A little sip of summer

It’s officially summer, which means longer days, warmer weather, and of course outdoor imbibing at picnics and barbecues! Whether you’re laying by the pool or or sticking to the shade, these refreshing cocktails are the perfect choice to cool you down as you kick back and relax this season.

For the Whiskey lovers:

Jameson & Ginger

• 1 part Jameson Irish Whiskey
• 4 parts quality ginger ale
• 1 lime wedge

Fill a glass with ice. Pour Jameson over ice. Fill with ginger ale. Stir briefly. Squeeze lime wedge and drop into glass. 

For the Rum drinkers:

The Malibu Passion Breeze – perfect for summer!

Malibu Passion Breeze

• 1 part Malibu Rum
• 1 part cranberry juice
• 1 part pineapple juice
• 1 lime wedge

Add ice cubes to a chilled highball glass. Add Malibu, cranberry juice and pineapple juice. Garnish with lime wedge. 

 

For the Vodka Fans:

Absolut Mule  

• 2 parts Absolut Vodka
• 3 parts ginger beer
• 1 part lime juice
• 1 lime wedge

Fill a mule mug with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Garnish with lime. 

Summer Blue Lagoon

There are many reason’s to sport red, white and blue this week: the World Cup (Go USA), the 4th of July…okay so maybe there are just two reasons, but they are great reasons! Today I’ve got a delicious, frozen blue cocktail to cool you down from the summer heat while showing off your American Pride (HINT: if you pour your blue drink into a red cup with a white straw, there ya go red, white and blue!)

Blue Lagoon Cocktail

Blue Lagoon

• ¼ part Hiram Walker® Blue Curacao
• 1 part ABSOLUT® Vodka
• 1 part Pineapple Juice

Blend with ice and serve.

Enjoy and Go USA!

-KJ

Punch Perfect!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone! It’s the unofficial start of summer and outdoor BBQing and imbibing and I couldn’t be happier. Bring on the warm weather and picnics and bring on the punches and sangrias!

Hiram Walker White Peach Punch

White Peach Punch

• 2 cups ABSOLUT Citron® Vodka
• 2 cups Hiram Walker® White Peach Schnapps
• 1¼ cups Cranberry Juice
• 1¼ cups Pineapple Juice
• 2½ cups Fresh Sour Mix
• 2½ cups Lemon-Lime Soda
• 1 Scoop Rainbow Sherbet

Combine ingredients in Punch Bowl ¾ full of ice. Scoop sherbet into balls and float on top or float entire quart of sherbet. Multiple servings.

Minty Sangria

(can be served as a pitcher)

• 3 parts Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc
• 3 parts peach nectar
• 1 part Absolut Mandrin
• Several mint leaves (for every one serving, use 8-10 mint leaves)

Directions: Slap the mint leaves between your palms to release oils, then drop into glass.  Add ice and remaining ingredients and stir.

Enjoy a nice long weekend everyone!

-KJ

Satisfy Your Sweetie and Your Sweet Tooth This Valentine’s Day

With Valentine’s Day just 4 days away, it’s time to start thinking about sweets! Even if you don’t have that someone special to celebrate the holiday with (if you even consider it a holiday) there are still plenty of chocolates and sweets that you can enjoy date free. If you’re like me, chocolate is the best part of Valentine’s Day (no offense men) so why not celebrate the holiday with some chocolate cocktails!

Mama’s Boston Cream Pie

Glazed Chocolate Martini

• 1 parts Mama Walker’s Glazed Donut Liqueur
• 1 part Kahlua
• 1 part Irish Cream Liqueur
• 1 part Hiram Walker Creme de Cacao

Add all ingredients to shaker with ice. Shake and strain into chilled cocktail glass and serve

Chocolate Heart Martini

• ¾ part Hiram Walker® Crème de Cacao White
• ¾ part ABSOLUT® Vodka
• Splash of Coffee

Shake, strain into a chilled martini glass.

Mama’s Boston Cream Pie

• 1 part Mama Walker’s Glazed Donut Liqueur
• 1-2 drops of chocolate syrup
• .5 part cream

Add ingredients to shaker with ice, and strain into chilled shot glass.

 
Whether you’re satisfying your sweetie or your sweet tooth this Friday, I hope you enjoy!

-KJ

Super Bowl Sippers

It’s that time again! Time for you to pile onto your friend’s couch and load up on all of the best chips/dips/apps/finger foods/etc. you possibly can. Since all of the salty, greasy, delicious food will most likely leave you thirsty, here are some delicious and festive cocktails to help you wash down your feast with:

Seahawk  Celebration
•    4 cups ABSOLUT vodka
•    2 cups Hiram Walker Triple Sec
•    2 liters ginger ale
•    1/2 cup fresh cranberries (whole)
•    3.5 liters cranberry juice
•    2 cups orange juice
•    2 limes (sliced)
•    2 oranges (sliced)
Mix ingredients in a large serving bowl. Serve over ice in a rock glass. (multiple servings)

 
Berry Bronco
•    3 Parts Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc
•    3 Strawberries, Chopped
•    1 Part Beefeater Gin
•    Agave Nectar To Taste
•    Juice Of ¼ Of A Lemon
In the bottom of a mixing glass, muddle the strawberries in the lemon and agave nectar. Add remaining ingredients and shake well with ice. Strain over ice into a wine glass.

Enjoy and happy watching!

-KJ

Move over candy corn!

Halloween parties have finally concluded, which means no more costumes, no more pumpkin carving, and hopefully, for my sake, no more candy! It’s not that I don’t enjoy Halloween as much as the next person; I just LOVE Thanksgiving much more. No pressure to find a costume or buy gifts, just one holiday dedicated to being with friends and family for eating (and drinking).

Here are some delicious cocktails for the fall season and Thanksgiving, because it’s never too soon to start planning your Thanksgiving menu!

Hiram Walker’s delicious take on the classic fall treat, Caramel Apples

Caramel Apple Martini

• 1 part Hiram Walker® Caramel Apple Liqueur
• 1 part ABSOLUT® Vodka

Shake with ice and serve in a chilled martini glass.

Maple Bacon Choco-Tini

• 1 part Mama Walker Maple Bacon
• 1 part Kahlua
• 1 part Hiram Walker crème de cacao
• 1 part Irish Cream Liqueur

Add all ingredients to shaker and shake with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass

-KJ

Friday Feature Cocktail: The Pumpkin Eater

It’s my favorite day of the week again folks! It’s Friday! Dust off your cocktail shakers and get your glasses ready for another round of Friday’s Feature Cocktail!

The leaves outside have taken over driveways, sidewalks and lawns and fall is in full swing. Which in my mind means that pumpkin season is in full swing as well. This weekend I will be getting my pumpkin fix through a nice Pumpkin Eater cocktail!

Not the prettiest cocktail, but the taste of Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice makes up for it!

The Pumpkin Eater:

• 3/4 part ABSOLUT Vodka
• 3/4 part Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice
• 1/2 part Hiram Walker Amaretto
• 3/4 part Irish Cream Liqueur

Fill glass with ice. Pour ingredients as listed. Garnish and serve.

Enjoy!

-KJ

Friday Feature Cocktail: Rose Cranberry Sparkle

Sunday marks the official beginning of fall and I will be toasting to the change in season with a sparkling cranberry cocktail!

Rosé Cranberry Sparkle

• 1 oz Absolut Vodka
• .75 oz Cranberry Juice
• .25 oz Hiram Walker Triple Sec
• Squeeze of Lime
• Fill with Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Moscato Rosé

Add Absolut, cranberry juice, Hiram Walker Triple Sec and squeeze of lime to a mixing glass, and shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass, and top with Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Moscato Rosé. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and happy fall!

-KJ

July 4th Sparklers!

4^th of July is just around the corner, and when I think of the perfect way to spend the holiday I think of hamburgers, pasta salad, fireworks, sparklers, and of course, cocktails! It’s never too early to start planning your drink menu, and below are some festive “sparkler” cocktails to pair with your July 4^th festivities!

Pink Berry Sparkler

• 1 oz. pineapple juice
• 5 raspberries
• 3 oz. Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Moscato Rose

In a mixing glass, muddle the raspberries.  Add the pineapple juice and Moscato Rose, with ice, and stir briefly.  Strain into a chilled champagne flute and top off with extra Moscato Rose. Garnish with a raspberry

Mango Peach Sparkler

• 1.5 oz Absolut Mango
• .5 oz Hiram Walker Peach Schnapps
• Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Moscato Rosé

Build in a rocks glass over ice or frozen mango cubes

And why not throw in a little boozy dessert?

Mama Say Mama Sa Ma-Ma-Ma-Su-Ka
• 3 parts Mama Walker’s Maple Bacon Liqueur
• 3 scoops Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• 3 tsp Chocolate Syrup
Put all ingredients in blender and blend with ice. Pour into highball glass for this frozen treat. Add 1 or 2 sticks of bacon for garnish.

As a disclaimer, I am NOT suggesting drinking sparklers while playing with sparklers, that could get dangerous 🙂

Enjoy!

-KJ

 

Friday Feature Cocktail: White Peach Blossom

Well guys, I don’t want to jinx things, but I think we may have finally found spring up in the Northeast! With the sun shining outside of my office window, and the snow mounds in the parking lot (almost) completely melted, I’m ready to toast to the weekend with a light and sweet spring cocktail.

Perfect for spring White Peach Blossom Martini

White Peach Blossom

• 1 part ABSOLUT Mandrin Vodka
• 1 part Hiram Walker White Peach Schnapps
• ½ part Pineapple Juice

Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass.

The White Peach Blossom contains the sweet and fruity flavors associated with warmer weather, and I for one welcome this season with open arms.

Enjoy and have a wonderful (and warm) weekend everyone!

-KJ