Little Bits

Chocolate Gummy Martini ?!

For the story behind the chocolate gummy martini visit "The (sad) life of a chocolate covered gummy".

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Bloody Mary

In summer, I made my own tomato juice by blending a few pounds of garden fresh tomatoes (about 6 cups diced) with a fennel bulb and a jalapeno. I then added 3 T. Worcestershire sauce, 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil, the juice and zest of 1 lime, 1 1/2 tsp celery salt and a generous amount of coarse ground black pepper, blend well, and made any adjustments to taste. Typically you would add Tabasco to a Bloody Mary but it wasn’t necessary because I blended a whole jalapeno into the juice instead.

To serve, I fill a tall glass with jalapeno ice cubes, 3 oz citrus vodka and pour in my spiced tomato sauce. For garnish, I use a fennel frond, a pepper jack stuffed green onion and pickled okra. This is much more then a drink, it’s a whole meal!

The Food Network gave me the idea for the jalapeno ice cubes. You simply blend 3 jalapenos, 1/2 lemon (rind and all), about 2 T. cilantro or basil, salt and pepper with 4 cups of cold water and freeze in ice trays.

As the jalapeno ice cubes melt your Bloody Mary gets spicier. Careful, it can get too spicy. I recommend you use mostly regular ice cubes with 1 or 2 jalapeno ice cubes added in.

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Margarita

Margarita

3 oz. tequila
2 oz. lemon or lime or - my preference lemon lime combo
1 oz. triple sec

Place in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Give a few good shakes and strain into an ice filled glass with a salted rim. Enjoy!

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Lemon Drop

Lemon Drop

3 oz. citrus vodka
1 ½ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
2 tsp simple syrup

Place in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shake well and strained into a sugar rimmed martin glass.

Simple Syrup - Combine 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes. Once cool, store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

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Coconut Lime Drop

Coconut Lime Drop

3 oz. coconut vodka
1 ½ oz. lime juice
½ oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
2 tsp simple syrup

Place in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shake well and strained into a coconut & sugar rimmed martin glass.

Simple Syrup - Combine 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes. Once cool, store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

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Blueberry Peach Martini

Blueberry Peach Martini

3 oz. blueberry vodka
1 ½ oz. lime juice
½ oz. peach schnapps
2 tsp simple syrup

Place in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shake well and strained into a sugar rimmed martin glass.

Simple Syrup - Combine 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes. Once cool, store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

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Sidecar

Sidecar

3 ounces Brandy
1 ½ ounce Cointreau
¾ ounce lemon juice

Shake with ice. Strain into a sugared rim martini glass and garnished with a lemon twist.

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Basil Pineapple Martini

Basil Pineapple Martini

3 oz. vodka
1 tsp lime juice
2 tsp simple syrup
4 pineapple cubes
3 fresh basil leaves, plus one small one for garnish

Muddle pineapple with simple syrup and basil leaves. Add remaining ingredients, shake with ice and strain into a martini glass and garnish with a small basil leaf.

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Ginger Carrot Martini

Ginger Carrot Martini

3 oz vodka
3 oz carrot juice
2 tsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp ginger, grated
5 mint leaves plus 1 for garnish.

Muddle honey, lemon, ginger and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add the vodka, carrot juice and ice. Shake well and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a mint leave.

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Scent of Summer

Scent of Summer

3 oz Pearl blueberry vodka

1 oz Navan vanilla cognac

1 ½ oz watermelon juice

1 tsp mint infused simple syrup

mint leaf for garnish

Puree the watermelon and strain to separate the juice from the seeds and pulp. Combine in an ice filled shaker, give a few shakes and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a mint leaf.

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Thai Martini

Thai Martini

1 ½ oz ginger vodka
1 ½ oz coconut vodka
¾ oz mango puree
2 tsp simple syrup
3 basil leaves, plus 1 for garnish

Muddle basil leaves, simple syrup and mango puree. Add vodka and shake over ice. Pour into a coconut sugar rimmed glass and garnish with a floating basil leaf and a piece of chili mango.

Mango puree - Place mango in a food processor and add just enough water to get a nice puree - not too thick, not too thin.

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5 Star Lemonade

5 Star Lemonade

1 ½ oz vodka
1 ½ oz gin
1 ½ oz light rum
1 ½ oz tequila
1 ½ oz Navan vanilla cognac or triple sec

1 ½ oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp mint simple syrup

Combine the ingredients in an ice filled shaker, give a couple of shakes and pour into a tall glass filled with ice and lemon wedges. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

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Hawaiian Martini

Hawaiian Martini

1 ½ oz ginger vodka
1 ½ oz coconut vodka
¾ oz pineapple puree
2 tsp simple syrup

Combine in an ice filled shaker. Shake well for about 15 seconds to chill and combine the ingredients. Pour into a coconut sugar rimmed glass and garnish with a pineapple chunk.

Pineapple puree - Place pineapple in a food processor and add just enough water to get a nice puree - not too thick, not too thin.

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Mojito

Mojito

3 oz white rum
½ lime, cut into 4 pieces
2 tsp mint simple syrup
12 mint leaves

club soda or carbonated water (optional)

Muddle mint leaves, lime and simple syrup in rocks glass. Add rum, stir well and fill the glass with ice. If you so desire add some club soda or carbonated water.

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Melon Mojito

Melon Mojito

3 oz white rum
¾ oz Midori melon liqueur
½ lime, cut into 4 pieces
1 tsp mint simple syrup
12 mint leaves

Muddle mint leaves, lime and simple syrup in rocks glass. Add rum and Midori, stir well and fill the glass with ice.

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An Apricot In Paradise

An Apricot In Paradise

1 ½ oz apricot brandy
1 ½ oz coconut rum

1 ½ oz orange juice

Combine in an ice filled cocktail shaker. Give a few good shakes to chill and combine the ingredients and pour into an ice filled short glass with a coconut rim. Garnish with an orange slice.

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Ginger Martini

Ginger Martini

3 oz Yazi ginger vodka
1 ½ oz Triple Sec
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp simple syrup

Shake over ice and pour into a martini glass with a sugared rim. Garnish with a few pieces of candied ginger.

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Ginger Peach Mint Martini

Ginger Peach Mint Martini

3 oz Yazi ginger vodka

1 ½ oz Peach Schnapps

1 tsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp simple syrup

4 mint leaves, plus 1 for garnish

In a shaker, muddle 4 mint leaves with the simple syrup and lime juice. Add the Yazi, Peach Schnapps and ice. Shake well and strain into a sugared rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a mint leaf.

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Periodista

Periodista

1 ½ oz white rum
¼ oz apricot brandy
¼ oz Cointreau
½ oz lime juice
1 tsp simple syrup

Shake with ice cubes and pour into a chilled cocktail glass with a lime peel twist.

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A Day at the Beach

A Day At The Beach

3 oz coconut rum

½ oz amaretto

3 oz pineapple juice

dash pomegranate molasses

Shake well and pour into an ice filled glass. Garnish with fresh pineapple and a little umbrella :)

Best if made using fresh pineapple juice or a combination of canned pineapple juice pureed with fresh pineapple.

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Peach Orange Margarita

Peach Orange Margarita

3 oz. tequila
2 oz. fresh orange juice
1 oz. peach schnapps

Place in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Give a few good shakes and strain into an ice filled glass. Enjoy!

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Pineapple Almond Vanilla Tini

Pineapple Almond Vanilla Tini

1 part vanilla vodka

1 part amaretto

1 part pineapple juice

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the ingredients. Shake well and strain into a martini glass.

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Apricot Velvet

Apricot Velvet

1 oz apricot brandy
1 oz hazelnut liquor
1 oz amaretto
1 oz vodka
2 oz vanilla soy creamer

Combine all the ingredients in an ice filled cocktail shaker. Give it a few good shakes to chill and combine the ingredients and pour into an ice filled short glass with an almond-meal rim.

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NaVanilla