Let's Toast to Spring!

Hello there, my cocktail (and mocktail) loving friends! I have to tell you, I’m super excited today. Can you guess why? Dun, dun, dun. Oops, nope. It’s not because Saint Patty’s Day is tomorrow (although I am pretty excited about that too). It’s because the first day of spring is next week (woot!)!!

I’m already really stoked about the daylight savings change that has the sun shining well into the 7-o’clock hour, but on Tuesday, the deal is sealed: it will officially be spring (can I get another woot?)! I absolutely cannot stand the cold New York winters that I’ve had to deal with for my entire life. I say, enough is enough. Actually, I shouldn’t complain too much because this winter has been pretty mild (we’ve been lucky), but I’m still sooooo glad to see it go.

In honor of the first day of spring, I wanted to highlight a few spring cocktails that I’m looking forward to sipping very soon. Possibly next week. And, yes. Maybe all of them. I’m that excited. Although, I’ll probably have to make a few of them as mocktails or it’ll be a rough week.

1. Margarita – No, it isn’t Cinco de Mayo yet, but why reserve such a great drink for just one day? I love the idea of sitting on the veranda of a Mexican cantina sipping margaritas. Who can’t get behind that? Margaritas also bring me back to a simpler time. I was in school learning how to become a nutritionist (a degree that I wouldn’t use much later in life, but that’s another story), and I lived in a tiny apartment over a Mexican restaurant. Let’s just say I had my share of this salt-rimmed beverage.

2. Cherry Blossom Tini – It’s almost time for the cherry trees to bloom, so why not celebrate the occasion with this sake-based cocktail? I’ve never tasted this one, myself, but it sounds quite yummy.

3. White Sangria – Sangria is so easy to make, and I love that it incorporates fresh fruits into the mix. What better way to ring in the spring season than with a white sangria toast?

Oscar Party Cocktails

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the 84th annual Academy Awards is here! And the Oscar goes to… Why, the person with the best Oscar party, of course! Well, that’s who it would go to if I were doling out those little gold men. So, today I have a treat for you all: A little Oscar party inspiration. Make them as cocktails or mocktails; either way, your guests will be thrilled. Actually, since it’s a Sunday night (work in the morning), guests might really appreciate the mocktail versions. And, boy would you be in trouble if the office administrative assistant didn’t show up for work after having too much absinthe at your shindig.

Black Russian – If you’re a fan of the movie Black Swan, you might want to serve this dark version of a White Russian. Just use black vodka instead of the standard stuff. If you’re going with a mocktail, use food coloring to get the dark effect.

Inception – Wasn’t that a great movie? And, of course it made you run out and get a bottle of absinthe, right? What a great cocktail to serve to your guests tonight. Just make sure no one has too much. At about 70 percent alcohol, absinthe is nothing to mess around with (especially not on a school night).

Coconut Water Mocktail – This Toy Story 3 inspired drink is packed with antioxidants to keep your guests feeling great (tonight and tomorrow morning). Just mix some fruit juice (papaya works wonderfully) with coconut water and enjoy. Even the kiddos will love this one.

Classic Martini – If you want to keep things simple, you might opt for a classic martini. Since the early days of the Academy Awards, the martini has starred in more nominated movies than Katherine Hepburn (who, by the way, has been nominated 12 times in the Best Actress category).

5 Reasons to Serve a Mocktail at your Next Cocktail Party

Although I normally post recipes on this blog, I wanted to take this post to talk a little bit about the reasons to make a mocktail for your next event. Cocktail parties can be a lot of fun, but not everyone can partake in the alcoholic beverages. Does that mean they shouldn’t join in on the fun? Heck, no. If you have a mocktail version of every cocktail you serve, everyone can partake. And the best part? Mocktails are higher in nutrients and lower in calories than their alcoholic counterparts.

Here are some reasons why your guests might appreciate a good mocktail.

Pregnancy – If you have any guests that are pregnant or even nursing, a mocktail is a must. Even parents with young kids might not want to have cocktails, so it’s good to have options.

Recovering alcoholics – If you’re having a big get-together, you might have a person or two who has quit drinking, and you don’t even realize. Although these people can always have soda or juice, a mocktail just makes it feel more like a party.

Heavy drinkers – If you notice someone has had one too many, you can offer them a non-alcoholic mocktail. They’ll be much more likely to accept another salt-rimmed drink than a boring old glass of water.

Designated drivers –  If you don’t want people drinking and driving, you should seriously consider serving a mocktail at your next cocktail party. After the cleanup is done, you’ll rest easy knowing that none of your guests will have a brush with a police officer – or worse.

Dieters – It’s no secret that cocktails have a lot of calories. Usually the mocktail version isn’t quite as rough on your waistline as the full-alcohol version.

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: