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Yummy Link: Bacon Vodka

YumSugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 05:18:31 -0800

Love bacon? Love vodka? That means you're going to love bacon vodka right? It sounds a bit crazy, but I can't wait to give it a try. - Brownie Points

Happy Hour: Lichido Liqueur

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:12:52 -0700

Back in January, I told you guys all about how infused liqueurs were all the rage this year. Turns out that I may have actually been on to something. I just found out about a new liqueur called Lichido. It's produced in France from aged cognac, premium vodka, lychee & guava essences, and a "touch" of white peach juice. Personally I want to get my hands on a bottle and swig it down. Has anyone out there tried it? The folks at Liquor Snob say it's worth tracking down. I think it sounds heavenly on its own, but I also found a few recipes. To check them out, read more

Blushing Buddha
From Lichido

4 oz Sake
1 oz Lichido Liqueur
One Pitted Lychee

Shake all the ingredients with ice.
Pour into chilled glass.
Garnish with lychee nut.

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Lichidotini
From Lichido

2 oz Lichido Liqueur
1 oz Vodka
Dash Fresh Lemon Juice

Shake all the ingredients with ice.
Pour into chilled glass.
Garnish with lychee nut.

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A Conversation With P. Diddy

partysugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:00:03 -0800

Rapper and mogul P. Diddy was in San Francisco last week promoting Cîroc, his vodka brand. I was lucky enough to sit down with the musician, and we chatted about entertaining. Not surprisingly, he consumes a lot of Cîroc and his signature drink is a Cîroc and lemonade - say it fast and it sounds like a lyric in one of his songs, "ci-rocking lemonade." To find out what the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy had to say, read more.

PartySugar: What’s new with Cîroc?
P.Diddy: The newest thing with Cîroc is our success. Our success and our appeal. The sales went up 1,000% and just the appeal is becoming more recognizable to the consumer.

PS: Aren't you coming out with some new flavors?
PD: Yeah. In the world of Cîroc, one of the biggest differences is the flavors. Red Berry and coconut. Now most flavors, to be honest, in the vodka industry, most flavors just haven’t been done right. They taste like cough syrup. I went down with the innovation team, and I was like, whatever we do I want to make sure that this doesn’t taste like cough syrup.
And then also make something that really tastes like what it says. If it says coconut, let’s make sure it tastes like coconut. If it says red berry, let’s make sure it tastes like red berry.

PS: Do you ever cook?
PD: I cook breakfast.

PS: What music do you recommend for cooking?
PD: Music for cooking? Marvin Gaye’s always good for cooking.

PS: What are your guilty pleasure foods?
PD: I would probably say jello. Strawberry jello.

PS: If you had to drink one type of alcohol for the rest of your life what would it be?
PD: Vodka. Cîroc.

PS: Besides yourself, who are some celebrities that know how to entertain/host a good party?
PD: I never seen anybody do it how I do.

PS: What was the first alcoholic drink you ever drank?
PD: Peach schnapps and orange juice, before I was enabled.

PS: What do you think will be the next big thing in cocktails?
PD: Jello shots.

Stay tuned for Diddy's tips for hosting the ultimate party!

Come Party With Me: Almost Meatless Thanksgiving - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:15:21 -0800

Finish your almost meatless Thanksgiving with a decadent sweet potato pie. This pie is a dessert traditional to the South, but with its smooth creamy filling and rich sweet flavor, sweet potato pie is welcome on Thanksgiving tables all across America. The dough calls for shortening, however, if you prefer to bake with butter, use that instead. Although the ingredient list includes a whiskey-spiked whipped cream, you can omit the alcohol and employ vanilla extract. To get the recipe which should be made in advance, read more.

Sweet Potato Pie
From Food Network

Ingredients

Filling:
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch ground cloves
Dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced (1 stick)
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon cider or white wine vinegar
Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon whiskey, rye or bourbon
Candied Pecans, homemade or store bought, recipe follows

Directions

Filling: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the sweet potatoes on a small roasting pan and bake until easily pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile make the dough:Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor with the metal blade until combined. Add the shortening and pulse about 10 times. Add the butter and continue to pulse until it resembles cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter. Beat the egg yolk and vinegar together, add and pulse 3 to 4 times, but don't let the dough form a ball in the machine.
Remove the blade, and gather the dough together by hand. If dough does not come together, sprinkle up to 1 tablespoon of ice cold water over the dough and bring together. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and shape into disk. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Peel the cooked sweet potatoes and mash lightly with a fork; you should have about 2 cups puree. Mix the sweet potatoes and butter in the food processor until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine. Set aside.
Lightly dust the counter with flour. Roll the dough into an 11 to 12-inch circle and transfer to the pie pan. Trim the dough so that the edges hang about 1/2 inch over the pan; fold edges under and flute as desired. Pierce the crust all over with a fork, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to a day.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven of the 425 degree F oven. Line the crust with foil or parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the crust sets and begins to brown around edges, about 25 minutes. Lift foil and weights out of crust, lower oven temperature to 375 degrees F. and continue to bake until crust begins to brown on the bottom, about 10 to 12 minutes more.
Pour filling into the warm crust and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on rack.
When ready to serve, whip the cream with the whiskey until it holds soft peaks. Top pie with whipped cream and candied pecans. Serve.

Serves 8.

Make ahead: Crust can be made, rolled, and transferred to the pan, then tightly wrapped and frozen for up to a month. Candied pecans can be made and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Candied Pecans

1 large egg white
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecan pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly beat the egg white until frothy. Whisk in the sugar and cinnamon, and then toss pecans in the mixture.
Evenly spread nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until dry and toasted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

Makes about 1 cup.

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Yummy Link: Michelob Ultra Fruit Infused Beer

YumSugar — Thu, 03 May 2007 14:12:48 -0700

Michelob has announced a new line of fruit infused beers. In theory I should love this, after all I love lambic and I love hard cider, but something about it bothers me. Like it seems like it's meant for kids, right? I guess I should wait and give it a try before deciding. After all, a lime cactus beer sounds like it could be pretty refreshing. - Slashfood

Come Party With Me: Pumpkin Carving - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:00:21 -0700

Not only is my annual pumpkin carving party about creating cool pumpkins, it's also about celebrating the flavors of Fall.

To get people in the mood to party, I'll be pouring a potent punch made from pear nectar and sparkling apple cider. It's fruity, bubbly, and refreshing - what more could you ask for in a punch?

In case people want to imbibe something other than hard alcohol, I've asked my guests to bring an assortment of seasonal ales and sparkling sodas. To check out the easy punch recipe, which would be welcome at any large event, read more.

Pear and Sparkling Cider Cocktails
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

2 cups pear nectar, chilled
2 cups sparkling apple cider, chilled
2 cups seltzer, chilled
4 ounces (1/2 cup) bourbon whiskey, such as Knob Creek
1 Bosc pear, unpeeled, cored, and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges

Directions

Stir together pear nectar, cider, seltzer, and whiskey in a pitcher.
Divide pear wedges among glasses, and pour in cocktail. Serve immediately.

Serves 8-10.

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Know Your Ingredients: Applejack

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:50:04 -0700

With apples and artisanal apple cider replacing peaches and melon agua frescas at the local market, my thoughts have turned to applejack, one spirit that truly captures the essence of Fall in a bottle. But what exactly is it and is it really made of apples?

First enjoyed over 300 years a go, applejack is an alcohol beverage made by concentrating hard cider. It was extremely popular among early settlers of North America, including Johnny Appleseed and George Washington, and was thought to have originated from the French apple brandy known as Calvados.

Today, commercially produced applejack - like the one produced by New Jersey's Laird & Company, America's oldest family-run distillery - is composed of apple brandy diluted with grain spirits.

Much like the name implies, the tipple relies heavily on apples: a single bottle is produced with six pounds of the fruit, which imbues the spirit with a natural apple flavor. Have you ever had applejack? How did you enjoy it?

Source

Happy Hour: Quady Elysium

YumSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:30:49 -0700

While hosting a spur-of-the-moment dinner two nights ago, I wanted something sweet to end our meal, so I invited my guests to enjoy a glass of liquid dessert: Quady Elysium ($15.99), made with black muscat grapes.

The concentrated, blackberry-hued wine is rich with both floral and fruity flavors, so I enjoyed it in little sips. Because it's so intensely sweet and full-bodied, it's easy to overlook the alcohol content. Although it's detectable on the nose, I was surprised to find it was 15 percent alcohol, and had to pace myself! The winery also recommends enjoying it on ice with equal parts tonic water and wine, with a squeeze of lemon - something I fully intend to try next time I want a sweet sip that won't get me sloshed.

I've been hooked on stickies made by Quady Winery, a Central California-based producer that specializes in fortified wines, ever since I sampled its other dessert wine, Electra. Have you ever enjoyed Elysium or Quady's other dessert wines?

Know Your Ingredients: Pimm's

partysugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:15:37 -0700

A couple of weekends ago, for FabSugar's technicolor luau, I made a batch of Pineapple Pimm's Cup. Created by Duggan McDonnell of Cantina, this punch recipe consisted of pineapple vodka, Pimm's No. 1, ginger beer, ginger syrup, and fresh-squeezed lemon and lime juice.

The refreshing and unexpected cocktail was a major hit and everyone was inquiring about the ingredients. While I was able to tell them what was in the drink, I wasn't able to answer when they asked, "What's Pimm's?" My lame reply, "Oh it's a liquor popular in England." But really, I had no clue what it was!

Until now. Pimm's, an aperitif, is a brand of alcoholic beverages that was created in London in 1840, with the most popular being Pimm's No. 1 Cup. Each number of Pimm's has a different base spirit; No. 1 is a gin-based, No. 2 is scotch-based, and No. 3 is brandy-based (only No.1 still exists). Other elements (spices, citrus, etc.) are added to the base spirit to achieve a characteristic floral flavor and rich tea color. Pimm's is often mixed with soft drinks or as in the classic Pimm's Cup, with lemonade, cucumber, and fresh fruit. Do you enjoy Pimm's?

Happy Hour: 2007 Lander-Jenkins Cabernet Sauvignon

YumSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:00:34 -0700

In general, during the warmer months, I prefer white wines, but ever since I attended a wine and chocolate pairing earlier this Summer, I've been prone to winding down with a chunk of chocolate and a glass of big, complex red wine.

My recent favorite? The ridiculously low-priced 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Lander-Jenkins ($14). I've gotten into the habit of pulling out the largest stemware I have, pouring myself a few ounces of this dark Cabernet, and watching Conan O'Brien's monologue before climbing into bed.

I love that it's full-bodied but not overly tannic. A swirl in the glass produces thick tears of liquid, indicating a high alcohol content, yet each sip is incredibly smooth. The wine's plummy, mellow flavor pairs perfectly with a piece (or two) of dark chocolate. Have you ever tried Lander-Jenkins Cabernet? What did you think of it?