YumSugar

Cheers With Gin and Tonic Cupcakes

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:30:14 -0800

Recently a great friend celebrated his birthday. To surprise him, I decided to turn his favorite cocktail into a cupcake! A must for any party, these gin and tonic cupcakes are stunning and surprisingly easy to make. Be careful when baking; the cake should be light and airy rather than hard and overcooked. The creamy frosting has a mild gin flavor, but feel free to add more or less booze to suit your tastebuds. My local market did not have citrus jellies, so I used sugar-coated lime slices as garnish. Homemade candied lime peel is another excellent option for garnish. To celebrate with your own gin and tonic cupcakes, read more.

Gin & Tonic Cupcakes
From Gorgeous Cakes by Annie Bell

Ingredients

Cake
2 medium egg whites
Pinch of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons tonic water
Frosting
1/2 cup mascarpone
1 tablespoon gin
2 tablespoons corn syrup
Green food coloring
Lime slices covered in sugar or jellied lime or lemon slices, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit. With an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites in a large bowl with salt and cream of tartar until they are risen. Now beat in the sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, sprinkling it over the egg whites and beating about 20 seconds with each addition. Fold the sifted flour into the meringue in three stages, and then stir in the tonic water.
Arrange muffin paper baking cups inside a muffin tin and fill two thirds full. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden on the surface and still springy to the touch. Remove and let cool.
Spoon mascarpone into a bowl and beat in the gin and then the syrup and tint it the palest green with a little food coloring. Fill a icing bag or ziploc with the tip cut off to frost the cupcakes.
Use a decorative toothpick to spear lime slices in sugar or jellied candies and insert one into each cupcake.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 6 Photos ›

Come Party With Me: Travel Party - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 07:01:39 -0700

Creating a travel party menu was surprisingly super easy! I used popular foods from each country to define what I would make and the same strategy can be applied to the drinks. Each room will have still and sparkling water, plus a drink that relates to the country. Select drinks that highlight a different nation's alcohol and some that appeal to girly gals (sweeter, fruitier) and some that appeal to the tough guys (harder, non-sweet). In the Mexico room offer tequila sunrises. In the Japan room make guests take sake bombs (a shot of sake dropped into a cold glass of Japanese beer and pounded quickly). In the Russian room shake up vodka martinis and in the Cuba room Cuba Libres are an excellent option. Finally gin and tonics made with British gin (Beefeater or Martin Miller's) round out the menu. For the recipes to these classic cocktails from all over the world, read more

Tequila Sunrise
From Victoria Packing

1 ½ oz. tequila
3 oz. orange juice
1 oz. grenadine

Shake the tequila and orange juice together in a glass. Pour into a tall glass filled with ice and add the grenadine; do not stir.

Serves 1.

Print recipe with images | without images

Party's Perfect Vodka Martini
From PartySugar (hey I was a bartender!)

2 1/2 oz vodka (recommended grey goose)
1/2 oz dry vermouth
3 green olives on a tooth pick
martini glass, preferably chilled

Fill the martini glass with ice. Carefully pour the vermouth into the glass and set aside.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and the vodka. Shake vigorously for at least 20 seconds. You want ice crystals to form in the vodka.
Carefully pour out the ice being sure to coat the entire glass with vermouth.
Strain vodka into glass and garnish with olives.
Enjoy!

Serves 1.

Warning: it is not highly advised to drink three or more of these potent babies in a short amount of time. Trust me you will only end up with a horrible headache.

Print recipe with images | without images

Cuba Libre
From Drinkalizer

ice cubes
3 ounces rum
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
Chilled cola
Slice lime

Put ice cubes in a highball glass, add the rum and lime juice, fill with cola and garnish with a slice of lime.

Print recipe with images | without images

Gin & Tonic
From Food Network

4 to 5 Ice Cubes
3 ounces gin
4 ounces tonic water (recommended: Schweppes)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Lime wedge for garnish

Place the ice cubes in a tall, narrow, chilled glass (the cubes should come near the top.)
Add the gin, then the tonic water, then the lime juice, stirring well.
Garnish with lime wedge, and serve immediately.

Serves 1.

Print recipe with images | without images

Come Party With Me: Heroes Season Premiere - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:30:17 -0700

What cocktail pairs perfectly with a traditional meat and mashed potato TV dinner? A classic gin and tonic served in a chilled glass. It's a simple, no-fuss drink that will nicely complement the menu for my Heroes season premiere party.

I'll also have a couple bottles of red wine on hand to enjoy with dinner. Water, beer, and sodas are a must for those who dislike gin. To look at the recipe for this uncomplicated cocktail, read more.

Gin and Tonic
From MSNBC

Ingredients

2 oz. London dry gin
Tonic water (from a fresh bottle)
1-2 ample wedges of lime
Plenty of cold ice cubes
Highball glass

Directions

Chill the glass. You may want to fill it with ice, then empty it and refill, as some bartenders do with a martini glass.
Fill the glass with whole ice cubes. If you wish, take a wedge of lime and moisten the rim the glass with it.
Pour the gin over the ice, which should be cold enough that it crackles when the liquor hits it.
Fill glass almost to the top with tonic.
Squeeze one wedge of lime into the glass. Drop the squeezed lime into the drink as a garnish if you like; it’s not necessary, but can add a bit of extra flavor. Serve.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Print recipe with images | without images

Come Party With Me: Father's Day - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:30:28 -0700

For your Father's Day celebration, skip the froufrou-fruity cocktails and serve a potent classic instead. Since the only libation my dad drinks is a Tanqueray and tonic, this is what we'll be mixing.

To make it more special than his everyday drink, I'm adding fresh herbs. They'll give the drink an extra layer of flavor. We'll also stock up on beer, wine, and soda. Look at the jazzed-up gin and tonic recipe when you read more.

Summer Gin and Tonic
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

Ice
2 1/2 ounces gin
2 finely chopped tarragon sprigs
4 ounces chilled tonic water

Directions
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin and tarragon sprigs and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and top with the tonic water.

Makes 1 drink.

Print recipe with images | without images

Gin & Tonic Cupcakes

YumSugar — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:29:30 -0800

View Slideshow ›

Happy Hour: Desmond's Pleasure

partysugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:36 -0700

If you're a fan of Beefeater, you should definitely get your hands on the brand's latest release, Beefeater 24. The artisan gin, that's made in London, features 12 specially selected botanicals, including a rare Japanese tea and Chinese green tea. The spirit is brewed for 24 hours, hence the name. Unlike classic Beefeater, the 24 is distinctly smoother and more complex with a slightly floral aroma. It makes an excellently drinkable gin and tonic and an elegant rickey.

I recently enjoyed Beefeater 24 in a cocktail named for its creator, master distiller Desmond Payne, at Clock Bar in San Francisco. Crafted by one of my favorite bartenders, Steven Liles, this drink is full of tart citrus flavor. The combination of elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, bitter lemon soda, and Pimm's does not overshadow the Beefeater 24. Instead, it enhances and balances out the gin, resulting in a drink that is intricate and refreshing.

To look at Steven's recipe, read more.

Desmond’s Pleasure
From Steven Liles of Clock Bar

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz. Beefeater 24
1/2 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1/2 oz. Lemon juice
3 dashes Fees Bros. Grapefruit Bitters
Fever Tree bitter lemon soda
1/2 oz. Pimm's No.1

Directions

Shake first 4 ingredients and strain into ice filled Collins glass.
Add bitter lemon soda and float pimm's over the top. Garnish with a long slice of lemon peel.

Makes 1 drink.

Print recipe with images | without images

Gin Haters: Right Will Prove You Wrong

partysugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:00:20 -0700

Gin can be a polarizing spirit. With the exception of a few gin and tonics, I've always avoided it; however, a bunch of new gins on the market have converted me into a gin lover. One such gin, Right gin, is my current favorite.

Recently, I was invited to a seminar hosted at the brand's loft, here in San Francisco. The event was put on by Nirvino, the awesome social-drinking website that let's you rate cocktails and wine, and led by bad-boy bartender Josh Harris of 15 Romolo. Harris discussed the essentials to building a home bar and walked us through a blind gin-tasting.

To find out more about the tasting and check out all my images from the event, keep reading

Happy Hour: St-Germain Cocktail

YumSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:30:32 -0700

For as long as I can remember, my go-to warm weather refreshment has been the gin and tonic. It's foolproof, simple to order, and steadfast in its thirst-quenching abilities.

But this all changed a few weeks ago in Aspen, when I sampled a St-Germain Cocktail. The heat and the strong sun were no match for this invigorating drink, which was effervescent and ever-so-slightly sweet, with subtle floral notes and hints of pear.

I took one sip, and just like that, the drink - which was like an adults-only version of Sprite - stole the G&T's spot as my Summer standby. See the recipe (which is great to make in large quantities) when you read more

Come Party With Me: Father's Day - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:45:37 -0700

For the no-fuss father, keep the decor of your Father's Day celebration minimal and outdoorsy. Since the majority of the menu is grilled, a Weber barbecue is a must. Whenever we have big parties, my dad always fills a bucket or cooler with ice and beverages. The fridge is normally full of food, so having another vessel for chilling beverages is a good idea. Place an everyday vinyl tablecloth on the table. Cover a metal platter with rock salt and serve the barbecued oysters on top. Plastic plates ensure that nothing breaks, and dark-colored cloth napkins are necessary for enjoying sticky ribs. Pour the gin and tonics into classic glass tumblers.

My dad's prone to mosquito bites, so we always light several citronella candles when eating on the deck. Finally, instead of a bouquet of flowers, give Dad a money tree. While it doesn't grow cash, it does wish prosperity on those who possess it.

Let's Dish: What's Your Signature Drink?

YumSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:30:13 -0700

With so many cocktails, beers, and varieties of wine to choose from, it's good to have one standby drink you don't have to think about. Something that every restaurant stocks or every bartender knows how to make - your signature drink, if you will.

That way, if you're feeling undecided, you can just sidle up to the bar and shout your usual order. I tend to change my signature drink every so often, but my go-to beverages include gin and tonics, a Manhattan, or a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Of course, I always need fresh ideas, so tell me: what's your signature drink that you usually order at a bar?

Source