And then I found this video. My first thought was what the heck is this person doing with an anteater quickly followed up with what the heck is this person doing with an anteater in their house and why are they sharing their booze?!

It’s cute-in a really random animal drinks from a wine glass sort of way.

Post from: EveryJoe

Drunk Anteater

Grand Marnier and Moet Chandon Rosé have teamed up to create a perfect match for Valentine’s Day, in the form of a delicious little drink called, appropriately, Cupid’s Arrow.

This cocktail is simple to prepare and wonderfully indulgent— combining Grand Marnier’s delightful orange liqueur with the rich character of Chandon Rosé and pomegranate juice for a delicate rose hue.

Cupid’s Arrow

1 Part Pomegranate Juice
2 Parts Grand Marnier®
2 Parts Chandon Rosé
½ Part Lemon juice

Shake pomegranate juice, Grand Marnier and lemon with ice. Pour into a champagne flute. Top with Chandon Rosé.

[image provided by Grand Marnier]

Post from: EveryJoe

More Valentines Day Cocktails

RUBYY VALENTINI

1 oz Skyy Citrus
1.5 oz. RUBYY Blood Orange Energy Drink
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz. simple syrup
Float of Prosecco

Add all ingredients, except Prosecco and ice into your shaker. Shake and strain into an ice-filled flute. Garnish with an orange twist and Prosecco float. Make the Prosecco float by pouring it carefully over the back of a spoon.

RUBYY SWEETY

1.5 oz Absolut Peach
1.5 oz RUBYY Blood Orange Energy Drink
.75 oz lemon juice
.5 oz simple syrup
6 Basil leaves

Muddle basil, lemon, and simple syrup. Add Rubyy, ice, vodka, and lemon juice. Stir and serve. Garnish with basil leaves.

If you’re not close enough to San Diego to drop into Bar Chole, try a couple of these, from LA mixologist, Lily Asinovsky.

RUBYY LOVE

1.5 oz. cherry vodka
.25 oz. cherry juice/grenadine
.50 Rubyy Blood Orange Energy Drink
champagne

Shake and strain all ingredients except champagne into a sugar rimmed martini glass. Top with champagne floater. Garnish with 2 maraschino cherries on a swizzel stick.

RUBYY PRECIOUS

.75 oz. blueberry vodka
.75 oz. raspberry vodka
1.5 oz. Rubyy Blood Orange Energy Drink
.25 oz. chambord
.25 oz. lemon juice

Shake and strain all ingredients into a sugar rimmed martini glass Garnish with bluberries and raspberries floated on top or skewered onto a swizzel stick.

Valentines Rubelini

If you’re looking for something quick and easy to spice up your regular champagne, try pouring half a glass full of champagne, and half a glass Rubyy Blood Orange Energy Drink. Very tasty!

[images provided by RUBYY]

Post from: EveryJoe

Valentines Drinks in San Diego

Drinks After Dark’s exclusive cocktail guru, Steve Kemble, has created the “Ten Grand” for us to toast the New Year with. Ring in 2009 with style! 

To make:

1 oz 10 Cane Rum
1 oz Grand Marnier
Peach Puree
Pomegranate Juice
Moet & Chandon

Put the rum, Grand Marnier, Peach puree and pomegranate juice into a cocktail shaker over ice and shake well. Pour into Champagne glasses and top each off with Moet & Chandon and serve!

Happy New Year!

Post from: EveryJoe

New Year’s Eve: Time for Bubbly!

Each mixologist made 3 different drinks, using a maximum of 5 ingredients in each. The winner from the Vancouver competition went to the North American Shake-off in Colorado Springs, and then overall winner from Colorado Spings gets to go to the 11th Annual International Finlandia Vodka Cup, which will be held at the Lainio Snow Village, above the Arctic Circle in Lapland.The Finlandia Vodka Cup arena, the “snow dome” is a construction of snow and ice, complete with a semi-circle ice bar. The pure Finnish nature provides amazing surruondings for the world’s best bartneders to show off their talents. I went to the summer Finlandia “Midnight Sun” event in the summer (where the sun didn’t set) and loved every minute of it. I’ll tell you about that soon.

And, you know, if I had the opportunity to go in February, I would, in a heartbeat!  I heard that Finland and Helsinki in the winter is gorgeous and dramatically and strikingly different than it is in the summer.

My favourite drink from each bartender had to be:

Colin MacDougall’s “long drink”

1 muddled peach (or 3 oz peach puree)
1 oz Finlandia Vodka
1 oz orgeat syrup
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz orange juice

Muddle all ingredients together, shake over ice and serve in a tall glass.

Trevor Kallies’ Cool Hand ‘Cuc’

2 oz Finlandia Vodka
1/2 kiwi, muddled
2″ peeled long English Cucumber
1 oz simple syrup
Ginger Beer

Muddle the kiwi & simple syrup, add vodka, shake over ice. Pour over ice, add ginger beer and garnish with cucumber.

Lori Poppe’s Marley Mule

1.5 oz sage infused Finlandia Vodka
.5 oz Benedictine
4 dashes peach bitters
3 oz fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice
1 oz ginger beer

Put all but ginger beer into a shaker, over ice. Pour into a tall glass, over ice and top with ginger beer.

Brian Grant’s (Vancouver Finlandia Vodka Cup Champion) “LL” Lyman

2 oz Finlandia Lime Vodka
Good scoop of Lemon Sorbet
Healthy splash of champagne

Build drink in a martini glass, starting with the Vodka, add the lemon sorbet and then add the champagne on top.

Colin Turner’s Candy Striper

1 oz Finlandia Vodka
.5 oz Cinzani Ornacio
1/2 oz Compari
1/5 oz fresh pomegranate juice
Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Put all ingredients except for the pomegranate seeds into  a shaker, over ice. Pour into a martini glass and float seeds for garnish.

Ryan Cheverie’s Sami 75

1 oz Finlandia Mango
1/2 a pink grapefruit, juiced
1/2 oz ginger syrup
Dash of orange bitters
Top with sparkling wine

Combine all ingredients except sparkling wine in a shaker, over ice. Pour into your favourite glass and top with the sparkling wine.

(Images prodvided by Finlandia Vodka)

Post from: EveryJoe

Finlandia Vodka Cup

Brix26, a personalized wine recommendation service located in San Francisco at the crossroads of Napa and Sonoma. Created in 2005 by Peter Langenstein, Peter works
directly with many of California’s boutique wineries, obtaining the unique opportunity to taste hundreds of the finest varietals available. Brix26 clients are able to browse and purchase single wines or mixed cases on the website, and are encouraged to call or email Brix26 directly for one-on-one recommendations. Each bottle will be shipped directly to home or business, complete with customized tasting notes and the option for individual gift-wrapping.

Peter has put together some suggestions for wine lovers and wine givers this holiday season for some of his top picks.

The Most Bang for Your Buck (Under $25)

Ever tried to figure out how much should you spend on a wine gift? One of the biggest misconceptions the wine industry has foisted on consumers is the more expensive the wine, the better—or even more misguided, the longer it will age.  It’s just not true – there are great wines, even wines that can age, at all price points.

Peter Recommends:  The Twenty Rows 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($19.99)—a rare 100% Napa Valley Cabernet. Tasting as though it could be a $50 Cabernet, it’s a second label from one of the Valley’s top wineries.

Got the Urge to Splurge?

If you’re dishing out the dough, you should be assured you are receiving something spectacular. Unfortunately there is a sea of overpriced Napa Valley cabs, all hoping to be the next $100 cult wine. The good news is that there are wines that are able to back their lofty price tag.

Peter Recommends: The Robert Foley 2005 Claret Napa Valley ($159 – 94 points). You won’t go wrong with this bottle, which is made by the previous winemaker at Pride Vineyards. Foley’s Claret (a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc) is consistently one of our favorites every year.

For the Ultimate Wine Snob

How do you impress the wine lover who claims to have seen (and tasted) it all? For this type of person, a highly rated, difficult to obtain Cult Cabernet will get their blood racing every time!
Peter Recommends: The Blankiet 2005 Paradise Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (95 Points – $299)

Party Picks

Let’s face it. There will be plenty of soirees this season and you won’t want to show up empty handed. Parties are the perfect opportunity to spice up your selection with something to please all palates.

For a great Chardonnay that’s not too steely, Peter recommends The Patz & Hall 2007 Chardonnay Napa Valley ($34.95)

As for a red, don’t be afraid to be adventurous! Unless steak is on the menu, there’s no need to serve Cabernet at a party. Try something a bit lighter such as a California Zinfandel.  A great option—a rare single vineyard treat from a venerable Napa Cab producer, is The Nickel & Nickel 2006 Bonfire Vineyard Zinfandel ($48).

The Icebreaker

Looking for a bottle to spark conversation and keep the gang talking long after the last sip?

Peter Recommends: *Orin Swift’s 2007 “The Prisoner” Napa Valley ($35). It’s guaranteed to garner attention and probably become the new crowd favorite.

The bottle is equipped with a visually striking label (from artist Francisco Goya) and is an intriguing blend of several red varieties including Zinfandel, Cabernet, Petite Syrah and several others,

Shhh…It’s our Secret!

For the bottle that you’re dying to share, but don’t want to anyone to discover, we’ve found some phenomenal small production wines that are truly hidden gems.

Peter Recommends:

The Atrea 2004 Old Soul Red, Mendocino ($26.99). As one of my favorites this year, it’s an interesting blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Malbec and Petite Syrah from Mendocino—an area often overlooked. This choice is sure to impress any fan of big, rich reds.

The Palazzo 2005 Proprietary Red Napa Valley ($55). For Bordeaux fans, this has been one of our best discoveries as there are only 1,000 cases of this Merlot/Cabernet/Cabernet Franc blend. This particular bottle was modeled after France’s Right Bank wines but unabashedly ‘made in California’. It’s a beautifully balanced blend produced by Scott Palazzo and will pair well with meat-based dishes.

Cheers!

Setting the tone for the New Year can be done right with the perfect bottle of champagne.

While New Year’s Eve usually means either low-priced domestic fizz (think Cook’s) or high end fancy French Champagnes, I’d like to suggest a taste of something both domestic and high-end.
Peter Recommends:

Schramsberg 2000 J. Schram ($89) – Possibly the finest sparkling wine produced in California, this Champagne rivals the finest bottles available, and frequently tops them in blind tastings.

All of these wines can be purchased at Brix26. They can be reached by email at info@brix26.com, or by phone at 1-866-4Brix26 (427-4926)

(images provided by Brix26)

Post from: EveryJoe

Brix26: An Exclusive Wine Service

I’ve found a couple of bottles that I really enjoy, but which aren’t true Champagnes. For a true champagne, I lean towards Veuve Clicquot, mind you, a 750 ml bottle will run you around about $100. It’s good, yes, but I simply can’t justify that kind of outlay whenever I decide I want some bubbles, so I turn to these guys:

Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Brut Cuvee – a light, gorgeous colour on the initial view. Buttery flavour, mostly at the front of your tongue, but not a big nose on this one at all. It’s almost a ….green scent, a little reminiscent of grapes, (ironic, I know), grass and springtime.

Depending on where you live, this will run you anywhere between $10 and $17.  Great for a little wonderful bubbly goodness in the bath or for a fun Friday evening.

Bimbadgen Sparkling Semillon – this has got to be the favourite of the ones I’ve had. I love a nice semillon, and adding bubbles to it just makes me smile. I can never ever remember how to spell the name of the winery, but I can always spot it on the shelf.

This wine smells gorgeous, with citrus and lime overtones. It tastes like tangy fruit and has a touch of rich sweetness that comes from the second fermentation Bimbadgen goes through. Personally, I am happy to drink this chilled on a normal evening, in the bath, with friends, you name it. The tasting notes from the winery site pair this with shellfish, seafood, white meats and salad. That works for me too! Here, I can get this for about $17

Korbel – the entire line of Korbel Sparkling Wines, which they call “premium methode champenoise”, (sparling wine made in the style of traditional Champagne, but because it’s not made in the Champagne region of France, it can’t be called Champagne), is fantastic. Medium-dry, with a light, crisp, and well balanced cuvee, the Korbel wines are just, as I said, yummy.

I haven’t looked for Korbel here recently, (mind you, I’ve not had bubbles in some time either), so I’m not 100% sure what it retails for, but I’m guessing it’s not more than $25.

And finally, two actual champagnes, under $50, which still won’t break the bank. These two aren’t ones I’ve had in years, or at least not ones that I paid attention to when we did drink them. These both came from Consumer Reports recommendations, and it’s cool that the 70 year old magazine, whose mission is to “Test, inform and protect” – apply its expertise to partying.

Piper-Heidsieck Brut, $42. Crisp, well balanced, toasty; less fruit than most in their test.

Taittinger La Française Brut, $45. Mature; toasty, yeasty, fruity aromas.

(image sources: Korbel by korbel.com, Bimbadgen by Bimbadgen Vineyards, Jacob’s Creek Brut by Jacob’s Creek Vineyard)

Post from: EveryJoe

Five Affordable Champagnes

That’s all fine and well, and I actually kinda like it that you guys are all quiet through the holiday. It works for me. But the one thing that doesn’t work for me about this holiday?

Tri-coloured Sangria.

Yes. Red, White and Blue sangria. That’s just wrong.

If you really want to commit the sacrilegious step of making blue sangria, the recipe is here. If you’re more interested in just making a good sangria, try this out:

Champagne Sangria Recipe

3oz triple sec
3oz brandy
2oz rum
2oz vodka
1 cup strawberries, blended
chopped up fruit as desired (apple, mango, tangerine, pear, peach)
1 bottle sparkling wine

Mix together all ingredients except the sparkling wine and let it sit overnight in the fridge. Add in the sparkling wine just before serving.

(Image source: RockStarMommy & Wasabi Bratwurst)

Post from: EveryJoe

When a good drink goes bad

The only sparkling wine that can legally be called Champagne must come from the Champagne region of France.

You may be familiar with the phrases “Blanc de Blanc” and “Blanc de Noir.” Blanc de Blanc, or white of white, means that the wine has been made from white grapes such as Chardonnay. Blanc de Noir, or white of dark, means that the wine, though white, has been made from red grapes such as Pinot Noir.

In Spain, sparkling wine is called Cava and is made from grape varieties typical of the region. In Italy sparkling wines go by many names. Asti Spumante which is made from the Moscato Bianco grape can be sweet and luscious while Prosecco made from the grape of the same name is just a touch sweet and is a wonderful base for a Bellini.

With so many regions producing so many fine wines, there is sure to be a sparkling wine to tempt any palate and any budget!

Serving Champagne and Sparkling Wine

When you pour sparkling wine, the bottle should have been chilled to about 45- to 49- degrees Fahrenheit. Serving the wine in this temperature range enhances both taste and fragrance.

Chill your wine by filling a Champagne bucket half-way with water and ice cubes and immersing the bottle for about thirty minutes. And if you don’t happen to have a Champagne bucket handy, place a room-temperature bottle in the coldest part of your refrigerator for an hour or two, but don’t leave Champagne in a refrigerator for an extended period.

NEVER chill a bottle in the freezer. If you forget it’s there, you’ll have a nasty surprise when you find that it’s exploded and a messy clean-up job is nothing to celebrate.

Champagne Glasses

The French novelist Colette said it best: “Champagne is not drunk, it is savored. It must not be drunk too greedily. It should be enjoyed with restraint in single glasses, with thoughtful, well-spaced sips.”

Champagne is best served in long-stemmed flutes. These narrow glasses are ideally suited to concentrate the wine’s aroma and they enable you to better observe and admire Champagne’s distinctive bubbles and sparkle.

Unlike the bottle, the glasses should not be chilled.

Opening the Bottle

Since there may be up to 70 pounds pressure behind the Champagne cork the bottle should be opened with both care and style. Hold the bottle by the neck, or place on a table being certain that the cork is not pointed at anyone. With your free hand, loosen the cage covering the cork. Once this is loose, slowly and gently twist the bottle (not the cork) while pushing down slightly on the cork. Though you are pushing down on the cork, you will feel it begin to push back on your hand as it releases itself from the bottle. The goal is to hear a small whisper, not a loud pop.

There’s no need to consume the entire bottle after it’s been opened. Capping the bottle with a pressure-withstanding stopper will enable you to enjoy the rest of the wine two or even three days later.

Savouring the Champagne

Fill half the glass. Take a moment to admire the colour and the bubbles. Inhale the bouquet, now taste the wine. Keep it in your mouth for several seconds so you can discern its qualities and what type of food it would pair best. Is it light and dry? Would it pair with oysters, salmon or lobster? Is it sweet and rich? Would it pair well with desserts? Most importantly, remember that Champagne and sparkling wines can make any meal or occasion a special one!

(image source: Newscom. Information Source, Morton’s The Steakhouse.)

Post from: EveryJoe

By The Glass: Enjoying Champagne