Month: December 2015

3 Easy Champagne Cocktails To Help You Ring In The New Year

Champ
Photo Credit: Arlisappetite.com

“I only drink champagne on two occasions. When I’m in love and when I’m not.”  – CoCo Chanel

I couldn’t have said it better myself!  I can never get enough champagne.  I drink it in the morning with my mimosa and at night just because.  Champagne is normally reserved for a celebration or special occasion, but I see it as an inexpensive, no fuss, easy cocktail. Not to mention it always give you a little buzz. Some champagnes can be expensive, but there are also good quality champagne options that are not.   If you are looking to add a little kick to your annual midnight champagne toast, here are a few of my favorite champagne recipes.

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Love Cocktail (Photo Credit: freixenetusa.com)

3/4 Glass of Champagne, Add Strawberry Liquor to fill glass, garnish with a strawberry

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V Kiss Cocktail (Photo Credit: freixenetusa.com)

2 oz Vodka (I prefer flavored, any flavor you’d like), top with 3 oz. Champagne

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Cran Ginger Cocktail (Photo Credit: Pop Sugar.com)

2 oz Cranberry Juice, 1 oz Ginger Beer,  2 oz. Champagne

And if you want to take your champagne drinking to another level, check out these 8 Tips on How To Drink Champagne correctly.

What is your favorite champagne cocktail?

Bacon and Beer Night at Bad Decisions Bar

In honor of Bacon Day, a holiday/food that I love dearly, I’m reminiscing of that one time I visited Bad Decisions Bar for their monthly Bacon and Beer Night. Bad Decisions Bar (1928 Fleet Street) is located in Fells Point, Baltimore.  I always drive by the bar on my way to Canton and I’ve always chuckled at the name but never stopped to go inside.  On this particular day, Fat Tuesday 2015 to be exact, a friend invited me to go with her and check out the bacon specials.

Bacon
Clockwise from top left: Beef and Bacon Grits, Bacon Sazerac and Bacon King Cake

Honestly I thought it would be a normal happy hour menu with maybe two or three choices, but this menu was made specifically for a bacon fest event.  There were three appetizer options, four cocktail options, two dessert options and five entree options that all included bacon. When my friend and I went to the bar to order the patrons sitting at the bar were very friendly and they schooled us on the evening’s selections. I was surprised to find out that a few dishes were already sold out…note to self, next time get there early.  I decided to order the beef and bacon grits which were very tasty, but a bit soupy.  It would have been better if they branded as a beef and bacon stew.  My dessert the Bacon King Cake was awesome!  It was freshly made with the sweet icing and the bacon bits gave it a salty kick.

Bad Decisions Bar recently celebrated their 50th Bacon and Beer Night.  I’m happy to see they are still going strong. I have to visit again in the near future because I hear they change the menu each time.  For more information on dates for Bacon and Beer Night, visit their website at http://makeabaddecision.com/

What is your favorite bacon dish?

 

5 Easy Cocktail Ingredients That Transition Your Fall Favorites Into Winter Winners

December 22nd is the official start of Winter here in the United States.  Even though it’s been an unseasonable Fall and Winter with temperatures reaching 70 degrees, I’m still looking forward to creating traditional winter cocktails.

There are so many great traditional cocktails that come to mind when I think of Winter – Egg Nog, Hot Cider, Mulled Wine, Boozy Hot Cocoa and many more. Below are just a few of my favorites that I like to use in my cold weather cocktails.

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1. Chocolate – Many people know that my favorite cocktail of all time is a Chocolate Martini.  Chocolate drinks tend to be reserved for cold weather, especially a flavorful Boozy Hot Chocolate with lots of marshmallows and whipped cream. Creme De Cocoa is a sweet chocolate liqueur used to make a chocolate martini or it can be added to added to coffee or hot chocolate.  Check out the recipe below for my favorite Boozy Hot Chocolate.

1 oz. Pinnacle Marshmallow Vodka 

Add it to the Hot Chocolate

Top with CREAM Vanilla (Alcohol Infused) Whipped Cream

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2.  Mint – When I think of Christmas I think of candy canes, peppermint patties and those mint candies the old ladies would give us in church. Mint is definitely a staple of the Winter season.  It’s also a great ingredient to add to your cocktails. The Food Network has a perfect and easy to make Candy Cane Cocktail.

3.  Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a popular spice in the world of Winter Cocktails.  It’s great with cold or hot cocktails.  I like to make my own cinnamon simple syrup. It’s quick to make and easy to store and you can add it to just about anything. Below is one of my favorite cinnamon cocktails, it can be a Summer or Winter cocktail if you leave out the ice.

BlueChairRecipe

4. Cranberry – Cranberry season in the United States technically starts in November right around Thanksgiving.  That’s when we begin to see cranberry sauce and cranberries incorporated into holiday dishes.  We can continue this holiday tradition well into the Winter months.  Fresh cranberry cocktails with cranberry garnishes are all the rage, but if fresh cranberries aren’t your thing you can always add a splash of cranberry juice to your favorite cocktail. Bonappetit has a great New Years Eve Cranberry Champagne Cocktail. 

5.  Apple –  Apple how do I love thee? Let me count the ways – Apple Cider, Apple Sangria, Apple Martini and the list goes on. Apples are everywhere during the Winter months. You can always find apples at Supermarkets and Farmer’s Markets all year round. Apple is the perfect Fall/Winter fruit to include in any cold weather cocktail. One of my favorite to make is the Apple Cidecar.

3 oz Apple Cider

1  1/2 oz Brandy

1/2 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau

1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice or sweet & sour mix

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Those are just a few of my favorites.  What are your favorites?

Jameson Coffee Cocktail

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While making my holiday party rounds, I attended the Lord Baltimore Hotel‘s annual holiday party.  Of all the holiday events I’ve enjoyed this season, I was pleasantly surprised that this party included a hot holiday cocktail.

The drink was created by staff at the hotel’s restaurant The French Kitchen . This cocktail is called “Cafe’ Irlanda’s” it is delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients: 

1 oz Jameson Whiskey added to a coup of Coffee

Top with Almond Vanilla Whipcream (or any whip cream) and add Brown Sugar.

What is your favorite hot holiday cocktail?

Cherry Tart Pinot Noir

Last night I finally cracked open the bottle of Cherry Tart Pinot Noir I purchased three months ago.  I saw it on display at the liquor store and it immediately caught my attention because I love sweet wine.  What better way to test out my new Olivia Pope Wine Glass I ordered on Black Friday from Crate and Barrel.

Cherry Tart Wine

When I do drink wine, I prefer Pinot Noir.  Pinot Noir is a medium-bodied red wine and it tends to be the sweetest of other red wines.  I didn’t expect it to taste exactly like a cherry tart, but I did expect it be a little sweeter than it was.

When I poured it into the glass I could smell the sweet fruity aroma and when I gave it a sip I could taste the cherry fruit notes. It was fruitier than your average Pinot Noir and it was easier to drink.  It goes down smooth and before I knew it I was on my second glass.

This wine is great alone but would be excellent in a Winter Sangria or a Mulled Wine cocktail.

Winter Red Wine Sangria

Ingredients: 

1 (750-ml) bottle red wine

1/2 cup Brandy

1/4 cup  Triple Sec

2 Apples and 2 Oranges (occasionally I like to add 1/2 cup orange juice)

2 cups of sparkling water or sparkling cider

Instructions: 

Stir the wine, Triple Sec and Brandy.

Cut apples and oranges into slices and add to the mixture

Add the sparkling water or cider

Pour mix serve over ice and enjoy

Have you tried any other fruit inspired wines?  Comment below and tell me what you think.

Brunch Review: Waterfront Hotel

Fells Point is definitely one of my favorite neighborhoods to enjoy a great Sunday brunch. Last Sunday I visited Waterfront Hotel (1710 Thames Street, Baltimore MD).  With a name like Waterfront Hotel, you would think it was a hotel, but it isn’t.  It was once a private residence in the 1700’s and a hotel at one point in the 1800’s.

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I’ve been to Waterfront Hotel before but only for happy hour and dinner.  I remember them having a different food special for each day of the week, I like variety and that shows commitment.

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I arrived early at 10:30 am and the restaurant wasn’t open yet.  The staff was arranging the outdoor seating and bustling about inside taking care of daily preparations.  I parked outside and waited for 30 minutes with the other patrons that had arrived early. Once inside my friend and I were greeted promptly by a friendly waitress that took our drink orders and brought out a fresh batch of bottomless mimosas.

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The bottomless menu consists of bottomless mimosas, bloodies, screwdrivers or Natty Boh and the cost is $10.00 per person.

The brunch menu has many options – omelettes, benedicts, sandwiches, salads, bar snacks, entrees and breakfast sides. When in doubt I tend to go for an omelette.  My omelette of choice was the Mexican Omelette -$13.00 (house-made chorizo, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and chipotle salsa). It’s served with toast,  tots or grits, bacon or sausage.  I ordered the tots and sausage option, chorizo and sausage links…double meat, I love it! What I loved most about my omelette was the size, it was fat and full like an omelette should be.

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My friend ordered a breakfast bowl with and over easy egg, potatoes, peppers, onions and crabmeat – $14.00.

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We also had a taste for something sweet, so we ordered the Stuffed French Toast -$12.00 (cinnamon cream cheese, warm maple berry compote, with a choice of sausage or bacon). My friend doesn’t eat pork or red meat, so we ordered bacon for me 🙂  More Meat!

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The French Toast wasn’t actually stuffed with the cinnamon cream cheese, it was spread between the two slices.  It was yummy and different because I was expecting it to be stuffed inside the toast slices.

Brunch at Waterfront Hotel begins at 11:00 am, make sure you get there early to get a seat because the place fills up quickly. When we left around 2:30 pm and it was standing room only, some patrons were standing in the front area eating their food.

Waterfront Hotel also hosts live music on the upper level. All live shows start at 10:00 pm and there is never a cover charge.  For more information on events of the menu please visit http://www.waterfronthotel.us/

 

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