Happy Hour International

Friday Happy Hour: G’Vine Floraison Gin Cocktails

Filed under: Recipes, Cocktails, Happy Hour

I just reviewed G’Vine Floraison Gin de France and realized it’s Friday… which means Friday Happy Hour is upon us. So I thought you might like some G’Vine cocktail recipes to enjoy.

G’Vine Cosmo
2 oz. G’Vine
1 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. cranberry juice
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
Shake, strain, and serve with a twist of orange

G-Man
2 oz. G’Vine
Squeeze of lemon
Dash of simple syrup
Dash of Angostura bitters
Serve on the rocks, garnish with a twist of lemon

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Friday Happy Hour: The Napoleon Noir

Filed under: Recipes, Cocktails, Happy Hour, Spirits

I like it when drinks are easy to make. This is the Napoloean Noir, and the recipe is pretty simple:

1 part Cognac
1 part coffee liqueur

Pour over ice in a rocks glass. Drink accordingly.

You can’t get any easier than that, unless you pour yourself a glass of water or something. I actually found this drink while doing a search for “noir drinks.” Yeah, maybe an odd thing to search for, but I’m a fan of noir movies (and, um, drinking) so I thought I’d do a search and see what I found. I also found the web site for the Noir Bar at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA, which I’ve been meaning to visit one of these days because I’ve heard great things about it. They have noir drinks too, including the L.A. Confidential, the Dirty Harry, the Black Dahlia, and the Blue Velvet.

I think I’m gonna go there soon.

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Mardi Gras Happy Hour: Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane

Filed under: Recipes, Cocktails, Rum, Southern States, Happy Hour, Did you know?, Spirits

Happy Mardi Gras folks! Just about everyone who has been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans has had one of Pat O’Brien’s Hurricanes. A tall red drink served in a 24 oz. Hurricane glass which looks like the tall glass chimney of an old fashioned oil hurricane lamp. Sipping a Hurricane is one of the most popular ways to celebrate when in New Orleans, and I’ve had my share back in the years when I made my annual pilgrimage to Mardi Gras. It’s a tasty drink with a bit of a kick, the saving grace is that it is served in a tall glass filled with ice so you can sip it slowly. If you slurp it down fast, then after a few you’re gonna feel like you went through a hurricane yourself. Your clothes will start to come off, your popularity will soar, and you’ll soon be wearing a lot of Mardi Gras beads and pearls.

Pat O’Brien operated a speakeasy during prohibition called Mr. O’Brien’s Club Tipperary. The semi-secret password to get in was “storm’s brewin”. Then in 1933 after the repeal of prohibition Pat O’Brien moved
across the street and opened Pat O’Brien’s and a while later in 1942 moved to the present location at 718 St. Peter Street. The Hurricane was created at Pat O’Brien’s some time in the 1940’s during the war years. Whiskey was hard to get but rum was plentiful and to order a case of whiskey a bar had to order as many as 50 cases of rum first. So Pat O’Brien created this punch like drink to make use of the available rum.

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Monday Happy Hour: Minted Bourbon

Filed under: Whisky, Recipes, Cocktails, Happy Hour

Granted, this isn’t actually a Mardi Gras cocktail per se, however the ingredients are meant to give a nod to the South nonetheless. I actually stumbled upon it one day while looking for a Mint Julep recipe - this is just a slight variation of the original. It’s now on my rotation of drinks to serve at a party because it always garners such positive response. Adjust the ingredients to suit your own personal taste, if desired.

Minted Bourbon
1 1/2 oz bourbon
1 oz sugar syrup (recipe can be found here)
2 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint
Sparkling water or soda
Crushed ice

Muddle mint leaves with lemon juice. Add simple syrup, bourbon, and ice. Shake or stir until well mixed. Strain into a tall glass over ice, and top with sparkling water or soda. Garnish with mint leaves or a lemon wedge.

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Friday Happy Hour: Hot Toddy for one, Hot Cider Punch for thirty

Filed under: Whisky, Recipes, Cocktails, Happy Hour, Comfort Food, Spirits

I’m not sure how cold it is where you are, but here tonight it’s supposed to be around 9 degrees (and with the wind, etc, etc it’s even colder). So we need something to keep us warm. You could try tea, you could try soup, maybe sitting in front of a fireplace. You could even try cutting open the carcass of a large dead animal and crawling inside, like in oneof the Star Wars movies.

Or, you could make a hot alcoholic drink. If you’re alone, you can make a Hot Toddy. If you’re having a party with thirty of more people, you could make a Hot Cider Punch. Either way, you’ll warm up quick. To paraphrase the Campbell’s commercial: “Warm up to alcohol, booze is good food.”

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