THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Picon Punch

This week's cocktail is a traditional Basque drink.  While Basque restaurants are renowned for their great food...and equally awesome portions...they are also known for the bars that everybody hangs out in while waiting for meal service to begin.

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Although most of them offer traditional table service these days, most Basque restaurants also set aside some meals to be served "family style."  That means everybody sits at one long table and passes the dishes of food, just like going to your Aunt Gloria's house on Thanksgiving.  It's a wonderfully social way of dining but you will be sitting with strangers.  

What to do?

That's right...a "Cocktail Hour!"  Most arrive a little early to enjoy a tipple in the bar and get to know the people a little bit before the meal is served and for many, that means the traditional but strong Picon Punch.


Picon Punch uses a liqueur called Amer Picon as a base.  This is an orange based libation that is very hard to find in our area so we substitute triple sec and bitters.  Here's the recipe:


INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 oz. - triple sec
1 oz. - brandy
2-3 oz. soda water
1 oz. lemon juice
dash of bitters
dash of grenadine


In an old fashioned glass half filled with ice, pour in bitters, triple sec, grenadine, and lemon juice.  Fill with soda water.  Float brandy on top.


Cheers! 

-Darryl

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Margarita Lite

I know we've done a margarita recipe before but this is special.  


We wanted to adopt a healthier lifestyle, lose a little weight, and get into better shape.  So far, it's been working.  The bad part is that cocktails are usually full of empty calories.  Hey, we like to drink too but we need to retool.

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So, we've cut way back on the heavy drinks, switched to wine for the most part, and experimented with making a lighter cocktail.  Here is the first result of that retooling.
(Note:  In the video, I miscalculated a say it's about 125 calories...it's actually about 150, see below)

Our new margarita lite recipe is just as good as our original margarita recipe but with about 80 less calories.  The alcohol is the same, 3 parts tequila, 2 parts triple sec, and 1 part brandy.  The difference is the mixer...we're using Sunkist Diet Sparkling Lemonade instead of sweet 'n sour mix.


Here's the recipe (two drinks):


2 ounces tequila                                   - 140 calories
1.25 ounces triple sec                         - 120 calories
.4 ounces brandy                                 -    40 calories
juices of 1/2 lime                                   -    5 calories
4 ounces Diet Lemon Soda                -    0 calories


Total Calories                                       - 305 calories
Calories per drink                                - 153 calories


(A Cadillac margarita at most restaurants, which this closely resembles, is about 325 calories per drink)


Fill a cocktail shaker 1/2 full with ice.  Put in all ingredients except for lemon soda and shake.  Pour lemon soda over ice into margarita glasses or cocktail glasses rimmed with salt (about half the depth of the ice).  Pour ingredients from shaker over that.  Enjoy the results - beware, these are still strong drinks.


Cheers!

Darryl
Copyright 2010 - Darryl Musick

The Cocktail Hour - Cosmopolitan

I was never a fan, but for those of you who liked "Sex and the City," here's your drink. It's very easy to make and very refreshing on a sunny day on the deck.

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INGREDIENTS - for two drinks
2 oz. - Vodka
1 oz. - Triple Sec
4 -5 oz. - Cranberry Cocktail
1/2 lime

Squeeze juice out of lime into a 500 ml cocktail shaker, 1/3 full of ice. Pour in vodka and triple sec. Fill to top with cranberry juice. Shake and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wedge and cranberries or pomegranate seeds.

I'm OK with it but some guys think this is a feminine drink. Probably because of the dark pink color and the association with Carrie Bradshaw and friends. For them, fill a glass with ice, pour it in and call it a vodka and cran.

Cheers,

Darryl

THE COCKTAIL HOUR - White Sangria

My wife had a delicious sangria at Claim Jumper the other night so I tried to recreate it at home.  Pretty delicious and a bit more potent than a normal sangria.

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INGREDIENTS - one drink

Juice of one medium orange
Juice of one lemon
1 oz brandy
1/2 oz triple sec
white wine
vanilla
cut up fresh fruit, pineapples, strawberries, grapes...whatever you have on hand.

Fill a glass half-way with ice.  Put all ingredients except vanilla and wine in.  Put just a couple of drops of vanilla.  Pour to the top with wine and stir.

Cheers!

Darryl

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Side Car

This is one of the classic, old-time cocktails like the martini or a Tom Collins. Made in the classic style, it's also only 154 calories so you can enjoy it without too much guilt. With only three ingredients, it's also a breeze to make.

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INGREDIENTS (for two drinks):
3 oz. brandy or cognac
2 oz. grand marnier or triple sec
1 oz. lemon juice, fresh squeezed if available

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker 2/3 full of ice. Shake and strain into two cocktail glasses.

Enjoy!

-Darryl

The Cocktail Hour - Amarita

This is a drink of my own invention.  Sometimes, I just like to play around with what's in by bar and see what comes out.  Sort of like a Dr. Frankenstein of alcohol.  Here's one that came out good.  The others?  Just don't look in the dungeon.

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Amarita Recipe (two drinks)

3 oz - tequila

2 oz - amaretto

1/2 oz - triple sec

1/2 oz - lime juice

Before mixing, put two cocktail (martini) glasses in the freezer.  Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half full of ice and shake.  Remove the glasses from the freezer, they should frost up immediately.  Strain into the glasses.

Beware...this is a strong drink!

Darryl