The Autumn Mix – Halloween

On October 30, 2014October 31, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

My favorite candy is, shockingly, candy corn. Well, maybe not my favorite. But at least the one that I find most addicting. In any case, I like it so much that I thought I should make a drink out of it. In honor of Halloween, I made some candy corn vodka out of, you guessed it, candy corn and vodka (recipe below). It was bright orange, and not actually all that sweet (surprising, given that the beet vodka I made a year or two ago was super sweet, and yet this was made out of pure sugar), but it certainly tasted like alcoholic candy corn.

I made a drink, tried it out, and then thought — well, one just isn’t enough. The only thing that vodka is good for (at least the easiest thing) is shots, and it seems lame to write a post about only a single shot. So, I made three! I mostly did them for looks, not taste, and although two turned out surprisingly well, the third was terrible. I’ll still put the recipe here, but word to the wise — skip the Pumpkin. It’s disgusting. But, it does look cool.

Here is the autumn mix. I took a bag of good old mixed candy corn (not as good as the original standby, but hey) and made a drink for each one. Enjoy! (Except, again, the Pumpkin. Don’t enjoy that.) Note: these measurements will all be in “parts” instead of actual ounces, etc., because they’re shots, and it’s up to you how big you want them to be. Most of it’s pretty easy to tell by looks, anyway.

The Autumn Mix

Candy Corn Vodka (stolen from various places on the internet)

1 part candy corn
3 parts cheap vodka

Combine ingredients in a sealable glass container. Close it up and shake it a little, just to loosen the corn. Let sit for anywhere from 3-4 hours to a couple days, but really you just need to wait until all the candy corn dissolves. Strain any remaining bits out and store — it’s ready to drink!

The Bad Seed

1 part candy corn vodka
1 part dark beer (a stout or a porter, something thick and chocolatey/coffee-flavored. I used Guinness but would have liked something a little thicker)

Pour the vodka into the bottom of a shot glass, half way up. Pour the beer in slowly over the back of a spoon. This is super important to do for layering, and we’ll be using this technique for all three recipes. It’s pretty easy, just put the spoon as close as you can get it to the top of the liquid, and kind of dribble the new ingredient over it. I touched the spoon to one of the sides of the glass, so it fell down there too, but I’m not sure that was necessary.

The Candy Corn

1 part apple juice (I used apple “nectar” because it was thicker than normal apple juice, but ended up less yellow which was disappointing. So up to you!)
2 parts candy corn vodka
2 parts whipped cream

Pour the apple juice in first. Layer on the vodka, but go super slowly because these guys do not separate on their own. I had to try a few times before I got it right. Finally, top with whipped cream, which I thought was going to mess up the layering but it was really fine, so don’t worry about it too much.

The Pumpkin

1 part creme de menthe
4 parts candy corn vodka

These “parts” are obviously smaller than the parts above. Also, don’t make this drink. But if you do, pour in the creme de menthe first, then layer the vodka on using the technique above. Don’t worry if you mess up, this one separates out pretty quickly by itself. Final step: after you’ve finished layering, throw it in the trash.

Tasting Notes:

BN: Let’s go through these in order. The Bad Seed was my first idea, which is why it has the best name. I actually liked this a lot; the beer flavor complemented and tempered the sweetness of the vodka. A nice, easy shot. And, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t realize it looked like the chocolate candy corns in the mix until after I made it. Happy coincidence! The Candy Corn was great too, though I wish I could taste the apple a little bit more. The flavors matched, and, like the beer, the whipped cream tempered everything else and brought it together. I also wish the apple was more yellow. Come on Jumex, fix my shot for me. Finally, The Pumpkin was god-awful. But, it really did look like those little pumpkins. Even so, the creme de menthe was heavier than the vodka so I couldn’t even get the green on top. Ugh. Well, two out of three ain’t bad. And the candy corn vodka mixed overall a lot better than I thought it would, so I’m not as worried about still having a massive quantity left over.

PiC: The Bad Seed: Eh, ok. It’s not terrible as a shot but neither is it something I’d hardcore try to be drinking (cause I hardcore try to be drinking shots at all times, clearly). I’d take the Candy Corn over this, but I wouldn’t straight up run from this (see The Pumpkin) either. The Candy Corn: My favorite. This is a great shot because it’s sweet and pretty much kills the taste of alcohol, plus it’s cute! And whipped cream is always tasty. The Pumpkin: Nope. Tastes like a combination of Robitussin and Listerine. NOPE.

Happy Halloween everyone!

The Safina – A Message From Hawaii

On October 19, 2014October 20, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

I came across this story this weekend, and although it’s clearly not of international or even national significance, it seemed like a fun inspiration for a drink. Basically a Californian man came across a real-life message in a bottle when he was looking for his lost shoe on the beach. The message was an invitation to a child’s birthday party in Hawaii four years ago. (Her name is Safina, hence the name of the drink.) Logistically, I don’t quite get how this is an effective way to invite people to a party but hey, it’s the thought that counts. The couple that found it are now trying to get in touch with the family, to see if they’ll still honor the invitation…

Making this drink was a bit of a trial-and-error process. I had high expectations of what I could do at the beginning, and most of those expectations fell a little flat. Have you ever tried making coconut milk from scratch? Easy, I said! Nope. It’s not. I got to the point of slowly carving away the meat from the coconut husk with a spoon when I gave up and went to the supermarket for a carton of the milk (not pictured, to preserve my dignity). Secondly, my preparation method for the ingredients was not altogether effective — I’m adjusting the directions here to be what I think is the best method, though I haven’t tried it so I could be totally wrong.

Still, I actually very much liked the finished product, and with the changes listed below it should hopefully be even better! It’s light, flavorful, and has elements of both Hawaii (coconut, Kahlua) and the long ocean voyage that the bottle took (salt, rum).

The Safina

1.5 oz golden rum (dark might actually be better, but I was out…)
1/2 oz Kahlua
1/2 oz salted caramel sauce (Got this from Trader Joe’s, delicious for all occasions)
6 oz unsweetened coconut milk (You can make this from scratch yourself! Or, just buy it. Pro tip: Just buy it.)
3-4 shakes chocolate bitters (Scrappy’s is awesome, a gift from the Partner in Crime)

As I said, I made a bunch of missteps when constructing this. Here’s what I think should be the best method. Warm the caramel sauce in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Stir together all ingredients. (I had poured them in together, but not mixed. I also saved the bitters for a garnish, but they should be put in at the beginning.) Once they are well enough mixed, pour them over crushed ice. This is the important step — I tried shaking the drink with crushed ice, but as soon as the caramel touched the ice, it hardened up and wouldn’t mix with anything else. So the drink definitely needs to be combined before getting cold. Top with a drizzle of caramel and a sprinkling of sea salt (like a Starbucks latté!).

Tasting Notes:

BN: I actually liked this a lot more than I thought I was going to. I wish it was a little sweeter, and the different flavors a little stronger. They melded well enough together, but it was definitely primarily coconut and Kahlua tastes; I wanted to taste more of the caramel, salt, and bitters. I think the preparation changes I made above should fix this problem and, overall, it was a nice, easy, tropical drink.

PiC: Ditto.

The Bent Apple – iPhone Bendgate

On September 26, 2014September 30, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

Apple’s new iPhone has had a few problems lately. From blocked cell phone service to erased user data, it hasn’t had the easiest of rollouts. But the picture above (from a video by Unbox Therapy) shows what, to my mind, is the weirdest flaw — they bend, and they’re not one of those fancy curved phones that are supposed to…

So, in honor of this problem (and the reason I’m glad I’m on the Xs series and not the main one), I give you The Bent Apple. It’s a little weird, something that would be typical (spiked cider) but changed in a way you wouldn’t expect. And, of course, it’s an apple. See what I did there?

The Bent Apple

4.5 oz cider (if you can get fresh, unpasteurized cider, do that, because it’s awesome, and if you leave it for too long it gets fizzy and alcoholic all on its own. Yum.)
1.5 oz rum
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp ginger simple syrup (Yup, it’s back again. Not 100% sure you need this, though.)
apple (for garnish)

Mix it all up in a Boston shaker, strain and pour into a fancy looking glass. Garnish with an apple slice. Pro tip: I cut a little notch into the apple so it would easily stay on the edge of the glass.

Tasting Notes:

BN: I liked this. While it smelled intriguingly like cumin, its taste wasn’t as strong, but other tasters disagree so I could just be immune (cumin is my favorite so I use it in everything). It had enough weirdness to be unique and tasty, and all the base ingredients (particularly the cider) were great on their own but melded together well. We learn that whether or not your phone is flexible, a Bent Apple is not necessarily a bad thing.

PiC: I thought the drink was very tasty – I was prepared to really taste the alcohol and you really can’t with this one, it’s like cumin apple cider. That sounds weird, but it was actually good and not too sweet even with the syrup (though more ginger flavor might have been nice). I bet it would be good hot!

The Kobayashi – The Usual Suspects

On August 16, 2014August 16, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

The regular perpetrators.

I’m out of town this week, for my brother’s wedding! So, this is a quick update from the road.

19 years ago today, The Usual Suspects was released! Last year, the Partner in Crime and I watched this, for her first time, with a friend. For that event, I made a drink (two actually, but the first was bad), and I’ve updated it and hopefully made it better for this year. It’s a little bit Japanese, but maybe not. It’s that sense of mystery that keeps it going. Just like the character in the movie! Or something.

I was alone for this one, so apologies if the camera work isn’t as good. Also, I was the only one to taste it. Might it be horrible for anyone else but me? It certainly might.

The Kobayashi

1.5 oz gin (the only one I even vaguely enjoy is Hendrick’s, but to each their own.)
1/2 tsp soy sauce (yup.)
1 tsp ginger simple syrup (gotta use it somewhere. Again, it’s from this recipe.)
1/4 oz fresh lemon juice (mine wasn’t fresh. Yours should be.)
tonic water
crystallized ginger slices (for a garnish)

Put everything except the tonic water in a rocks glass with ice. Fill up the glass with tonic, and garnish with the crystallized ginger!

Tasting Notes:

BN: This certainly had good flavors, but it was a little weird. However, I don’t really know if that was, say, the slightly flat tonic water (okay it was a little old, but I’m pretty sure it would be good with more fizz) or the fact that I don’t actually like gin… You’ll have to let me know what you guys think, because I’m not an impartial observer. Still, I think the flavors mesh well and it works overall.

PiC: I wasn’t here. I didn’t drink this. STOP ASKING ME QUESTIONS.

The Summer Sun – Heat Wave

On July 6, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

Sometimes, I am thankful that I live in Southern California. You would think that most of those times would be in the winter, but no! I’m much happier here in the summer than I was on the East Coast, because it gets really hot and humid really easily. So, in honor of the recent heat wave I didn’t have to deal with, I give to you The Summer Sun.

I was recently in a soda shop searching for ingredients for another, upcoming drink, and I happened across a bottle of sweet corn flavored soda. And I figured, well, why not? (This was after deciding not to buy the buffalo sauce or ranch dressing flavored drinks…) After a few sips, I quickly decided that it was so sweet and so corny that I needed to cut it with something. I looked around, and what did I find? Whiskey! Hurray for whiskey!

The following drink is what came out of it. You’ve got corn for the summer, and chili for the heat. Now, I don’t expect anyone really to be able to make this, since sweet corn soda is probably pretty rare, but it was a nice departure from the usual. Good luck, East Coast! Chill out.

The Summer Sun

2.5 oz bourbon (I used Maker’s Mark; the soda is so strong though that you shouldn’t waste a good whiskey on this drink.)
~8 oz sweet corn soda (I got mine at a place called Rocket Fizz, which is a chain at least in LA, maybe nationwide?)
2 tablespoons lime juice
~6 shakes cayenne

Another easy one. Pour the whiskey over ice into a rocks glass, put in the lime, fill up the rest of the glass with soda, and add the cayenne. Depending on your soda, the proportions could vary widely (I put a lot of the lime and chili in because the soda’s flavor was so overbearing.) So, to taste!

Tasting Notes:

BN: I enjoyed this a lot more than the soda on its own. The corn and the whiskey blended incredibly well together, the sweetness getting toned down and gaining depth. It was a very refreshing drink for the summer (even without a heat wave). The most interesting thing I learned while making it was that if you shake spices onto an ice cube, they stick — a technique I’ll be experimenting with later on, because it could lead to some interesting things…

Partner in Crime: I don’t really like whiskey or that soda, but together it actually worked pretty well!

The Pico de Madre – Mother’s Day

On May 12, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn Originals1 Comment

First order of business: make sure that the name I picked for this cocktail doesn’t seem to be overly offensive. Check.

Then, on to the drinking.

It’s Mother’s Day! And what’s more mother’s day than a brunch cocktail? Well, a lot of things. But that doesn’t mean I can’t write about a brunch cocktail. I must admit that I’ve always been a big fan of Bloody Marys (is that the right plural?), and have been relatively disappointed that I couldn’t order one at a normal bar at a normal time without seeming abnormal, or at the very least like an 800-year-old grandmother.

My goal for this drink was to make drinkable pico de gallo. Because that stuff is awesome. You could have this as a Mother’s Day cocktail, a Cinco de Mayo drink, or pick a date exactly in the middle of those two and make up your own holiday. DO IT.

The Pico de Madre

2 oz vodka (Really whatever will do, as long as it doesn’t make the rest taste bad. You really shouldn’t taste it at all.)
4 oz tomato juice
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 tsp finely chopped white onion
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce (for tradition’s sake)
1 pinch cumin
1 pinch garlic salt
2 pinches black pepper
about 2 tsp finely chopped cilantro
about 1 oz lime juice

Put everything into a Boston shaker, with ice. Shake. Strain* into a nice tall glass filled with more ice, garnish with cilantro and lime. You can vary the ingredients earlier, or add a little more of whatever you like at this point — I always like it a little spicier. Enjoy!

* I strained it, which makes it easier to drink, but it doesn’t have quite as much of the “grit” I sometimes like in Bloody Marys. Try it both ways, see how you like it!

Tasting Notes:

BN: This came out really well. It’s a lot more refreshing than most Bloody Marys I’ve had, which can often be really heavy and cloying. The cilantro brightens up the tomato juice and gives it a really nice flavor (as long as you’re not one of those people who think cilantro tastes like soap). The only issue with this cocktail is that you have to drink it really fast, as the ice waters it down pretty quickly. Although, is that really an issue? Hm.

Partner in Crime: Yum.

The Starting Pistol – The Kentucky Derby

On May 11, 2014 By The Boozy NewsieIn OriginalsLeave a comment

A fitting title for a first post, really. Welcome to the Boozy Newsie! I’m your host, the Boozy Newsie (bet you didn’t see that coming, did you). This blog has one purpose, and one purpose only, which is: drinking. Drinking disguised as artistry, experimentation, and relevance. I’ll be making drinks based on something or other that’s happened or is happening, whether a news story or a holiday or a sporting event. So go ahead, toast to current events! Keep watching this space for new and inventive cocktails, ranging from basic to overly complex, depending on how fancy I decide to pretend to be on any particular day. I want to have fun playing with alcohol (and drinking it afterwards), and you can follow my progress in this space.

So where do we start? Where else but the Kentucky Derby! A horse race that got its start in 1875, it’s the time when everyone decides they know something about odds and thoroughbreds and the hand height of horses. They wear fancy hats and put money down and cheer when animals with crazily stupid names beat other animals with even stupider names. My favorite? I’ll Have Another, who won in ’12. A horse after my own heart.

Speaking of which, on to the alcohol. As you might know, the classic Kentucky Derby drink is a mint julep, served ice cold in a frosted tin mug, and you sip between drags on your pipe, adjusting your bolo tie, and fending off would-be admirers who keep calling you “The Colonel.”

This year, I decided to start it off with a variation on the classic that I’m calling the Starting Pistol. It’s a little fruitier than the original, and has a little more interesting spice to it.

The Starter’s Pistol

2 1/2 oz bourbon (I use Woodford Reserve, but any will do. Except Jack Daniel’s.)
1 tsp powdered sugar
2 tsp water
6-10 mint leaves
3 strawberries, sliced thinly
7 shakes of Scrappy’s Cardamom Bitters
lime juice to taste

The preparation is essentially “put it all in a glass.” Mix the water and sugar in the bottom of a rocks glass, effectively making a quick simple syrup. Then, muddle in the mint leaves and strawberries. Smash ’em up real good. Then pour in the bourbon and the bitters, and finally get some ice in there too. Stir it up to make sure everything’s mixed, and you can top it with lime juice (I forgot this, and it still tasted pretty good), and some more mint and a strawberry (slice a thin wedge out of it and stick it on the side of the glass) for a garnish.

And voila! Now you can accompany your random horse bets with a little alcohol — because that always helps decisions!

Tasting Notes (provided by yours truly and my trusty assistant/partner in crime):

BN: This was a little less flavored than I was hoping; you could definitely tell the cardamom was in there, and it added a lot, but despite the massive pile of mush at the bottom of the glass, I was missing the strawberry and mint flavors. It could have been, in part, that it was hard to swirl around the mash once the ice was in the glass, preventing too much spreading of the ingredients. Still, it was a nice refreshing experiment, and it certainly looks nice.

Partner in Crime: This was pretty strong, so if you like that sort of thing, it’s probably pretty good. I don’t, so I mostly just tasted the whiskey…