Luau in Italy

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:10:58 +0000

My husband and I have become amateur bartenders. Both of us like to create cocktails, though we each have our own methods. For me, I try to create a theme for the dinner and drinks, so they coordinate. I also strive to make my drinks light and not too sweet. My husband takes more of a spontaneous approach. He will review his ingredient options, grab a few that sound good, mix, and sample what he has created.

Obviously with his method of mixing, there have been creations that were failures, and others that have been great successes. Recently, he has been using almond liqueur in many of his drinks, which can produce a drink that is too sweet for me. However, last week he found a combination that worked perfectly for both of us.

With a mix of tropical flavors, juice, selzter, and almond liqueur, I found the drink to be an interesting combination. Served over ice, it was the perfect drink to sip while enjoying cheese and crackers. Perhaps random construction of beverages is his forte.

Luau in Italy

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. almond liqueur

1 oz. pineapple-coconut rum

1-1/2 oz. cranberry juice

ice

seltzer (plain or flavored)

maraschino cherry

Place 4 ice cubes in a martini shaker. Add vodka, liqueur, rum, and cranberry juice, and shake well. Pour drink and ice into a lowball glass, and fill with seltzer. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Tropical Surprise

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:04:31 +0000

My husband’s birthday is this Saturday, but all four kids were going to be home last weekend, so it seemed the best day to celebrate. As one who likes to plan and throw parties, I decided that it would be fun to invite some friends and family and have a surprise party.

To keep things simple, I made a few appetizers, telling the soon-to-be-surprised birthday boy that we were having munchies for dinner. However, that would be the start of the party, and we would order pizza later. Now, the food portion of the party was complete.

Next, I decided to create a cocktail to share with our guests. I have been on a tropical kick lately and have been craving drinks with mango juice. My husband also likes those concoctions, as they are reminiscent of our honeymoon in Hawaii. To make a new mango creation, I decided to play upon the tropical theme and used both spiced and flavored rums.

My husband was fairly surprised, as can be expected with four kids being aware of the secret. Everyone enjoyed the food and drinks, and laughter and smiles were in abundance. A little bit of a surprise, a hint of the tropics, what more do you need for a good time?

Tropical Surprise

1-1/2 oz. spiced rum

1-1/2 oz. pineapple-coconut rum

1-1/2 to 3 oz. mango juice*

lemon-lime seltzer

Place several ice cubes in a martini shaker, and add both rums and mango juice. Shake well. Pour into a martini glass, and top with seltzer.

*If you prefer a lighter drink, use 1-1/2 oz. mango juice. If you prefer a drink with more fruit flavor, use 3 oz mango juice.

Parched No More » pinapple coconut rum

Luau in Italy

Tropical Surprise