Tag Archives: Holiday drinks

Cranberry Frozen Margaritas

Posted on by February 12, 2015

Despite it being the middle of Winter, the high tomorrow is 61° F, so I feel comfortable getting back on the posting track with cold Cranberry Frozen Margaritas. The cranberries and limes make this Cranberry Frozen Margarita both seasonal and tart, but if you keep them in your freezer, you can have Cranberry Frozen Margaritas year ’round. And I have a great tip if you want to keep it simple, and skip all the juicing. Smoothie making has taught me several things in the last year. The most important: when you’re blending something, especially with a powerful blender, you don’t need to juice ANYTHING. Peel the lime and throw it straight in the blender. Add the cranberries, tequila, triple sec and ice. Blend until very smooth. These Cranberry Frozen Margaritas are definitely tart little drinks. Is super tart not your dish? Don’t worry, to make these less tart, use ½ a lime and one orange, and add an extra ¼ cup triple sec. But I like Cranberry Frozen Margaritas really tart. Cranberry Frozen Margaritas makes for an excellent Mocktail if you’re so inclined. Just use some orange juice and simple syrup to taste since you’re not using triple sec in the Cranberry Frozen … Continue reading →

Plum Sparkler

Posted on by August 31, 2016

A New Year’s Party requires a special cocktail, complete with lots of bubbles. New Year’s Eve is all about the champagne, so if you’re making a cocktail, you better make it a champagne cocktail, which is exactly what I did when I made my Plum Sparkler. If you spent your fall packing fruit into brandy, like I did, a New Year’s Party is definitely an occasion that warrants cracking open one of those extra special jars. But if you didn’t, you should be able to find plum brandy at a good liquor store; just ask for Slivovitz or Slivovitsa. Believe it or not, plum brandy made from Damson plums is very popular in Eastern Europe. Of course it won’t take exactly the same as this homemade hooch based drink, but that’s a big part of the fun in mixology in my humble opinion. This cocktail has lots of sweetness to it, but the soda and sparkling wine balance it out perfectly. Just make sure to buy a brut sparkling wine to ensure this cocktail doesn’t get too sweet. You can always adjust the sweetness up and down by adding more or less of the lillet blanc and orange liquor. The … Continue reading →

Grandpa P.O.’s Nog! – Eggnog

Posted on by October 26, 2014

This Grandpa P.O.’s Nog! – Eggnog is the real deal. Grandfather Peter Olaf Peterson’s recipe. Raw eggs. Real cream. 100 proof wild turkey. It’s not good for you. It might even be considered toxic. I make it once a year. Did I mention it’s amazing? Definitely make a little more than you need, because my Leftover Nog Swedish pancakes are mindblowing. Just sayin’. Grandpa P.O.’s Nog! – Eggnog is the only recipe I have from a grandfather, but fortunately, it’s the most important one. 1 qt Wild Turkey (100 proof) straight out of the freezer 1 qt whole milk 1 qt heavy cream 1 dozen eggs 2 cups sugar; divided Freshly grated nutmeg as garnish A party- because this is a serious quantity- in fact, if you don’t have a really big bowl and a really big plastic pitcher, you might want to check out the notes below, or make the recipe in two batches. Start by separating the eggs. Put the yolks in the largest bowl you have. Add the whites directly into the mixer bowl. Add 1 cup of sugar to the yolks and beat until pale and fluffy.   It will truly become a very pale yellow … Continue reading →