Category Archives: Drinks

Pumpkin Shrub & Punchkin Spice Harvest Punch

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At the old job, it was hardly a secret was quite known for enjoyment of mixology, and I never really minded sharing. Having a lot of people to “keep watered” as the kids used to say, could provide a logistical challenge depending on demand, at least if you wanted to hand craft cocktails for an army of folks.

As a natural result of that, I’ve found my way into experimenting quite a bit with champagne punches, particularly after trying the fabulous Rosemary, Baby! punch from Serious Eats. (It is an excellent intro to champagne punches for anyone by the way.)

Using that rough ratio, I’ve enjoyed great success in producing mass quantities of libations that required little in the way of personal supervision or hands on delivery.

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One of my more famed recipes came due to a request from the front desk asking for some assistance during Halloween. It being a season for pumpkins, the first though that came to mind was somehow incorporating a pumpkin shrub into the punch, and cinnamon for that autumnal feeling. I did think about adding more of the spices associated with pumpkin pie but…. I had a schedule to keep! To skip to the recipe click here. Continue reading →

A Cocktail for Fall – The Kentucky Moose

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A classic drink with a maple twist

As Autumn has comfortably settled in for those of us in the Northern hemisphere, I think it’s the proper time to share a recipe that I devised at work, because of one of the more unique ingredients I’ve used personally, maple syrup. Long story short, at Prosperworks we name releases after foods, and when possible, we make cocktails to celebrate them.

This was my contribution, the Kentucky Moose. So named for its roots in the Kentucky Mule, and well, I know there are a lot of moose in Canada.

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Sidenote: I feel the need to say that while maple syrup can be appreciated year round, there’s something about cooling weather (or at least the idea of cooling weather here in California) that makes reaching for that opaque plastic jug of maple syrup that much more appealing.

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Cocktail Time: The Bacon Van Schmidt

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A margarita with a couple twists

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One night, I was browsing Facebook and noticed my friend Meagan Van Schmidt was celebrating the extremely adult decision to have margaritas and eat bacon for her dinner that evening. Inspiration struck almost immediately to develop a new cocktail, with a standard cocktail to base it on, a novel ingredient, and a name that rhymed with that ingredient.

I know that cocktails with bacon is not an entirely original thing, but still, the idea grasped me so firmly that I had to make it a reality. That and I’m not one to crush a friend’s dreams once I’ve uttered it aloud.

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Habanero Infused Vodka for The Molotov Mule

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A “hot” new take on a classic cocktail

Sometimes you experiment in cooking, and the results are not so good. Other times, you experiment, and you make something fantastic. This is one of those latter examples.

For roughly a year now, I’ve been absolutely in love with the Moscow Mule. I discovered it in the Bartender manga and was entranced by the idea of ginger beer, having been used to ginger ale, which I do quite enjoy. The idea of an even more potent ginger beverage being used in a cocktail was quite appealing.

When I saw it on the menu at a classic bar, I had to order it immediately. I was quite impressed, and made it my drink of choice to make at home. But then I thought, what can I do to really make it my own?

I decided to bring the heat, and replaced the “plain” vodka with habanero infused vodka. With the spiciness of the ginger beer and the slow burn of the peppered up vodka, I dubbed it the Molotov Mule.

So are you sold yet? Well you’ll need some habanero vodka, so let’s get to that part first.

There are various suggested manners to infusing spirits with peppers. Some people simply prick the skin of the peppers with toothpicks before submerging them whole in the booze. Others remove the seeds and halve them, others go full barrel and cut up the peppers and leave the seeds in.

By the way, this is Crystal Head Vodka, in case that wasn’t obvious enough. Super thanks to my friend Mike for gifting it to me. 750 mils of vodka is in there. For this application, one habanero pepper.

Molotov Mule Cook and Geek Recipe 002 Continue reading →