5 posts tagged “happy friday”

What's your favorite time of day and why?

Well, that’s such an easy question, it hardly bears answering.  My favorite time of the day is: Happy Hour!!

Tonight, the Beloved is enjoying a zanahorita, and I’m prepared to enjoy a tall, cool tequila sunrise, which I think is an incredibly under-rated drink.  It’s also a great, easy drink to make and perfect for summer:

Sunrise at Sunset

Tequila Sunrise

Fill tall glass with ice:
Add tequila to there (first row of blue dots)
Add orange juice to there (second row of blue dots)
Top with club soda

Mix with spoon, and drizzle in grenadine (or maraschino cherry juice).  They heavier syrup will collect at the bottom producing the “sunrise” effect.

Happy Friday!

Ok, I have a confession.  I make a crappy margarita.

What’s that you say?  You live in San Diego, 30 miles or so from the border – you of all people – with your love of cocktails and spicy Mexican food this should have been something in your arsenal a long time ago.

I agree.  But mine always tend to come out too tequila-y, too sweet, too lime-y, too something where you can tell it’s just not right.  I won’t use a mix, because a) that’s cheating, and b) they vary from too sweet to just plain nasty.

But no more with the bad margaritas!

My rescue came in the form of the latest Imbibe Magazine (your guide to liquid culture…), which has some new summer drink recipes.  The other night we tried one that we LOVED and instantly declared The. House. Margarita. This. Summer.

Zanahorita

Zanahorita

Mix the following in a shaker with ice:
2 oz reposado tequila
¾ oz cointreau or triple-sec
1 oz carrot juice
¾ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz orange juice
½ oz simple syrup

Shake vigorously and strain into a glass with fresh ice (salted or not, depending on taste) and THEN sprinkle the top of the drink with ground cumin. (Yes, that’s right -- cumin -- don’t argue with me)

The carrot-cumin-tequila-salt-citrus blend is both incredibly smooth and gives this drink a rare exotic feel.

Trust me -- it might sound a little strange.  It’s bueno.

When I was in my 20s, and you were at a wedding reception (and we're going to one this weekend...) and wanted to get a mixed drink, it was a screwdriver.  It was easy and tasty, but it hardly conveyed any sense of sophistication.  It's the default for a lot of folks that feel "on the spot" when having to come up with a mixed drink.

Well, I say…put down your screwdrivers!

Tonight’s Happy Hour drink is: Agent Orange

Agent Orange

2 oz vodka
1 oz Grand Marnier
½ oz Patron citronage (or cointreau)
½ oz orange juice

Mix the ingredients together with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass.  Smooth citrus flavor, with a remarkably small amount of actual orange juice (that's a veiled word of warning).

Happy Friday!!

Note:  Apparently, I’m starting a series of some of my favorite drinks using my favorite cocktail shaker.

The Sidecar is a one of the earliest known cocktails – thought to have originated in Europe around the end of the First World War.

The classic sidecar is made with equal parts brandy (or cognac), cointreau, and lemon juice.  In many ways, it is the grandfather to very popular drinks like the margarita.  Generally, you have the spirit, a sweetened citrus liqueur, and citrus juice (booze+sweet+tart = :D ).

Tonight, my choice is the Chelsea Sidecar.

Chelsea Sidecar

1 comment

The Chelsea Sidecar is made with gin in place of the brandy/cognac.  You can vary the ingredients to taste.  Here’s my version:

2 oz. gin (use a good one too, like Bombay Sapphire or Hendrick’s)
1 oz  triple sec (we like the Patron citronage, cointreau is good too)
¾ oz lemon juice

Shake vigorously in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and stain into a martini glass.  Enjoy!

Talk about a Happy Friday!  Today’s the first solid day of rain San Diego’s seen since sometime last Spring.  There were spotty showers in October, but today should be the first long, soaking rain we’ve seen in a long time.

For me, this is always a day to get excited about.  We’ve been so dry here; we need all the rainy days we can get.  (Tamzen, we’d be happy to take some of yours!),  Of course, one day isn't going to solve our drought, but I'd be happy with a day like this every week for the next six months.

To celebrate I’m going to walk over to the cafeteria (which is in another building) to get breakfast, just so I can get wet.

Here’s a favorite tune from my “rain” playlist:

Flash And The Pan - Walking In The rain

Flash And The Pan

Have a great day!