TIP OF THE DAY: Vermouth & Tapas, For Brunch & Cocktails

Vermouth is enjoying a renaissance. Vermouth (ver-MOOTH) is a fortified wine—one that includes a base spirit—flavored with a proprietary mixture of botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, spices). A glass of sweet red vermouth with an orange slice or twist was long a fashionable apéritíf for café society*. In Barcelona today, vermouth and tapas are…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Cucumber In Your Drinks

Today is National Dry Martini Day (some say it’s World Martini Day—perhaps the international celebration). We’re having a very dry Martini—just a splash of vermouth—with Pinnacle’s cucumber vodka. If you like cucumber, this article explores other ways to enjoy it. But first: A Cucumber Martini recipe (along with a Cucumber Mary recipe). The history of…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Mardi Gras Party

[1] Shrimp and Grits, a popular Mardi Gras dish. Here’s a video recipe (photos #1 and #2 © Mackenzie Ltd). [2] A classic Louisiana gumbo (photo © Mackenzie Ltd.).   Mardi Gras is a week away: Tuesday, February 17th. Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday” and called Shrove Tuesday in English, is part of the…
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RECIPE: Peanut Butter Banana Dessert Cocktail

Peanut butter and banana dessert cocktail. Photo courtesy Blue Chair Bay Rum.   Elvis Presley’s favorite food was a pan-fried sandwich of peanut butter and sliced banana (recipe). To be seriously indulgent, he might have enjoyed washing them down with this peanut butter and banana cocktail, a kind of adult milkshake. We hadn’t seen a…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Red, White & Blue Soft Drinks & Cocktails

Drink red, white and blue for July 4th. Photo courtesy Herradura Tequila.   You can turn any clear drink into a July 4th cocktail or mocktail, as Herradura Tequila has done with its “Red, White & Blueberries” Cocktail, below.     JULY 4TH MOCKTAILS Just start with a clear spirit or mixer, layer on other…
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