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!

Keep The 2020 Party Going with Champagne Toast Alternatives

Happy 2020!! Hard to believe we have entered a new decade. It’s January 6th and for most people, the new year, post-holiday slump has gone into full effect. I personally love to keep the party going and to create opportunities for continued celebration for friends and family.

While champagne can be enjoyed year round, I especially love it during the wintry months but it’s so much fun to put a twist on the expected bubbly libations. Today, I’m sharing a few of my favorite champagne toast alternatives for you to sip on to help bring back party mode. Bonus: I even have an option for anyone who’s dabbling in Sober January!

Simple: The classic French 75 – This four-ingredient go-to is as easy to make as it is delicious. This cocktail can also be batched for even easier service.

FRENCH 75

Ingredients:

·      2 oz. champagne (Le Grand Courtage is lovely) or sparkling white wine

·      ½ oz. Lemon juice

·      1 oz. Gin (Damrak is a nice citrus-forward gin)

·      2 dashes simple syrup

Preparation instructions:

1.     In cocktail shaker, combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup

2.     Add ice and shake vigorously

3.     Strain into chilled Champagne flute and top with sparkling wine

4.     To create garnish, curl orange or lemon peel around your finger to create the twist. Garnish drink with twist and serve immediately.

Moderate: The “Hot Shot” – Perfect for intimate get-together, this drink, which is wildly popular in Sweden, calls for one part Galliano L’Autentico and one part hot coffee or espresso topped with heavy cream served in a shot glass. The vanilla notes in the Galliano work beautifully with either drip coffee or espresso and the cream adds a nice body. Also, if you’re hosting, you might want a toast to end the night that goes down a little quicker than a glass of Champagne, lest your guests linger.

THE HOT SHOT

Ingredients:

·       ½ oz. Galliano L’Autentico

·       ½ oz. espresso

·       ½ oz. heavy cream 

Preparation instructions:

1.     Carefully layer the ingredients in a shot glass in the order shown (Galliano on the bottom, cream on the top).

The non-alcoholic: The holidays can mean A LOT of drinking. Sometimes guests and hosts alike want to back off the throttle a little but don’t want to feel left out.

Photo Credit: Jessie Smyth of Genever

PEEL ME A GRAPE

by Jessie Smyth, Genever, Los Angeles, CA

Ingredients:

·       4 muddled grapes

·       1 oz. Giffard bitter syrup (acts like a non-alcoholic Campari)

·       ½ oz. Calamansi juice

·       ½ oz. grapefruit juice

Preparation Instructions:

1.     Shake all ingredients together then strain into a wine glass filled with ice

2.     Top with Q Grapefruit and a sprig of rosemary

A few words on the drink: “This drink combines classic components of an Americano, minus the booze! Giffard Bitter syrup mixes with fresh grapes and aromatic rosemary with citrus from grapefruit, calamansi and grapefruit mixer for a refreshing autumnal spritz.”

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

My Favorite Far-From-Basic Pumpkin Cocktails

I can't even lie one bit. I. LOVE. anything. PUMPKIN. Yes, I am yelling it!!! Like... why is it so good? It's probably hands down my favorite thing about fall. Pumpkin flavored food and lattes are one thing, but when it comes to pumpkin flavored cocktails... man, you've really got my attenion. I don't know about you, but I'd trade my usual tequila soda with 3 limes any day for a spiked pumpkin concoction.  But where does one find a really amazing pumpkin cocktail? In Las Vegas, New Jersey and Florida. Well, maybe other places too but I think they've got some of the best. Here are my favorite far-from-basic pumpkin cocktails from some fun bars and restaurants around the country, with recipes so you could make at home! Which one would you try? I'm thinking I am going to end my night with a sip of all four of these...!

Smashing Your Pumpkin

Available at: Felt & Blossom (MGM National Harbor)

½ oz. Cruzan Aged Light Rum

½ oz. Kappa Pisco

½ oz. Daron Fine Calvados

3 oz. Spiced Pumpkin Cordial

1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

½ oz. Egg Whites (Add After First Shake For Reverse Dry Shake)

Build: Add all ingredients into mixing tin, except the egg whites! Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain back into mixing tin and discard ice. Now add egg whites and reverse dry shake for 20 seconds. Pour over ice.

Ice: Chipped

Glass: Crystal Etched Hi Ball

Garnish: Graham Cracker, Cinnamon Stick, Cinnamon Sugar

Hey Pumpkin

Photo Credit: Tanya Isaeva 

Available at: South House (Jersey City, NJ)

Created by: Smitty

Ingredients: 

2.oz Slow & Low Rock & Rye Whiskey

.75 aquafaba 

.75 espresso pumpkin spice syrup

.75 Lemon juice 

Strike The Gold

Available at: Odd Bird (St. Augustine, FL)

Created by: Nick Hogan

Ingredients:

3/4 oz Fernet-Branca

3/4 oz Templeton Rye

1 1/2 oz Spiced Pumpkin Syrup

1/4 oz of Creme Yvette

Whole Egg

Top with Brancamenta Whipped Cream

Grated Nutmeg & Garnish with Star Anise

Directions: 

Add all ingredients into tin, shake, strain into cocktail glass, top with whipped cream, grate fresh nutmeg over top, sip slowly and enjoy!Due to different variables between coconut milk and pumpkin purées that when making the cocktail it should be done to taste

Spiced Pumpkin Syrup: 

One can organic Pumpkin. One can of organic coconut milk. 1/2 cup of brown sugar. 3/4 oz of pimento liqueur (allspice liqueur). Simmer in sauce pan for 10 minutes, let cool then strain through cheese cloth.

Brancamenta Whipped Cream:

Combine half pint of heavy whipping cream with 1 oz of Brancamenta and 2 oz of simple syrup into iSi whipper, charge and store in refrigerator until ready for use.

HARVEST MOON

Available at: Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca, Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar,

Libre Mexican Cantina, The Still Crafts, Drafts & Eats (All in VEGAS, baby!)

*Recipe can be mixed with multiple spirits

Ingredients:

*¾ OZ. Hennessy VSOP Cognac and ¾ oz. Plantation 5yr Rum - Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca

*1 ½ OZ. HILHAVEN LODGE BLENDED AMERICAN WHISKEY - Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar

*1 ½ OZ. Casamigas Reposado Tequila - Libre Mexican Cantina

*1 ½ OZ. GEORGE DICKEL RYE WHISKY - The Still Crafts, Drafts & Eats

½ OZ. ANCHO REYES ANCHO LIQUEUR

½ OZ. Benedictine

¼ OZ. Agave Syrup (1:1 RATIO)

2 OZ. LIBBEY’S PumpkinPie Purre

1 OZ. Carrot Juice (ODWALLA)

BUILD: Shake & Double Strain

GLASS: Martini Couple

GARNISH: Coconut Foam, Chopped Diced Pecan

COCONUT FOAM - (PER ISI DISPENSER)

200G Coconut Milk

200G Savoy Coconut Cream

100G Sweetend CondensedMilk

20G Sugar

Directions:

Mix all ingredients into a 2QT. cambro. Then, add the mixed coconut base into isi dispenser. Next, charge isi dispenser with isi nitrous oxide whip cream charger. Shake vigorously, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Better than Witches Brew | Hauntingly Good Halloween Cocktails

I love a good spook... especially during October! Anything that could help me get into the Halloween vibe, I am all for... and I am all about festive concoctions! With Halloween being right around the corner, I have a few creepy cocktails to imbibe this October!

A worthy treat for adults, the these cocktails are not for the faint of heart, making them perfect for your Halloween festivities.

BACARDÍ Zombie

Ingredients:

2 parts BACARDÍ Superior

1.75 parts BACARDÍ Gold

1 part Triple Sec

2 parts orange juice

1 part lime juice

 1 part simple syrup

 0.25 part Grenadine

 Garnish: Orange Slice & Cherry

Directions:

Pour all ingredients into a shaker full of ice and shake vigorously. Strain and pour into a highball glass filled with ice. Stir with a bar spoon and garnish with a cherry and orange slice.

Additionally, the BACARDÍ Zombie will be available for purchase throughout the month of October via Cocktail Courier – linked HERE.

THE DARKSIDE

Ingredients:

1½ oz. Nemiroff Original Vodka

2 oz. Black Currant Juice

½ oz. Chartreuse

Stir ingredients with ice, and strain into a chilled martini glass 

Directions:

Mix!

BROCKMANS BLACK & GOLD

Ingredients:

2 oz. Brockmans Gin

0.5 oz. Drambuie

1 oz. Lemon Juice

.75 oz. Honey and Heather Syrup

2.5 oz. Pineapple Juice

3 Drops of Black Food Coloring

Directions:

Shake all ingredients and serve over cubed ice into a Hurricane Glass.

Apply one spray of edible gold glitter to the top half of the glass to stand out against the black food coloring. Garnish with a lemon wedge fan.

CASA CRAZY EYE

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila

2 oz. Lychee liqueur

.25 oz. Fresh lemon juice

4 Basil leaves

½ Thick rim of salt, sugar, oreo cookie crumbs* (equal parts)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into tin shaker. Muddle herbs. Add ice. Shake vigorously for 12-15
seconds. Fine strain into small martini glass. Garnish luxardo cherry inside lychee ball (as eye ball) through skewer.

*To add sugar, salt, oreo rim – Wet rim of glass with lime wedge and agave nectar and roll rim through mixture.

SMOKIN’ HEAD CAESAR

Ingredients:

2 oz. Crystal Head Vodka

5 oz. Clamato (Caesar) or tomato juice (Bloody Mary)

dash of Worcestershire sauce

dash of hot sauce

[ny dash of liquid smoke

garnish of your choice

Ingredients for Rim Garnish:

1⁄4 tsp. salt

1⁄4 tsp. pepper

1⁄2 tsp. smoked paprika

Cachaça Zombie

Created by Jane Danger, Mother of Pearl NYC

Ingredients:

1 oz Novo Fogo Chameleon Cachaça

 1 oz Novo Fogo Tanager Cachaça

0.25 oz Giffard Triple Sec

0.75 oz lime juice 

0.5 oz orange juice

0.5 oz passionfruit syrup

1 dash Scrappy’s Aromatic Bitters

1 dash absinthe

Directions:

Shake, pour over crushed ice into a tiki mug