There are dozens and dozens of holiday-themed and holiday-appropriate cocktails one can make to please and amaze family and friends at this time of year. I’ll begin with my very favorite, which I originally posted on this blog a year ago, and then move on to a few others. And my very favorite holiday cocktail … Continue reading Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: Here comes cocktail Santa Claus
Heering
Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: Aquavit Manhattan
Manhattan cocktail fans know the usual burning question is whether the drink’s base spirit should be bourbon, rye, or some combination of the two (bartenders call that a split base). This week we say, “neither.” Instead, we’re replacing the whiskey with aquavit. Pronunciation: Á-ka-veet. Alternate spellings include akvavit and (rarely) akevitt. Since I used Linie … Continue reading Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: Aquavit Manhattan
Grab some sake and make this your “summer” Manhattan
If you haven’t heard it from me yet, you’re destined to hear me say this repeatedly: Get over the notion that brown spirits are for winter and white spirits are for summer. Here’s an excellent example of how to make your favorite whiskey cocktail more summer friendly—or simply more of a ‘session’ drink if you’re … Continue reading Grab some sake and make this your “summer” Manhattan
Spiced Eggnog With Bourbon/Cherry Drizzle (and more!)
Life is short; drink dessert first. If you’re tiring of that eggnog you bought before Christmas, here’s something delicious to do with it. It's as delicious as it looks. Milkshakey. Eggs with eggnog sauce and Bailey's and … well, here's the recipe. And then another, less fussy eggnog cocktail. They had me at "with bourbon … Continue reading Spiced Eggnog With Bourbon/Cherry Drizzle (and more!)
‘Tis the season for a Christmas Cheer-y
Welp, the December holiday season *is* the crazy-busiest time of year for anyone working in the retail spirits and wine business, and that’s my excuse for not posting a thing in 10 days. I’ll try to make up for it. After all, the Twelve Days of Christmas haven’t even started yet (I call on my … Continue reading ‘Tis the season for a Christmas Cheer-y
The Bloody Blood and Sand
I love freshly squeezed blood orange juice in cocktails, but it can be hard to find blood oranges at local supermarkets sometimes. So keep this between us, okay? We wouldn’t want everyone else to go buy them out, would we? The Blood & Sand is a classic Scotch whisky recipe that first appeared in Harry … Continue reading The Bloody Blood and Sand
Yes, I’m pushing “The Panic Button”
This is a great mix for the kind of in-between weather we’ve been having in Rochester for the past couple of weeks—a bourbon cocktail with interesting bitter and sour notes, served on a big old rock. This is the "Panic Button," which Imbibe magazine credits to the Living Room Bar at Charleston's Dewberry Hotel. THE … Continue reading Yes, I’m pushing “The Panic Button”
The Libation Lounge 