Low Key Cocktails

Another week, another cocktail. It’s not such a bad life; I’ll say that much. So, last week, we had our Oscar party with plenty of martinis, Toy Story 3 mocktails and even a little absinthe for those who were feeling especially feisty. So, what’s on the menu for tonight? That’s a great question, and one I was just wondering about for dinner, too.

Tonight, I think we’ll keep things a little more low key since this week is surrounded by parties. Last week it was the Oscars and next week is one of my favorite holidays: Saint Patty’s Day. When I think of low-key cocktails I think of things that are low-maintenance, but still fun. Here are some of my favorite low-key cocktails (they’re also classics):

1. Screwdriver – Does it get any easier than vodka and orange juice? Not only is the ingredient list short, but it’s also easy to find. You probably already have the ingredients in your fridge and bar. For a mocktail, instead of just going with straight-up OJ, I’d suggest mixing in a small amount of club soda.

2. Gin and tonic – This one is as simple as the screwdriver but it has a vintage feel to me: kind of like the martini. The martini would have made this list, but when I think “low key,” I don’t think “high alcohol.” You know, it’s hard to stay low key when you’re completely wasted. A gin and tonic moctail is a little challenging, but you can make a decent one with club soda, lemon juice and a little coconut water.

3. Rum and diet Coke – This one is actually my go-to drink for times like these. I never keep soda in the house, so I have to go out for my rum and diets, but it’s an easy combo that is super casual. When you order a rum and diet Coke, you’re not trying to impress anyone; you’re just looking to sip on a zero-carb cocktail. No mocktail necessary; just drink diet Coke if you’re not looking to get drunk.

The Magical Mojito

Ah, the mojito. I’d be lying if I said it was my absolute favorite drink, but there’s definitely something special about that minty tropical libation. I can still vividly remember the first mojito I ever had. Okay, so it was only a few years ago, but it was a magical time nonetheless. Let me go muddle us a few mojitos, and I’ll tell you all about it.

It was a hot but rainy September afternoon in South Beach. My boyfriend (at the time; husband now) and I were in Miami for a long weekend. It was his birthday, so we had something to celebrate (as if we need a reason to celebrate). Anyway, because of the rain and impending hurricane, South Beach was a ghost town. But, a little rain wasn’t enough to dampen our fun. Heck, no.

We wandered around town, taking in the sites between the raindrops, until we reached a little place called Mojitos. There was no one there, but there was no one anywhere, so it didn’t really matter. We took a table outside under the ample canopy and ordered us up some mojitos. We were both mojito virgins, so we didn’t know exactly what to expect. The mint and lime were so fresh-tasting, and the sugar cane garnish added an extra jolt of sweet that just made the drink amazing.

After some time, the owner came out and struck up a conversation. He talked about how he came to own this place, visions for improvements and the history of the mojito. Once he heard these were our first mojitos, he insisted we also try a flavored version, which he immediately had the bartender whip up for us and presented them “on the house.” Maybe it was the alcohol; maybe it was the fact that we had the entire town to ourselves, but it will always stick out in my mind as a truly magical moment. We were young; we were in love; and we had mojitos. What more could you ask for?

This was my first mojito, but I know now it’s the best I’ll ever have. I wish I had the recipe to recreate that exact cocktail, but alas, I do not. Instead, I’ll share with you my favorite basic mojito recipe, and a mocktail version for those who want to avoid the rum.

The cocktail version can be found at All Recipes, and the mocktail can be found at Rachel Ray's website.

Mint Julep Cocktail and Mocktail Recipe

Okay, so I know it’s the middle of the winter, but I’m sitting here sipping on my peppermint tea and daydreaming about warmer days. Can you guess what instantly comes to mind? You got it: the mint julep. Everyone can appreciate a well-made mint julep; from the sweetest southern belle to the burliest FBI agent (although the latter might be more reluctant to admit it).

A mint julep is traditionally made with just four ingredients: bourbon or gin, sugar, water and (of course) mint. In the south, they tend to be quite particular about how their mint juleps are made, and they prefer it be with spearmint (not just any old mint leaf). However, unlike its mint-containing Spanish counterpart, the mojito, a mint julep is not muddled. That means that the mint leaves should barely be bruised, if at all.

Getting back to tradition, the mint julep should really be served in a silver or pewter cup. Since those aren’t as popular these days, you can usually find them sold as mint julep cups. Don’t fret if you don’t have any of these fancy vessels. You can still make a great mint julep and serve it in a old-fashioned or highball glass. No one will turn her nose up at it; I promise.

Like most cocktails, the mint julep has an uncertain history, but many believe that it originated in the southern states during the eighteenth century. You don’t hear the word “julep” much these days, but it does have a meaning outside the cocktail. It refers to a sweet drink that was usually served alongside medicine. The mint juleps in the early days were almost always made with bourbon, but these days, it’s more common to find a gin-based julep.

Since I already told you how to make a mint julep cocktail, I’ll just focus on the mocktail recipe here (by the way, this makes a pitcher):

4 cups water

4 cups lemonade

1 cup fresh mint leaves

Combine the water and lemonade and add fresh mint leaves (be careful not to bruise them too much). Stir and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

Mimosa Cocktails and Mocktails

When I think of New Year’s, I usually think of the party on New Year’s Eve. Then I think of the hangover the next day. But then, finally, I think of the New Year’s brunch. In my family, it’s a tradition to get together for brunch on New Year’s Day. It’s a nice and low-key time to talk about what we all did the night before and our plans and resolutions for the upcoming year. Almost inevitably, after partaking in too much holiday cheer the night before, one of us resolves to never drink again. That resolution is usually swept under the rug pretty quickly, but until then, I’ve made it a habit to prepare some virgin mimosas to have on hand for the brunch. Virgin mimosas are actually a great and festive way to rehydrate after a night of too much partying. The vitamin C works wonders as long as you’re not completely sick the next day. In that case, just stick to water and your resolution not to drink alcohol – ever again.

Mimosas are really easy to make, so I’m not going to bother with a formal recipe here. You just need to mix some champagne with some orange juice and add a tiny splash of grand marnier. You would normally add mostly champagne and a bit of orange juice for color, but some people like theirs more fruity (and less bubbly). So, make them however you’d like. For the mocktail version, all you have to do is replace the champagne with ginger ale or club soda and omit the grand marnier. Personally, I like ginger ale because it gives the drink more flavor (similar to what the champagne does). But, again, do what you like.

Regardless of how you make yours, a mimosa should always be served in a champagne glass. It’s just the way it is. I think that’s part of the fun of having them; you just feel a little extra fancy. You don’t need a garnish, but if you’d like, you can add some orange zest or a small orange slice to the rim.

Festive Sangria Cocktail and Mocktail Recipes

Sangria is often thought of as a summer drink, but it’s not really much more summery than a champagne punch, which is usually designated to holiday parties. So, I like to buck the trend and serve sangria to my guests on New Year’s Eve. It’s always appreciated; I can tell you that much. Sangria is a wine punch that comes from Spain or Portugal, I’m not sure which was first, but now, it’s consumed throughout the world. I like to serve sangria along with tapas – either at New Years or any old cocktail party. Sure, some guests will prefer beer, but most enjoy the fruity taste of this alcoholic beverage.

Whenever you serve sangria, you should keep in mind that the alcohol is largely masked by the fruitiness. So, if guests aren’t careful, they can easily overdo it. Although the wine is diluted with fruit juice, there is also triple sec and sometimes also brandy added to the mix. In order to combat the potential drunkenness, it’s a good idea to have a mocktail version on hand. By the way, it’s also a nice gesture to have a virgin sangria around for any kids, pregnant women or just anyone who doesn’t drink alcohol. This way, they still feel like they’re partaking in all the festiveness of the event. At my party this year, I’m inviting a few people from work. The accountant is a recovering alcoholic and the paralegal is expecting, so I know at least two people will be enjoying the sangria mocktail.

Here are two recipes you can try:

Sangria Recipe

1 Bottle of zinfandel (red, not white)

1 Lemon cut into wedges

1 Orange cut into wedges

1 Lime cut into wedges

2 Tbsp sugar

½ cup of orange juice

2 Shots triple sec

1 shot brandy

1 Small can of diced pineapples (with juice)

4 Cups ginger ale

Pour the wine into a large pitcher and squeeze in lemon, lime and orange juice from each wedge. Toss the wedges in and add pineapple, orange juice, triple sec and brandy. Refrigerate overnight, and then add ginger ale right before serving.

Sangria Mocktail

Sangria Recipe

1 qt grape juice (not from concentrate)

1 Lemon cut into wedges

1 Orange cut into wedges

1 Lime cut into wedges

2 Tbsp sugar

½ cup of orange juice

1 Small can of diced pineapples (with juice)

4 Cups ginger ale

¾ cup powdered lemonade drink mix

Pour the grape juice into a large pitcher and squeeze in lemon, lime and orange juice from each wedge. Toss the wedges in and add pineapple and orange juice. Refrigerate overnight, and then add ginger ale and lemonade mix right before serving. 

Orange Pomegranate Champagne Punch Recipe

 You can’t have a holiday party without a good champagne punch, can you? Ok fine, I guess technically you can, but it just wouldn’t be the same. Just in time for your New Year’s preparations, I thought it would be a good time to highlight a nice champagne punch recipe.

Champagne punch is an easy and relatively inexpensive beverage to serve guests at any party, but it’s traditionally served at holiday parties. If you’re going to serve this punch, I highly recommend doing it out of a classic punch bowl. Otherwise, you lose some of the effect. Guests may think it’s just a standard mixed drink, but we know it’s so much more than that.

Did you know that punch actually has Indian origins? At least, that’s the popular belief. Many believe that punch was inspired by an Indian beverage called “panch.” Panch essentially means “five ingredients,” which is what it contains. Modern punches don’t always contain exactly five ingredients and none of them even resemble the original ingredients in panch, but this is the history I was told.

Making punch is really easy, but there are a few things you should know.

• Regardless of what else is in the punch, if it sparkles, add it last. So, add the champagne or seltzer last in this recipe. 
• Chill all of your ingredients ahead of time, so you don’t have to rely on too much ice to keep the punch cold. 
• Use a large block of ice instead of small cubes. The large block will stay frozen longer, which will keep your punch from getting diluted too quickly. 
• Don’t spend too much money on the booze. With all the other ingredients, your guests will barely taste the alcohol, so buying top shelf stuff would be a waste. 
• Don’t make it too strong. I know, it’s tempting, but do you remember how drunk the company software engineer got at the last holiday party? Boy, was his face red when he had to face his peers at work the next day. Everyone will have more fun if no one gets too wasted. 

Champagne Punch Recipe

2 cups pomegranate juice
3 cups orange juice
1 cup white rum
½ cup simple syrup
1 bottle brut Champagne
8 fresh mint leaves
1 orange, cut into thin slices

Makes about 10 servings

Add pomegranate juice, orange juice, rum and simple syrup to your punch bowl. Stir. Right before the guests arrive, add the champagne and give it all a gentle stir. Garnish with mint and orange slices. Add the ice block and you’re ready for guests to indulge!

Champagne Punch Mocktail Recipe

2 cups pomegranate juice
3 cups orange juice
1 bottle lemon flavored seltzer or 7 Up
8 fresh mint leaves
1 orange, cut into thin slices 

Add pomegranate juice, orange juice, rum and simple syrup to your punch bowl. Stir. Right before the guests arrive, add the seltzer and give it all a gentle stir. Garnish with mint and orange slices. Add the ice block and you’re ready for guests to indulge!

Coquito Recipes: Cocktail, Mocktail and Vegan

Have you ever heard of comfort food? Of course you have. But, have you ever heard of comfort drinks? Ahh, probably not, right? If so, it’s time to change that – with the Coquito! Oh, this drink is good; I kid you not. It’s often referred to as Puerto Rican eggnog, but I believe if more people tasted the coquito, they’d forget all about eggnog. I was never a big fan of eggnog anyway, but after becoming vegan, it was definitely off-limits. By the way, even if you and your guests aren't vegan, some might be lactose intolerant, so making a veganized coquito might still be a good idea.

You can veganize either drink (coquito or eggnog), but easier and tastier to veganize the coquito. The vegan version is also better for your health. So, for today, I’m going to share a cocktail and mocktail and a veganized cocktail. They are all kind of thick and sweet, so a coquito isn’t really the kind of drink you have too many of in one sitting. Keep that in mind, if you’re planning a holiday party. Definitely add the coquito the drink list, but be sure to have a few lighter drinks too. Just make enough coquitos for each guest to have two or three. More than that would be overkill.

Whether you try these recipes or not, I really hope you try the coquito – you won’t be disappointed. You’ll always remember your first coquito. For me, it was in my college years. At the time, I was temping as an administrative assistant at a major insurance company. The rest of the party wasn’t so memorable, nor was the job itself, now that I’m thinking about it, but the coquito? That, I remember.

Coquito Recipe

1 750-ml bottle of vanilla rum

1 13-1/2 ounce can coconut milk

1 15-ounce can cream of coconut

2.5 12-ounce cans evaporated milk

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Blend ingredients and refrigerate. Sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with cinnamon sticks before serving.

(Virgin) Coquito Mocktail Recipe

Follow the recipe above, but substitute the vanilla rum for 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.

Vegan Coquito Recipe
1 can Coconut milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 can Cream of Coconut
1 cup Almond milk
2 cups Bacardi rum

Blend ingredients and refrigerate. Sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with cinnamon sticks before serving.

Feeling Down? Try a Little Hot Toddy

Have you ever heard of a hot toddy? Don't let Usher confuse you. It’s actually an alcoholic cocktail that people drink when they’re sick, usually with the flu. Its history isn’t really known, but the best info we have points to the notion that it was created in Scotland in the 1700s to make the taste of scotch more appealing to the female gender. And just like most other home remedies for the flu, there are many variations of the hot toddy.

I’m going to share one variation with you today, but you may have heard of or even tasted others. That’s fine. Stick with the one you like best. But if don’t have any hot toddy recipes up your sleeve, you may want to give this one a shot. All of the recipes will be similar in that they contain a spirit, sweetener and a warm beverage. You can experiment with different versions of this drink using warm apple cider, brandy and sugar or coffee, rum and syrup. Use your imagination to create one that works for you. If you’re avoiding alcohol, or making a hot toddy for a sickly minor, just omit the alcohol.

You might notice that the mocktail version of the hot toddy looks a little familiar. It truly isn’t much more than tea with lemon and honey, but in this version we spice things up a little with freshly grated cinnamon. Serve it in an Irish coffee glass with a cinnamon stick to make it even more special (and less like your standard old tea).

For those of you making the cocktail version, I just have one bit of advice: Use the good stuff! The other ingredients in the drink aren’t strong enough to mask the flavor of a poor quality bourbon. I always say, if you’re going to taste it, make it good!

Hot toddys really work wonders at making you feel better, if only for the moment. Be sure to also drink a lot of water and take some vitamin C, and you’ll be back on your feet in no time, so you can get back to your day job as a postal worker, tattoo artist, lawyer, or whatever it is you do so well. Just remember to pay it forward. Remember to tell your coworkers about the hot toddy when they’re feeling down and out.

Hot Toddy Recipe

1 black tea bag

1 oz. bourbon

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. lemon juice

Freshly grated cinnamon

Steep the tea in 6 ounces of boiling water. Add bourbon, honey and lemon juice. Stir and top with freshly grated cinnamon.

Hot Toddy Mocktail

1 black tea bag

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. lemon juice

Freshly grated cinnamon

Steep the tea in 6 ounces of boiling water. Add honey and lemon juice. Stir and top with freshly grated cinnamon.

Time to Party Holiday-Style: Eggnog Cocktail and Mocktail Recipe

With Thanksgiving behind us, it’s time to start putting up the Christmas decorations. And, really, who does that without a nice warm glass of eggnog in-hand? It adds another element of fun to your holiday preparations. Plus, if you practice making your eggnog before your holiday get-togethers, you’ll be a pro by the time the big event rolls around.

Eggnog isn’t one of the easiest drinks you can make, but nothing else is quite as synonymous with the holidays. Although mastering a good eggnog isn’t easy, virginizing it is. All you have to do is omit the alcohol and you’ll have a tasty, kid-friendly version.

Just one note of caution: The eggs in eggnog are only lightly cooked. Eating raw eggs can possibly lead to salmonella poisoning, so take steps to avoid it by using only fresh, refrigerated eggs for your eggnog. Also, don't cook them for less time than the recipe states. You want guests to remember your party, but not because they all got sick for a week after.

Eggnog Cocktail and Mocktail Recipe

4 cups milk
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
12 egg yolks
1 ½ cups sugar
2 ½ cups light rum
4 cups heavy cream
½ tsp ground nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, whisk milk, sugar, cloves and cinnamon until the sugar is completely dissolved. This should take about 1 to 2 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Pour the hot milk mixture onto the yolks, while whisking constantly, in a slow and steady stream.

Return the eggnog mixture to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often for about 20 to 25 minutes. Just don’t let it simmer or the eggs may start to clump. When it’s done, the mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Strain the mixture into a bowl and stir in the heavy cream and alcohol (if you’re making the cocktail version). You can serve your eggnog warm or cool, depending on what you’re accustomed to. If you’d like it chilled, you cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before serving.

Garnish with nutmeg prior to serving.

Oh yeah, one more word of caution: If you’re drinking the alcoholic version, don’t be afraid to switch to the non-alcoholic version after one or two. You don’t want to get too drunk, especially if you’re not among close family and friends. Remember how drunk the company tax accountant got at last year’s holiday party? You never want to be that guy.

The recipe above is one of the best eggnog recipes I've found, but there are many others. You may have to try a few or tweak one a bit to find one that suits your taste buds. For yet another eggnog recipe, watch the video below: