All posts tagged with: martini

Happy National Strawberry Shortcake Day! Originating from the United Kingdom, Strawberry Shortcake has become a traditional North American spring and summer dessert. Today’s after dinner treat is typically served as sponge cake, topped with strawberries that have marinated in sugar, with dollop of fresh whipped cream. If a liquid dessert is more your style, or you just want to celebrate this national holiday with a cocktail, give this Strawberry Shortcake-tini a try!

• 1 oz Cake Vodka
• 1 oz Strawberry Liqueur
• 1.5 oz Pinnacle Whipped Vodka

Fill a martini shaker half full of ice. Add all ingredients. Shake for 20 seconds, until the outside of the shaker has begun to frost. Pour into a chilled martini glass.

As spring comes to a close next week and the dog days of summer begin, evening cocktails become part of the normal routine. Simple, easy-to-make, and packed full of refreshing flavour, the Grapefruit Rickey is a summer staple. You can feel less guilt on your summer diet with this cocktail because it’s not packed with sugar calories.

• 1.5 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Grapefruit Juice
• ½ oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
• ½ oz St. Germaine

Pour all ingredients into a martini shaker half full of ice. Shake for 20 seconds, until the shaker begins to frost. Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a slice of fresh grapefruit. For an additional grapefruit punch, add a few drops of grapefruit bitters.

Spring is here, and so is the new Pinnacle Liquorice vodka! On liquor store shelves across Canada, the latest flavour is quickly becoming a big hit amongst vodka drinkers. The familiar candy treat can now be mixed into a number of exciting cocktails and martinis, including this weeks feature, the Pink Starfish.

• 2 oz Pinnacle® Red Liquorice Vodka
• 1 oz Triple Sec
• 1 oz Lemonade
• 1 oz Cranberry Juice
• Splash Grenadine

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.

While you could get together with a group of friends for an afternoon tea party, it would probably be more fun to skip the tea part and jump right into a few of these cocktails instead. Simple and quick to make, the Citrus Cream Soda Martini makes a big impression, especially at birthday parties!

• 2 parts Whipped Vodka
• 1 part lemon-lime soda
• Splash orange juice

Fill a cocktail shaker half full of ice. Pour in  all ingredients. Shake hard for 20 seconds, until the shaker begins to frost. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with coloured sugar candy.

Happy Easter! For years, Cadbury Cream Eggs have been delighting kids and adults alike and have become a delicious Easter tradition. The gooey, cream centre filling is irresistible. If you thought that the original cream eggs were good, wait until you try these fantastic cocktails, honouring these fun Easter edibles.

• 1.5 oz Marshmallow Vodka 
• 1 oz Creme de Cacao
• 2 oz Whipped Cream
• Caramel

Pour vodka, creme de cacao and whipped cream into a martini shaker half full of ice. Shake hard for 20 seconds. Pour into a chilled martini glass rimmed with cocoa powder, and caramel in the bottom. Garnish with a carefully cut-in-half Cadbury cream egg, perched on a skewer.

Alternative: replace whipped cream with chocolate milk for extra chocolately indulgence.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! May the luck of the Irish be with you. Many celebrations will be taking placing including parades, festivals, and Irish-themed parties. The more common drinks for the occasion are scotch, Irish whisky, and green-coloured beer. How about mixing things up? Literally. The St. Patrick’s Day martini combines the natural aromas of gin with the crispness of mint, and the calming notes from the bitters. It’s quick and easy to make. Remember, gin is delicate, so you’ll want to stir, not shake. Enjoy!

• 2 oz Gin
• 0.5 oz Green Crème de Menthe
• 2 dashes Bitters

Fill a martini shaker half full of ice. Pour in gin, crème de menthe, and bitters. Stir. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

Imagine yourself getting on a plane, flying first class to Hawaii, sipping on a cocktail. That cocktail would be The Flirtini. What a great way to start a vacation, right?

• 1 1/2 oz Orange Vodka
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• Splash of Champagne

Fill a martini shaker half full of ice. Pour in vodka and pineapple juice. Shake for 20 seconds. Pour into a chilled, sugar-rimmed martini glass. Add a splash of champagne.

The best part about spring being just around the corner are all the warm, sunny, clear blue sky days ahead. Spring is a great time to get outside and enjoy fresh air. Hiking, biking, rollerblading, jogging, or a walk through the park – no matter what activity you get up to, have fun! Afterwards, come home and make yourself a Blue Sky Martini, put your feet up, and relax.

• 2 oz Vodka 
• 1 oz Blue Curaçao
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Fill a martini shaker half full of ice. Pour in vodka, blue curaçao, and simple syrup. Shake well for 20 seconds. Pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an orange round and a maraschino cherry.

Indulge your senses with this luscious lemon drop martini! A simple lemonade cocktail for a scorching hot day, or a random Friday night hanging out with friends.

• 2 oz Vodka
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1 sugar cube
• 1 twist of lemon peel
• 6 ice cubes

Into a cocktail shaker, pour the Vodka and lemon juice. Add ice. Shake well. Strain and pour into a martini glass. Drop the sugar cube into the martini. Finish by arranging the twist of lemon peel on the edge of the martini glass.

Throughout the year kids are constantly fundraising for one thing or another; whether it be for a hockey tournament, a field trip for school, or for the local kids club for arts-and-crafts. The best of the fundraising treats are chocolate covered almonds. If you don’t have a box of them kicking around in the cupboard, this cocktail should get you through until the next time the neighbourhood kids come knocking on the door.

• 2 oz Whipped vodka
• 0.5 oz Amaretto
• 0.5 oz Crème de Cacao
• 1 Cream

Pour all four ingredients into a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake for about 20 seconds, until the shaker begins to frost. Pour into a chilled martini glass that has been rimmed with coloured sprinkles.

Cinnamon hearts are the most popular confectionary treat for Valentine’s Day. The burst of hot, spicy flavor leaves the mouth watering for more. They make perfect decorations on handmade cupcakes, can be placed in little ziplock bags and snuck into a jacket pocket before work, or placed in a nice package with a bow and left on the pillow before bed. How ever you choose, they are hot and spicy!

The Cinnamon Heart-Tini is a fun drink of the candy treat. It’s rich red colour and cinnamon flavor will have you asking for more. It’s fast and easy to make.

• 1.5 oz Vodka
• 0.5 oz Goldschalger
• 0.5 oz Grenadine
• Club Soda

Fill a martini shaker half full of ice. Add vodka, Goldschalger and grenadine. Shake for 15-20 seconds. Pour into a cinnamon-sugar rommed martini glass. Add champagne. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Happy Birthday to me! Yes, this weekend it is my birthday.

Did you know the song, Happy Birthday to You, is the most recognized song in the English language and has been translated into more than 18 languages? The song was originally written and composed by American sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill in 1893, based on the song, Good Morning to All, which was easily sung by most small children.

Birthday parties are full of traditions. It is customary at birthday parties for the birthday person to be seated with a cake with the number of candles equal to the age of the birthday person, lit, while the guests sing Happy Birthday to You. At the end of the song, the birthday person, makes a wish and then blows out the candles, hoping their wish comes true. The crowd would applause the important moment. The first piece of birthday cake is served to the birthday person, then to the remaining guests. After the birthday cake, gifts are presented to the birthday person.

While cake is traditional at most birthday parties, nothing would be more suitable at my birthday party than a Birthday Cake Martini!

• 1½ oz UV Cake Vodka
• ½ oz Amaretto Liqueur
• ½ oz Lemonade
• ½ oz Cranberry Juice

Rim a martini glass with coloured sprinkles. Fill a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Pour in all four ingredients. Shake hard for 20 seconds, until the shaker is frosted. Strain into a martini glass. Top with whipped cream, garnish with a maraschino cherry, and celebrate with a candle!

If you’re ever feeling down and want to feel better, lychees can turn your day around. This Lychee-tini is simple to make and pretty fabulous. And if you’re looking to illuminate your social gathering… give this a go!

• 2 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Soho
• 1 0z lychee juice

Fill a a martini shaker half full of ice. Pour in all three ingredients. Shake hard until the shaker has frosted. Pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lychee nut (optional).

While your friends might be off on a winter vacation in Mexico or somewhere in the Caribbean sipping pina-colada’s, you can still enjoy a hint of the tropics from home. The Pineapple-tini is like a tropical party landed in your mouth and started to dance!

• 2 oz vodka
• 1 oz Malibu
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• Squeeze of Fresh Lemon

Fill a martini shaker half full of ice. Pour in all four ingredients. Shake hard until the martini shaker is frosted. Pour into a sugar-rimmed martini glass.

Hazelnut and whipped cream, shaken into a heavenly martini. Perfect for an after-dinner cocktail on New Years Eve.

• 2 oz Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
• 2 oz hazelnut liqueur

Pour Pinnacle Whipped Vodka into a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake hard for 20 seconds. Pour into martini glass rimmed with crushed chocolate cookies.

Whip 2013 into shape!

• 2 oz Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
• 0.5 oz of Creme de Banana
• 0.5 oz of Half & Half

Swirl a martini glass with chocolate syrup. Pour ingredients into a martini shaker half filled with ice. Carefully pour into the prepared martini glass. Top with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

If you can’t be in the Caribbean for New Years Eve, bring a hint of the tropics to your party! The Whipped Cream Pie Martini is like a tropical vacation in your glass.

• 2 oz Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
• 1 oz Coconut Rum
• 1 oz Half & Half

Pour all three ingredients into a martini shaker half filled with ice. Shake until the shaker begins to frost. Pour into a martini glass and top with whipped cream and shredded coconut.

12 Drinks of Christmas – Day 8

Whether you’re rock’n around the Christmas tree with friends, enjoying some yule-tide spirit with family, or just relaxing by the fire with your special someone, this Christmas-tini will get you into the holiday spirit. The sweet, syrup flavour from the raspberry liquor melds well with the hints of chocolate and vanilla flavours.

• 1 oz Vanilla Vodka
• 1 oz Creme de Cacao
• 1.5 oz Chambord

Pour all three ingredients into a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a piece of candy cane.

12 Drinks of Christmas – Day 5

Maybe if you and someone you have your eye on have enough of these, it could lead to a special kiss under the mistletoe. It’s a sweet and sour cocktail, perfect for an afternoon or early evening cocktail reception.

• Juice from 1/2 Fresh Squeezed Lemon
• 0.5 oz Simple Syrup
• 2 oz Chilled Cranberry Steeped Tea
• 0.5 oz Orange Juice
• 2 oz Vodka

Fill a martini shaker half full of ice. Add all ingredients. Shake for 20 seconds. Strain into a sugar rimmed martini glass.

12 Drinks of Christmas – Day 4

The perfect cocktail for a festive holiday party. It’s certain to impress with translucent red liquid and red sugar rim.

• 2 oz Raspberry Vodka
• 1 oz Cranberry Juice
• 1/4 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Honey Syrup

Fill a martini shaker half full of ice. Add vodka, juices and honey syrup (one part honey and one part hot water whisked together). Shake for 20 seconds. Pour into a martini glass rimmed with red sugar crystals. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.