers have spoken.  We are pleased to announce that the Pumkinlicious Martini from ECO-BAR was chosen as the favorite drink for Thanksgiving.  In order to create this delicious beverage for your Turkey Day celebration, we have posted the recipe below.

Thank you to all who voted.  Don’t forget to check back for more cocktail recipes and contests.

Pumkinlicious Martini
1/2 oz. Organic Vanilla Vodka (TRU Organic Vodka)
1 oz. pumpkin spice liqueur
3/4 oz. butterscotch schnapps
1/2 oz. Kahlua
1/2 oz. half-and-half
Crushed graham crackers and raw sugar
Cinnamon stick (garnish)

Add all liquids in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into large martini glass rimmed with crushed graham crackers. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Bottle/Tap: Bottle, 22oz

I was going over the beers I had to sample and came across this large bottle.  Nothing can motivate you to drink a 22-ounce bottle of beer more than the rainy weather.  I busted out the big glass, took the beer from the fridge and gave it a good pour.  Good color and strong aroma, this beer had me at hello.

There was a bitter flavor, to be expected from any pale beer, but it wasn’t overpowering.  I think having it in the fridge for about 40 minutes then giving a straight pour into the glass helped the flavor open up.  After the foam settled I really enjoyed the taste of this beer and found it hard to put it down.  I had to put it down so I could eat; you get my point. Read the rest of this entry »

Bottle/Tap: Bottle

A few weeks back I was in Vermont camping with friends, and we paid a visit to the Long Trail Brewery.  We had a good time with great food and some delicious beer.  One of those beers was the Pollenator, and I decided to grab a bottle to bring back home with me since it was such a rare release.

The other night I thought to crack it open and re-live the magic I had back in September.  What did I learn?  Sometimes memories are better off left as that, memories and reliving them will not bring back the full experience. Read the rest of this entry »

With three weeks until Thanksgiving, many people have begun planning their menus:  appetizers, dinner, and dessert.  Not to be forgotten are the beverages that you serve.  While you can’t go wrong with a bottle of Chenin Blanc or Shiraz, a little mixing, shaking, and blending can infuse a little more fun into your holiday.

We solicited recipes for Thanksgiving-inspired cocktails.  Our editors have chosen their ten favorite and now are seeking our readers’ thoughts.  Which cocktail is the most tantalizing for Turkey Day?  Read their descriptions, then cast your vote.

1. Gobble-Tini- (Smirnoff Cranberry Twist, Chambord, & cranberry juice) Courtesy of SMIRNOFF

2. Pumkinlicious Martini (TRU Organic Vanilla Vodka, pumpkin spice liqueur, butterscotch schnapps, Kahlua,  half-and-half, & crushed graham crackers for rimming) Courtesy of ECO-BAR

3. Maple Cinnamon Nog (Bourbon, clove & cinnamon infused maple syrup, spiced rum, egg white, & cream) Courtesy of Deborah Harris of Harbour Restaurant

4. Hot Rum Cider (apple cider, orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon, whole cloves, coriander seeds, whole nutmeg, & Zaya Rum) Courtesy of Zaya Rum

5. Carrot-Ginger Martini (Stoli Vodka, spiced rum, Stoli Vanilla, carrot juice, & ginger beer) Courtesy of Ben Provost of The American Bar at The Stafford

6. Feel Like a Holiday (vodka, raspberry eau-de-vie, & sparkling wine/champagne) Courtesy of Sara Gaum of VendorBar.com

7. Pumpkin Pie Frappe (Mount Gay Rum Eclipse, pumpkin puree, sugar in the raw, cinnamon, allspice, half-and-half, & vanilla ice cream) Courtesy of Jonathan Pogash

8. Holiday Pie (Canadian Club Classic 12, Tuaca, apple cider) Courtesy of Canadian Club

9. Autumn Side Car Wine-tail (Yellow Tail Chardonnay, brandy, agave nectar, orange slices, basil leaves, Grand Marnier, & orange twist garnish) Courtesy of Trudy Thomas

10. Pumpkin Margarita (pumpkin puree, agave nectar, lime, tequila, Crema’s signature spice blend, & white and black sesame seeds for rimming) Courtesy of Crema

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The winner will be announced on Thursday, November 19th!

Bottle/Tap: Bottle

Several weeks ago at the Wicked Wine and Brewfest I had the chance to sample some of this pale ale but hadn’t found it anywhere since.  Recently, I happened to walk through the beer section of a local supermarket and found a six-pack of this delightful brew just waiting for me.  I was pretty happy to find this and take it home to see if it was good as I remembered.

This is a 5.7% pale ale. I put it in a fridge to cool down a bit before I cracked one open.  It had a good amber color in a glass, and I was happy to find that it tasted just as good had it been from the keg.  I had a discussion with a friend, and the two of us agreed that keg beer is much better than bottle beer, but keeping several kegs in your home is a far more expensive habit than a few bottles.

Moving on. At first there wasn’t a very harsh bitter flavor to the beer when I took it out of the fridge.  I noticed that it was pretty smooth, and once it began to reach room temperature there was the real flavor I had been looking for.  There was a bitter taste, and it was much more refreshing at room temperature.

I did enjoy this beer a lot more when I had it from the tap; still it was perfectly fine come from a bottle.  There are some beers that do not translate well from tap to bottle, you’ll know them when you try them. However, Drifter stacked up very well.  To be honest, I wish I were drifting on a lake while I was drinking this beer instead of sitting inside on a cold day.

Well, there is always next summer.