Martini Mischief

This comes from Eddy Villraigosa, who says his wife is crazy about this drink.  This is definitely a more formal drink; we think it would fit in beautifully at the next dinner party you throw.  Please let us know what you think!

Ingredients

• 2 oz Belvedere Black Raspberry Vodka
• 4 black cherries
• ¼ oz rose syrup
• Dash lime juice
• Dash Peychaud Bitters
• Moet & Chandon Champagne

1. Muddle cherries in a cocktail shaker.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, and shake with cubed ice.
3.  Strain into a champagne flute or martini glass.
4.  Top with a splash of Moet & Chandon.

Black Cherry Martini

This recipe comes from Amy B.; who no longer drinks Cosmo’s.  LOL

Ingredients

• 2 oz. THREE OLIVES GRAPE VODKA
• 1 oz. THREE OLIVES VANILLA VODKA
• Splash Cranberry Juice

1. Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with crushed ice.
2. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
3. Garnish with a lemon wheel.  Or even better, Hershey Kisses.

French Kiss Martini

What a "Gorgeous Martini"

Ingredients

• 1.5oz Pear Grey Goose Vodka
• 1oz Pineapple Juice
•  1/2 oz.  Watermelon or Strawberry Pucker
•  Lemon & Lime wedge as Garnish

1. In a shaker, mix vodka, Pineapple Juice, Pucker and Crushed Ice.
2. Strain into chilled martini glass
3. Garnish with Lemon or Lime Wheel

This is the Drink of the Day!!!!  Let us know what you think!

For our gin lover, @drinkdiva on twitter, who prefers her martinis with gin…

• 2 pieces fresh mangos
• 2 1/2 oz Tanqueray gin
• 1/2 oz Apricot Brandy
• 1/2 oz simple  syrup
• 1/2 ozfresh lemon

1. With a muddler, please muddle the mango into the bottom of a mixing glass; then add all other ingredients.
2. Shake well with your shaker; strain into a chilled martini glass.
3. Garnish with a piece of mango, apricot or lemon.

@Drinkdiva request for Mango Tini

This is an answer from a request from @drinkdiva on Twitter.  Please follow her, she’s definitely very cool!  Happy drinking drinkdiva!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 1- 1/4-inch-long piece fresh Ginger (about 1 inch in diameter), sliced
• 2 medium mangoes, peeled, pitted
• 1/2 cup Tito’sVodka
• Ice 

1. Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water and ginger in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
2. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover; let steep 1 hour.
3.  Strain ginger syrup. Cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
4. Puree mangoes in blender. Pour into measuring cup.
5. Return 3/4 cup puree to blender (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Add 1/2 cup ginger syrup (reserve any remaining syrup for another use), vodka and ice cubes to mango puree in blender.
6.  Blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

Drink up...it's good for you!

This is Myrna’s personal recipe;  I hope you enjoy the limoncello as much I do!

Ingredients

• 20 Lemons, as fragrant and juicy as you can find;
• 1 Bottle of Tito’s Vodka (750ML);
• 1 Bottle of Everclear (750 ML) or similar grain alcohol as close to 100 proof as you can find;
• 3-1/2 Cups Water;
• 3-1/2 Cups Sugar;

1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel from the lemons, taking care to keep the peels in long strips.  If you have a zester, lemon zest works better than peels.
2. With a sharp knife, remove the white pith from the peel.  Any pith left over will cause the taste to become bitter.
3. Place the lemon peels/zest in a 2 quart glass container.  Pour the vodka over the peels/zest and cover tightly.
4. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka/Everclear mixture  for 2-3 months, at room temperature.
5. Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan, over medium heat, until the sugar dissolves.  (Simple Syrup)
6. Once this mixture has cooled, pour over the vodka/Everclear mixture.
7. Cover and let stand and additional 2-3 weeks, at room temperature.
8. Strain the limoncello; discard the lemon peels/zest.
9. Pour the limoncello into sealable bottles, and refrigerate.  You can store in the freezer, btw, because the high level of alchol won’t allow this cordial to freeze.

Limoncello

This recipe comes from Freda, a reader in Arkansas.  Try this recipe and let us know what you think!

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Grey Goose Vanilla Vodka
• 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
• 2 1/2 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 1/2 oz. Lime Cordial
• 1/2 Lime
• Crushed Graham Crackers for Rimming the Glass

1. Rim a chilled glass with the Graham Crackers.
2. Pour Vodka, Pineapple Juice, Triple Sec and Lime Cordial into a shaker with Crushed Ice.
3. Squeeze the juice from the lime into the shaker.
4. Shake well and Strain into your glass.

What a great dessert!

This delicious recipe comes from a reader, Jessica from California.  Please try it out, and let us know how you like it. 

Ingredients 

• 2 oz. vodka (she recommends Skyy)
• Fresh Watermelon, cubed
• 1 oz. Midori melon liqueur
• 1/2 oz. orange liqueur or triple sec

1. Puree the watermelon needed, until it is smooth and free of chunks.
2. Fill your cocktail shaker 1/2 full with crushed ice, 1 part vodka to 1 1/2 parts watermelon puree.
3. Let this mixture sit for a minute or two.
4. Rim the glasses with pink or green sugar for a nice effect.
5. Shake the martini vigorously.
6. Strain into a chilled glass.
7. Garnish with frozen melon balls or cubes.

Great for the Summer!

This recipe comes from a reader simply called efr.  efr, thanks a lot!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Chilled Belvedere Vodka
• 1 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 1/3 oz. Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
• Ice Cubes

 Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker.  Shake until frothy.  Pour into a chilled martini glass.  Garnish with lemon wheel.  Enjoy!!

Classic and Elegant

Ok, this was submitted by my neighbor Jessica, who looks for any opportunity to make martinis.  She recommends this drink while indulging in almost any summertime activity.

Ingredients

1. Combine the rum, the vodka and the pineapple juice in a cocktail shaker; agitate until frothy.
2. Pour into a chilled martini glass
3. Add a touch of grenadine in the middle.
4. Garnish with an orange or lemon wheel

Bikini Martini