Walnut Martini by Grizzled Adams

Ingredients:

2 shots Vodka

3/4 shot Tuaca Liqueur

3/4 shot Walnut Liqueur

3/4 shot Vermouth (Dry)

Sophie's Choice Cocktail by bookseller

I peeled about 6 oz. of fresh ginger, and threw it into the food processor with half a peeled cucumber, half a bunch of mint (I had more), and the heart of a stalk of lemongrass; processed till everything was very finely chopped. Dumped this slush into a small saucepan with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, half a cup of brown sugar (ok, I used my much loved sugar sub, the brown version), and 6 tablespoons of honey (or, if you're me, 6 tablespoons of mint syrup, which is pretty much the sweetness and consistency of honey). Also half a tablespoon of whole black peppercorns, and a cup of water. I simmered everything for about 10 minutes, strained it, and am now boiling down the syrup to...syrup consistency.

It's pretty amazing. You smell the mint first, then you get a sweet-lime taste with a slight floral note from the cucumber, and then a real bite from the ginger and the pepper. According to the original recipe, it's supposed to be mixed in equal parts with whiskey, lime juice, and club soda, over ice. I'm thinking this is going to be pretty fabulous. I have no recollection of what the original cocktail was called, and in any case I did tweak it fairly substantially, so I reserve the right to name my version.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you....the Sophie's Choice.

My No Bake Fruit Cake by Grizzled Adams

3 shots of Black Seal Bermuda Rum

3 Maraschino Cherries

Ice

Throw that all together in a nice Old Fashion glass and enjoy. If ya gotta have cake, dip a twinkee init.

Frozen Martini by Grizzled Adams

On my Quest for the frozen Martini, this one came out mityfine.

4 oz Luksusowa Potato Vodka
2oz Seagram's 102 proof Gin
1oz Martini&Rossie Vermouth
1 oz Olive"juice"
Rim the glass with lime/salt
2 of my famous Anchovie/bluecheese stuffed olives
Slice of lime

Lime slice and olives on a stick

Vodka,Gin,Vermouth,Olive Juice in blender with enough ice to make it frozen............crank that sucker up, install in glass............ENJOY!

Chocolate Martini by Grizzled Adams

Everyone gets tired of clams sometimes...

CHOCOLATE MARTINI

1/2 oz Frangelico
1/2 oz Stoli Vanil
1/2 oz Godiva Chocolate cream Liqueur
1/2 oz Godiva Original Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 oz Baileys Irish Cream
Lemon twist garnish

Rim Martini glass with chocolate syrup
Shake ingredients with ice strain into glass Garnish w/ lemon twist ... Sweeeeeeeet!

Coquito (Coconut Eggnog) by Li

Sorry I didn't post this before Christmas, but it's mighty tasty any day of the year.

2 cans cream of coconut (Brand name: Coco Lopez. You can find it at Hispanic markets, Thai markets or specialty stores such as Gelson's)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 cups Bacardi white rum
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 egg yolks (optional)

Blend all ingredients in blender until foamy. Refrigerate. Serve cold.

Mah famous BluCheese & Anchovie Olive by Griz

Make'm myself....here's the deal.............they are a pain in the ass to make but worth every minute.

1. Start with the largest olives you can find, I use Queen size, take the pimento out. If you are not in the boonies like me you may to be able to buy very large olives without pimento.

2. I use jar'ed Anchovies, take one anchovie and cut it in half (unless ya got really big olives) roll it up like a jelly roll, place it in the olive.

3. Take your favorite Blue Cheese, cut off a chunk and place it in the olive sealing the hole.

4. Place in your favorite Martini........eating one'o these is a unique experience.....savor it.

After I put this recipe up on TT last year, some non drinkers have told me they made these for hor'dourves.

Russian Tea by kat167

BRING TO A BOIL, then let simmer 20 minutes or so:

2 quarts of water
12+ cloves
6 cinnamon sticks
4 slices of ginger, approx quarter size

Add (to simmering stuff, but don't let it boil):

1 can frozen OJ
12 oz pineapple juice
Juice of a lemon
Honey to taste

Drink until you feel better. It smells good too.

Hazlenut Cordial by Erythrosine

The hazelnut liqueur I made smells lovely, but even though I only put in half the sugar, it's far too sweet to drink. I diluted it with an equal volume of vodka and it was still to sweet to drink. I recommend that if you ever make hazelnut liqueur, you carefully sweeten to taste. This was the recipe: (from Cordials from Your Kitchen by Vargas & Gulling)

0.5 pound hazelnuts
1 cup vodka
0.5 cup brandy
0.5 cup white sugar
0.5 cup light brown sugar
0.25 cups water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon glycerin (optional)

Toast hazelnuts first; microwaving until the nuts smell and taste right works fine. Coarsely chop hazelnuts in food processor. Transfer to clean 1-quart container and add vodka and brandy. Cover and store in a cool, dark place for 6 weeks. Use a coarse sieve or colander to strain out solids. Discard. Strain again with a fine-mesh strainer. Transfer liqueur to clean container, cover, and let stand for 2 days. Rack or filter into clean container.

Make a simple syrup by bringing white sugar, brown sugar, and water to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and let stand until just warm. Add syrup, vanilla, and glycerin (if using) to racked liqueur. This cordial may be served immediately, but it's better if allowed to age for 1 to 2 months in a covered container. YIELD: APPROX. 1 FIFTH

Old Fashioned by MacGuffin

Most bartenders and people hose the drink down with club soda. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

1 small orange slice (optional)
1 cube sugar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 ounces whiskey (bourbon is preferred, but rye works too)
Ice
Club soda
Old Fashioned Glass

Muddle the sugar cube in about a tablespoon of club soda until dissolved (simple syrup works great too). Add two dashes of bitters, fill glass with ice, then add the whiskey. Skip the maraschino cherry. Drink up!