Drinks - - Page 19

by Emily

Top 10 Champagne Cocktails for New Year's Eve

What”s the best part about New Year”s Eve? Spending time with friends, reflecting on the great times of the year past, dressing up in fun outfits? NO! It”s drinking champagne until you black out, obviously.

In honor of the year-end holiday encouraging America to drown all its sorrows and joys in an everlasting river of champagne, here are ten of my favorite champers recipes I”ve found floating around the Internet, including some memorable champagne posts from ES days of yore.

Happy new year!

10. Watermelon Champagne Cocktail from A Fabulous Fete

9. Champagne Jell-o Shots from SheKnows

8. Berry best online casino Pear Champagne Cocktail from Polka Dot Bride

7. Blackberry Prosecco Popsicle from Bakers Royale & Endless Simmer!

by snebbu

Endless Beers: Anchor Christmas Ale

ABV:5.5%

Ah yes, the most wonderful time of the year. As you may know from last year, for four decades now, Anchor Brewing releases a new version of their Christmas Ale every year. Each time, the brew is made with a new, original recipe, along with a new image on the label. The recipe is new every year and will not be reused. As you can imagine, I was pretty excited when I received a bottle of this at my doorstep. The brew will be available until mid-January.

Anchor seems to aim for the same feeling of a winter warmer each year. Typical flavor profile of this delish beer includes notes of spices, sweetness of the malt, and a bit of a boozey pokies online taste to it. However, you never know what the current year is going to taste like. The anticipation (for us beer dweebs at least) to opening the brew is similar to opening a gift—you know it”s going to be good, but you don”t know exactly what will be inside. Turns out this year”s is one of my favorites. PLUS my sister got me the 2011 brew, so I was able to compare to even another year! Get them while they last and save a few for years to come.

Tasting Notes:

Appearance: Dark brown, nearly black with a thick light brown head.

Aroma: Smells like…Christmas. Sweet and spicy—scents of cinnamon and even pines and spruces. Deeper scents included a malty smell similar to that of a brown ale.

Taste: The brew begins with sweet and malty flavors, immediately followed by some spice flavors like nutmeg, cinnamon, and even ginger. A little bit of brown sugar taste as it ends.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth. Goes down easy and has good carbonation that complements the spices.

Overall: I”ve had the 2011, 2012, and 2013 of these brews now. I think the 2013 is my favorite so far. The flavors really stand out without taking over the brew. It”s a great drink to have while sitting around the fire with family and friends, or after dinner.

in Drinks 0 comments

by BS

Cocktail O’Clock: Hot Buttered Whiskey

This Christmas, have your dessert and drink it too. Brown sugar + butter + whiskey = now that’s a happy holiday.

Hot Buttered Whiskey

in Drinks / Recipe 0 comments

by BS

Cocktail O’Clock: Ginger Toddy

Whiskey or wine when the weather gets cold? You can have both. And add some ginger while you’re at it—for health benefits, of course.

2 oz Powers Irish Whiskey
4 oz Pinot Grigio
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced ginger

Combine all ingredients into a pot over medium heat.

When ingredients have dissolved, strain, then place back onto heat. Add 1 sliced orange and keep warm.

Pour into coffee mug. Garnishwith a slice of lemon.

in Drinks / Recipe 0 comments

by BS

I’m a Dublin Dr. Pepper

If you’ve been to any hipster-affected Mexican restaurants in the past five years, you know all about the phenomenon of “Mexican Coke.” Imported from south of the border, Coke bottled in Mexico (and many other countries) is made with real cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup and thus tastes, well, a little bit more like there’s real food in it than regular Coke does. While no one drinks Coca-Cola for its healthful properties, it’s hard not to agree that the natural-sugar stuff is tastier. But did you know there’s also a “Mexican” Dr. Pepper, and that it can be had without going (quite) all the way to Mexico?

You see, when the soft drink industry switched to HFCS in the 1970s, one bottler in Dublin, Texas stood their sugary ground and kept making Dr. P with the natural stuff. Fast forward four decades and “Dublin Dr. Pepper” had become a local Texas institution. DP aficionados flocked from all over to sample the stuff, enthusiasts even began trading it over the Internet, and Dublin Dr. Pepper began distributing it further afield.

When the behemoth corporation that owns Dr. Pepper found out, they wisely capitalized on people’s passion for real-sugar soda and started distributing the good stuff all over the country, even though it costs them an extra few cents per can to make. Ha! I’m just kidding of course. They shut that shit down. Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (a name that just conjures up some kind of vomit-y sorority party jungle juice mix) sued Dublin Dr. Pepper for distributing their sugary soda and taking business away from other bottlers, who didn’t want to have to compete with the superior product.

The result: Today, the “Dublin Dr. Pepper” company no longer is allowed to make Dr. P, instead launching their own line of new sodas. And you won’t find sugar-sweetened Dr. Pepper popping up near you anytime soon. However, because the good drinkers of central Texas were already addicted to the real stuff, the Dr. Pepper Snapple group does make small batches of sugary DP (now without the “Dublin” label) strictly available only in that area. So if you happen to be driving through Dublin, Texas — conveniently located not really near anything at all — you can pop into a gas station, as I did recently, enjoy a small glass bottle of sugary Dr. Pepper, and dream about a day when American food is made from real food again.

In-Depth: R.I.P. DP, 1891 – 2012 [Texas Monthly]

in Drinks / Food Travel / Trends 0 comments

by ES Guest

Cocktail O’Clock: Serious Mulled Wine

It’s about that time of year when we start heating our wine, and cocktails suddenly feel less sinful, more warm and comforting. Well, this tea and wine concoction still packs plenty of punch, amping up your mulled wine with vodka and port. Plus, you get to light things on fire.

Moonlight by the Fire: Mulled Spiced Wine

in Drinks / Recipe 0 comments

by Emily

Top 5 Post-Holiday Detox Drinks

I realize Thanksgiving was almost a full week ago, but I”m still in full-on recovery mode. Everyone knows a good streak of Thanksgiving-level eating stretches all the way through Black Friday and into the weekend. After all, those leftovers aren”t going to devour themselves! Anyway, after an accomplished 4 days of pigging out, I usually feel pretty sluggish and ashamed (also proud! But also, there is some shame).

Wondering how to get back on track, or at least wean your body off the idea of getting stuffed with gravy and butter every second of the day? I have a couple secret weapons and tricks up my sleeve that I use to help me (and my poor, poor digestive system) feel better in no time. That photo above is a snapshot of my desk on the first day back to work after my large weekend. My living area basically looked like the beverage aisle at Whole Foods.

1. Coconut Water
Taste the tropics, y”all! This stuff is so great for refreshment and rehydration! It has just as much potassium as bananas plus tons of important electrolytes. You can basically think of it as nature”s gatorade. I first gave coconut water my official ES endorsement back in January 2012 and this miracle drink retains my loyalty to this day. My favorite brands are Zico (try the pineapple flavor!) and O.N.E.

2. Kombucha
Oh my dear, sweet kombucha! This fermented tea drink might sound funky, but just give it a try. It will help you balance your pH, cleanse out toxins and impurities, and really move your digestion along. Plus kombucha has trace amounts of alcohol! So it”s not like you”re completely depriving yourself, just trick yourself into thinking it”s a health cocktail or something. If you”re freaked out by the idea of fermented tea, try a bottle of GT Dave”s Synergy, which comes in delightful juice-blended flavors like guava, • individual health insurance companies could drop you for being sick or stop treating you when you reached annual or life-time limits. gingerade, and my personal fave, trilogy.

in Drinks / Holiday / Lists 0 comments