Day Drinking is definitely a thing – here is how to do it right – and to add a flair!

The modern version of drinking in the morning has become more common, but are you doing it right?  Brunch, sporting events, an early morning flight, big music and other types of festivals all lend themselves to grabbing a cocktail.  But do you do it right?  Here is the ultimate guide to day drinking.

First, within the correct bounds of drinking before noon, what is the norm are Bloody Mary’s, rosé, mimosas, screwdrivers, and beer.  Wine, bourbon, shots will all gain you a side eye from the people around you.  Of course, Bloody Marys have other options than vodka – Bloody Maria (tequila), Red Snapper (gin), and the Bloody Shame (non-alcoholic).  Also, the Mimosa comes with variety. The most popular is a change of the juice…but there is the Manmosa – which is champagne, juice and vodka.  Definitely a morning wake up.

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But if you are creative and serve it in a fun glass – you can break out and here are some fun ideas.

Erik Hakkinen, Head Bartender, Zig Zag, Seattle

“My favorite two low-octane drinks are Campari and grapefruit juice (2 oz Campari, 4 oz fresh grapefruit juice), and then Bonal and tonic (2 oz Bonal, 2-4oz good tonic, like Fever Tree, East India Imperial, squeeze of lime). So simple, so delicious! I like both served as long drinks.”

Ramon Garcia, Bar Director, Alchemist, San Francisco

KISS N’ TELL

• 1 oz Manzanilla Sherry
• 1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
• .5 oz Rosemary syrup
• .25 oz Lemon juice
• 1 bar spoon Laphroaig 10yr Whisky
• 1 small pinch of salt
• 4 oz La Croix Peach Pear sparkling water

Shake all ingredients with ice except La Croix Peach Pear and double strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top off with La Croix Peach Pear Sparkling Water. Garnish with 3 pear slices and a rosemary sprig.

Rosemary syrup:

• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• 3 Rosemary sprigs

Bring water to a boil and add sugar, then simmer until sugar dissolves add the rosemary sprigs and let them steep for 30 mins. Strain the Rosemary and store in a nonreactive containers.

Morgan Weber, Co-owner, Eight Row Flint, Houston

ALL DAY LONG

• 3 oz Lillet Rosé
• 2 oz Topo Chico
• ½ oz Fresh Lemon
• ¼ oz Rich Simple
• 2 dashes grapefruit bitters

Build in Collins glass full of ice. Garnish with fat grapefruit peel, oil expressed into glass.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKonbmMBwPJ

Krissy Harris, Creative Director, The Wren, NYC

RUBY ROSE SPRITZ

“This cocktail is currently on our brunch cocktail menu (also, that’s my daughters name).”

• 1 oz Martin Miller’s Gin
• ¾ Aperol
• ¼ Giffard Black Rose Liquor

Shake & Strain into a Highball glass. Top with Schofferhofer Grapefruit Bier.

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HIGH ROAD

“I like to pre-spice the tequila by slicing 1-2 jalapeños and adding them to the full bottle of tequila. I taste every hour or so until I get to the desired heat level. That way, it’s a consistent drink every time. This was on our brunch cocktail menu and will come back!”

• 1 oz El Jimador Blanco or Herradura Silver
• ½  oz Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• ¼ oz Agave
• ½ oz Lime Juice
• 3 slices Jalapeno

Add all ingredients to a shaker, add ice and shake. Pour into a salt rimmed rocks glass.

When I was working with Elizabeth Falkner on her latest book, Cooking Off The Clock, we always found ourselves working on/eating from the book after I was finished shooting something and she was done at Orson and/or Citizen Cake.  For Elizabeth, this was one of the times she really took to cook for herself, and as such, she always thought of this book as ‘Late Night Appetite’ .

I was fortunate enough to be the recipient a lot of these meals, some as inspiration for the book.  What I loved was that there was no meal off limits for late night, not grilled baked fresh or fried.  Not sweet or savory.

Here are two recipes from the book I find particularly addictive and easy to make — late night, daytime or whenever that snacky feeling sneaks up.

Peanut Butter-Coconut Cookies  

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt 1/2 stick room temperature, unsalted butter in a saute pan over medium heat. scrape 1 vanilla bean (split the bean and scrape out the seeds) into the butter. Add 1 1/2 cups rolled oats and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp. baking soda, stir to combine, and set aside to cool completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 1 stick room temperature, unsalted butter with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1 cup creamy peanut butter (you can use almond butter too!) at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 room temperature, large eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, about 1 minute each time. Decrease the speed to low and add2 1/2 cups sifted, all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut,and 2 tsp. kosher salt (I used less) and mix until combined. Fold in the cooled browned oats until evenly dispersed.

Roll the dough into golf ball-sized rounds (about 1 tbsp. dough each). Place the rounds about 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheets and bake until just golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheets, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Oysters In The Fire  

• 24 fresh oysters in the shell
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 lime, quartered

Place the oysters on a preheated grill or on a baking sheet set over a fire and allow them to open ( from the pressure the steam builds up inside the puster as it heats up) about 3-5 minutes, depending on the heat of the fire.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add Tabasco.

Serve the open oysters with each drizzled with the butter mixture and a squeeze of lime juice.  Serve immediately.

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Named one of the 100 Most Creative People in the US by Entertainment Weekly , Frankie captures images for some of the best names in culinary.  

Frankie has helped create: The Art of the Bar: Cocktails Based on the Classics;The Model Bakery Cookbook; Miette: Recipes from San Francisco’s Most Charming Pastry Shop; The Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook and The Star Wars Cookbook Series. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

The Boo Day is arriving and people either stay at home or head to some sort of party/bar/ thing.  In either case, what about a some cannabis cocktails and other fun Halloween drinks. Why do kids get to have all the fun with trick or treating and candy. Why not have some adult beverages which are even better than candy!

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The Crypt Robber: Hot Toddy

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Overproof rum (pot still)
• 4 oz. hot chocolate (Bitter is preferred)
• 2 oz. whipping cream
• 1 oz. rich simple syrup- 2:1 dark (2 cups sugar in the raw to 1 cup boiling water)
• scant teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Mexican spicy mole bitters (of your choice)

Prep:

Preheat a ceramic mug with boiling water, pour out when steaming hot. Add the Overproof rum. Top with the bittersweet hot chocolate. Top with the whipping cream. Dot with the mole bitters. Scrape nutmeg over the top. Sweeten with dark simple syrup as necessary.

You can flame this drink with a capful of the Over proof rum on top of the whipping cream and a sprinkle of the raw sugar, then set ablaze. Like a Baked Alaska!

The Decapitation Waltz is a take on the classic rum punch with a few tricks thrown in for fun and seasonality.

Decapitation Waltz

A head banger of a drink!

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. raw rum (pot still rum is much preferred) infused with just the amount of THC that you desire
• 2 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• ½ oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 oz. orgeat syrup (almond in flavor)
• ¼ teaspoon freshly scraped nutmeg
• 1 oz. Angostura bitters (for good gastric health)
• grilled orange round
• splash of grenadine syrup

Prep:

To a cocktail mixing glass: Add one or two large cubes of ice. Add the infused rum and the fresh juices. Stir to combine. Add the orgeat. Stir. Add the nutmeg. Stir. Add the Angostura. Stir again. Strain into rocks glasses with a few cubes of ice and a grilled orange round. Serve with a splash of grenadine for a blood curdling effect.

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Slowly Dragged Across the Burning Coals

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. Smoky Scotch Whisky (your choice)
• 1 oz. Mezcal, infused with the THC of your choice – at the strength of your own choosing*
• scant sprinkle of espresso powder
• scant sprinkle of charcoal powder
• crushed coconut water ice

Prep:

To a Boston Shaker filled ¾ with regular bar ice: Add the Scotch and the Mezcal. Add the espresso powder and the charcoal powder. Cap and shake hard for 20 seconds. Strain over crushed coconut water ice. Serve.

Boiled Bags of Brains

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Bourbon Whiskey- infused with THC to your specific need and strength*
• 1 oz. dry Vermouth
• 2 oz. Raki or ouzo
• ¼ oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ oz. freshly crushed carrot juice
• 1 teaspoon heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Peychaud’s bitters

Prep:

Add all the ingredients to a Boston shaker filled ¾ with bar ice. Pre-chill some coupes. Shake the Boston Shaker hard for 20 or so seconds. Strain into the coupes and spoon the heavy cream over the top. Spoon the Peychaud’s over the cream and serve.

*Infusions

To make a cannabis infusion, add 7 grams—or the dosage recommended by your caregiver—of ground, decarbed cannabis to 250 ml (about 1 cup) of a liquor of your choice in a heat-proof mason jar. Do not seal the jar, it could burst. Place the jar in the top of a double boiler on a hot plate or electric stove top.

(Never, ever use a gas stove or an open flame.) Fill the top of the double boiler with enough water to cover the mason jar halfway.

Simmer lightly at around 160ºF (71°C) for 30 to 60 minutes. Use a digital thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. Alcohol flames just over 170ºF (77°C), so pay close attention to the job at hand, and don’t go running out for a pizza. Plus, a low heat will keep evaporation to a minimum.

Let the mixture cool, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, then funnel it back into the empty liquor bottle. Top up the bottle with the remaining un-infused liquor until it’s back to a volume of 750 ml. This ensures that the THC will be dispersed throughout the infusion. Your infusion is now ready to use in your handcrafted cocktails.

Warren Bobrow, a.k.a. The Cocktail Whisperer, is the author of four books, including his latest: Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics.