Happy Birthday Anne – The Mad-Haapanen

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Miss Mad-HaapanenNo, that’s not a mispelling of the title of the less than awesome Mark Wahlberg movie featuring scary winds and self-abusing zombies. It is however, a twist-and-a-half on the Manhattan, and a cocktail that’s celebrates the birthday of one of our bestest Madtini buddies ever, Anne who was born on this day (not too long ago) in Helsinki, Finland.

The Madtini Intoxicology crew was summoned to the lab early today (which really would be anytime before noon) to create this delicious cocktail of Finlandia vodka, cranberry juice, Chambord and blackberries.

Cheers and Happy Birthday Anne! Or, according to Google Translate ‘Kippis ja hyvää syntymäpäivää’ (seriously, is that even remotely correct?)

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Finlandia vodka
  • 1 oz cranberry juice
  • 3/4 oz Chambord

Preparation
Place a martini glass in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. Combine the vodka, cranberry juice and chambord in a cocktail shaker with 2-3 ice cubes. Shake it like a Polaroid picture for 5-6 seconds, strain and serve. Garnish with blackberries.

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The Chocolate Swirl Martini

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Chocolate Swirl Martini

Valentine’s Day is only a week away, so it’s high time the Madtini Labs intoxicologists get cracking on mixng up some delicious cocktails for that special day.

The Chocolate Swirl Martini is a hybrid of a several different vodka, chocolate cocktails. We couldn’t resist adding a chocolate shavings to the rim and creating swirls of chocolate inside the glass.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz Godiva white chocolate liqueur
  • 1 1/2 oz Creme de Cacao
  • 1 oz Vodka
  • 2 1/2 oz Half & Half
  • Chocolate Shavings

Preparation

Chill a cocktail glass in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove the glass and create swirls inside the glass using chocolate syrup, return the glass to the freezer.

Combine the vodka, creme de cacao and white chocolate liqueur in a cocktail shaker with 3 ice cubes. Shake well, add the half & half and stir.

Remove the glass from the freezer, add a tablespoon of white chocolate liqueur to a shallow glass. Turn the glass in the liqueur, then turn it in the chocolate shavings.

Replace the top of the shaker and strain into the chilled cocktail glass. Add a few pinches of chocolate shavings to the glass.

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12 Days of Madtini Holiday Cocktails #1: Christmas Cosmo

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Christmas Cosmo The Cosmopolitan originated in the 1970s in either Provincetown, MA, Minneapolis, or San Fancisco, depending on who you are talking to at the time. But no one can argue that its popularity really exploded during the glory days of ‘Sex & the City’. This holiday version of the ‘Cosmo’ adds the taste of rosemary to the equation. Add a few cranberries and this drink is ready to for any ‘sophistimacated’ Christmas celebration.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz rosemary infused vodka
  • 1/2 oz Cointreau
  • 1 oz cranberry juice
  • rosemary sprig
  • frozen cranberries

Preparation
Chop up a few sprigs of rosemary and add them to your vodka for a few days. Add the rosemary vodka, cointreau and cranberry juice to a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake a few times and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Spear a few cranberries with a rosemary sprig and then float it on top of the drink.

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12 Days of Madtini Holiday Cocktails #2: Very Berry Xmas

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Very Berry ChristmasEveryone loves the sweet taste of raspberries at any time of year. This recipe comes from the 2010 LCBO Holiday Cocktail selection and provides a great opportunity to use raspberries in a delicious holiday-looking drink. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz Raspberry Vodka
  • 1/4 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 oz simple syrup
  • 1/4 cup raspberries

Preparation
Combine the raspberry vodka, lime juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Add 3-4 raspberries as a garnish.

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12 Days of Madtini Holiday Cocktails #3: Eggnog Martini

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Eggnog MartiniThere are arguments over the origins of this iconic holiday drink. Some claim it was born in medieval England from a hot drink served in a carved wooden mug called a ‘noggin’. Another theory is that it came from ‘egg and grog’ a common drink during Colonial times made from milk and rum. Wherever it originated, it has become a staple of holiday celebrations ever since. This version is made with vodka and amaretto, giving it a hint of almond taste. Add a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon for a celebration of spicy holiday aromas.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz eggnog
  • 1 1/2 oz vodka
  • 1 1/2 oz amaretto
  • nutmeg
  • cinnamon

Preparation
Combine the eggnog, vodka and amaretto in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake well then strain into a chilled martini glass. Sprinkle a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon on top and serve.

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12 Days of Madtini Holiday Cocktails #4: Poinsettia Cocktail

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Poinsettia Cocktail
The Poinsettia has become a symbol of Christmas throughout the world. Its association with the holiday began in 16th century Mexico, where the plant originates. The legend follows that a young girl too poor to provide a gift for Jesus’s birthday gathered what she thought were weeds alongside the road and placed them in front of the church altar. Soon the weeds transformed into beautiful crimson poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico have used the plants in their Christmas celebrations. The star-shaped leaf pattern symbolized the Star of Bethlehem, and the crimson red colour represents the blood sacrifice of Jesus.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz vodka
  • 2 oz prosecco
  • 4 oz cranberry juice
  • Crushed ice
  • 2 strips orange zest

Directions

Combine prosecco, vodka and cranberry juice in a large-stemmed wine glass. Add the crushed ice and stir gently as the mixture becomes completely chilled. Drop in the strips of orange and serve to your eager guests.

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12 Days of Madtini Holiday Cocktails #5: Christmas Cane Martini

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Christmas Cane MartiniWhile our tastes for cocktails tend to run to more simple drinks like an Old Fashioned or a Gin & Tonic, not including a cocktail made with candy canes in our list of 12 holiday drinks would seem incomplete.

The candy cane first appeared in mid-17th century in Europe.  Candy sticks were produced by confectioners in a time-intensive process of pulling, twisted and cutting the sugar sticks completely by hand. The cane shape is said to have originated by a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany, who bent the straight candy sticks into canes representing a shepherd’s hook and handed them out to children at church services.

This cocktail features a rim of crushed candy canes and a delicious combination of peppermint schnapps and creme de cacao.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Vodka
  • 1 oz Peppermint Schnapps
  • 1 oz creme de cacao
  • 1 oz  light cream
  • crushed candy canes

Preparation
Crush a candy cane into a fine dust. Wet the rim of the glass with peppermint schnapps, drip it into the crushed candy cane dust and place in the freezer to chill. Combine the peppermint schnapps, vodka, creme de cacao and light cream in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake a few times and strain into the chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a candy cane and serve.

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12 Days of Madtini Holiday Cocktails #10: S’Mores Delight

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Christmas S'Mores Delight
The first record of the S’More appeared in 1927 in “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts”. The dessert is made of a layer of chocolate and marshmallow sandwiched between two graham crackers and roasted over an open fire or in the fireplace. The Food Network published this recipe and when we saw it we couldn’t stop ourselves from trying it out and sharing it with you.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp. chocolate syrup
  • 1/2 oz. Kahlua
  • 1/2 oz. dark rum
  • 1/2 oz. vodka
  • 1 oz. Baileys
  • Toasted marshmallows

Preparation
Drizzle chocolate syrup on the inside of a cocktail glass and then place the glass in the freezer to chill.

Combine the creamy peanut butter and chocolate syrup together in a glass, stir in the Kahlua until the mixture is well blended. Continue to stir in the vodka, dark rum and Baileys. Add the mixture to a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake well until the mixture is chilled. Strain the mixture into the chilled cocktail glass. Roast two marshmallows over a flame and then add to the drink and serve.

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12 Days of Madtini Holiday Cocktails #12: The Three Wise Men

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Three Wisemen

Our first drink of the holiday season comes from Jagermeister, the well-known German made apertif. The rich flavor of the herb and spices are followed by the cool taste of the peppermint schnapps.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz. Jagermeister
  • 1 1/2 oz. Vodka
  • 1 1/2 oz. Peppermint Schnapps

Preparation

Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir, then pour into a chilled cocktail glass and serve.

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Filed Under: 12 Days of @Madtini Holiday Cocktails, Vodka based Tagged With: , , , ,
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