Booze hounds follow your nose… I’ve got everything you need to for creative cocktails on occasions of all sorts. Budget cocktails for a group, seasonal cocktails, specialty ingredients, holiday cocktails, as well as tips and secrets I use to really wow! guests.
Bar-Back Mixers, Garnishes and Flourishes
Coffee Ice Cubes
My dear friend Susan was stuck in the Philly airport overnight, I knew I could save her day with something special like these Coffee Ice Cubes with…
Herbal Simple Syrups
Herbal simple syrup adds so much to make a cocktail really special and they keep for a long time. Basil, Lemon Verbena, Rosemary, Mint, and Geranium…
Maraschino Cherries
Maraschino Cherries... free associate. You could be thinking about gross, bright red, corn syrup laden candy that no longer resembles fruit or you…
Liquored Kumquats
Kumquats are an elegant little fruit with a bold unusual flavor. When I fear the season is nearing its end I buy a few extra quarts, stab them all…
Ginger Rogers
A great meal needs a great cocktail to get your guests in a festive mood and this Ginger Rogers Cocktail certainly does the trick for my Middle…
Pomegranate Martini Punch
In the spirit of encouraging you to get to really know me, we should probably start with a cocktail... This particular cocktail has a long and sordid…
Blood Orange Margaritas
These beautiful Blood Orange Margaritas, on the rocks, with pink salt are a beautiful and delicious cocktail twist on the classic margarita, just in…
Snakebite
I first learned what a snakebite was while waiting tables at Davis Street Fish Market in Evanston, IL. Since then, I've had many at many different…
Stout Float with Chocolate Pretzels
Instead of root beer, I decided to make it an adult's only party by adding beer. I like a stout for this, but I have seen it done with porters,…
Piña Colada
I thought of a lot of names for this particular drink. Spring Break! Piña Coladas. Impeach the Groundhog Piña Coladas. Seriously, Winter! Piña…
Aviation Cocktail
I love this gin-based Aviation Cocktail for all it's refined floral and citrus notes, but picking the right gin is important because of the more…
Old Fashioned
An Old Fashioned is a go-to old school cocktail in my book and definitely required for a Madmen Premier cocktail party. While a rye whiskey is a good…
Mint Juleps!
In recent years I've spent first Saturday in May at my friend Anna's Kentucky Derby party drinking way too many, but never enough Mint Juleps! The…
Tangerine and Rosemary Spritzer
It was early Sunday morning and all the liquor stores were closed. With no champagne on hand, we decided that instead of a mimosa, we'd have to head…
Cherry Bourbon Fizzers
It's 5 o'clock somewhere, and time for some Cherry Bourbon Fizzers, or, more on my obsession with rose-scented geraniums. After a week of posting…
Lemon Verbena Smash
Believe it or not, at least for the Dirty Laundry Kitchen, it's time to thinking about the 4th of July, and what's a better place to start than with…
Aperol Spritz
Each winter, I forget that an Aperol Spritz is my perfect summer cocktail, and then every Summer, I'm reminded of this fact, usually sometime…
Boozy Fruit
I come from a family of storytellers, and Boozy Fruit comes with a story of its own. I grew up on long meals around longer tables where children sat…
French Lime Blossom Cocktail
Sometimes it's really hard to name my creations, and sometimes it's really easy. The French Lime Blossom Cocktail was an easy one. Naming is…
Apple Ribbon Whiskey Spritz
Last December as I was “supervising” the making of apple crisp, which translates roughly to keeping a friend company while she prepared for a…
Clementine Rosemary Margaritas
Clementine Rosemary Margaritas started off Thanksgiving 2012. Good parties do have a tendency to start with cocktails. And like good cocktails often…
Tart and Spicy Ginger Spritz Mocktail
With all of the busy Thanksgiving posting and leftover making, I haven’t shared a cocktail in awhile, so I'm rectifying that today with a Tart and…
Snowstorm Hot Chocolate
Today it’s the first big snow in Philly (and lots of other places, I’m sure) and with that came Snowstorm Hot Chocolate. If you were watching the…
Grandpa P.O.’s Nog! – Eggnog
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…
Plum Sparkler
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…
Happy New Year Party
Happy New Year! Dirty Laundry Kitchen is now about a year old. I want to take a moment to thank you all so much for reading the blog and sharing 2013…
Cranberry Frozen Margaritas
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…
The Decoy Cocktail
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, one and all. For your Monday night Happy Hour pleasure, I give you The Decoy Cocktail a.k.a. Duck, Duck, Drink. So…
Passion Fruit Batida
This Passion Fruit Batida is a perfect cross-section of a frozen drink, ice cream dessert, and a tart tropical cocktail. The hint of dairy makes it a…
Pamplemosa
What’s in a name? Well, when you’re asking about the breakfast cocktail Pamplemosa, grapefruit juice and champagne. Flashback to 2006. My sister…
Crowded House Margaritas
Crowded House Margaritas are perfect for that big party you're throwing. You're expecting a crowd and hand-squeezed lime margaritas would require a…
Rhubarb Mint Juleps
Rhubarb Mint Juleps are just the ticket to take advantage of the fresh rhubarb that's in abundance during the spring as well as take cocktail hour to…
Chesapeake Bay Breeze
When the weather's still a little chilly (pre- G&T weather) but you're at the beach anyway, and your compatriots are bourbon drinkers, it's time…
Lavender Lemonade
There’s nothing like lemonade on a hot day. And if you want to make it extra special, a little lavender simple syrup goes a long way in creating…
Watermelon Saffron Cooler
I have to admit, this Watermelon Saffron Cooler is about one year in the making. It started with some saffron simple syrup and a need for a sort of…
Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative
Summer is in full swing and tomatoes are coming in by the bushel, so I've been busy in the kitchen conjuring weird and wonderful uses for said…
The September Wedding: Pineapple Sage Cocktail
The September Wedding: Pineapple Sage Cocktail is dear to my heart for a variety of reasons. A dear friend is getting married this month and she…
Hair of the Dog Breakfast Margarita
This Hair of the Dog Breakfast Margarita is one of those “you’ll just have to trust me and try it” recipes, because it sounds a little wacky.…
Chanh muoi Lemon Salt Soda
Well, it is my birthday, and I do love a good funky cocktail, so here it is, the Chanh muối Lemon Salt Soda. The Chanh muoi Lemon Salt Soda is a…
White Cranberry Sprinter Cocktail
It's five o'clock somewhere, and it's almost five o'clock here, so it's time to get ready for the weekend with this White Cranberry Sprinter…
Cucumber Mint Lime Agua Fresca
We’ve got leaves, we’ve got flowers, we’ve even got some legitimately hot days head our way and since it seems I’m determined to skip right…
Cucumber Lychee Pimm’s Cups
Finally, picnic season is fully upon us and these Cucumber Lychee Pimm's Cups are perfect for a leisurely afternoon picnic. In fact, I have them in…
Door County Cherry Spritzer
If you happen to live somewhere where Door County Cherry Juice is available, you probably already make a version of this Door County Cherry…
Rainier Cherry Scotch Thyme New Fashioned
I love Ranier cherries but I’ve had to wait a long “thyme” to finally enjoy this Rainier Cherry Scotch Thyme “New Fashioned” cocktail. The…
Baltimore Orange Crush
This weekend I'm headed to Baltimore for an Oriole's game and I'm quite sure I'll have a Baltimore Orange Crush or two. My dear friend Kate lives in…
Bloody Mary Bar
One fine day, with four of my best Bloody Mary drinkers, I set out to make the perfect mix for Bloody Marys by setting out a Bloody Mary Bar, or lab,…
Celery Caraway and Rhubarb Aquavit
Aquavit, or “water of life” in Swedish is basically a high proof Vodka, but you can tell from it's name, that it's also culturally important.…
Celery Aquavit Spritzer
I find that a good cocktail, while not essential, is a great social lubricant to get a party started off right, and this Celery Aquavit Spritzer…
Rhubarb Lillet Rose Spritzer
While I absolutely love savory cocktails, not everyone does; some people prefer something a little sweet, like this Rhubarb Lillet Rose Spritzer. So…
Grown Up Root Beer Float
Summer BBQs are a great time for classic root beer floats; you can take it to the next level with vanilla vodka and make my Grown Up Root Beer…
Apple Cider Margarita
This year, this Apple Cider Margarita has been my drink of choice, especially when I'm entertaining. I've made it for almost everyone I know at this…
Grapefruit Gin and Tonic
This Grapefruit Gin and Tonic is less of a recipe and more of a public service announcement an unpaid product push. First of all, Happy Friday! As…
Christmas Carol Punch
This Christmas Carol Punch started a couple of years ago when a friend gifted me a bottle of Sorel. Sorel is one of those made-in-Brooklyn hipster…
Mother’s Day Rhubarb Margarita
Don't Take Your Momma Out Mother's Day Rhubarb Margarita's are here, but are you? It's been a really long while. First there was the baby, then there…
