Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Today we’re not going green–we’re going gold baby! This is the drink at the end of the rainbow, utilizing Irish Whiskey. We’ve got some ginger ale, a hint of orange juice and a nice sweet peach schnapps.

Happy Saint Partrick’s Day, have a safe and happy drink-holiday. Be careful, responsible so that you can celebrate next year too.

Saint Patrick’s Day needs a few green drinks to start the party right. The Emerald Isle is another attempt at Creme de Menthe without the huge mint attack. We’re dabbling with gin today and only using a small quantity of creme de menthe to kick up the party mint style.

Our tasting notes suggest an orange zesty appeal, this arrives from a few of our favorite Gin brands (like Blue Coat), your mileage may vary; use your favorite gin.

Saint Patrick’s Day is coming, the Irish Flag Shooter is here today. This cocktail would make a good start or finish to a Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. You’re getting a minty freshness with a coating of creamy orange all wrapped in a celebration of the Irish Flag.

Tongue Tied
1.5 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
1.5 oz. SKYY Infusions Cherry
Splash of Grenadine

Shake X-Rated and SKYY Infusions Cherry over ice. Strain into a martini
glass. Slowly add a dash of Grenadine so that it sinks to the bottom.
Garnish with a cherry with a knotted stem.

Hopeless RomantiX
1.5 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
2 oz. Prosecco or Champagne
0.25 oz. Lemon Juice
0.25 oz. Orange
0.25 oz. Pineapple

Muddle pineapple, orange and lemon. Add prosecco and X-Rated Fusion
Liqueur. Strain and serve in a highball glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

X-Rated Passion
2 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
2 oz. SKYY Infusions Passion Fruit
Splash of Club Soda

Serve on the rocks and garnish with a lime.

Love EliXir
1 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
1.5 oz. SKYY Vodka
1 oz. Orange Juice
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
0.5 oz. Grenadine

Serve on the rocks and garnish with a lemon twist.

Hopefully your Valentine’s Day goes great and you get a chance to really bust out some great red cocktails, stay tuned for a champagne style cocktail video this upcoming Friday, just in time for Valentine’s Day cocktails!

Our first eggnog recipe, this one users what I would call pre-made eggnog (since we didn’t make it). While you can mix eggs directly into the cocktail (as you’ll see later this week), it’s a long standing tradition in my family and families I know to drink eggnog during the holidays (often times non-alcoholic).

This recipe shows off some more United States tradition from a user submitted recipe that contains peppermint schnapps and goldschläger with the eggnog.

Gobble gobble gobble!? That’s the sound of the turkey and here is how we’re drinking in the new season of feastivities: The Turkey Trot. Bourbon fans all over the world will be able to enjoy the light cocktail with cranberries and 7up (citrus) along with their favorite bourbon spirit.

We’re bringing a new bourbon to the show, Maker’s Mark and giving that a whirl. Happy Thanksgiving, Erntedankfest or whatever you celebrate this holiday!

The top twelve products to add to your holiday gift list include:

#12: Bailey’s Mint Chocolate Irish Cream

Everyone is used to Bailey’s standard Irish Cream offerings, but they’re missing out on some of the holidays best flavors: mint chocolate! This flavor offers the same Irish Cream kick but allows you to flavor your coffee and cocktails with something a bit more minty without taking it overboard. You’ll find it’s subtle enough to be a great stand-alone spirit without overtaking your senses like a schnapps; all built with the same quality of any Bailey’s Product.

#11: WMF Boston Cocktail Shaker

Are you sick of shaking cocktails in a metal shaker that freezes solid making it impossible to remove the lid and reload a second cocktail? The three-piece cobbler shaker’s are nice but the Boston Cocktail Shaker is much cleaner and faster to build cocktails at parties or for yourself. In addition, you’ll look like a real bartender and, once you learn how to use the Boston Cocktail shaker, you’re on your way to cocktail excellence.

If you want to buy a Boston Cocktail Shaker, consider buying it today and hiding it until Christmas or the holiday of your choice because they can take awhile to ship and keep in stock; ours took three weeks to ship from amazon! I’d also consider a loft bar strainer to round out the purchase, that allows you to strain the cocktail without the partially melted ice falling into the glass.

#10: 10 Cane Rum (Light Rum)

Many people have had a standard light rum, made from molasses and that’s all fine and dandy. But the holidays are about trying to be creative with your gift giving choice, 10 Cane Rum can bring something new to the table. 10 Cane Rum has a sweeter profile, great mouth feel and stands out amongst other rums in its class. There is nothing wrong with a typical light rum, but why not give something a bit more unique for the holidays?

If you can’t find 10 Cane Rum, see if you can find Depaz Rhum Agricole, that’s another great pure cane rum but is a bit more “organic” and “green” in flavors.

#9: G’Vine Floraison Gin

Produced in the Cognac region of France, G’vine is a four-times distilled gin created from Ugni Blanc grapes. This gin brings more than juniper to your palate, with beautiful bright floral flavors and an elegance unseen by standard London Try gin varieties. You will definitely pay a bit more for the experience but the selection and experiences held within the bottle will please the receiver of your gift this holiday.

The G’vine Floraison with cost roughly USD $40 and is infused with the vine flower, giving it a very aromatic nose. This gin stands out as a completely unique experience not shared with other gins in the market today. You can read our review of G’Vine Floraison gin and decide for yourself.

#8: Bison Grass Vodka

Let’s be honest, most vodka brands taste the same and the culture of vodka, today, is to create a highly distilled product that brings clean and crisp flavors but very little more; a true “neutral grain” spirit. If you’re going to buy something that brings little taste profile, spending excessive money doesn’t make sense, just buy Tito’s Vodka and you’ll get all you need from a standard neutral vodka. For something more flavorful and unique that takes nuances to a new level, try Bak’s Bison Grass Vodka, now available in the United States.

Bison Grass Vodka isn’t the typical neutral grained vodka, it’s distilled to the point of clean tasting vodka without pulling all of the “impurities” from the spirit. The concept behind vodka is to remove all impurities but many of those so-called impurities add flavors and tastes that change the definition of the spirit, such as bison grass. Bak’s Bison Grass can be sipped as a neat spirit or added to a cocktail or apple juice to bring an invigorating sense of cocktailian pleasures.

#7: Absinthe Dripper/Brouilleurs

You know an absinthe drinker in the family or a friend? If so, they really cannot go on with life without this really awesome absinthe dripper from AbsintheOnTheNet. It’s small enough to be stored anywhere yet louche’s absinthe like a champion without the need for a huge absinthe fountain (which itself is a neat gift).

The Cusenier Absinthe Dripper Auto Verseur makes a great gift for the holidays because it brings a unique mechanical flare to preparing absinthe with all the functionality of a dripper. The added shock value will make your gift the most talked about product at the party and leave a smile on the face of those receiving one. They’re a bit pricey, at USD $109 but a product like this can be passed down through the generations, as long as you explain its purpose and share absinthe with the family.

I brough this dripper to a family event over the summer and everyone would sit there and watch it’s mechanical glory as if it was some alien object of desire.

#6: Veev Açaí Spirit

Açaí juice is extremely tasty but I never considered purchasing it at the store until I sat down with a VeeV Açaí cocktail which changed my perspective on fruit flavor. The scent of the spirit is delicious and slightly potent with unique flavors unseen by many US brands of spirit which all pair well in a cocktail with other fruits and flavors. Açaí is a fruit all its own and its taste cannot be compared to other standard fruits and berries, it’s a Brazilian delight.

My first experience with VeeV was in the VeeV Açaí Lemonade, a great lemonade style cocktail for the lemonade lover and offers a low-calorie look at cocktails. Many specially designed VeeV cocktails bring low calorie alternatives without losing the sweetness and flavors, that’s just something Açaí brings to the table. Read our review of VeeV and make your own decision.

#5: Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Whiskey lovers in the Kentucky area will be all like “no duh!” for this one, but it’s hard to shuffle through all the mass market brands of mediocre bourbons to find one that really shines. You can drink the same whiskey you drink everyday or you can try something a bit better and pickup the Buffalo Trace Bourbon.

Buffalo Trace Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (~$23.99) begins with the finest Kentucky and Indiana corn, selected rye, and superior malted barley. Upon delivery the grains undergo a general visual inspection for any obvious abnormalities. Buffalo Trace Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey is 90-Proof (45% ABV) with its distillery located in Franklin County, Kentucky. I’ve found this brings a huge series of flavor nuances without over-oak or burning sensations, the perfect bourbon for a perfect whiskey sour! You can’t ask for more!

#4: Republic Tequila Reposado

The market is full of great 100% de agave tequila and you really can’t go wrong with a real tequila. However, there are so many to choose from and I believe Republic Tequila Reposado is the hidden gem in the tequila industry right now. It’s a 100% Blue Agave Organic tequila with flavor nuances that lend itself to rich pineapples, sweet brown sugar and spicy white pepper.

The Republic Tequila Reposado reminds me of a nice bourbon in its complexity and deep experience and commands a competitive price in the mid USD $40 range. You’ll find dozens of USD $40 tequila brands but only a few with the complexities to feel like a USD $60 tequila, Republic Tequila’s Reposado does more than expected. Read our review.

#3: Bluecoat American Dry Gin

We’ve taken a look at G’Vine which brings a floral experience to your gin, now we’re looking at a more traditional American dry gin. Bluecoat has organic juniper berries, organic citrus peels and other organic materials in their gin recipe. The viscosity was thick and well-bodied which shows some great class. While appreciating the smoothness on the palate, a huge explosion of orange zest exploded in my mouth in every direction which tickled all the senses from the tip of the tongue to the back of the nasal passages.

Until I had Bluecoat I never really appreciated the zesty orange that can be found in a good American dry gin. Read the review for yourself.

#2: Don Q Grand Añejo

This is the second most awesome gift for this holiday. Don Q Rum, in general, is a tasty spirit but their Grand Añejo brings a huge complexity to the dark rum style and mind blowing flavor. I brought a bottle to a family event and most people looked at me strange when I told them to “sip this rum” as they associated rum with mojito cocktails. They took a sip and said, “is this really rum? This isn’t a whiskey?”

Don Q Grand Añejo doesn’t taste like a full bodied whiskey, it tastes like a full bodied rum with the backbone and nuances you normally would receive in a classy whiskey. It’s maturity commands a fairly high price, at USD $59.99, this isn’t a low-grade rum by any stretch of the imagination. While it may break the budget of a Secret Santa gift, this is a respectable product to give to a loved one over the holidays as it is a sign of respect.

#1: Riazul Añejo Tequila

Unfortunately, Riazul may be hard to get across the United States, but you may find it at Spec’s Online (if you can figure out how to navigate their order process). Riazul Añejo will run you around USD $54 but easily tastes like that of a USD $200+ bottle of tequila in flavor profile, mouth feel and overall excellence.

Sometimes I feel like a Riazul spoke’s person by praising their product so much but you have to give respect to a hard working crew that’s really trying to change the tequila industry by offering a great price on an exceptional product. Riazul Añejo resembles a 15 year old wine in smoothness and completeness and can easily compete with the best aged whiskey on the market today in complexity. White chocolates, subtle fruits, ripe pineapple and beautiful finish. If you find this for your holiday shopping list pickup a second bottle for yourself… pickup a third bottle for me since I recommended it! Read our full review.

Hopefully we’ve given you some direction to go on your holiday gift shopping list for spirits, liquors and cocktail gifts. For mom or dad, or any siblings over 21 years of age, these gifts will show people that you’re in “the know” and following exceptional trends in the industry. Happy holidays!

The Hot Apple Toddy is much like the original toddy but with some apple cider. This is a good holiday drink with seasonal flavor and style, it’s warm so it will be good for those chilly days after shoveling a pile of snow. Or, for those that don’t get snow, just enjoy the fact that you don’t and we do.

For those that want to follow along with our cocktail recipe, airing on November 20th, you can head out to buy your bottle with included spiced packet now. If your retail store isn’t carrying the bottles with the spice packet perhaps we can help. I’ve got around twenty spice packets I can give away to anyone who needs them to complete the 10 Cane Spiced Apple Punch recipe and cannot find them.

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this is a must-try recipe for the season. You can build the recipe hot or cold, depending on your preferences. We’re going to create the cold version of the cocktail for the show on the 20th but we’d love to hear back from those that create the hot recipe.

Here are the two very simple recipes (also included with spice packet):

10 Cane Spiced Apple Punch (cold)
51 oz. Apple Juice
750ml Bottle of 10 Cane Rum
10 Cane Spice Packet
12 Cinnamon Sticks

Remove wrapper from spice packet. In a large container, place the spice packet (like a teabag) and one 51 ounce bottle of apple juice. Chill in refrigerator for at least one our and then squeeze the remaining liquid from the spice packet and remove it from the juice. Pour entire 750ml bottle of 10 Cane Rum into the spiced apple juice and stir.

To serve, shake 6 oz. of the spiced apple punch in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Or, simplier, pour over ice into a tall Collins glass. In both cases, garnish with a cinnamon stick and serve. Serves twelve cocktails.

10 Cane Spiced Apple Punch (hot)
51 oz. Apple Juice
750ml Bottle of 10 Cane Rum
10 Cane Spice Packet
12 Cinnamon Sticks

Remove wrapper from spice packet. Heat 51 oz. of apple juice to just below boiling then add the spice packet and steep for 3 to 5 minutes (or desired strength). Squeeze the liquid from the spiced packet and remove. Add 750ml bottle of 10 Cane Rum to the mix and stir.

Serve the 10 Cane Hot Spiced Apple Punch in your favorite mug and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serves twelve cocktails.

Remember, we’ll be launching the 10 Cane sponsored episode on November 20th, just in time for you to prepare your recipes for the following Thanksgiving day festivities. However, you can enjoy this recipe all season long and well into the winter with the warmer cocktail variant. If you find you need a spice packet, we’ve got some to give away so contact us (while supplies last).

One key advantage of an absinthe dripper is the footprint it leaves on a shelf. You can easily tuck an absinthe dripper beside the glasses on your shelf or in a cabinet. A large glass fountain can be difficult to store and costs a significant amount of money. Enter the Cusenier Absinthe Dripper Auto Verseur, available at AbsintheOnTheNet.com. This is, by far, one of the coolest accessories one can get for a spirit and its simplicity is key.

The Cusenier Absinthe Dripper Auto Verseur is a silver dripper that sits atop your absinthe glass and funnels water into the glass using a mechanical dripper that slowly drips water from one side and the next using a rocking motion. I brought this to a party this fall and everyone slowly gravitated towards this little device on the table which was consistently and thoughtfully louching the absinthe–it was a hit.

Within moments it looked like a fight broke out as everyone circled the happy little device rocking away at the spirit. Questions rang out, “what is that?” and “what are you doing?” or “wow, that is really cool!” This dripper was the hit of the party and everyone wanted to know where I got it. I also showed off a basic glass Brouilleur which is much more affordable but nobody seemed to really care to watch it drain its water into the glass. It’s practical, no doubt, but people seem to like watching the little metal rocker bouncing back and forth using nothing but gravity.

The glass Brouilleurs costs USD $25.99 compared to the Cusenier Absinthe Dripper Auto Verseur which will run you a costly USD $109.99, half the price of a normal absinthe fountain. However, you’re paying for the uniqueness, the style and the small size but you’re limited to louching one glass at a time where a fountain can usually handle at least two for about the cost of the fountain.

When considering an accessory for louching your absinthe you’ve now got to consider a carafe, drippers/brouilleurs and a larger absinthe fountain each with a cost, size and style to uniquely identify you and the culture of absinthe drinking. If you’re looking for a birthday or holiday gift for dad or your absinthe enthusiast, you definitely want to do a bit of research into a Dripper/Brouilleur.

Jack-O-Lantern
2 oz. SKYY Infusions Citrus
1 oz. Mango Nectar or Juice
0.5 oz. Orange Juice
0.5 oz. Fresh Sour*

Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously and pour into a goblet glass and garnish with a slice of orange and a mint leaf laid flat on top. *Combine 0.25 oz fresh lime juice and 0.75 oz simple syrup.

Vampire’s Elixir
1.5 oz.  SKYY Infusions Raspberry
.75 oz.   White Chocolate Liqueur
1 oz.    Half and Half
Strawberry Syrup

Dress strawberry syrup on the inside and rim of a chilled martini glass.  Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass.  Garnish with vampire teeth.

Black Widow
1.5 oz. SKYY Infusions Raspberry
0.5 oz. Triple Sec
2 oz. Pomegranate Juice
Squeeze of Fresh Lemon Juice
Raspberry Syrup

Draw a spider web on the inside of a chilled martini glass with raspberry syrup.  Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into chilled martini glass.  Garnish with plastic spider.

Red Zombie
1.5 oz. SKYY Vodka
3 oz. Tomato Juice
0.5 tsp. Finely Grated Horseradish
1 tsp. Barbeque Sauce
3 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce
3 Dashes Tabasco Sauce
0.5 tsp. Finely Chopped Chipotle en Adobo
Pinch of Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Generous Squeeze of Lemon Juice
Pinch of Celery Seeds
1 Celery Stick
2 Large Green Olives
2 Lychee Fruits

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass.  Garnish with green eye balls, laid across the rim of the glass*.
*Cut the end of a stalk of celery so it measures 5-6 inches long and split the stick in half lengthwise.  Slide the green olives into two lychee fruits to make eye balls and push the thin celery stick through both as garnish.

Wicked Witch Apple Punch
1 750 ml bottle SKYY Infusions Passion Fruit
1 750 ml bottle Sparkling Apple Cider
1 64 oz. bottle Cranberry Juice Cocktail
1 Liter Ginger Ale
2 cups Pineapple Juice
Red Apple Slices

Combine all ingredients in a large black witch’s cauldron with ice and stir.  Garnish with large slices of red apple floating on top and dry ice.