Vinegar in a cocktail? Well, even I was surprised how delicious this drink turned out to be. The balsamic vinegar adds a sophisticated taste the balances the sweetness of the strawberries and the sour of the lemon juice. [Read more...]
The Balsamic Strawberry Cocktail
Lemon Vanilla Basil Cocktail
This cocktail recipes takes a bit of time and effort to prepare, but it’s all worth it in the end. The vanilla basil syrup pairs up brilliantly with the fresh lemon juice in the final result. [Read more...]
5 Cocktails That Will Have Your Easter Party Hopping
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Today was the annual Madtini Easter egg hunt here at the World Headquarters and Research Labs. Since the entire Madtini facility consists of 4 rooms the festivities lasted about 20 minutes and that includes 18 minutes of arguing over the rules. The winner was our new ice cube intern Wolfgang, who collected 35 chocolate eggs (we only hid 4??). However, Wolfgang gained the wrath of fellow competitors by constantly reminding everyone that the whole easter egg thing first began in his native Rhineland in the mid 18th century. Seriously, he wouldn’t shut up about.
So, as anyone knows there’s nothing like a solid holiday beat down to clear the air and make everyone feel a tad bit better about things. Wolfgang will no doubt recover and be back to his ice cube tray re-filling duties soon.
The rest of the Madtini gang is on duty and here are 5 cocktails that are sure to make your Easter egg hunt a heck of a lot more fun. May your long weekend be full of chocolate.
1 / White Rabbit
Ingredients
- 1/2 oz Amaretto
- 1/2 oz Baileys
- 1 oz white rum
- 1/2 oz Kahlua
- 1 oz Half & Half
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake then strain over ice cubes in an old fashioned glass.
2 / Blue Cottontail
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces vodka
- 1/2 ounce triple sec
- 1/4 ounce blue Curaçao
- Flamed orange peel (for garnish)
Preparation
Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Flame an orange peel over the glass and add to the drink.
3 / Chocolate Caramel Easter Egg
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Baileys Caramel
- 1 1/2 oz crème de cacao
- 1/2 oz butterscotch schnapps
- Mini creme egg
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well then strain into a chilled martini glass. Drop a chocolate mini creme egg into the drink.
4 / Easter Bunny Cocktail
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 1/2 oz brown creme de cacao
- 1 tspn of cherry brandy
- 1 tspn of chocolate syrup
Preparation
Combine the vodka and creme de cacao in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well then strain into a chilled martini glass. Carefully a teaspoon of chocolate syrup and cherry brandy. Don’t stir these in, just let them settle within the glass.
5 / Pink Bonnet
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz gin
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- 2 dashes crème de framboise
- White of 1 small egg
Preparation
Combine the ingredients in a shaker with no ice. Shake well to emulsify egg whites. Add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled martini glass and serve.
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Bunny photos by LexnGer.
Easter Cocktails – Blue Cottontail
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces vodka
- 1/2 ounce triple sec
- 1/4 ounce blue Curaçao
- Flamed orange peel (for garnish)
Preparation
Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Flame an orange peel over the glass and add to the drink.
Easter Cocktails – Easter Bunny Cocktail
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 1/2 oz brown creme de cacao
- 1 tspn of cherry brandy
- 1 tspn of chocolate syrup
Preparation
Combine the vodka and creme de cacao in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well then strain into a chilled martini glass. Carefully a teaspoon of chocolate syrup and cherry brandy. Don’t stir these in, just let them settle within the glass.
An Hawaiian Martini – Happy Birthday Grace
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that our friend Grace was born on April Fool’s Day. But putting the Lei’d jokes aside (for a moment), she is lucky enough to be on her way to warm Hawaii for a week of sun, fun, tall drinks, cool waves and hot lava (well, hopefully not hot lava).
To celebrate her birthday and her trip, we asked our Senior Staff Madtini Intoxicologist to work late on Friday creating an original drink from scratch. He refused, so it was up to our new weekend intern Muffy to come up with something special. She managed to find a great drink recipe and mix up an Hawaiian Martini featuring pineapple and cranberry juice and just enough vodka to make us forget we’re still here in Toronto.
Hauʻoli lā hānau Grace! (means Happy Birthday, we looked it up on the interweb) If you see any Kona Gold Coffee Liqueur during your trip you know what to do.
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz Vodka
2 oz Pineapple Juice
2 oz Cranberry Juice
Wedge of pineapple
Preparation
Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with several ice cubes. Shake gently and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Serve with a wedge of pineapple.
Mint Cucumber Vodka Cocktail – Friday Cocktail O’Clock
It’s Friday, and after a long week of trudging around in the cold slush thank’s to an early spring snowstorm we’re ready to have some fun with friends. But first we need something light, fresh and smooth to celebrate the launch of the weekend and this cocktail sounded like the perfect answer.
Tonight the folks from Madtini are heading downtown to Tequila Bookworm on Toronto’s Queen Street West to enjoy the tight grooves and rockin’ beats of Abdul Smooth and Nathan Lee, who make up the music project called People Downtown. They are hosting The Media Social, a monthly meetup for media professionals to get together, discuss their work and encourage continued collaboration. If you’re in the Toronto area drop by, hang out and say hello.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Prairie Organic Vodka
- 1/2 oz Cointreau
- 3/4 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- 10-12 mint leaves
- 1 English cucumber
Preparation
Carve a spear from an English cucumber to be used later for a garnish. Peel the rest of the cucumber, scrape out the seeds, then cut into it into small chunks. Add the cucumber chunks to a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain the contents through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, squeezing as much liquid out as possible.
Add the sugar, mint leaves, lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, then add the cucumber juice, vodka and cointreau. Shake the combined contents, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the cucumber spear as a garnish and serve.
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3 Fresh Drinks to Welcome the First Day of Spring
Spring is about to… hmm, well spring on Sunday and it’s time we look forward to thoughts of warm days, sunny patios, lake wharfs and long sandy beaches.
Today, the folks here at Madtini are toasting the first day of spring with three great vodka cocktails. We’re using Prairie Organic Vodka from the heartland of Minnesota, where I’m sure they’ll be glad to see warmer days too.
as the common base across these drinks – and just for good measure we’ve picked up some Kiwi, strawberry and blueberry to bring some colourto the festivities.
Bring on the patios! Cheers, and happy first day of spring from Madtini.
Blueberry Basil Vodka Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz of Prairie Organic Vodka
- 2 large basil leaves
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 oz Honey Vanilla syrup
- 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
Preparation
Tear up the basil leaves, combine with blueberries and muddle in a mixing glass. Add honey vanilla syrup, vodka and lemon juice and ice cubes. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Add whole blueberries.
Kiwi Basil Vodka Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz of Prairie Organic Vodka
- 2 large basil leaves
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 oz Honey Vanilla syrup
- 3 slices of kiwi fruit
Preparation
Tear up the basil leaves, combine with kiwi slices and muddle in a mixing glass. Add honey vanilla syrup, vodka and lemon juice and ice cubes. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Add a slice of kiwi fruit as a garnish.
Strawberry Basil Vodka Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz of Prairie Organic Vodka
- 2 large basil leaves
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 oz Honey Vanilla syrup
- 1/3 cup quartered strawberries
Preparation
Tear up the basil leaves, combine with strawberries and muddle in a mixing glass. Add honey vanilla syrup, vodka and lemon juice and ice cubes. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Add a sliced strawberry as a garnish.
Honey Vanilla Syrup
Ingredients
- 1/2 oz water
- 1/4 oz granulated sugar
- 1/4 oz honey
- seeds from half a vanilla bean
Preparation
Combine water and sugar at medium heat. Once sugar dissolves, add honey and contents from the vanilla bean.
From Russia With Love in Black & White
It’s Friday night again, and despite the fact that it’s the day after St. Patrick’s Day the entire Madtini crew is still standing and ready to roll ourselves into yet another weekend.
We’re keeping it simple tonight and serving up two of the most famous vodka cocktails; the Black Russian and its creamy cousin the White Russian.
After a few of these drinks I’m sure we’ll donning our big Russian winter hats and sing-shouting the lyrics to Boney M’s historically-dicey disco ode to infamous Russian nutjob ‘Rasputin’. Everybody sing “Ra-Ra-rasputin… Russia’s Greatest Love Machine…”
Nasdrovie, from the good folks at Madtini!
Black Russian
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Kahlua
- 1 1/2 oz Vodka
Preparation
Pour the two ingredients over cracked ice in an old fashioned glass. Add a straw an serve.
White Russian
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Kahlua
- 3/4 oz light cream
Preparation
Pour the two ingredients over cracked ice in an old fashioned glass. Add a straw an serve.
