yumsugar -- To die for.

Happy Brunch Hour: Great Uncle's Gin Fizz

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:14:22 -0700

I love brunch and even more so, I love brunch cocktails! This past weekend, my great uncle taught me how to make his effervescent, tangy, and delicious gin fizz.

There are many different types of gin fizzes. The simplest version combines gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. The Ramos Gin Fizz, a New Orleans classic, dates back to 1888, and jazzes up the recipe by adding lime juice, cream, orange flower water, and egg white.

My great uncle has perfected his variation to include gin, sugar, cream, lime juice, orange juice, soda water, ice, and one whole egg. The egg made me a little nervous, but it adds a fabulous texture and frothiness to the blended drink. If you don't want to use raw eggs, substitute powdered egg white.

To add a little fizz to your weekend brunch,

Come Party With Me: Heroes Season Premiere — Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:30:17 -0700

What cocktail pairs perfectly with a traditional meat and mashed potato TV dinner? A classic gin and tonic served in a chilled glass. It's a simple, no-fuss drink that will nicely complement the menu for my Heroes season premiere party.

I'll also have a couple bottles of red wine on hand to enjoy with dinner. Water, beer, and sodas are a must for those who dislike gin. To look at the recipe for this uncomplicated cocktail,

Come Party With Me: My Birthday — Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:14:56 -0700

Obviously, I think my birthday is a cause for celebration, and with celebration comes champagne! When choosing a signature drink for my bash, I wanted something that would subtly echo the floral motif of my invitations without being too juvenile. A playful twist on a classic, grownup cocktail seems fitting for someone turning 27.

I've settled on this variation on the French 75 cocktail; it features blood oranges so it has a slightly pink, but not too pink, hue. Better yet, it will please both cocktail connoisseurs and casual drinkers, and it can be made in large batches. To get the recipe,

Happy Hour: Blue Gin Rizz

partysugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:00:23 -0700

The other day I was at the farmers market when I noticed a sad sign saying, "last day for blueberries." I immediately purchased a pint with the intention of using them in a delectable drink. While the original recipe, from H. Joseph Ehrmann of San Francisco's Elixir, calls for kumquats, I couldn't find them, so I substituted fresh peaches.

The final concoction is refreshing, tangy, and light. The ginger liqueur stabilizes the natural bite of the gin resulting in a cocktail that is balanced and easy to drink. It would be great paired with food, but it's also lovely when sipped solo. To say cheers to the weekend with this recipe,

Happy Hour: French 75

partysugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:00:14 -0700

In honor of Bastille Day, which celebrates the start of the French Revolution, mix (or order!) a French 75 cocktail. Named for a type of gun, this drink was originally created by a World War I, French-American fighter pilot. The combination of gin and champagne packs such a potent kick that people believed drinking it was like being shot with the powerful gun.

Now, the French 75 is considered a classic Champagne cocktail. The strong concoction is easy to make and even easier to drink. Get the recipe and

Happy Hour: Long Island Iced Tea

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:00:39 -0700

After finding this recipe for a Long Irish Iced Tea a few weeks ago, I had the hankering for the strong, original cocktail that has inspired so many variations. These highballs are great for Summer sippin', but don't let the name fool you: Long Island Iced Tea isn't actually made with tea. It was most likely named because of its resemblance to tea and lemony flavor.

This dangerous drink is a combination of vodka, rum, triple sec, gin, and tequila, so it's handy if you're moving and need to empty the liquor cabinet. The combination of booze, plus sweet and sour mix and a splash of cola, goes down surprisingly easily. To get the recipe,

Happy Hour: Limoncello Collins

YumSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:28:31 -0700

A little while back, we received a bottle of Limoncé, Italy's "Number One Selling Limoncello." We planned on trying it straight, but when I stumbled across a recipe for a Limoncello Collins, I knew we had to try that instead. The original recipe asks you to make a large batch in a pitcher, unfortunately we didn't have a one at the Sugar HQ and we whipped up individual drinks instead. However, I wished we had used a pitcher; it was difficult to get the ratio just right and tedious to mix up several — sort of like lemonade, you might as well make one big batch. Yet the result was a delicious, not to mention deceptively naughty, drink. If you're mixing these up for friends, have extra bubbly water (or lemon/lime soda) on hand. Half the folks thought it was too strong, while the other half thought the mix of Limoncé mixed and Bluecoat gin was just right.

To get the recipe for the refreshing take on an old classic,

Happy Hour: Leap Year

partysugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:03:11 -0800

Today we all have a very good excuse — it's leap year! — to sit back and relax with a potent cocktail. February 29 only happens every four years and to celebrate, I suggest you mix yourself up a drinkie. Not just any concoction, one appropriately named, of course. The Leap Year is a delicate blend of gin, sweet vermouth, and grand marnier. If you prefer vodka to gin, simply substitute the gin with your favorite vodka. To raise your glasses and give a cheers to leap year,

Happy Hour: Cucumber Cocktail

partysugar — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:11:33 -0700

Last week, FabSugar and I went to an Elle party at the new Rugby by Ralph Lauren store. The place was packed and the music was bumping, but most importantly the cocktails were flowing freely. Besides your standard white wine by the glass, pitchers of a cool green cocktail were being poured. Served in a stemless martini glass, these cucumber cocktails went down like water. The green color is festive and fun for a Christmas or St. Patrick's Day party. It's easy to mix a big pitcher of these babies, making them perfect for a large event. Take a look at the recipe when you

Happy Hour: French 75

YumSugar — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:13:38 -0700

A few weeks ago I attended the closing gala for San Francisco's Cocktail Week. The event was a casual happy hour spotted with lovely specialty drinks by the talented Absinthe Bar bartenders. The party served as closure to the week, as well as a release party for Art of the Bar, a cocktail book by the Absinthe bartenders. So naturally, they were showing off some of their specialty drinks.

I was lucky enough to experience several different selections, but the one I was gaga for was called French 75 - a champagne cocktail made with gin and citrus juice. If you've never had one, treat yourself tonight. It's simple, it's classy, it's tasty. Get the recipe, just

Happy Hour: Negroni

partysugar — Fri, 18 May 2007 13:19:21 -0700

It's cocktail week here in San Francisco and a whole bunch of the city by the bay's best bartenders are participating in celebrating the dynamic beverage community. This is the first year this event has been hosted and many popular bars, lounges, and restaurants are contributing by featuring two limited edition specialty cocktails: one classic recipe and one innovative concoction. As I browsed through the list of cocktails, I noticed two places were offering a negroni as their classic cocktail. Invented in Florence, Italy in the 1900s, a negroni is often consumed as an aperitif to stimulate the appetite. For the recipe (if you are an aspiring mixologist you better learn how to make this!)

Happy Hour: Blueberry Crush

partysugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:59:01 -0800

Last Saturday night I attended an opening party for a new exhibit at the de Young museum here in San Francisco. Lately I've been trying to develop a taste for gin and tequila, so I order the gin specialty cocktail, something pretty with floating blueberries called a Blueberry Crush. I talked to the lovely ladies over at Plymouth Gin - one of the sponsors of the event and the creator of the drink. On Saturday night when I drank the cocktail, I was certain pomegranate juice was a part of the concoction, but when I got the recipe I was surprised to see that it is a mix of fresh blueberry puree and Sweet & Sour mix. At the party, the blueberry crush was made with Plymouth but you can make it with whatever gin you prefer. I think I'll give this one another try in my own kitchen. To do the same,

Happy Hour: Oscar Cocktail

partysugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:43:12 -0800

The Oscars are such a huge celebration that naturally they have their very own cocktail, the Oscar cocktail, named after them. Ok well, I'm not 100% sure of that, but I did find a tasty sounding recipe called an Oscar Cocktail so I assumed that it was named after the awards show. There are plenty of other famous Oscars (the Grouch, Wilde, De La Renta, La Hoya) that come to mind that have nothing to do with gold statues and this cocktail could be named for one of these Oscars. But let's all pretend, since the Oscars are this Sunday and all, that the Oscar of the Oscar cocktail is a little gold statue. For the recipe,

Happy Hour: The Lap of Luxury

partysugar — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 11:53:00 -0800

I'm not exactly sure why, but I don't really drink gin. I rarely make cocktails with gin as the main ingredient and worry that I may in fact be scared of this manly man's liquor. Usually one stays away from a certain type of alcohol because of an unfortunate experience, yet as I look back through my memory recorder, I can not recall any horrid gin-induced hangovers or embarrassing drunken spectacles. My fear is especially irrational because I find myself sipping on my dad's gin and tonics practically every evening.

So it's time I confront gin. I'll do so by giving it a super feminine makeover and mix up a cocktail called the Lap of Luxury. With a name that fabulous, this cocktail that was favored by Audrey Hepburn, is sure to be an interesting taste sensation. For the recipe,