Where and what In the World

Is a blog of extraordinary destinations, food and wine,
spas, product and book reviews, travel topics, etc. etc.

Archive for the ‘Drinks Alcoholic Recipes’ Category

Cheers May Martini Moments…BlueBerry Bramble and Martinis

Monday, May 14th, 2012

Blueberries

Friends who know my passion for a new  summer cocktail adapted this recipe from a summer drink they recently discovered. We served this sweet and tart drink along with with the modern day dry martini for a gathering we call “Martini Moments.”  We keep our get-togethers spontaneous and simple by only serving a few cheese selections with crispy crackers and salty nuts and grapes.

Blueberry Bramble

Ingredients:

a hand full of blueberries, about a dozen,muddled

1 - 2  oz blueberry – or blackberry liqueur

2  oz gin

a squeeze of lemon, a teaspoon or two to taste

ice

Mixology:

Muddle berries.

Mix in a shaker with liqueur, gin and lemon.

Pour into a glass over ice, I prefer shaved.

Garnish with a blueberries, lemon slice, or a blackberry.

Martini

Ingredients:

4 oz gin

1/2 oz dry vermouth

ice

lemon peel or olive garnish

Mixology:

Pour gin and vermouth into and ice-filled shaker.

Shake, then strain into a glass.

garnish with lemon peel or olive.

Tips:

Use a chilled crystal glass and the purest of spirits.

Most old-timer martini drinkers prefer gin.

If you substitute vodka, it is a vodkatini.

An onion makes this drink a Gibson.

When I lived in England, most martinis were half gin and half vermouth. The Mayfair Hotel, however, made perfect American martinis.

The Hill Team enjoys the occasional vodka gimlet, made with lime juice.

My favorite book about martinis is by Barnaby Conrad 111, called The Martini.

POM Thyme Margarita by Marc Forgione

Sunday, May 6th, 2012

POM Thyme Margarita by Marc Forgione

I wish I could take credit for this creation, but I can’t. However, I’m delighted to share it. Chef Marc Forgione is the creator of this POM Thyme Margarita. Marc stated cooking at 16 with his father and has kept moving forward.

His bio on POM says, Marc Forgione (www.marcforgione.com), formerly known as Forge, Forgione’s first restaurant, he has created an approachable place “that people walk by and are compelled to enter and where the ingredients are the star.” Forgione was most recently coveted with his second Michelin star in the 2011 guide, making him the youngest American-born chef and owner to receive the honor in consecutive years (2010, 2011). In addition, Forgione received a two-star review from Sam Sifton of The New York Times, who noted, “Mr. Forgione’s food is sometimes sweet.

POM Thyme Margarita

1 oz. freshly squeezed pomegranate juice* or POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
2 oz. tequila
2 teaspoons thyme-infused simple syrup**
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Method:

Assemble all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well with ice.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Serve this pomegranate cocktail recipe.

Notes:

* This cocktail can be made with freshly squeezed juice from a large POM Wonderful Pomegranate or by using POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. To juice the pomegranate, cut it in half (as you would a grapefruit) and juice using a citrus reamer or a juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. One large POM Wonderful Pomegranate will produce about 1/2 cup of juice.

**Thyme-infused simple syrup is a combination of fresh thyme, water and sugar. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add 1 cup of granulated sugar and 6 sprigs of fresh thyme. Stir the ingredients together until the sugar completely dissolves. Let the syrup cool down and strain to remove the thyme.
Note: The longer the thyme remains in the syrup, the stronger the flavor will be.

This recipe is courtesy of POM Wonderful.

Belgium Black Time Cocktail Recipe from Julien Duvivier of Hotel Amigo Wins Black Russian Challenge

Sunday, April 29th, 2012

Black Russian Cocktail Winner Julien Duvivier

On April 23rd 2012,  the Black Russian cocktail challenge was held at the Atomium. Following the technical and gustative juries’ deliberations, 3 barmen were selected as winners from the 10 candidates representing Brussels’ hotels.

Organised by the BHA in partnership with the Belgian Association of Barmen (UBB), Food 4 Thought (& Drinks for Fun), the Atomium asbl and with the support of VISITBRUSSELS, this challenge invited the barmen from Brussels hotels to reinvent one of the great classic cocktails, the ‘Black Russian’. An impressive feat by the barmen who blew the juries away with their well executed cocktails that mixed various tastes and flavours.

Invented in 1949 by Gustave Tops, a barman from Brussels, the ‘Black Russian’ cocktail mixes vodka and coffee liquor and has become a must-have on cocktail menus around the world. It was first made in Brussels in honor of the United States of America ambassador to Luxemburg, Pearl Masta, and takes its name from the land of vodka, Russia and from the color of coffee liquor, in memory of the dark hours of the Cold War.

The grand winner of this challenge is the Hotel Amigo, represented by Julien Duvivier who made the ‘Belgium Black Time’ cocktail.He won a trophy, a night for two in a hip hotel in Europe and several products from the UBB. The association also gave several prizes to the second (Ricardo Antunes from Hotel Manos) and third winners (Logan Maury from the Hotel Martin’s Château du Lac). The prize giving ceremony took place in presence of the Minister-President of the COCOF, Christos Doulkeridis.

Following the success of this event, the BHA is proud of the attention granted to this Brussels specialty that will no doubt have more time to shine during the year of gastronomy, Brusselicious 2012.

The recipe that won the challenge : Belgium Black Time Cocktail

Ingredients:

2cl of coffee

1 cl of Apple pie syrup

1cl of Marie Brizard peach cream

2cl of vodka, Ketel 1

Method:

Mix all ingredients in a shaker and serve in a Cancun de Durobor glass.

Enjoy and congratulations Julien.

Maralyn D. Hill

Maralyn D. HillThe Epicurean Explorer

President, International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association

Editor-at-Large, CityRoom

Blogs: Where and What in the WorldSuccess with Writing















Logo 120x60 CheapOair



Wine of the month club