This variation on the traditional mint julep substitutes silver tequila for bourbon. The additional of basil syrup adds yet another level of herb flavor. [Read more…]
Red Bell Martini
Red Peppers aren’t just for the veggie tray at your summer soiree. While no one is looking, sneak a few slices away and prepare this smooth cocktail for yourself. [Read more…]
The Nor’easter – North meets South in a Perfect Storm
The sap is running wild in the maple woods of the North East so this week we’re making cocktails with the sweet and delicious taste of maple syrup.
This drink recipe comes from the bar at Char No 4, Brooklyn’s home of American Whiskey with 150 types on hand for your enjoyment. Their twist on the Dark & Stormy is like a south meeting north in a perfect storm in your glass.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Maker’s Mark
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz maple syrup
- splash of Ginger Beer
Preparation
Combine the bourbon, lime juice and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake 10-12 times. Strain and pour over ice in a rocks glass. Add a splash of ginger beer on top and garnish with a lime wheel.
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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It’s Friday Cocktail-O-Clock – Margarita Caliente
Tuesday we celebrated National Margarita Day with 6 Fiesta-Worthy Margaritas. To celebrate Friday we’ve decided to turn up the heat by adding some red chili peppers. You may want to have a glass of ice water standing by to put out the fire.
Cheers and here’s to the weekend!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz tequila
- 3/4 oz Grand Marnier
- 3/4 oz Triple Sec
- 2 oz Sweet & Sour Mix
- 1 red chili pepper
- salt from rim
Preparation
Wet the rim of a cocktail glass with a piece of lime, then turn the rim in a shallow plate of coarse salt. Garnish with a 2 inch piece of the chili.
Slice a red hot chili pepper into slices. Place the pieces in the bottom of a cocktail shaker, add a splash of the Grand Marnier and muddle for 20 seconds or so. Add the tequila, triple sec, sweet and sour mix, orange juice and the rest of the Grand Marnier to the cocktail shaker. Add ice to the shaker, then shake the mixture for 10 seconds. Strain and serve.
It’s Friday Cocktail-O-Clock – Kahlua & Coke
It Friday and it sure as heck feels like Patio weather to us here in Toronto today. The sun is shining and the temperature outside of our igloos has climbed to a balmy 9 degrees celsius.
We’re throwing caution to the warm breeze and stripping off our gloves, trapper hats and snow pants. Yes, we’re trying to forget that the temperature is forecasted to drop to -6 C overnight with snow on the way for Sunday.
In the meantime, let’s drink to Friday with something simple, yet delicious: Kahlua and Coke over ice. Cheers!
Ingredients
- 2 parts Kahlua
- 3 parts Coke
- Splash of fresh lime juice
Preparation
Pour Kahlua into a tall cocktail glass. Add ice, then pour coke over the ice. Add a squeeze of lime.
A Boxing Day Treat – The Wildberry Snowjito
It’s boxing day here at Madtini Labs, and everyone is kicking back after the rush and craziness of Christmas and the pre-holiday shopathon and party season. We have all the discount electronics we can use so we are staying away from the sales and enjoying these Wildberry Snowjitos made with Malibu Snowflake Rum.
If you missed it we used Malibu Snowflake Rum for 2 of our 12 Days of Madtini Cocktails; the Snowjito and the Winter Whiteout.
Ingredients
- 8 blueberries
- 6 raspberries
- 4 mint leaves
- 3 wedges of lime
- tsp of sugar
- 2 oz Malibu Snowflake Rum
- 3 oz Club Soda
Preparation
Muddle the blueberries, raspberries, lime wedges, sugar and mint leaves in the bottom of a high ball glass. Fill glass with ice cubes and pour in Malibu Snowflake Rum and Club Soda. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
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Drink adapted from a Micah Dew (askmybartender.com) article in the Edmonton Journal.
12 Days of Madtini Holiday Cocktails #2: Very Berry Xmas
Everyone 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.
Spice up the weekend with a Candied Ginger Raspberry Martini
Ginger root is a versatile food that can be used for everything from a spice in cooking to helping to prevent motion sickness and nausea – so why not cocktails. The Candied Ginger Martini takes quite a bit of work, so make sure you have a few friends around to help you enjoy all the fruits of your labor.
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 1/2 oz fresh orange juice
- 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz honey syrup
(1/4 oz honey / 1/4 oz water) - 4 raspberries
- candied ginger slices for garnish
Preparation
Candied Ginger: Create candied ginger slices by boiling a 3 cups of water in a shallow covered saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of thinly sliced ginger and 1 cup of sugar. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain off liquid (save and use for ginger syrup), and place ginger slices in over at 200 degrees until slices are dry but still chewy. Let cool and cover the ginger slices in sugar and set aside.
Drink: Muddle a tablespoon of grated ginger, 4 raspberries and honey syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add vodka, juices and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a few pieces of the candied ginger and serve.
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This drink recipe was adapted from this post at Nibble.com.
Friday Night Cocktail: Key Lime Pie Martini
Everyone deserves treat like a Key Lime Pie after a long hard week of work. So, what better way to enjoy your pie than in Martini form. The Madtini Labs’ version of this cocktail resulted in a great combination of lime and coconut flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz vanilla vodka
- 1 oz coconut rum
- ¾ oz lime juice
- Splash of pineapple juice
- ½ oz /half and half cream
- crushed graham cracker
Preparation
Wet the rim of a cocktail glass with a sliced lime, turn the glass in a dish of crushed graham cracker to coat the rim. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake, then strain into the chilled cocktail glass.