Game Day Smoky Mary

Game Day Smoky Mary

All right, folks, it is almost time to get out every serving dish you have and fill it with chips, dips, nuts and whatever finger food you can think of. Super Bowl is just around the corner, and I am ready to drink some beer and eat some 7-layer dip and hot wings. This may be the one party that most men enjoy planning and attending. Bloody mary bars are always crowd pleasers because they give your guests something to do and lets them make their drink as spicy as they want and add any garnish they feel like.

For those of you who will be setting up the bar, I have a treat for you — Smoky Bloody Marys. This recipe is a blend between a Creole-style and Boston-style bloody Mary with my own little twists. What really makes this cocktail different is the use of Hangar One Chipotle Vodka; it adds a real rugged smokiness to the drink. The Hangar One distillery is known for the use of interesting flavors and subtle smoothness, which comes from actually infusing the flavors into their vodkas, as opposed to chemically adding flavor.

The Smoky Bloody Mary makes a great game-day sipper, or for those of you who are breaking out the raw oysters, it is also perfect for oyster shooters. The horseradish and spice pair well with the briny oysters. Just make sure you save as much of the oyster liquor as you can for those shots!

Smoky Bloody Mary

5 ounces V8 juice
1 ounce beef broth
1 teaspoon horseradish
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon Fish House Hot Sauce
3 shakes Worcestershire
3 shakes Tabasco
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
Squeeze of 1 each lemon and lime wedge
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces Hangar One Chipotle Vodka

Mix all ingredients well and pour into a pint glass filled with ice. I like it when my bloody marys come with a whole garden of garnish, so I add a celery stalk, pickled green beans, green olives and a wedge of lemon. 

Great Southern Eggnog Martini

Christmas is in full swing and earlier than ever! Decorations are up and Christmas music is playing all over the airwaves, except my house. I have fallen behind the ball this year in terms of Christmas cheer and have some catching up to do. I can blame an early Thanksgiving all I want, but it still doesn’t help me get my tree up and house decorated. There is one thing that will bring out my holiday spirit – eggnog! A family tradition for me and staple at every Christmas party for as long as I can remember is traditional, home-made eggnog. Yes, against all doctors warnings, I drank unpasteurized (virgin) eggnog as a child. It’s amazing I’m still alive to tell the tale!

I know that a lot of people are turned off by eggnog because it seems strange to drink a raw egg product and others just are not fans of bourbon. My Great Southern Eggnog recipe is perfect for those of you who shy away from bourbon.  With the added pecan liqueur you get the same punch without the bourbon slap in the face. For those of you who are still afraid of the raw egg, you can “cook” this recipe by tempering your eggs with hot milk, but I did not. This recipe is great because it’s easy to make a big or small batch, depending on your purpose. This martini is sure to bring out your holiday cheer.

Great Southern Eggnog Martini
*makes approximately 8 martinis

4 eggs
1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon sugar
1 pint whole milk
1 cup Heavy cream
10 oz. Praline Pecan Liqueur
8 oz. Buffalo Trace (or other favorite) Bourbon
1 Teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
Candied Pecans (for Garnish), optional

For the eggnog base, crack your four eggs into the blender, cover and turn on high. After about 30 seconds, open the center cap on the top and slowly add your sugar. Allow that to blend for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is a pale yellow and creamy. Next, through the center cap, add your milk and cream and blend until thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes. Pour into a sealable container and cool.

In a shaker tin with ice, add 1 oz. bourbon, 1 ¼ oz. pecan liqueur and about 3 oz. eggnog base. Shake vigorous so it gets nice and frothy. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg and a couple of candied pecans.

If serving in a punch bowl, add your liquors in 2oz. at a time so you don’t overdo it. You should use a little more pecan liqueur than bourbon to keep the balance. Enjoy!

For the love of Pumpkin

Whether it’s for the change in weather, a chance to pull your sweaters out of storage, or all the yummy fall flavors that we enjoy; most people seem to be looking forward to the fall season. As with sports, clothes and food, cocktails change with the seasons as well. People shift towards a heartier, slow sipper style of beverage instead of the light, fruity options. You’re more likely to find drinks with bourbons, aged rums and heavier cordials with flavors moving towards fall fruits and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.  All things pumpkin seem to be king this time of year, but have a short sale period. Pumpkin beer is off the shelf before you realize you want it and most of them taste nothing like pumpkin anyway. So I set out to find an alternative to satisfy that fall flavor itch.

The Pumpkin Shiner has become one of my new favorite fall cocktails is a blend of all things fall -- Pumpkin spice, ginger and orange. With the increasing popularity of moonshine, through television and legal release, I thought it would be tasty to bring it more mainstream.

Pumpkin Shiner

1 ¼ oz. Corsair Pumpkin Spiced Moonshine
4 oz. Ginger Beer or Ginger Ale
Splash of fresh orange juice

Fill a rocks glass with ice, add your moonshine and top with ginger beer. Finish with a splash of fresh orange juice and an orange twist. This will also hold up well in a large batch for a party, just substitute dry ice and a punch bowl and let the fun begin.