Cocktail O'Clock -

by Emily

Cocktail O’ Clock: A Healthier Mai-Tai

Bailey’s has a new addition to its line of liqueurs: Almande, a creamy, non-dairy drink made with almond milk. Not sure if you know this about me, but I love Bailey’s but I avoid drinking dairy milk because it does not get along well with my stomach… so this is fantastic news to me! The packaging is obviously very girly, and I am In. To. It.

This smooth spirit blends the luscious, nutty flavors of real almondmilk and real vanilla to create a versatile drink. Serve over crushed ice or mix with coconut water for a delicious summer cocktail.

YES PLEASE, love you, Bailey’s! While you can definitely sip this sweet drink on its own or over ice, Bailey’s also shared some delicious tropical recipes for this summer… so, I’m passing them along to you! This Mai Tai caught my eye because it combines Almande with two of my favorite summer flavors: coconut and watermelon. I can feel the island breezes blowing now!

You’ll have to forgive this ultra punny name (or just embrace it, like I did)…

Mai-Tai Interest You In Some Almande?

Cocktail O’ Clock: The Artist’s Lament

Every Spring, Austin hosts the Moontower Comedy & Oddity Fest, a festival all about – you guessed it – comedy. This year, Moontower features comedians like Martin Short, David Cross, Leslie Jones, Maya Rudolph, Janeane Garofolo, and more… and it’s happening this very weekend! In honor of the event, Justin Elliott, the Director of Hospitality and Bar Program Creator at popular downtown cocktail bar The Townsend has created a special drink, only available Thursday (4/21) through Saturday (4/23). It’s called the Artist’s Lament ($8) and it’s available at the bar, which is hosting a number of Moontower shows.

This drink is only on the menu during Moontower, and The Townsend will be a popular spot during the festival for comedy shows and, of course, drinks. If you’re not in Austin for the fest this weekend, no worries! We got the secret recipe to make this complex and bitter cocktail at home.

What Justin says about this drink: “Loosely based on the classic ‘Artist’s Special’ I present – in honor of the miserable lot that we all know comedians to be – the ‘Artist’s Lament.’ Basically it has a lot of the tasting notes of an Artist’s Special but it’s way more bitter and it’s definitely smoking about a pack a day.”

Sounds good to us! Bottoms up to the weekend, let’s laugh and lament.

The Artist’s Lament

1 oz Dolin Vermouth Dry
1 oz Bigallet Amer China-China
.5 oz (1:1) Simple Syrup
.75 oz Lemon Juice
.25 oz Port Charlotte Islay Scotch Whisky

Swizzle together with crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

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by Emily

Cocktail O’ Clock: Gingerbread Man Old Fashioned

Tis the season… to drink! And to do other things too, of course. But today I want to talk about drinking. I love a festive holiday-flavored beverage, especially when it’s nice and boozy. So when Eureka sent me their recipe for a gingerbread old fashioned, I was super into it. Now I can pretend I’m Don Draper and Santa Claus, all at once! (Sorry, is that really creepy? Probably.)

Gingerbread Man Old Fashioned

Cocktail O’Clock: Olives + Tequila?

We’re big fans of dirty martinis here at Endless Simmer, not to mention pickle-tinis, and pretty much any other way to salty up a cocktail. What we’d never heard of before was an olive-and-tequila concoction.

With National Tequila Day just around the corner (July 24, as you surely know), it’s about time to take a look at the Mexican martini.

This Austin, Texas speciality comes to us by way of Tex-Mex cantina El Original in New York City and we have to say this one looks worth trying.

Mexican Martini

Cocktail O’Clock: Sparkling Summer Sangria

I don’t know what it’s like where you guys are, but here in NYC it’s about ninety-way-too-freaking-sticky degrees, which IMHO means that Cocktail O’Clock is allowed to start before noon on this particular Friday.

Here’s a refreshing drink that’s tailor-made for these hot summer days. A spin on classic sangria, this recipe subs in Cava for white wine — a neat trick that adds a little fizz, without requiring too much of a spend, as the light Spanish bubbles are an excellent and affordable sub-in for Champagne.

Sparkling Summer Sangria

· 1/2 oz. simple syrup
· 1 orange quarter
· 1 lime quarter
· 1/2 oz. orange liqueur
· 1/2 oz. Spanish brandy
· 3-4 oz. Freixenet Carta Nevada Cava (chilled)
· 2 oz. lemon-lime soda (chilled)
· 1 maraschino cherry

Muddle fruit slices in a shaker cup with simple syrup.

Add liqueur and brandy with ice.

Shake, then strain into a cocktail glass.

Add soda and top off with Cava.

Drop in cherry or secure to an orange wedge using a toothpick, to decorate the rim of each glass.

Alternatively, multiply everything by 5 (our favorite rule!) and put it all together in a pitcher.

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by BS

Cocktail O’Clock: Happy Snowy Spring

OK SERIOUSLY?!? Four to six inches of snowfall in New York today…on the first day of spring?

I don’t care what the weather says, we are ready for some springtime drinks.

Here’s an enticing recipe that comes to us all the way from elements restaurant at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, Arizona, a place where I would really like to be right now, because I am pretty sure that it is not freaking snowing there.

Honeydew Cucumber Sour

· 1oz Martin Miller’s Reformed Dry Gin

· .5oz fresh lemon Juice

· 1.5oz fresh honeydew juice

· ¼oz Clover Honey Syrup (here’s a recipe)

· 1 dash Regan’s No. 6 Orange Bitters

·Shake, pour and add sliced cucumber as garnish. Eff the snow.

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by BS

Cocktail O’Clock: Pomegranate Surprise

This drink may look like a light and healthy brunch refresher, something you’d sip post-workout maybe. And it is all that…except for you know, tequila. White tequila that is — looking healthy but still getting you drunk since 1685.

Pomegranate Refresher

· 1 oz Herradura Silver tequila
· 1 oz Dolin Bianco vermouth
· Dash of orange bitters
· ½ oz lemon juice
· 1 oz club soda
· Pomegranate seeds

Place all ingredients except the soda into a high ball glass.

Add the club soda last, then using a bar spoon stir the ingredients together to chill & combine the flavors.

Garnish with a mint sprig and pomegranate seeds.

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