Happy New Year Cocktail

We're avoiding amateur night, as per usual, making our own little NYE celebration at home. Snuggled on the couch with Depeche Mode tunes and Thai red curry chicken, we must kick off the night with a celebratory cocktail.

We have no idea what the hell this is but it's amusing. It appears to be some sort of white trash cross between a martini and an adult pineapple float. Cheers to the new year - may you always be amused!

CoupleNextDoor WhiteTrashTini

Place a small scoop of pineapple sherbet into a martini glass
Add a few glugs of vodka
Squirt with a swirl of homemade grenadine
Float a few glugs of sparkling wine on top

Thankful for Cocktails

You guessed it - time for holiday cocktails! We're imagining we're somewhere in the Caribbean this week, with rum of course.

Mom's Mai Tai

     Stir with crushed ice:

     3 oz sweet & sour mix
     1.5 oz light rum
     3/4 oz triple sec
     3/4 oz amaretto
     Juice of 1/4 lime

     Float 1-1.5 oz dark rum on top after stirring

Holiday Cocktails

Every holiday calls for a special cocktail. A little treat once in a while is what life's all about after all. This Labor Day I'm breaking out one of my favorite recipes, the pineapple upside-down cake martini.

This simple nectar calls for one part vanilla vodka, two parts pineapple juice and a squirt of homemade grenadine. If you like the flavor of this martini you might also like to enjoy it over ice with a bit of club soda. Incidentally, I do not prefer Smirnoff and I can't get into the red sugar water that passes for grenadine at your local market.

So what about that grenadine? The homemade stuff is just too easy to cut corners. You just grab a 16 oz. bottle of pomegranate juice from the store, put it in a saucepan with a cup of sugar and then simmer until slightly reduced and thickened. Pour the syrup into your squirty bottle of choice and keep in the fridge for use in your favorite cocktails and teas.

Happy Labor Day!

-- MomNextDoor

Le Tour de France

Get ready cycling fans, the big race is on from July 2nd through the 24th. The 3,430.5 kilometer (2,131.6 mile) race will be spread out over 21 stages, starting from Passage du Gois and ending in Paris at the Champs-Elysees.

We were excited to hear that one of our favorite restaurants is offering a signature cocktail in honor of the event. Watch the race at Mignon's bar or enjoy their fabulous waterside patio while sipping a Tour de France martini. This special martini is shaken with Dubonnet Rouge, Liqueur St. Germain, Cointreau and is topped with champagne. What else says 'France' better than that?!

We know, we know. All our mountain biking friends are rolling their eyes at this very moment. It's all good friends, enjoy a classic dirty martini, Get Dirty and get down with Le Velo. ;)