Be Svelte in the Spirits of Style for 2012!

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2012!  We have noticed that every new year begins with a spirit of restraint.  For the last two months, everyone has indulged in the most decadent foods and beverages.  January brings us back to reality consuming in a manner that will be more health conscious.  While cocktails are not health foods by any means, we have done some research, and would like to inspire you with some options that will allow you to imbibe for less than 100 calories per cocktail.  While you are honoring your resolutions for healthier living, you will still be able to enjoy yourself.

 

Skinny Iced Tea

Ingredients:

1 shot Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka

Sugar-free lemonade (Minute Maid Light or Crystal Light)

Lemon wedge for garnish

Directions: Fill 1 glass with ice, pour 1 shot of Firefly, fill glass with light lemonade, and garnish with lemon wedge.  Calories: 70 (approximate)

Fruity White Sangria

Ingredients:

12-oz. can mango juice

12-oz. can pineapple juice

Liter bottle of seltzer

1 Bottle white wine

1 Cup cubed fruit (pineapple, orange, etc.)

Ice

Directions: Cube fruit. Pour all the ingredients into a serving pitcher and add ice. Stir and refrigerate so flavors blend. Makes 10 eight-ounce servings.

Calories: 94 (Calorie count varies based on fruit used.)

Bellini

Ingredients

2 oz Dry Champagne

3 oz  Peach Juice

1/8 Peach Wedge

Directions: 

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake for 10-15 seconds. Be careful shaking the beverage, because it includes carbonation.  You can wrap the shaker in a towel before shaking. Pour into a 5oz champagne flute, garnish and serve.

Try any of these excellent low calorie cocktails on for size!  They provide a great way to entertain while keeping the resolution to watch your caloric intake.  Keep in mind, however, if you need to serve any kind of mixed drinks to a large group, seek the skills of a professional.  SMS Mixology provides tastefully unique beverages, and services that will allow you to mix and mingle with your guests, instead of being stuck in the background mixing drinks.  Enjoy 2012, beginning with the Spirits of Style!

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'Tis the Season to be Jolly

Happy Holidays!  During this most festive season of the year, you may find yourself overwhelmed with various details, such as finding innovative ways to accommodate your guests during seasonal celebrations.  Have no fear--while we typically focus on the stylish spirits of the cocktail variety, we remain grounded in the belief that a beverage should be able to dazzle, with or without alcohol.  Since it is all about taste, we seek to inspire you with the following family friendly recipes, and encourage you to enjoy them with the merry spirit of the season:

Christmas Juice Punch

• 2 quart(s) Apple Juice
• 2 quart(s) Cranberry Juice
• 2 bottle(s) Ginger Ale
• 1 cup(s) Lemon Juice
• 1 cup(s) Sugar

Mix well all the ingredients -except Ginger Ale- in a punch bowl. Add ice cubes and the Ginger Ale and serve in punch cups.
  
Sparkling Punch

Ingredients

• 2 lemons
• 3 large oranges
• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1 liter club soda
• 2 (750 milliliter) bottles sparkling apple cider
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 trays ice cubes

Directions

1. Thinly slice the lemons and the oranges and place in a large punch bowl. Pour in the thawed lemonade. Gently stir in the club soda and the sparkling apple cider. Add sugar to taste. Add ice.

Chilled Christmas Punch

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice, chilled
• 4 cups cranberry-apple juice, chilled
• 1 liter ginger ale, chilled

Directions

1. In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar and cinnamon to a boil; stir until sugar is dissolved. Chill. Just before serving, combine the syrup mixture, juices and ginger ale in a punch bowl or large pitcher. Serve over ice.

These colorful and fresh flavored punch mixes are sure to delight!  They will be the beverage centerpiece of any 'spirit-free' event.  However, if you need to responsibly and economically serve mixed drinks to a large group, seek the skills of a professional.  SMS Mixology provides tastefully unique beverages, and services that will allow you to mix and mingle with your guests, instead of being stuck in the background mixing drinks.  Enjoy responsibly, and remember to entertain this Holiday Season with the spirits of style!



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Have a Wild Turkey Thanksgiving

For our readers in the United States, Thanksgiving is the time for gathering with family and friends to give thanks for the many blessings that we have in our lives.  Usually, the Thanksgiving feast is marked by the serving of turkey, the honorary bird of the holiday.  We are encouraging you aspiring hosts and hostesses to make turkey the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving celebration—Wild Turkey®, to be exact.

According to Wikipedia, Wild Turkey® is a popular brand of Bourbon Whiskey.  Bourbon whiskey is a barrel aged distilled spirit, made primarily of corn.  The frequent use of Bourbon Whiskey in Southern cooking reflects the versatility of the flavor profiles that are infused into the spirit via the wooden aging casks.  These flavors include hints of molasses, caramel, vanilla, pecans, cinnamon, licorice and brown sugar.  Since these flavor profiles inhabit many of the favorite dishes associated with and consumed at Thanksgiving, we have assembled some Wild Turkey® infused beverages to serve with your holiday feasts:

Cherry Gobbler

• 2 oz Wild Turkey® bourbon whiskey
• 3/4 oz grenadine syrup 
• 3 1/2 oz Mello Yello® citrus soda

Pour the Wild Turkey® bourbon whiskey and grenadine into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, and strain into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Add Mello Yellow®, and serve.

Thanksgiving Cocktail

• 1/2 oz. Brandy, apple
• 1 1/2 oz. Bourbon (Wild Turkey®)
• 4 oz. Cranberry Juice
• 1 tsp. Lime Juice
• 1 wedge Lime

Build over ice in a collins glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

 Golden Schnoozeberry

• 1/2 oz. Rumple Minze
• 1 1/2 oz. Bourbon (Wild Turkey®)
• Fill with 7-up®
• 1 wedge Lime

Fill glass with ice. Pour Wild Turkey® and Schnapps® over ice. Squeeze lime wedge in drink and drop in. Fill with 7-up®.

As always, we encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone to see what this spirit will do in varied cocktails.  Get creative, go wild!  However, if you need to seek the skills of a professional, keep in mind that you can always look to a mixologist, like SMS Mixology, for something unique, and services that allow you to mix and mingle with your guests, not stuck in the background mixing drinks.  Enjoy responsibly, and remember to entertain this Thanksgiving with the spirits of style!

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Harvesting the Flavors of Fall

Crisp air, cool breezes, and the robust flavors of the harvest.  Fall is here, and is another excellent reason to gather friends and family to raise a glass to celebrate life!  Traditional Fall harvest foods are as tantalizing to the eyes, as they are to the taste buds, such as the colorful varieties of apples, corn, and pumpkins and berries.  Likewise, your beverage choices can reflect the stylish variety of the harvest, with flavorful juice or puree bases, and the sultry warmth of dark spirits.  Here are few recipes for your inspiration...

Spiced Apple Cider

Ingredients:

1 1/4 oz. Spiced Rum
6 oz. Apple Cider (Hot)

Preparation:

Rim glass with sugar and cinnamon. Add hot cider and rum.

Pumpkin Martini

Ingredients:

1/2 oz Sylk Cream Liqueur

2 oz vanilla vodka

1/2 oz pumpkin puree (or pumpkin liqueur or pumpkin spice syrup)

1 tsp whipped cream

cinnamon stick for garnish

Preparation:

Pour the Sylk Liqueur and vodka into a shaker filled with ice.

Shake well

Add the pumpkin puree (or liqueur or syrup)

Shake again

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Top with a teaspoon of whipped cream

Garnish with a cinnamon stick 

In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we suggest this drink, and ask that you remember those who have been impacted by this disease, and support research to find a cure.

p.i.n.k. Ribbon Cocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz p.i.n.k. Vodka

1 oz Cointreau

3/4 oz cranberry juice

3/4 oz black currant juice

splash of sour mix

 

Preparation:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Again, you are encouraged to use your imagination, and take note from these cocktails presented as inspiration.   Entertaining with intimate groups can be effortless, but if you really want to wow a large crowd, feel free to engage the services of a certified mixologist, like SMS Mixology, so that you can get quality cocktails, guest service, and be freed up to enjoy your event.  Drink responsibly, explore and enjoy all that Fall has to offer with the Spirits of Style!

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Getting "Jack Wild": Exploring the Versatility of Jack Daniels

With summer behind us, our staff contemplated some subjects to share with our reading audience.  It occurred to us to explore the versatility of one of America's highly flavored spirits, namely, Jack Daniels Whiskey.  Jack Daniels is one of the country's most popular liquors.  It is a sour mash Tennessee Whiskey, which is often filtered through maple charcoal before aging in oak barrels.  This versatile spirit is widely used as much in cooking, as it is in preparing drinks.

Since Jack Daniels' deep, oaky flavor profiles enhance both food and beverage flavors, we encourage you to explore and take liberties with this dynamic cocktail component.  We researched, in an effort to bring you some recipes to try.  We found hundreds of them, using common cocktail building components, and some surprising ones.  We found the recipes to be daring, and bold, and the majority of them were similarly named, in a Not Safe for Work (NSFW) way.  Therefore, in the true spirit of the boldness of Jack Daniels, we encourage you to experiment with your favorite flavors to come up with your own unique recipes.  Try your hand with:

• Citrus juices
• Vegetable juices
• Herbs
• Soft Drinks
• Other Hard Liquors
• Schnapps (any flavor)
• Flavored or unflavored mineral water
• Fresh lemonade
• Wine
• Beer

As a matter of fact, simply presenting Jack over ice will make an excellent beverage for an impromptu gathering.  Likewise, as you entertain, Jack Daniels with its golden brown color, will look great in almost any type of glass. Our team conducted an online search for Jack Daniels inspired barware, and found as many variations for presentation as we found recipes.  All the more reason to let your imagination fly as you present your beverages to your guests.  For example, serve casually in canning jars, for that "antique, down home" feel.  For upscale dining or entertaining, any standard rock glass or Collins glass will help this liquor and its components catch the light and look stylish as a result.

Again, we encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone to see what the smooth finish of this liquor will do in varied cocktails.  Have fun, get wild with Jack!  But if you need to seek the skills of a professional, keep in mind that you can always look to a mixolgist, like SMS Mixology, for something unique, and services to keep you in the mix with your guests, and not just mixing drinks.  Enjoy responsibly, and remember to entertain with the spirits of style!


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Refreshment Inspirations for the "Dog Days of Summer"

The term, "Dog Days of Summer" most commonly refers to the sultry time of the year, when temperatures are high and the need for refreshment is even higher.  This month, we offer up several dog inspired beverages that you can make for yourself or for entertaining guests.  Let your guests in on the inside joke as you encourage them to ingest a cool canine named drink to tame that hot and humid dog day afternoon with any one of the following beverages:

Hair of the Dog

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Bulldog Gin
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce
• slice of chili pepper

Preparation:

1. Pour the Bulldog Gin and Tabasco into an ice-filled cocktail shaker.
2. Shake generously.
3. Strain into a chilled rocks glass.
4. Garnish with a chili pepper.

Remember to wash your hands well with soap (especially before touching your eyes) if you handle the chili pepper.


This drink features classic flavor profiles, and is refreshingly cool, in spite of its peppery kick.  It also looks abstract and sleek in the glass.

Salty Dog

Ingredients:

• 2 oz gin
• 4 oz grapefruit juice
• salt for rimming
• lemon or lime wedge for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour the ingredients into a collins glass rimmed with salt and filled with ice cubes.
2. Stir well.
3. Garnish with a lemon or lime wedge.

This drink is sure to please, with its crisp and  vibrant citrus flavor.  It really looks great and classic in the smooth confines of the Collins glass.

Atomic Dog

Ingredients

1 1/2 shot Rum (White)

3/4 shot Melon Liqueur

3/4 shot Coconut Rum Liqueur

2 1/2 shots Pineapple Juice

3/4 shot Lemon Juice

Preparation:

Shake all 5 ingredients with ice for a few seconds. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice cubes.
Add a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry on the rim to garnish and serve.

Due to the vibrant color of this drink, it would look great in abstractly styled barware--think squares, unusual shapes, etc.  or in a punch bowl for a festive flair. 

Psychotic Bloody Prairie Dog

Ingredients

• 1/2 oz. Brandy
• 1/2 oz. Liqueur, raspberry (Chambord)
• 1/2 oz. Gin
• 1/2 oz. Hpnotiq
• 1/2 oz. Schnapps, peach
• Top with Grenadine
• Fill with Red Bull
• 1 splash Sour Mix
• 1 piece Cherries/Maraschinos

Preparation:

Fill Collins glass with ice. Pour in gin, brandy, peach schnapps, Chambord and Hpnotiq. Add a splash of sour mix and give a short shake. Fill to within 1/2" from top with Red Bull. Top with grenadine and add a cherry for garnish.

This drink is bright bold red, and since it contains both spirits and energy drinks, may not be for the faint of heart, or a conservative gathering, because you might see one or two of your guests become "unleashed!"

You are encouraged to share these refreshing elixirs with your guests, keeping in mind that finding refreshment does not have to be boring, or lacking in taste and style.  These recipes are offered as inspiration for you to explore beverage ingredients, flavors and presentation to unleash your own special style.  However, if you have to entertain a large group, or are not comfortable with the idea of mixing beverages, feel free to consult the skills of a Certified Mixologist, like SMS Mixology, so that you can impress upon and imbibe with your guests.  Whether you are a DIY type, or want to use a professional, make sure that you entertain with the Spirits of Style!

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Lemonade...That Cool Refreshing Drink

With a nod to Eddie Murphy and his ode to Elvis regarding lemonade, we salute the international drink of Summer.  In the United States, we quench our thirst with ice cold lemonade, made with lemons, sugar and water, while in Europe and parts of the Middle East, cool, sparkly limonade, from lemons, sugar and carbonated water, provide refreshment.  As we celebrate Independence Day, vacation getaways, family reunions and other seasonal occasions,  many will be heading to parties at the lake, beach, or in their yards, featuring barbecue food favorites, friends and families, and the refreshingly simple drink of Summer that enhances all of these gatherings:  lemonade.  For those who are unfamiliar with this blog, we are big on entertaining for everyone in a way that expresses your personal style and creativity.  Since this blog is primarily about entertaining with creatively inspired cocktails, we present the following lemonade cocktail recipes to serve along with your traditional lemonade.

Summer Splash

Ingredients

 1 1/2 oz. Gin
dash(es) 7-Up
Lemonade

Instructions

Pour the gin and the 7-Up in a highball glass and fill with lemonade.

Superstar

Ingredients

2 oz. Vodka

2 oz. Peach Schnapps

Lemonade

Instructions

Shake with ice and strain over ice in a highball glass.

Xtreme Lemonade

Ingredients

6 oz. Absolut Citron Vodka
6 oz. Lemonade

Instructions

Combine in a pint glass over ice. Mix well and serve with a slice of lemon.

Chowning's Tavern Wine Cooler

Ingredients

1 part(s) Dry Red Wine
3 part(s) Lemonade

Instructions

Pour 3/4 of a glass with lemonade over crushed ice, then slowly fill with red wine. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a cherry.

All of these recipes are as tasty as they are interesting, and your guests will delight in your creative use of liquors, wines, and other flavor enhancements that transform the iconic lemonade into savvy cocktails.  Imagine your summer soiree’ with lemonade being the starring ingredient in your stylish punch bowl or special occasion barware!  To further upgrade the humble lemonade drink, you can secure the services of a professional mixologist, like SMS Mixology, to serve your lemonade and lemonade based cocktails with finesse!  You will then be free to entertain your guests and enjoy the sensory delights of the summertime party.

Celebrate responsibly, and remember to always entertain with the Spirits of Style!

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