The Hubble 25 – The HST’s 25th Anniversary

On April 26, 2015May 2, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

I learned today that this past week (the 24th, specifically) was the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope. Which is pretty awesome! 25 years of giving us cool images like the one at the end of this post (which are public domain, so I can use them. Thanks, NASA!) So, in honor of space, NASA, and all of that good stuff, a drink! Mainly created because the St. Germain bottle is kind of star-shaped. I originally wanted something with champagne (bubbly is like sparkles are like stars) but then decided the champagne would overpower the St. Germain.

The Hubble 25

1.5 oz gin
0.5 oz St. Germain
~10 shakes lime bitters
6 oz club soda (this is a Soda Stream, clearly, but normal stuff will do too)

Combine first three ingredients in a rocks glass. Add ice, and fill the remaining space with the club soda. Enjoy, while staring a) up at the sky or b) at pictures of space on your computer.

Tasting Notes:

BN: Well the fact that this came out clear was a surprise to me. I guess there are clear cocktails, like gin and tonics, and vodka sodas, and so on, but it’s sort of an odd experience looking at it, nonetheless. I can’t decide if I like it. I guess it’s like a big lens, like the one on the Hubble? And it didn’t work exactly as expected, like the Hubble. There we go, justification! Tastewise, I liked this. The gin melded with the St. Germain really well, and though it wasn’t a super strong flavor it was a nice floral note. Nothing too intense, but very drinkable.

PiC: It’s not the most visually arresting cocktail, for sure. It kind of…tastes clear? But not in a bad way. It doesn’t taste like water, it’s just very neutral tasting. I like it. It highlights how good that gin is, and the St. Germaine adds a hint of sweetness that really works well with it. I can’t really taste the bitters, but it’s good.

The Slaver’s Bay – Game of Thrones Premiere

On April 12, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

Some of the first drinks I made as mixology experiments were for a Game of Thrones watching party. Some were better than others, but since the new season is about to start, I thought I should go back to my roots, so to speak.

To that end, I thought about what I would make for today, and I decided to go down the track of not necessarily something related to the show itself (White Walker Russians being the old standby) but rather making a cocktail that, if they had the ingredients, the characters in the show would actually drink.

Everyone loves the Daenerys storyline, and when I thought about where she was, the following came to mind. There are slavers, there are ships, so dark rum seems piratey and appropriate, but it’s also sort of Middle Eastern, so maybe some weirder spices — lavender, and what I wanted to be asian pear but they didn’t have it at the store, so just pear.

And this is what came out! Enjoy. Both the drink, and the premiere tonight!

The Slaver’s Bay

1.5 oz dark rum (Greyjoy brand works! Erm, I mean Kraken.)
1.5 oz dry vermouth
4 oz pear juice (try to get actual pear juice not just a can of pears; this was all the store had)
1 tsp lavender
1 pear slice (for garnish)

Muddle the lavender and the vermouth in the bottom of a mixing glass. Let it sit for a little bit to infuse. Pour in the other ingredients, stir, and double strain the full mixture into a rocks glass over ice. To make the garnish, I rolled the pear slice in the lavender to get it coated, which looked cool but made it kind of gross to drink as it fell apart into the drink. Maybe just use a sprig of lavender and a pear, separately.

Tasting Notes

BN: I liked this a lot. What could have been too sweet was nicely tempered by the vermouth, adding a great smoothness and a little more flavor to the drink. It’s rare to have a dark rum drink that isn’t super sweet and this did the trick nicely. The lavender and pear went very well together (somewhat surprising to me, to be honest) and as the ice melted a bit different flavors came out and it melded even more. A good sipping drink, and a fitting drink for the Queen of Dragons.

PiC: I like this! You can actually taste the lavender – it’s very nice. It’s also really smooth, like it has almost a creamy feel when you drink it. And not too sweet. Very good!

The Ale-Pril Fool – April Fools’ Day

On April 1, 2015April 1, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

Happy April Fools’ Day! That’s all I have to say on this one. It looks like a drink that it isn’t! Get it?! Also terrible puns are awesome. Due to the quantities, this is a drink to share. But you could also obviously make less of it.

The Ale-Pril Fool

4 oz dark rum (Kraken!)
16 oz cream soda
2 egg whites, whipped (may be hazardous to your health, &c., &c.)
4 dashes cinnamon

Whip the egg whites, and when almost ready add in the cinnamon. You want them to still be fairly liquid-y (see below) but with lots of foamy bubbles. Pour the rum and the soda into a stein glass, and top with the egg white cinnamon foam, like a head of beer.

Tasting Notes:

BN: I mostly liked this, but I was upset when I was told that it was basically butterbeer because what am I, a hack? Ah well. It was kinda sweet, and also gigantic but it looked great and that was mainly what I was aiming for. Maybe do it yourself in a smaller glass and it will work out better. I also whipped the egg whites too much and while they looked great, they were kind of solid, and unpleasant to drink. Make sure they’re still a little liquid.

PiC: This was good. It kind of reminds me of what butterbeer would taste like but I like the cinnamon in the foam. It’s kind of a giant drink which isn’t necessarily bad but maybe it could stand to be a little less sweet. And yes you were right, we should have whipped the egg whites less.

The No Power Hour – Earth Hour

On March 28, 2015March 28, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

If you know what Earth Hour is, hopefully you’re not on your computer reading this right now! That is, if I manage to post it in time. For those of you that don’t, it’s basically a world-wide (supposedly 7,000 cities) show of support for conservation, climate change awareness, etc., sponsored by the WWF. For an hour (8:30–9:30 local time) everyone shuts off the lights, both in their own homes and on big monuments like the National Cathedral, the Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel, and so on. And so it’s cool! The first one I took part in was in 2009, I think, in London, and it was surprisingly cool to wander around and see things like Nelson’s column and the National Gallery all pitch black. So, to commemorate the occasion, here’s a drink, with ingredients that seem somewhat natural and earthy (including limes from a bush that grows in my yard!).

The No Power Hour

2 oz vodka
4 oz coconut water
2 oz pomegranate juice
0.5 oz lime juice (fresh is best)
lime wedge for garnish

I initially mixed everything but the pomegranate juice together, in hopes of layering the pomegranate on the bottom and making a cool sunrise-y type look, but that didn’t work at all. So, you can ignore that, mix everything together and garnish with the lime wedge. I really need to work on drinks that have more fun techniques.

Tasting Notes:

BN: I like this! The weirdest thing is that it doesn’t taste like alcohol at all, when I specifically made it a little stronger so that it would get you through that dark hour of potentially nothing to do… But it tastes good! A lot of coconut flavor with a little acid from the pomegranate and lime. I wish it looked a little more interesting, but then again if you’re drinking it in the dark it shouldn’t matter too much.

PiC: I think coconut water tastes like human sweat, so I didn’t love that part of it… But it was better than coconut water usually is, and if I liked coconut water I’d probably be super into it. As it stands, it’s very pretty.

The Red Carpet – The Academy Awards

On February 22, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

It’s the Oscars! Time for me to lose $10 with my extremely researched ballot that never manages to win. In the meantime, let’s drink to all of the nominees, and the winners-to-be.

When I think of the Oscars, I think of gold, red, and actors and actresses drinking weird health drinks. I also wanted to try alcoholic kombucha, and this was an excuse. Not that bad!

The Red Carpet

1/4 oz ginger syrup (I’m still trying to use this up)
1 oz strawberry kombucha (I used GT’s Strawberry Serenity Kombucha, which is presumably one of the few that exist)
2 oz champagne
red glitter/sprinkles

Dip a champagne flute in the ginger syrup, and rim it with the sugar sprinkles. Mix the kombucha, champagne, and syrup in a separate glass (lightly stir, since they’re bubbly), and then pour it into the glass over the back of a spoon (this makes it easier not to mess up the rim).

Tasting Notes

BN: I really liked this! It was sweet and strawberry-y, and brought together the three tastes in a surprising way (I thought the kombucha was very strawberry itself, but it wasn’t really, not without the other flavors. They actually built on each other very nicely. It’s a tad sweet for something I would drink every day, but for a special, movie-related occasion, it was perfect!

PiC: This was awesome – so pretty and sweet but not too sweet with just a tiny hint of the ginger. I would drink a thousand of these and then be dead. In fact, make me another one right now.

The Cherry Tree – Presidents’ Day

On February 16, 2015February 17, 2015 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

Hey everyone, I’m back! It’s been a while, but I’ve been distracted with things. Anyway, for my first – poor (you’ll see) – attempt at getting back into writing this blog, I figured I’d start with an easy one – Presidents’ Day!

If there are two things the leaders of our country are known for, it’s never telling a lie and bourbon. Clearly. Therefore, cherry juice (see what I did there? Washington? Cherry trees?) and, uh, bourbon. Because it’s American. Or something.

The Cherry Tree

3 oz bourbon
3 oz cherry juice
6 shakes orange bitters
orange slice for garnish

Combine, serve on the rocks.

Tasting Notes

BN: Oh man, this was not good. I thought it didn’t have enough cherry so I added more and then it was just as bad. Tasted at first just like pure bourbon, and then like medicine. It needs some other flavor to distinguish it, maybe a vermouth or a brandy or something? Not a good first showing of 2015, but I’ll improve! Maybe I’ll make a better version of it for next year. We’ll see.

PiC: When you said cherry and alcohol, I thought cough syrup. And it tastes like cough syrup. But like, fancy cough syrup, at least.

The Freebeard – End of No-Shave November

On November 30, 2014November 30, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

I’ve somehow always missed No-Shave November, because I forgot to shave until a few days in, and that kind of defeats the purpose… But this year I remembered! I didn’t raise money for anything yet, but it was a fun experiment to see how much beard could be grown in a month, and the answer was a fair amount. But today is the last day, and unlike NaNoWriMo I actually got to the end, so I made a drink to celebrate the occasion.

I figured it should be something manly, and what’s more manly than scotch? I put some other things in there to keep it interesting (not that I would be opposed to just drinking the scotch…), and I called it the Freebeard because puns. It’s based off of a Rob Roy, sorta, but with a slight twist.

The Freebeard

2 oz peaty scotch (I picked Oban)
1 oz triple sec
6-7 dashes rhubarb bitters
orange twist for garnish

Combine all ingredients (except for the orange peel) in a mixing glass over ice. Stir, and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.

Tasting Notes

BN: I liked this a lot more than I planned to. The flavors actually melded pretty well, and it wasn’t too orangey. I was a bit worried about the rhubarb bitters because they smelled like medicine, but the taste was weirdly completely different. Hurray for scotchtails!

PiC: I suspected from the start that this would not be the cocktail for me, and though I could tell it was a good cocktail it is not something I’d go drinking. That said, the Oban was a key choice here, as it was smooth but added a really good smokiness that even I appreciated, and if I had to drink something this strong, this might be it.

The Sagetini – Thanksgiving

On November 27, 2014November 27, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

Happy Turkey Day! In honor of the day — and the best part of the meal, stuffing — I have made a drink based on sage, which is the primary spice in stuffing. And is delicious.

Interesting note in the preparation of this drink: I wanted it to be like a martini and even though it’s not, it’s still very small. You might want to double it to make it more of a normal size, but keep in mind that then there’s a lot of alcohol. Not the worst thing after a day of eating, but still. Why are martinis usually the same price as other cocktails? They’re so alcoholic, so you’d think they’d cost more. I’m confused. Anyways, on to the drink.

The Sagetini

2 oz gin
a bunch of fresh sage (I used all but one of the leaves in the picture above, and that one I used as a garnish. so 10-15 leaves?)
.5 oz simple syrup
7-8 dashes orange bitters (to taste, and if you don’t have bitters you can substitute triple sec)

Muddle the sage in the bottom of a mixing glass. Muddle it real good! Pour in the remaining ingredients, stir, and strain into a chilled martini glass. You can double strain if you want to get rid of all the herb bits but I kind of like them. Garnish by floating a sage leaf on top of the drink. Tasting Notes

BN: I really liked this. I was worried a little about how simple it was, but the orange and sage worked really well with the gin, and it had the right amount of sweetness to counteract the fact that I don’t like gin. I loved the way it looked, with such an interesting shade of green and the floating leaf (though it does slowly sink which is a little awkward) and would be interested to see how a full-sized version would hold up. Not that I meant for this to be a mini size, but that’s how it turned out. I would make this again!

PiC: I appreciate that this is probably a good drink, even if I don’t like it – too alcoholic for me. Still, I can tell it has the right amount of sweetness to temper the gin-ness, and the sage is a nice flavor. In summary, it’s probably perfect for your more boozy relatives (read: most of mine) pre-turkey dinner.

The Cozy Cup – Blizzards in the Northeast

On November 19, 2014November 19, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn Originals1 Comment

Apparently there’s been a lot of snow in the Northeast. Upstate New York especially, and having seen pictures it does seem like a little much. (For anyone except me who wants all snow all the time but that’s besides the point). It’s the kind of weather that makes you want to stay in for forever, sit by the fire and have a mug of something warm, reading a book. So, I tried to make something that would be that warm mug. It’s very simple, but delicious, and also reminds me (not the alcohol bit) of my childhood back in the snow. Ah, winter.

The Cozy Cup

12 oz milk (whatever % catches your fancy)
2 heaping tablespoons classic Ovaltine (I didn’t use tablespoons but a literal table spoon but either works)
1.5 oz Kahlua

Note: This entire recipe is really “to taste,” as you might like more alcohol or less Ovaltine, or have a smaller mug that can’t fit 12 ounces. Anyway, heat up your milk in the microwave for about 1:15. It should be hot, but not boiling or anything. Add in the other two ingredients, stir.

Tasting Notes:

BN: I think this is one of the best drinks I’ve made so far, even though I hardly did anything. It’s very basic, but really delicious, and I don’t usually like Kahlua but it blends really well with the malty chocolatey flavor. That being said, I generally think Ovaltine tastes awesome so it may be just that I like Ovaltine so much. Either way, I could see drinking about twenty of these over the course of a cold day and then realizing I was extremely extremely drunk. Maybe I’ll try it this Christmastime.

PiC: I do not like warm milk, but I do love malt, so I enjoyed this drink. It feels very fall/wintry and a nice alternative to the ever-present hot chocolate. The Kahlua cuts through the sweetness a bit, too, and melds well with the Ovaltine. In summary: yum!

The Space Harpoon – Philae Lands on a Comet

On November 17, 2014November 19, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

While we haven’t heard from the probe for some time, it’s still an important thing that we put a probe on a comet! Little old Philae, who is incommunicado at the moment, launched off of Rosetta and landed on a comet on the 12th, though it had some trouble. Because the main way it was supposed to attach was by using harpoons. HARPOONS!

Hence, this drink, which is based on a random recipe I found for grog, which they would have drank on whaling trips back in the day. Maybe. I have no idea. Note: I’m trying to do one every day this week, so this is the first of a bunch! Enjoy.

The Space Harpoon

1.5 oz rum (you probably want to use dark rum, but I was out)
3 oz water plus more for boiling raisins (see below)
about two tablespoons of raisins
1 tsp dark brown sugar
juice of one half lime (my limes are a bit small, so it might be a little less than that

This one uses a made up technique I call “boiling raisins.” Put the raisins in a small saucepan and cover them with water, barely. Then boil them for a while until the water looks kinda brownish. Let it cool, and pour it into the bottom of a glass (there should be around 1 tablespoon left, at least there was for me). Put the rest of the ingredients in (along with most or all of the raisins), stir, and enjoy! You can garnish with a lime slice if you like.

Tasting Notes:

BN: I liked this, mostly. It was a little watered down, which is fair because it had plain water in it, but it was easy to drink and had enough flavor to make it work. There was a bitter aftertaste that showed up partway through drinking it, but then it went away. Not sure what that was? In any case, the raisin and lime and sugar all worked really well together. I bet it would be even better with dark rum.

PiC: Although I was warned that this was odd before tasting it, I actually really liked it – it combined sour and sweet, which as a diehard Sour Patch Kids addict I am a steadfast fan of (though note that this does NOT taste like Sour Patch Kids). The raisins were kind of gross looking, but the taste was yummy.