Suburban Bliss:: Birth Control Via The Written Word

Happy Hour: Orange You Glad

Quality mixers can be as important as quality booze. I like finding great new ones and this drink has one. Dry brand sodas are great because the flavors are unique and subtle and not too sweet (hence sugar syrup as an optional ingredient). I like the lightness of a soda like this especially on a hot summer day.

You could use triple sec instead of Grand Marnier, IF YOU MUST, I don’t recommend it though. Grand Marnier adds great flavor (and some mettle). Fresh lemon juice please! 

2 oz Vodka
1 oz Grand Marnier
.25 to .5 oz lemon juice
Sugar syrup to taste if desired
Dry Blood Orange Soda

Mix the vodka, Grand Marnier and lemon juice on ice, then top with Dry Blood Orange Soda. You might get away with an orange flavored soda water in this drink but the flavor might not come through as well. Lots of ice! Be prepared, one of these drinks will not be enough. Enjoy!

12 (ish) Days Of Christmas Cocktails: Kindergarten Graduation

Based on drink called the French 75, this cocktail looks impressive and tastes delicious. I mean, you really should have toasted the new year with this drink -- if only we had stayed on schedule. Save it for the next job promotion or anniversary perhaps!

 

Most simple syrup recipes will tell you to boil or simmer the water and sugar combination. Not necessary! Simply add 1lb (a box) of superfine sugar to 2 cups of warm tap water. Stir and wait. The sugar will dissolve on its own. Bottle and refrigerate.

1oz lemon juice
1/2oz simple syrup
1/2oz homemade grenadine (here's how you make it)
2oz Gin (I use Plymouth)
Champagne (we used the champagne we had at our wedding, we had it on hand to celebrate my new job. However, we couldn't find time to drink it because of new job. Irony.)

Shake first 4 ingredients with ice, pour into flute and top with champagne. Enjoy!

 

 

Twelve Days (sort of) of Christmas Cocktails: The Sledding Hill

It was a whirlwind month of December. A thousand pardons for the drink recipe delay, to those of you who were looking forward to reading them daily. A new job brought unexpected long hours leaving little time for anything else. However, all missing days will be accounted for!* Rest assured all recipes are equally delightful in January as they would have been in December.

*Not necessarily on consecutive days.

Let's pick things up with "day 6." To make up for the delay, it includes not one but FOUR drinks. Variations on a theme -- hot cocoa. Not just any hot cocoa but the recipe Melissa uses. I've never had better. Do yourself the favor of making this hot cocoa for these drinks, you will not regret it.

The hot cocoa recipe, adapted from the recipe on the Hershey's package

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa (unsweetened, see product photo below)
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups milk
1tsp real vanilla (optional) 

Mix sugar and cocoa in a saucepan; stir in water. Cook and stir on medium heat until boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and heat, but don't boil.

This hot cocoa is excellent on its own, but using the following recipes it is irresistible, truly. 

Bailey's hot cocoa: To 2oz hot cocoa, add 1oz whiskey (I used Maker's Mark) and 1/2oz Bailey's. I don't know that I've seen a drink that mixes chocolate and whiskey -- if you know of one please send it along. The combination is delicious.

Hazelnut hot cocoa: To 2oz hot cocoa, add 1oz vodka, 1oz Godiva liqueur, 1/2oz Frangelico (a hazelnut liqueur). Like Nutella in a mug...

Orange-y hot cocoa: To 2oz hot cocoa, add 1oz vodka and 1/2oz Cointreau.

Peppermint hot cocoa: To 2oz hot cocoa, add 1oz vodka and 1/2oz peppermint schnapps.

Add up all the times I've written "cocoa" in this post. Ridiculous.

12 Days Of Christmas Cocktails: Precocious

Based on the Alexander (with Gin) and the Brandy Alexander (with Brandy), this drink made with Grand Marnier is sweet and delicious. I tried adding a shot of vodka and it lost no appeal whatsoever (I wouldn't do that with the Brandy or Gin versions).  

1 oz Grand Marnier (or Brandy or Gin)
1 oz heavy cream
1 oz crème de cacao 

Gently shake all three ingredients with ice, pour into cocktail glass and enjoy!

12 Days Of Christmas Cocktails: 24 Hour Flu*

(Logan's hit the ground running at this new job. 15 straight days of working 10-18 hour days.

We met Logan for dinner tonight before he had to go back to the office and Maddie's face when she heard he had to go back to work was enough to ruin all your Christmases. So sorry about the missing cocktails, but we're in absolute maintenance mode over here with the flu, inhuman deadlines, Christmas, the first migraine of my life and a naughty dog.

You guys are so nice I know you undertand.)

If I'd had time for additional research (drinking) I'd have come up with something wickedly strong and numbing to address the current state of affairs at the Sub Bliss household. Instead I came up with the first apple cocktail I think I've ever made -- in honor of the diet both our kids are on right now (the BRAT diet, otherwise known as  the "try to keep your kids from losing their lunch while they have the 24 hr flu" diet). I still want to try an apple brandy recipe but this is a good first foray. I used Plymouth gin in this. I'd be interested to know how a more juniper-y gin would affect the taste.  Enjoy!

1 oz Grand Marnier
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 1/2 oz gin
2 1/2 oz apple juice

Add all ingredients in a shaker and shake with a generous amount of ice. Pour into glass and enjoy! Also works well on the rocks.

*This drink will not give you the 24 hour flu but will rather help you survive it a little number to the pain. I suggest drinking it while you scrub your area rug.

Happy Hour: Une boisson vraiment bonne!

Logan has intended to write a cocktail a week for this site.

.....

And so we're getting this some of the time I guess. 
Luckily these are good cocktails you should anxiously await. 
I'm noticing it's getting dark at 9pm already and this is really kind of depressing. So you better have a Friday night cocktail just "because it's a great summer night..." while you still can. 

.....

 

I'd be hard-pressed to choose just one favorite bottle of booze. You may know that Sailor Jerry would be in the top 5, Bulleit Bourbon too (ok a few bourbons could be there). I'd also include Grand Marnier. I know I make a big deal about not using cheap triple sec in drinks -- Grand Marnier is a darn good reason to follow that advice. In my mind, it's truly one of the most versatile liqueurs around. Drink it neat or on the rocks and it is excellent -- flavorful and potent (it's cognac-based and 80% alcohol). Add it to mixed drinks like a margarita or cosmo and you can really taste it's quality. Spare no expense! Buy the Grand Marnier...

Once you've purchased it I highly recommend you try this drink. Iced tea with Grand Marnier and lemon. Please adjust the ingredients to your liking. I used plain old Lipton Cold Brew Tea with excellent results. Feel free to share your tea suggestions -- I know next to nothing when it comes to "good" tea.

Enfant Merveilleux!
2oz Unsweetened iced tea
2oz Grand Marnier
.25 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with a generous amount of ice. Shake for 10-20 seconds and pour into an ice-filled tall glass. Enjoy!