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The Classic Cocktails of Mad Men

YumSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:50:58 -0700

Are you hooked on Mad Men, the Emmy-winning AMC series about ~~drinking~~ advertising in the early 1960s? If so, then you know that the show can easily put you in the mood for a cocktail, with its three-martini lunches and meetings over bloody Marys. It's a great showcase for classic libations, so before the next episode airs on Sunday, mix up one of these eight great drinks featured on the show.
Photo Courtesy AMC

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Happy Hour: Cosmopolitan

partysugar — Fri, 25 May 2007 13:01:19 -0700

Last Thursday I was invited to an annual charity event hosted by the Guardsmen - a fraternity-like organization for young, professional men. Geeksugar and I made our way upstairs to the balcony bar and ordered Cosmopolitans. The Cosmos were free and flowing however, I was disappointed in the taste because it was obvious that they were made with Cosmo mix rather than refreshing cranberry juice cocktail and fresh squeezed lime. Making a Cosmo is super simple, it's one of the most basic drinks and should be in every hostess' repertoire. To get the recipe, along with a gallery of images from the event, just read more

Cosmopolitan
From Drink of the Week

1 1/2oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
3/4 oz. Cranberry Juice
1/4 oz. Lime Juice

Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well.
Strain into a cockail glass.
Garnish with a lime wedge, if desired.

Serves 1.

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Happy Hour: Mojito

partysugar — Tue, 01 May 2007 13:13:13 -0700

I spent Saturday night at a friend's ranch down in Bakersfield and we all (20 of us) had a delicious dinner together. Before dinner my friend Maile set up a Mojito Factory Assembly Line so she could make mojitos for everyone at the Ranch. Several people picked the freshly cut mint from the stems, another person cut up the tiny Mexican limes, one person added the limes and sugar to the glasses and yet another added the mint and muddled. It was quite an operation and the end result was refreshingly wonderful. I had forgotten how much I love this summery, incredibly light cocktail and quickly powered through a glass. Unfortunately we didn't have enough ice to make everyone a second round, so I'll definitely be making up a batch of these for my sister to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this weekend. It's a great alternative if you don't like tequila margaritas, so check out the recipe and read more

Mojito
From Taste of Cuba

1 teaspoon sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
Havana Club white Rum (2 ounces)
2 ounces club soda

Place the mint leaves into a long mojito glass (often called a "collins" glass) and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. You'll want about two ounces of lime juice, so it may not require all of the juice from a single lime or may require another lime.
Add the sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler (you can also use the back of a fork or spoon if one isn't available).
Add ice (preferably crushed) then add the rum and stir, and top off with the club soda.
Garnish with a mint sprig.

Serves 1.

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Happy Hour: Classic Champagne Cocktail

partysugar — Fri, 11 May 2007 12:09:56 -0700

This afternoon we are celebrating the arrival of advice columnist E. Jean to the Sugar Network. DearSugar is girl after my own heart who loves any and every reason to celebrate. So today I'm playing bartender and whipping us up a round of classic Champagne cocktails. Different from a glass of champagne, the classic champagne cocktail (one that every hostess with the mostess should know how to make) incorporates a sugar cube, bitters and cognac. This is one sexy cocktail - if you have never tried it, you should because it oozes glamour. Celebrate with DearSugar and me, read more

Classic Champagne Cocktail
From Drink's Mixer

3 oz Champagne
1/3 oz cognac
2 dashes Angostura® bitters
1 sugar cube
lemon wedge

Soak sugar cube in a champagne flute with angostura bitters.
Add champagne and cognac.
Squeeze in a wedge of lemon and discard. Garnish with twist of lemon if desired.

Serves 1.

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Tiki Cocktails: Love Them or Hate Them?

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:50:12 -0700

While attending Julie Reiner's seminar on tropical cocktails during the Food & Wine Classic, I came to the realization that tiki drinks are sort of a love it or hate it kind of thing.

On the one hand, an icy, fruit-flavored tiki cocktail can be like having Guam in a glass - but on the flip side, many people find them to be overly cloying, rather than refreshing. When it comes to tiki drinks, is your glass half full or half empty?

Happy Hour: Mai Tai

YumSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:00:47 -0700

One of the best seminars I attended at last weekend's Aspen Food & Wine Classic was a cocktail class that focused on tropical cocktails. The lesson was led by Julie Reiner, the owner and bar genius behind such Manhattan hotspots as the Flatiron Lounge, Pegu Club, and the Clover Club.

Julie started off by giving us a primer on one of America's favorite drinking pastimes, the tiki bar. America's unique tiki culture owes much of its history to a San Francisco pioneer by the name of Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. - perhaps better known to the rest of the country as Trader Vic.
Trader Vic created many of tiki's classic concoctions - among them, the Scorpion and the Fog Cutter - but is most famous for the Mai Tai, a world-famous liquid vacation that combines the tartness of lime with the sweetness of orgeat and the caramelized molasses flavor of dark rum. See Trader Vic's tried-and-true recipe when you read more.

Trader Vic's Classic Mai Tai
From Julie Reiner

Ingredients

2 ounces aged rum
3/4 ounce orange curaçao, preferably Marie Brizard
1/4 ounce Monin Almond Syrup, or other orgeat
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce dark rum
Parasol, lime wheel, and mint sprig, for garnish

Directions

Shake aged rum, orange curaçao, orgeat, and lime juice in a shaker with ice.
Strain contents into a lowball glass filled with fresh ice.
Top with 1/4 to 1/2 ounces dark rum.
Garnish with a lime wheel, sprig of mint, and a parasol.

Serves 1.

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An Insider Look at The Bitters Seminar

partysugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:50:38 -0700

Recently Lucas Bols, the spirits brand behind Bols Genever, announced a unique series of classic cocktails seminars. The discussions would happen four times a year in both New York City and San Francisco. Along with the city by the bay's best bartenders, I was lucky enough to score an invite to the first seminar, "The History and Influence of Bitters." Here, I give you an account of the event. Rick Camargo Photography

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What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:30:25 -0800

This holiday, make a homemade crust with shortening for an apple pie you won't forget.
Enter to win our ultimate Thanksgiving package!
Top Chef took food into the bedroom; did you watch?
You'll want to make this Maryland-style crab dip again and again.
It's a tired turkey day no more, thanks to Party's bold flavorful Thanksgiving.
Can you identify which classic dishes were named after people?
Decide what seasonal cocktails to serve with your big feast.

Happy Hour: Cranberry Margarita

partysugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:46 -0800

While I'm a fan of the classic margarita, during November, I like to enjoy its Thanksgiving-themed cousin, the cranberry margarita. It's surprising how much the addition of cranberry juice changes the flavor of the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice cocktail. It's festive and familiar, but potent with a rich autumnal hue. Instead of craving tortilla chips and guacamole, I found myself wanting something elegant and savory. Thus, I paired the cran marg with a warm crab dip. Shake and serve straight up, or pour over ice, like I did. To check out the recipe, which is perfect for a party, read more.

Cranberry Margarita
From Bobby Flay

Ingredients

2 cups tequila
1 1/3 cups cranberry juice
1 cup orange-flavored liqueur (triple sec of Cointreau)
2/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice

Directions

Combine the tequila, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and lime juice in a large pitcher. Shake over ice.
Strain into margarita glasses or low cocktail flutes. Alternately, strain into low tumblers filled with ice.

Serves 10.

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Happy Hour: Manhattan

partysugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 12:55:47 -0700

In order to be a wonderful home entertainer, you must learn how to make the classic drinks. The Martini, Cosmopolitan, and Margarita are popular drinks that highlight gin, vodka, and tequila respectively. It's good to know one basic cocktail for each of the five major liquors (gin, vodka, tequila, rum, and whiskey). Dating back to 1870, a Manhattan is the optimal whiskey drink. Take care when mixing this cocktail because it can be difficult at first to get the correct ration of whiskey to vermouth. Use a rye or bourbon whiskey for best results when making your guests this drink. Meant to be stirred rather than shaken a Manhattan is a wonderful before dinner drink that pairs nicely with salty appetizers. To see how it's done, read more

Manhattan
From Williams Sonoma: The Bar Guide

2 1/2 ounces rye, bourbon, or blended Canadian whiskey
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet vermouth
2 dashes angostura bitters
1 maraschino cherry, for garnish

Pour the whiskey, vermouth, and bitters into a mixing glass two-thirds full of ice cubes.
Stir well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with cherry and enjoy.

Serves 1.

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