Celebrate National Vodka Day Right with Belvedere Vodka Cocktails

I love me a holiday where I can celebrate with a cocktail in hand! October 4th is National Vodka Day, and the best way to toast to the fun day is with the world’s first super-premium vodka, Belvedere. Made from Polish rye, purified water and a distillation process by fire, Belvedere contains zero additives, in accordance with the legal regulations of Polska Vodka that dictate nothing can be added, is certified kosher and is gluten free. 

 If there’s any vodka I order in a cocktail when I am out, it’s definitely Belvedere! So why not celebrate with it at home, too? Here’s a few of my favorite Belvedere cocktails to enjoy and to do National Vodka Day right!

BELVEDERE AIR

Ingredients

1.5 oz / 45 ml Belvedere Vodka

.75 oz / 20 ml Fresh Lemon Juice

.5 oz / 15 ml Honey Water (2:1 Honey to Water)

2 oz / 60 ml Almond Milk

Sprig of Mint

Method: Place all ingredients into a shaker and shake hard with ice. Strain into highball glass over fresh ice, and garnish with mint sprig.

HERITAGE ROCKS

Ingredients

2 oz Belvedere Heritage 176

Lemon Twist

Method: Serve over a large chunk of ice or large cubes

EVERGREEN ROYAL

Ingredients

60 ml / 2 oz Belvedere Smogóry Forest

7.5 ml / ¼ ozChamomile Tea 

15 ml / ½ oz Honey

2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

Grapefruit Peel 

 Method: Add all ingredients to mixing glass over cubed ice and stir. Fine strain into a rocks glass over block ice. Give the fresh grapefruit peel a gentle twist before garnishing

Cupid-Approved Sips for Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day has to be one of my favorite holidays of all time, solely for how bright and colorful it always is. Growing up, I actually used to have Valentine’s Day parties every year - I became known for it! I’ve always had a soft spot for the day of love, and now in my adult years I can take it up a notch and celebrate even more with festive Valentine’s Day cocktails!

Whether you’re in the mood for something pink, something bubbly, something potent or even chocolatey, here are a few recipes I am loving this year that are so delicious, even Cupid would approve.

Photo Credit: Katie Stryjewski

Mumm Napa Raspberry Rosé Fizz

4 parts Mumm Napa Brut Rosé

2 parts Lime juice or Limeade

1 part Gin or Vodka

Fresh Raspberries

Method:

Muddle ~12 raspberries in cocktail shaker. Add gin/vodka, lime juice and ice, shake

until mixed. add large ice cube to a rocks glass and strain mixture over top. Add Mumm Napa Brut Rosé; stir gently to mix. Skewer three raspberries on toothpick and lay across side of

the glass for a beautiful garnish.

Photo Credit: Claire Mallett

OM ESPRESSO MARTINI

By Claire Mallett, OMbassador, Organic Mixology

1 ½ oz Mulholland Vodka

1 oz Mr Black Coffee Liqueur

1 oz Organic Mixology Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Liqueur

Garnish, Dirty Sue Whiskey Cherry

Method:

Pour all the ingredients into a shaker with ice,

Shake and pour into a cocktail glass or coup

Garnish with Dirty Sue Whiskey Cherry

Hey, Honey

2 fl oz Four Roses Small Batch

1 ½ fl oz Honey Simple Syrup

½ fl oz Lemon Juice

5 drops Angostura Bitters

Method:

Mix all ingredients. Serve and enjoy.

Photo Credit: Katie Stryjewski

Mumm Napa Grapefruit Spritz

3 parts Mumm Napa Cuvée M

1 part elderflower liqueur

1 small grapefruit

Fresh mint

Dash of soda water

Garnish with grapefruit slice and florals etc

Method:

Add ½ of cup-up grapefruit and mint to a cocktail shaker. Muddle. Add elderflower liqueur, splash of soda water and ice. Shake. Strain mixture into glass. Add Mumm Napa Cuvée M. Garnish with grapefruit slice and florals.

Cocktail Pairings for FT with Friends Movie Night | Taffer's Mixologist Libations

Day….. something? of quarantine (who knows anymore?) and if you’re like me, I am desperately looking for different ways to entertain myself after work hours and am trying to have things to look forward to! Don’t get me wrong, I love a wine and tv show night, but that can get old pretty fast considering we have no idea when life is going to get back to normal again. Let’s face it, I miss my cocktails (!!!) and I can’t be the only one. For those looking for the perfect cocktails to add to their next Netflix Party or FaceTime with Friends Movie Night, Taffer’s Mixologist wants to make it easy for everyone stuck at home by pairing some of their favorite recipes with fan-favorite tv shows and movies! Taffer’s is hands down my go-to cocktail mix and it NEVER disappoints. It’s fresh, makes all the flavors in a cocktail pop and it makes creating a drink so simple.

Created by Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer to bring the craft cocktail experience to the home, Taffer’s Mixologist cocktail mixes come in seven different flavors: Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan, Margarita, Mojito, Piña Colada, Skinny Margarita and Strawberry Margarita. The line is available at Walmart stores nationwide and cost under $5.00 a bottle, making it the perfect thing to grab the next time you go to restock your pantry. 

Here are a couple fab recipes I am into, with matching show and movie recs!

Taffer’s Mixologist Mango + Grapefruit Strawberry Float

Show Rec: LOVE IS BLIND

3.5 oz Taffer’s Strawberry Margarita Mix
1.5 oz tequila
1 oz grapefruit juice
1 scoop mango sorbet
Fresh grapefruit slice 
Rose petals

Add Taffer’s, tequila, and grapefruit juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Pour into a large coupe glass. Add a scoop of mango sorbet and garnish with fresh grapefruit and rose petals.

Taffer’s Mixologist Cosmobellini

Movie Rec: SEX & THE CITY 2

2.5 oz Taffer’s Cosmopolitan Mix
1.5 oz citrus vodka
1.5 oz champagne or proscco
¼ cup frozen berries

Add Taffer’s mix and vodka into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Place frozen berries into a chilled cocktail glass. Strain cocktail mixture into the glass. Top with champagne or prosecco. 

Taffer’s Mixologist Bloody Rosemarys

Movie Rec: THE IRISHMAN

3.5 oz Taffer’s Bloody Mary Mix
1.5 oz vodka
3-4 large sprigs of rosemary

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a glass filled with ice and garnish with more rosemary.

Taffer’s Mixologist Peach and Pomegranate Sparkler

Show Rec: THE CROWN

1 oz Taffer’s Strawberry Margarita Mix
4 oz Prosecco
2-3 peach slices
1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds

Place peaches and pomegranates into a champagne coupe. Add Taffer’s, then top with chilled prosecco!

National Coffee Day | The Boozy Way

September 29th is National Coffee Day! Coffee, which for as long as I could remember has been my favorite way to start the day. In fact, the power of coffee deserves to be recognized on a regular basis. But since this year this very special occasion falls on a weekend, it’s only appropriate to celebrate accordingly, but with an adult coffee!

Tanteo Tequila is one of my recent discoveries and I cannot get enough of the tantalizing spice. It is the original 100% agave spicy tequila. Bet you’d never think to pair chipotle tequila with coffee, huh? Well, you can’t just do that with any coffee or any tequila. But this recipe is like no other.

CHIPOTLE MEXICAN COFFEE

Ingredients:

2 oz. Tanteo Chipotle Tequila

5 oz. Freshly Brewed Coffee

1/2 teaspoon Granulated White Sugar

1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar

Whipped cream for topping

Method:

Add fresh coffee to glass, stir in white and brown sugar until dissolved. Add Tanteo Chipotle Tequila and stir. Top with whipped cream.

The Hottest Tequila Right Now: JAJA | Recipes and Recs

It is no question that JAJA is THE hottest tequila now. The founding team includes Maurice Tebele and Martin Hoffstein and it’s the tequila of our generation. Not only does it boast a smooth taste, but its bottle and branding is unapologetically photo-worthy with a design that us millennials particularly can’t get enough of. Triple distilled and thoughtfully crafted, JAJA is sweet and herbal - inspired by the lightness of free-spirited days and intimate nights.

JAJA features two delightful versions - Blanco and Reposado.

Triple distilled for a smooth experience, Blanco offers subtle notes of black pepper and citrus fruit while capturing the essence and sweetness of its only ingredient — Pure Agave Azul.

Triple distilled and aged for six months in fine oak barrels for a rich and elevated experience, Reposado (En Ingles “Rested”) offers hints of vanilla, oak, honey, and caramel.

Pronounced “ha ha,” this tequila is authentically sourced and is produced sustainably and responsibly. As if JAJA couldn’t get any cooler, it partners with the Tequila Interchange Project (TIP) to support bat friendly farms and preserve sustainable, traditional practices in tequila production. To put it simply, JAJA is the only tequila to sip now (and for many years to come). Here’s some to-die-for JAJA cocktail recipes perfect for sipping with friends and celebrating the good times together.

Pomarita

1.5oz JAJA Blanco

¾ oz pink peppercorn grenadine

¾ oz lime juice

Thin slice of habanero

Dash of bitters

Top soda water

Island Mule

1.5 oz. JAJA Blanco

1.5oz Pineapple Juice

½ oz. fresh lime juice

2-3 dashes grapefruit bitters

Top with Ginger Beer

Garnish Lemon Peel

Grapefruit Tequila Spritzer

1.5 oz JAJA Blanco Tequila

1.5 oz Grapefruit Juice

Top with lime soda

Sparkling water

Cucumber slices and rosemary to garnish

Hard Thyme Lemonade

1.5oz Blanco Tequila

4 oz Thyme-Infused Lemonade

Thyme Sprig

JAJA’s Revenge

Ingredients:

4 slices of cucumber

2 large basil leaves

1 ½ oz. JAJA Blanco

½ oz. fresh lime juice

½ oz. simple syrup