I need a Cocktail Stat!!!

With the New Years Hub bub and the closing of the decade (good riddance), I'm definitely in the mood for a cocktail. So here are a few favorite recipes from my Epicuious Iphone App that you should definitely consider for New Years....Have a great one and be careful out there!

Cosmopolitan Champagne Cocktail

Yield: Makes 10 drinks
Active Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 2 1/4 hr.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups Cointreau or Grand Marnier
1 1/4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
4 cups chilled Champagne or other sparkling wine


Preparation
Stir together Cointreau, juices, and sugar and chill, covered, 2 to 6 hours. Just before serving, divide among 10 Champagne flutes and top off with Champagne.

Old Fashioned- for your inner Don Draper...

Yield: Makes 1 drink
This adaptation of a classic recipe comes from Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City.

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce) club soda
1 sugar cube (preferably rough-cut and unbleached*) or 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar, such as turbinado or Demerara
Dash Angostura Bitters
5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) whiskey
1 cup ice
1 (1/2-inch-thick) strip orange peel
1 (1/2-inch-thick) strip lemon peel

Preparation
In chilled cocktail shaker or pint glass, pour club soda over sugar cube. Using muddler or back of large spoon, gently crush sugar cube. Swirl glass until sugar dissolves, 20 to 30 seconds. Add bitters, whiskey, and ice, and stir until well chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into chilled double old-fashioned glass. Squeeze orange and lemon peels over glass, making sure oils fall into glass; discard peels and serve.

Retro Cool - The Manhattan

Ingredients
Shaker with ice
Hearty shot of bourbon
Splash of sweet vermouth
Dash of bitters


Preparation
Fill a shaker with ice.

Add a hearty shot of bourbon.

Add a splash of sweet vermouth and dash of bitters.

You can also add a few drops of maraschino cherry juice, not that I can vouch for that stuff.

Shake and strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a maraschino cherry. If you're hungover or not in the mood for the fancy glass just drink it on the rocks.

Sweet tea with Vodka & Lemonade - For my southern peeps...

Yield: Makes 8

Ingredients
2 large tea bags for iced tea
1/2 cup boiling water
8 fresh mint sprigs
4 cups lemonade made from frozen concentrate
1/2 cup vodka
Ice cubes
8 lemon slices

Ingredient tip: To streamline this recipe, you can use one cup Sweet Tea Vodka from South Carolina's Firefly Distillery in place of the tea and the vodka. For a list of distributors, go to fireflyvodka.com.

Preparation
Place tea bags in medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup boiling water. Let steep 4 minutes. Discard tea bags. Place mint sprigs in large pitcher; mash with muddler or handle of wooden spoon until slightly bruised. Pour in tea, lemonade, and vodka. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Fill 8 highball glasses with ice. Divide sweet tea among glasses. Garnish with lemon slices.

photo by: Elinor Carucci





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