YumSugar

Happy Hour: Salty Dog

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:15:25 -0800

On New Years, I discovered a new favorite cocktail called the salty dog. No, it's not a strange concoction with hot dogs, but the cousin to the classic greyhound! Both the greyhound and salty dog combine fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice with vodka. However, the salty dog is served in a salt-rimmed glass similar to a margarita. With citrus in season, I rolled up my sleeves and pulled out my old-fashioned glass juicer. Although manual juicing is time consuming, the refreshingly rewarding, tangy drink is worth it.

To start sipping your own salty dog, read more.

Salty Dog
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

3 ounces vodka or gin
6 ounces grapefruit juice, fresh squeezed preferable
Salt to rim the glass
lemon wedges

Directions

Rub the lemon along the rim of the glass, then salt rim.
Combine vodka and grapefruit in a shaker with ice. Shake until cold. Pour grapefruit and vodka mixture in the glass. Can be served on the rocks or up. Enjoy.

Serves 2.

Print recipe with images | without images

Happy Hour: Greyhound

partysugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:03:57 -0800

The other day, while I was at one of my favorite bars - Cantina - I had a delicious and refreshing drink made with fresh grapefruit juice. A variation on the classic caipirinha, the cocktail was on the menu for that night only. I wanted to run home and re-create the delightful concoction, but I couldn't remember the list of ingredients. Since the grapefruit juice is what stood out the most, I settled on making a greyhound.

The close cousin of a screwdriver, a greyhound is a sublime blend of vodka and fresh grapefruit juice. To enjoy this cocktail now - grapefruits are in season - get the recipe and read more.

Greyhound
From Epicurious

2 ounces vodka
5 ounces grapefruit juice

In a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes, combine the vodka and grapefruit juice. Stir well.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Print recipe with images | without images

Source

Come Party With Me: Bedazzle Bonanza - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:50:11 -0700

There's only one thing to drink at a party that revolves around attaching rhinestones to fabric and that's sparkling wine. Although we haven't decided which sparkling to pour (favorites as of late are Sofia, anything by Ayala, and Pommery Gold) FabSugar and I will have plenty of bubbly chilling on ice. We'll also offer guests a specialty champagne cocktail. While grapefruit is a polarizing ingredient, its elegant jewel-tone color fits in perfectly with our theme. The drink is a combination of fresh-squeezed ruby grapefruit juice and sparkling wine. When making a cocktail that involves sparkling wine, don't be afraid to select a more affordable bottle. For the recipe, read more.

Ruby Champagne Cocktail
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

2 Ruby Red pink grapefruits
1/4 cup sugar
1 750-ml bottle brut Champagne, well chilled

Directions

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel from 1 grapefruit; place in bowl.
Cut both grapefruits in half; squeeze enough juice to measure 3/4 cup. Mix juice and sugar in bowl with peel. Let stand 5 minutes. Strain into small bowl, pressing on solids.
Pour 2 tablespoons syrup into each of four 6-ounce flutes. Fill each with 2/3 cup Champagne.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

All the News That's Fit to Eat - Mar. 25, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:50:44 -0700

The new Yankee Stadium will serve up sushi by Morimoto and specialties from Le Cirque. - New York Times
A few creative ways to make the most of leftover wine. - Washington Post
Learn how one pizza fanatic constructed a hand-built firebrick oven at home for $15. - Los Angeles Times
Find out which store-bought grapefruit juice fared best. - San Francisco Chronicle
Meet the "tween" salad: hearty, warm medleys that smooth the transition between Winter and Spring. - Chicago Tribune
Do women reach for different food than men? - Boston Globe
Lebanon's winemaking dates back to biblical times, but it's the region's modern wine that's garnering worldwide attention. - Wall Street Journal

Source

Party Foul: Saying One Thing, Serving Another

partysugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:15:25 -0800

Recently I attended the opening reception for a new bar in San Francisco. Like most bars these days, the establishment had a list of tantalizing specialty cocktails. According to the menu, the cocktail I ordered, a Bloodhound, was a mixture of Hanger One vodka, Campari, and grapefruit juice. However, when I watched the bartender mix the drink, he made it with Smirnoff! Listing out specific ingredients and making a dish with different components is not okay. Can you imagine the repercussions if a restaurant did this and served an item that caused an allergic reaction? When hosting a party of any sort, be sure to give guests exactly what is described on the menu.

Have you ever been in a similar situation? Where you asked for one thing and got something totally different? Please share your stories below!

Source

Come Party With Me: Pumpkin Patch Picnic - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:30:09 -0700

Like the menu and dessert, when selecting a cocktail for a picnic, choose one that can be made in a large batch in advance. This rosemary ruby cocktail is refreshing and delicious. It combines a rosemary simple syrup with vodka and grapefruit juice. To make a nonalcoholic version, substitute sparkling water for the vodka. Fill a cooler with seasonal ale, water, and single-serving juices. Don't forget to pack extra ice for the cocktails. Get this tantalizing cocktail recipe when you read more.

Rosemary Ruby Cocktails
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
12 sprigs rosemary
3 cups ruby-red grapefruit juice
1 1/2 cups vodka
3/4 teaspoon bitters
Ice cubes

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water, the sugar, and 6 rosemary sprigs to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the liquid is clear, about 5 minutes. Let cool; discard the rosemary.
In a pitcher, combine the grapefruit juice, vodka, bitters, and 3/4 cup rosemary-sugar syrup.
Pour into 6 rocks glasses filled with ice cubes and garnish each with a rosemary sprig.

Makes 6 cocktails.

Print recipe with images | without images

Come Party With Me: Waterpark Party - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:15:24 -0700

Lately I've been into making cocktails with rum. I'm sick of vodka drinks and have since started experimenting with the Latin libation. For the waterpark party, I plan on mixing up this refreshing rum punch. It looks like lemonade, so if anyone asks what we're sipping that will be our quick reply! This potent cocktail, from the inventive minds of MyRecipes.com, is a blend of rum, brandy, and pineapple, orange, and grapefruit juices. To make it more thirst quenching, I'll float a splash of sparkling water on top.
Get the tantalizing recipe when you, read more.

Ultimate Rum Punch
From Coastal Living magazine

Ingredients

3/4 cup golden or amber rum
1/2 cup coconut rum
1/4 cup apricot brandy
1 cup pineapple juice
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pink grapefruit juice
Garnish: Limes, sliced

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Pour over ice to serve. Garnish with lime slices, if desired.

Serves 6-8.
Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- Must-Have Margaritas
- Cool Cocktail Recipes
- 10 Fantastic Party Starters
- The Best Seafood Dives from Coastal Living

Print recipe with images | without images

Come Party With Me: Easter - Drinks

partysugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 05:51:32 -0700

Easter is this Sunday and naturally I am busy as a bunny prepping for a feast with my family. Easter is a wonderful holiday because you get to celebrate the refreshing beauty that is spring. Symbols of rebirth - crisp greens, sunny yellows, fresh herbs, blooming flowers, round eggs - will be the underlying theme of this weekend's party. Dainty Easter eggs inspired the invitations and I've come up with 2(!) delicious menus for a fabulous meal. Unlike Thanksgiving when everyone celebrates with a dinner, Easter is a holiday that is either celebrated with a brunch or a dinner - so in an attempt to really help each and every one of my readers, I've planned both. In PartySugarLand you can't have any sort of gathering without specialty cocktails so I've come up with drinks to pair with each of the menus as well. To take a virtual sip, read more

For the brunch: If you have access to an espresso machine, use it! Offer guests cappuccinos, americanos, or espressos. Fresh squeezed orange juice is another must, if you don't have a juicer get a nicer quality pulpy OJ such as Odwalla. Water, sparkling and still, is a must. Mimosas are a classic brunch cocktail but Blood Orange Bellinis are an elegant alternative especially if you make them with fresh squeezed blood orange juice. Harvey Wallbangers are a more festive choice than the regular old screwdriver. However if you want to make a new, unique cocktail specifically for the brunch try a sparkling combination of white wine and chambord in the form of a chambord spritzer.

Chambord Spritzer
From Gourmet magazine

1 ounce Chambord (black raspberry-flavored liqueur)
1 1/2 ounces white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Chilled seltzer or club soda
A twist of lemon peel for garnish

In a tall glass combine the Chambord, the wine, the lemon juice, and 4 ice cubes.
Fill the glass with the seltzer and stir the drink. Garnish it with the lemon peel.

Serves 1.

Print recipe with images | without images

For the dinner: At Easter dinner you must offer several bottles of wine. A rosé will complement the rosy pinkness of the ham because it has the refreshing crispness of a white wine, as well as the medium body of a dry red wine. For those whose hearts are set on pouring a red choose a cru Beaujolais, a varietal that I've heard a lot about lately whose rich complexity will pair nicely with the ginger ale glazed ham. Other options include Pinot Noir or Burgundy or a Chenin Blanc if you are looking for a white wine. Water, both sparkling and still, should flow freely from large pitchers strategically placed around the dining table. Fresh grapefruit juice mixed with your favorite lemon lime soda and a splash of lime juice makes a nice non-alcoholic option. Offer one specialty cocktail as an after dinner dessert drink. An Easter Bunny is a tasty vodka-chocolate-cherry combination that will be the finish to a wonderful evening.

Easter Bunny
From Drinks Mixer

1 1/2 oz dark creme de cacao
1/2 oz vodka
1 tsp chocolate syrup
1 tsp cherry brandy

Shake creme de cacao and vodka with ice.
Strain over ice in an old-fashioned glass.
Float chocolate syrup and cherry brandy.

Serves 1.

Print recipe with images | without images

What will you be pouring at your Easter celebration? Let me know your amazing ideas below!

The Ultimate Bar: Citrus Juicer

partysugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:28:39 -0700

Any knowledgeable bartender knows that the best cocktails are made with real, fresh citrus juice. Countless recipes call for just squeezed lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit juices. I would love to tell you that I have a sleek, efficient, electric juicer, but the truth is I have an old fashioned metal one - like the juicer at right. It's reliable, gets the job done and is only annoying when I want to make lemonade (at which point I enlist elbow grease from the nearest guy). A citrus reamer works well when mixing drinks in a cocktail shaker, but it doesn't protect against seeds falling directly into your drink. If you've got a big bar and do a lot of entertaining, splurge on a chic standing juicer. To check out some different juicers, scroll through below.

' />

What's In Season: Citrus

partysugar — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 11:47:03 -0800

There is nothing as purely and simply delicious as fresh squeezed orange juice. I'm not talking about that stuff they sell in cardboard cartons on supermarket aisles, I'm talking about the real deal made with super ripe oranges. Although it may seem as if citrus is always in season because you can purchase it virtually year round, it is in fact at its best now. Lemons, oranges, mandarins, tangerines, and grapefruits should all be consumed for their high level of vitamin c, which helps reduce the severity of colds.

Citrus is a super versatile ingredient and can be consumed in liquid form or in everything from desserts to salads to sauces to cocktails.

Learn how to get the most juice out of your citrus.