Ahhhh, the good old days. Here’s a pretty simple spring & summer refresher that uses bottled lime juice as its sweetener. I actually like Roses juices and completely get why they were so popular during the 1960’s. People knew how to squeeze fresh fruit juices back then, but the almost artificial tang poured from a Martian green bottle of Roses Lime Juice added, and still adds, a zip to your drink that can be as refreshingly welcomed as a frozen Popsicle on a July evening. I realize bartenders and cocktails are all about “fresh” ingredients today, but here at Mr. Booze, we like to shine the spotlight on the golden flavors of the past. You can have a fresh avocado, cucumber martini next time you go to the trendy bar. Right now, take a trip back 40+ years and taste a true sweet & sour throwback.

Here we go –

• 1½ oz vodka
• ½ oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
• ¼ oz Roses lime juice
• Dash of cranberry juice
• Slice of lime for garnish

Shake till chilly-willy with cracked ice in a shaker. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Figured I’d kick-off with this one. It’s an easy drink to mix and you can make up a batch ahead of time if you’re having guests over. This was the first purely Christmastime cocktail I ever tried, and I still love it during the holidays. The peppermint flavor makes it a strictly seasonal drink but one most will really enjoy.

Here we go –

• 3 oz Gin or Vodka (I prefer gin)
• ½ oz Dry Vermouth
• 2 capfuls Peppermint Schnapps

Shake with ice ‘til North Pole cold, strain into one of those Christmas Martini glasses you picked up on sale last year and garnish with a peppermint stick or candy cane.

I normally don’t lean towards the sweet in drinks. I like the taste of whiskey, gin, and brandy. That being said, during the holidays, I back down a little. We entertain at home a lot, and let’s face it, more guests than not prefer the yummy factor. A lot of folks who normally don’t drink hard spirits during the year, make exceptions in December, and I want to welcome them at the bar, too. This drink is perfect for boozehounds and soccer moms. It calls for Cinnamon Vodka which you can buy or infuse a bottle at home by adding 5 or 6 cinnamon sticks to a bottle of vodka and letting it sit on a shelf for 3-4 days. I know I won’t drink a whole bottle of cinnamon vodka ever, so what I do is infuse a half bottle only.

Here we go –

• 3 oz Cinnamon Vodka
• ½ oz Sweet Vermouth
• ½ oz Curacao

Shake with ice ‘til cold, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with a cinnamon stick.

I love vanilla throughout the year but really only enjoy it in a cocktail around the holidays. I’m from the “if I want dessert, I’ll have a piece of cake” school when it comes to drinking, but like I mentioned in my intro, sweet sided drinks have their place in December. Vanilla beans are expensive so please feel free to chop one up to smaller sized pieces for the garnish. For a sweet drink, this one’s surprisingly complex and satisfying on that boozy level.

Here we go -

• 3 oz Vanilla Vodka
• 1 oz Dry Vermouth
• 1 oz Cointreau

Shake gently or stir with ice ‘til c-c-c-cold, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a vanilla bean.

This is the fun one of the batch, the drink that will fetch all the “oooohs” and “ahhhhs” when you set a few up on the bar. The serious drinkers can have their Bourbon, rocks, their Martinis and Manhattans, but your guests hoping for a little holiday magic with their cheer will love this one. It calls for a flavored rum so try and pick one up during the holiday sales at your liquor store. This is a great one for a party, a cookie exchange, or any festive and fun occasion. This is a perfect drink to make a batch of ahead of time.

Here we go –

• 2 oz Lemon Flavored Rum (citrus works fine too)
• 1 oz Vodka
• ½ oz Southern Comfort (you’ll just need a pint)
• ½ oz Lemon Juice
• ½ tsp. Dry Vermouth

Rub the rim of a martini glass with a lemon wedge and then rim the glass with granulated sugar. Shake ingredients with ice in shaker ‘til cold then strain into sugared martini or cocktail glass. Garnish with gumdrops on a toothpick.

I pour the hell out of these on Thanksgiving. While the men loosen their belts and snore away in the den, the gals and I pump these down in the living room while granny does the dishes. Not too sweet, nor too sour, this is an either perfect pre- or after dinner drink for a family get-together. I make a glass pitcher of them and leave it down on the bar. When someone needs a third, I’m able to simply pour another. This one has been my “go to” Thanksgiving cocktail for a few years now.

Here we go –

• ½ oz Cointreau
• 1 ½ oz Vodka
• ¾ oz White Cranberry Juice
• Squeeze of a lime wedge.

Mix first three ingredients with ice in a shaker or glass pitcher ‘til cold. Strain into cocktail glass and squeeze fresh limejuice over top. Garnish with four or five fresh cranberries.

Where the heck was this drink when I was searching for Halloween cocktails. The name just suggests spookiness. Lucky for us, the cocktail can be enjoyed anytime. It’ll remind you a little of a Cosmo but without the cranberry. I like this one and recommend it to any guest that doesn’t mind a bold sipper.

Here we go –

• 1 ½ oz Vodka
• ¼ to ½ oz Blackberry Brandy (I go ½ ‘cause I like the taste a lot)
• 2-3 tsp. Lime Juice (or more to taste)

Shake with ice and strain cold into a brandy snifter or serve on the rocks in a rocks glass.

I’m ready to move on with this drink. I think she’s slightly out of favor nowadays with the ladies, and not such a calling card for the girl’s night at the bar she was five years back. I had one the other night on a whim, and discovered that when made with fresh limejuice and served damn cold, this modern drink can certainly hold her own at my bar. Maybe it’s time we let the Cosmo’s 90’s reputation slide on in to obscurity and welcome a chilled one, on occasion, back into the land of interesting cocktails. Time will tell but…she has my vote.

Here we go –
(This is a 6oz pour, so use your big martini or cocktail glasses)

• 2 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
• 2 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz lime juice (fresh, cold and pulpy)

Shake ingredients in a shaker with plenty of cracked ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime slice or wheel.

After the Apple Ginger Sangaree cocktail, here’s another excellent use for that bottle of Stones Ginger Wine I had you go out and buy. The Ginger flavor makes this an excellent fall or summer sipper. This is one of those “oh, I want one” cocktails. You’ll be mixing a few more as soon as you’ve let your friends take a sip. This is a fun drink.

Here we go –

• 3 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Stones Ginger Wine (you’ll have to look for this bottle)
• Club Soda

Put some ice in an old-fashioned glass, pour vodka and ginger wine and stir gently, add club soda to fill. Garnish with a sprinkle of ground ginger.

Who doesn’t love James Bond. The character’s creator Ian Fleming came up with a damn good version of the Martini in his first Bond Novel, Casino Royal. One of the latest film versions of the story even used this drink as a small character development plot device.

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The Bloody Mary is the Mr. Booze go-to drink when he’s enjoyed himself a little too much the night before yet has to be social the following day. I enjoy this cocktail because you never really feel like you’re drinking when you have one. They’re more like having a healthy, glass of soup. “Naaa, I didn’t drink two days in a row. I woke up hung over and had a couple glasses of soup at a bar the next morning.” I realize that there are as many personal recipes for this classic as there are fish in the sea. Here’s the Mr. Booze one, and she drinks very nice.

Here we go –

• 2 ounces vodka
• 4 ounces tomato juice
• ½ ounce lemon juice
• 1 tsp. ketchup
• 2 dashes Worcestershire
• dash of celery salt
• 4 dashes Tabasco

Shake with ice. Pour it all into a tall glass and sink a big celery stalk into it.
Have another and sweat the previous evening out…or enjoy with brunch.

Mr. Booze simply has to adopt the more popular nickname for his Bloody Mary. He’d be much more popular with his pals if he suggested heading over for brunch and a spicy “Bloody” than he is by belching out that he’s a little hung-over and is in serious need of some chow and a giant B.M.