Cars have captured the imagination since they first appeared.  

Cars have captured the imagination since the beginning. In 1885 Karl Benz developed and built the first internal-combustion engine car. The following year he received a patient and he has captured imagination ever since.  From car racing to the Army Jeep to the variations of the Batmobile, autos have been a topic of fascination.  Of course, in honor of it – men named cocktails after them as a double tribute to the toys they love. So here is a way to rev up with these Cadillac cocktails.

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The Cadillac Margarita

While the margarita had been around for ages, the go go 80s meant things had to be bigger, better and flashier.  Chain restaurants began adding Cadillac margarita to their menus with substitutions including higher-end tequilas and Grand Marnier. They floored the gas petal on sales and now appear in even the swankiest cocktail lounges.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces El Tesoro Blanco Tequila
• 1/2 ounce Naranja Licor de Naranja
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce agave syrup
• 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier, to float

Create

• Rub the rim of a double Old Fashioned glass with a lime wedge, and dip a quarter of the glass in salt to coat. Set aside
• Combine all ingredients except the Grand Marnier in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 25 seconds
• Double-strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the prepared glass over fresh ice
• Float Grand Marnier on top

Sidecar

The OG of car cocktails. This one was created in Paris during World War I. Who doesn’t speeding with a bit of danger? An American army captain named it after the motorcycle sidecar. Since then, it has been an alcohol companion many an evening.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces cognac
• 3/4 ounce orange liqueur (such as Cointreau)
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• Garnish: orange twist

Create

• Coat the rim of a coupe glass with sugar, if desired, and set aside
• Add the cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled
• Strain into the prepared glass
• Garnish with an orange twist

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The Rolls Royce

What grand automobile has been more associated with glamour, style and money but the Rolls Royce. While the developer of this cocktail is a bit unclear, it first appeared in Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.  While not as popular as the Cadillac, it is a gin lover’s treat.

Ingredients

• 2½ oz gin
• ½ oz dry vermouth
• ½ oz sweet vermouth
• heavy teaspoon Bénédictine
• 1 dash orange bitters – optional
• lemon peel for garnish

Create

• Chill a mixing glass
• Combine ingredients in glass and fill with ice
• Stir for 18-25 seconds  
• Strain into a chilled coupe or stemmed cocktail glass. 
• Squeen the juice from the lemon peel and garnish

The Monte Carlo

While the first Gran Prix was in Le Mans, Monte Carlo gave it an international glamour. Grabbing headlines and car aficionados all gathered in the tiny principality with automobiles, beautiful women and the azure sea.  In the later 1930s, this cocktail sprang to life playing tribute to the race. This is not to confused with the Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces rye whiskey
• 1/2 ounce Benedictine
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

Create

• Add rye whiskey, Benedictine and bitters into a mixing glass with ice
• Stir for about 30 seconds until well-chilled.
• Strain into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube.

The flowers are in bloom, the sun is on your face and you are feeling thirsty. Here are recipes to capture spring in a glass.

Spring has finally arrived and it time to turn your face to the sun. Putting away the heavy coats and enjoying the warmer weather with the blooming of trees and flowers are all great traditions. As the season emerges, the increased sunlight exposure can boost serotonin levels in the brain, acting as a natural antidepressant for many. But what about something fun to sip?  Hear the best cocktails for spring!

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Aperol And Blood Orange Spritz

The Aperol Spritz has been the fun drink of brunches, happy hours and those longing for the Riveria or Italian countryside.  Beautiful, tasty and full of fizz, it is the epitome of la dolce vita.  But what about giving it a spring twist by adding Blood Orange.  March/April is the tail end of their season and they should be rich in flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (4 oz.) Prosecco
• 1/4 cup (2 oz.) Aperol
• 1/2 cup fresh blood orange juice (about 3 oranges)

Create

• Stir together Prosecco and Aperol
• Pour over ice with blood orange juice in a tall glass
• Garnish if desired

Sweet Tea Julep

Perfect for a brunch and day drinking, the Sweet Tea Julep is intoxicating and uplifting. The extra lemon gives it a hint of tartness.  This makes enough to share or to have a nice long morning.

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 2 tablespoons lemon
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 mint herbal tea bags
• 1 ½ cups (12-oz.) bourbon
• 1 sliced lemon
• Crushed ice

Create

• Combine water, lemon juice (more if needed), and sugar in a medium saucepan over high, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil, about 3 minutes
• Remove from heat. Add mint herbal tea bags. Steep until cooled to room temperature, about 1 hour
• Strain into a pitcher, and stir in bourbon and lemon slices
• Serve over crushed ice, and garnish with lemon

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Hibiscus Martini

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons of hibiscus tea or 1-2 hibiscus tea bags
• 1 cup superfine sugar (not powdered)
• 2 ounces vodka
• 1/2 ounce orange-flavored liqueur
• 1-ounce lime juice (fresh squeezed is best)
• 3/4 ounce hibiscus syrup
• Garnish: twisted lime peel, edible orchid, hibiscus, or other flowers

Create

• Bring 1 cup of water to a boil
• Add hibiscus tea, steep for 10 minutes
• Take the teabag out and add 1 cup of superfine (not powdered) sugar
• Stir until all the sugar dissolves, refrigerate until needed
• Pour vodka and other ingredients into a mixing glass
• Add ice and shake vigorously for 7 to 8 seconds
• Strain into a chilled martini glass
• Garnish with a hibiscus flower or edible orchid

May these spring cocktails put you in a blooming good mood.

From burger to Beef Wellington, it is very popular – what about adding beef to your  cocktails?

The burger is an icon meal and is universally popular. The USDA reports Americans overall consumed a whopping 30 billion pounds of beef in 2021, which equals almost 60 pounds per person per year.  Beef sandwiches, tacos, and more are gobbled up every day and the flavor fills the mouth.  People are returning to pre-pandemic habits and cooking at home less, according to a Gallup-Cookpad global survey, Gen Z and  Millennials are enjoying retro dishes like Beef Wellington, casseroles and more but putting their spin on classics. What about beef to your cocktails?

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Savory cocktails are becoming a thing in artisanal lounges…so why not add a favorite flavor? Earlier this year, the Parmesan espresso martini took TikTok by storm, transforming a seemingly abominable combination into a certified craze. Dirty martinis have even made the jump from drinks to food, inspiring everything from a briny salad dressing to an olive-studded pasta. It points to the wider embrace of savory cocktail flavors, particularly in combinations outside the norm.

Beefy Bloody Mary

Take a morning favorite and convert it from a “salad” to a “main”. The add depth of the beef broth will make it warm your heart and stomach on any day.

Ingredients

• 2 oz V8 Tomato Juice or Bloody Mary mix
• 2 oz Swanson Organic Beef Stock
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ tsp Tabasco
• 1½ oz vodka
• Dash freshly ground black pepper
• Thyme sprig, for garnish

Create

• Mix all ingredients except for Thyme into a highball glass and stir to incorporate.
• Add ice; stir some more for chill and slight dilution. G
• arnish with a thyme sprig

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Bull Shot

Bring out the cowboy/cowgirl in you with this drink.  Rich, nuanced and delicious – this drink will live a big smile on your face.

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt (optional)
• Ice cubes
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 3/4 cup chilled double-rich double-strength canned beef broth
• Lime wedge

CREATE

• Mix Worcestershire and salt in glass
• Add ice cubes
• Pour vodka, then broth over
• Garnish with lime wedge