Tim Laird, dubbed America’s Chief Entertaining Officer (CEO) has some tips to make your holiday cocktails as pretty and festive as your freaky-about-Christmas friend’s Christmas decor.

Tim recommends using Tequila and Vodka for your drink bases, because not only do they allow the greatest range of mixability, but they’re generally guaranteed crowd pleasers. You don’t need to stock a ton of mix in order to make a few different drinks which all bring the colors of the season into your glass.

First things first, mix up a pitcher of each of the following and store them in the fridge till well chilled:

The Perfect Margarita Base

1 1/2 oz Herradura Silver Tequila
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz simple syrup

Vodka Drink Base

1 1/2 oz Finlandia Vodka
1/2 oz. orange liqueur

Simply keep combining ingredients until you get a full pitcher.

When you’re ready to use the bases, give them a good stir and then pour them into a  rocks glass or a martini glass. There are several options you’ve got to add to your bases to give you some holiday flair. Try pomegranate juice for a pretty red drink, melon liqueur for a delicate green look, blue-raspberry liqueur or Blue Curacao for a blue concoction or add apple cider for gold drinks.

By using mixers which produce red, green, blue and gold drinks, you’ve pretty much covered the colors of the holidays, and you can likely please even the toughest cocktail critic at your next party!

(image source Brown-Foreman)

Post from: EveryJoe

Deck the halls and Decorate your Cocktails

Vampire Juice

In a tall glass with ice mix:
2 oz Finlandia Lime Vodka
4 oz tomato juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh horseradish
Splash of steak sauce (any brand)
Splash of hot sauce
Garnish with eye ball radish

To make ice “eyeballs”. Peel radishes, leaving thin streaks of red skin on to represent blood vessels (see image). Using the tip of the vegetable peeler, or a small, knife, carefully scoop out a small hole in each radish, roughly the size of an olive. Stuff a green olive, pimiento side out, in each hole. Place one radish eyeball in each section of an empty ice cube tray. Pare the radishes down a bit to fit, if necessary. Fill the tray with water and freeze overnight.

Vampire Kiss Martini 

1 ½ oz. Finlandia Vodka, chilled
1 ½ oz Korbel Champagne
¾ oz part Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur

Rim the glass with red sugar (use food coloring) or drop in a set of wax vampire teeth for a real surprise.

Pour vodka and half of the Chambord in a martini glass, top with Champagne and pour the remaining Chambord over the back of a spoon to make it float.

Candy Apple Martini

1 oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
1 oz Finlandia Vodka
3/4 oz apple schnapps
Splash of Tuaca Liqueur

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass.
Rim the glass with caramel and garnish with an apple slice.

Post from: EveryJoe

Halloween Drinks

Dubonnet, like Absinthe, is one of those liquids developed in the mid-1800’s (1846 to be exact) to help make quinine more palatable for the soldiers battling malaria in North Africa (wow, apparently quinine is a horrid-tasting substance!).

Created by Parisian chemist/wine merchant, Joseph Dubonnet, Dubonnet’s mix of fortified wine and proprietary blend of herbs, spices and peels has earned it legendary status in the world of sophisticated drinks. (image source: Heaven-Hill Distillery)

There are several ways to enjoy Dubonnet, but the one that we discovered this weekend that caused one guest to exclaim “I could drink this like juice! It’s so good!” is the Dubonnet Cosmopolitan. A classic twist on a trendy drink, this cocktail goes down smoothly, is a lovely rosy colour, and seems to be enjoyed by several different palates.

To make a Dubonnet Cosmopolitan:

1 oz Dubonnet
1 oz Finlandia Vodka
1 oz Triple Sec
Cranberry Juice
Lime Juice
Lime for garnish

Put all ingredients, except the lime for garnish in a cocktail shaker with ice. Give it a good shake, and pour into champagne glasses or martini glasses and garnish! (image source: me)

Post from: EveryJoe

Dubonnet makes a comeback

I learned, on that trip, that the Finns actually empty cities and restaurants close as everyone returns to nature to celebrate with friends and loved ones by the thousands of lakes in the countryside.

I went with Finlandia Vodka and celebrated the midnight sun in a field with real reindeers and ice bars where they poured some amazing cocktails.

Now that summer has officially began, why not take inspiration from a nation that really knows how to make the most of summer’s arrival with a Midnight Sun inspired party? Take advantage of the long, sun-drenched evenings by inviting friends for the ultimate laid-back summer gathering and enjoy some summer cocktails?

Impress friends by mixing one of the delicious, and super easy to make Finlandia Vodka cocktail recipes below. They’re fun, refreshing and thoroughly modern drinks are inspired by fond memories of some of the classic summer cocktails.

FINLANDIA MIDNIGHT SUN MARTINI
1 1/2 oz. Finlandia Vodka
1/2 oz. Triple Sec
2-3 oz. White Cranberry Juice (or Red)
glass: Martini
method: Shake
garnish: Cherry

FINLANDIA GRAPEFRUIT SUNSHINE
1 1/2 oz Finlandia Grapefruit
Lemon-lime soda
Splash of quality orange juice
glass: Tall
method: Over ice and add the splash of orange juice. Fill with lemon-lime soda
garnish: Grapefruit slice.

FINLANDIA MANGO MIDNIGHT RUN
2 oz Finlandia mango fusion
2 oz cranberry juice
Splash of lime juice
glass: Rocks
method: Mix and serve on the rocks
garnish: Lime wedge

(image source, me on Flickr)

Post from: EveryJoe

Land of the Midnight Sun