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The Best Florida Cocktail Recipes

Published

4 months ago

September 27, 2024

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Florida has been in the news lately, so why not lean into the sunshine state with some of their signature cocktails

From the Flora-bama to Key West, Florida has a history of snuggling up to the cocktail. The spring break capital, home of Miami and its famous nightclubs, the sunshine state knows how to mix up a good time. From end to end of the state is 838 miles – which gives plenty of room to have a signature bar or 30. And with that comes signature drinks…and here are the best Florida cocktail recipes so you can bask in your own sunshine.

RELATED: Beer Sales Flatten Thanks To Marijuana

The Rum Runner

In the great tradition of strong drinks, this one can pack a punch. The drink was created in the 1950s at the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada. The bartenders wanted to get rid of the last few sips of several liqueurs, and this legendary cocktail was developed.

Ingredients

2 cups ice
1 ounce pineapple juice
1 ounce orange juice
1 ounce blackberry liqueur
1 ounce banana liqueur
1 ounce light rum
1 ounce dark rum or aged rum

Create

Fill glass with ice
Add the liquid contents and stir
Pour the 151 in the straw or on the top
Serve and sip

The Hurricane

While the drink is supposed to have been developed at Pat O’Brians in New Orleans, the state has had its share of hurricanes. Another powerful drink – this one attracts spring breakers, snowbirds and just people out for a fun Thursday night. The mixture of liquors can be lethal, so be careful on the amount consumed!

Ingredients

1 oz rum
1 oz light rum
1 oz pineapple
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup ice

Create

Fill hurricane glass half full with crushed ice
Combine dark rum, light rum, lime juice, and pineapple in a cocktail shaker
Add ice; cover and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted
Strain into glass

Margarita

Jimmy Buffet made this drink insanely popular. From beach bars to Mexican restaurants, this is a staple in the state with lime grove of variations. Here is an easy version for you to toast to good times and start your mini staycation ASAP.

Crushed ice
3 lime wedges
2 ounces gold tequila
½ ounce silver tequila
1 ¼ ounces Rose’s lime juice
½ ounce Triple Sec
Salt

Create

Combine all ingredients except for the lime into a shaker
Squeeze 2 of the lime wedges into the shaker and then shake well
Serve over salt rimmed glass

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Bushwacker

The Bushwacker is in the vein of the mudslide but with a twist. You can slide up to the Sandshaker bar in Pensacola Beach and enjoy this creamy delight. You will see music lovers (live bands), college kids, locals, tourists and more at this staple stop.

Ingredients

2 ounces dark rum
1 ounce coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa)
1 ounce dark creme de cacao
2 ounces whole milk
1 ounce cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
Garnish: nutmeg, freshly grated

Create

Add the dark rum, coffee liqueur, dark creme de cacao, whole milk, cream of coconut and a cup of ice into a blender
Blend until combined and frothy
Pour into a Hurricane glass
Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg

The Fuzzy Navel

The sunshine state is the land of oranges, so why not a delicious fruit drink that isn’t a mimosa or a screwdriver – welcome to the Fuzzy Navel.

Ingredients

2 ops peach schnapps
6 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
Orange slice

Create

Add a handful of ice to a highball glass
Pour in the peach schnapps, followed by the orange juice
Stir, and garnish with the orange slice.

Hairy Navel

Add an oz of vodka to the above recipes and you transform the drinks to a Hairy Navel.

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The Best Cocktails For This Winter 3 Day Weekend

Published

4 days ago

January 17, 2025

admin

The first 3-day weekend of the year is a reason to kick back or have an adventure – and here are cocktails to accompany the ride!

The year has started with a bang and now we are rolling into the first 3 Day weekend – ending in the presidential inauguration. Skiing, hiking, travel, chilling or politics…what better way to compliment the activity than with something tasty. Here are the best cocktails for this winter 3 day weekend.

Original Sin

What better way to start a 3 Day weekend and Inauguration weekend then with a little indulgence in with the original sin. The drink has multiple recipes – including one iwth absinthe, but this one should be easy, tasty and a perfect way to kick off the weekend.

Ingredients

2 ounces chilled champagne
1 ounce brandy
Splash of triple sec
Splash of grenadine
Orange twist for garnish

Create

Combine ingredients in a brand snifter
Stir and add ice cube to chill to taste
Garnish with orange twist

The Americana Cocktail

Wha better way to celebrate Martin Luther King Day with an all American drink and a vision of a better tomorrow. This drink is tasty and potent.

Ingredients

1 sugar cube (we prefer a demerara sugar cube)
4 dashes of Angostura bitters
1 ounce bourbon
2 ounces Brut Champagne
Orange slice for garnish

Create

Coat the sugar cube well with the Angostura bitters – approximately 4 dashes
Drop the sugar cube into a chilled flute
Pour the bourbon over the sugar
Top up with the Champagne.
Garnish with an orange slice

Whiskey Smash

Why not try something different. You might not want to get smashed this weekend, but this cocktail can trace its origin back to the late 1800s. Tasty, refreshing and easy to make. Great way to delight your taste buds.

2 oz. Bourbon
¼ Lemon, cut into chunks
½ oz. simple syrup
8-10 Mint leaves
Garnish: Mint sprig

Create

Muddle the lemon in a shaker
Add simple syrup, mint leaves, and bourbon
Shake with ice for 20 seconds
Strain into ice filled highball glass
Garnish with a mint sprig

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Frostbite

Weather skiing, hiking, road tripping or hanging out in DC – chances are the weather is going to be nippy. Why not lean into it and have this spicy frostbite to feel cozy and warm on the inside?

Ingredients

1 ounce tequila
1 ounce heavy cream
1 ounce white crème de cacao
1/2 ounce white crème de menthe
Cocoa powder for garnish

Create

Combine ingredients into a shake
Add ice and shake vigorously
Strain into highball or martini glass
Garnish with a sprinkle of cocoa powder

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2025

The Best Cocktails To Get You Through The Week

Published

2 weeks ago

January 10, 2025

admin

The new year is starting with a bang – here are some cocktails to take off the edge.

The new year is coming in hot – back to work policies, the LA fires, snowstorms and just having to work is killing the 2025 start buzz. Now drinking your problems away isn’t a good or healthy solution, but sometimes a nip of something does help. January is already known as a bit of depressing month due to the post-holiday blues, cold weather, shorter daylight hours, and the potential for increased financial stress after the holiday spree. Here are the best cocktails to get you through the week.

Paloma

What better way to start the year with a semi healthy drink. The Paloma with tequila and juice is somewhat healthy. Good tequila is low calorie, low body impact coupled with a big dose of vitamin C helps make the dark days a little brighter.

Ingredients

2 ounces tequila
1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
4 ounces Grapefruit soda, chilled, to top
Pinch of salt
Garnish: lime wheel

Create

Add the tequila, lime juice, and pinch of salt to the glass, and fill with ice.
Top with grapefruit soda, and stir briefly and gently to combine.
Garnish with a lime wheel.

The Spaghett

While beer drinking is down as people switch to California sober, it is still highly popular. Why now merge it with a favorite (Aperol Spritz and beer) for a refreshing and low alcohol treat? Try it, you will like it.

Ingredients

12 ounces light beer, such as Miller High Life
1 ounce Campari

Create

Take a big sip of chilled beer, about 1 ounce
Pour campari into beer bottle
Enjoy

Cucumber Cleanse

While friends talk about Dry January, Damp January, winter arc, and more – you can brag you are doing a cleanse. The lemon and cayenne juice cleanse is popular, you are just adding a lpersonal twist so it fits into happy hour or a tailgate. For the ginger syrup add 4 oz peeled while making simply syrup ginger and let it steep for 30 minutes. Strain and use.

2 ounces Absolut vodka
3/4 ounce fresh cucumber juice
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/4 ounce ginger syrup
1/4 ounce honey
1 egg white
Dash of ground cayenne

Create

Add all ingredients into a shaker and dry-shake (without ice) until frothy
Add ice and shake again until well-chilled
Strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with a sprinkle of ground cayenne

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Dirty Shirley

Like the actress, the Shirley Temple cocktail was sweet, wholesome and popular. But why not have the adult version of the beverage to start the year out breaking the norms?

Ingredients

2 ozs gin
1/2 oz orange juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 teaspoon grenadine
Orange slice

Create

Combine all ingredients in a shake with ice
Shake vigorously
Strain into martini glass
Garnish orange slice

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Sherry Is Becoming A Thing Again

Published

2 weeks ago

January 6, 2025

admin

Once seen only in black and white movies, sherry has now become a star in the craft cocktail scene.

Once seen only in black and white movies, sherry is becoming a thing again. From the fortified wine from Spain’s Jerez region, it is experiencing a renaissance in North America, particularly among younger consumers and wine enthusiasts. This resurgence is reshaping the perception of sherry and driving growth in the market.

The traditional image of sherry as a drink for older generations is rapidly changing. Young people in the US are increasingly embracing sherry, with consumption on the rise. This shift is particularly evident in the on-trade sector, where sherry’s popularity is growing in tandem with the increasing number of tapas bars and improved knowledge among sommeliers and restaurateurs.

The sherry wine market is showing promising signs of growth. Projections indicate a growth rate of 10.2% from 2025 to 2030. This growth is attributed to various factors, including the increasing popularity of sherry as an accompaniment to meals and its perceived health benefits.

While sweet sherries have long dominated the US market, there’s a growing interest in dry styles among younger consumers. This trend is part of a broader shift in consumption patterns, with drinkers becoming more adventurous and seeking out diverse flavor profiles. The movement towards dry sherries is seen as a positive development for the category’s long-term prospects.

Sherry’s versatility in food pairing is attracting attention from sommeliers and food enthusiasts. Plus, with the continued raise of craft beverage, sherry has been a rising star in cocktail scene, introducing it to a new audience of mixology enthusiasts.

The perceived health benefits of sherry is also buzzing as Gen Z and younger Millennials are switching to less harmful products. This gave rise to the California Sober movement. Sherry contains antioxidants called polyphenols that may help control cholesterol levels. Polyphenols may prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is associated with heart disease. Sherry may also increase the body’s production of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is associated with longevity and a decreased risk of coronary artery disease.

If you want to try sherry, here are some tips. The correct way depends on the type: dry sherries like Fino and Manzanilla should be served chilled in a small glass, while sweeter sherries like Pedro Ximénez can be enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warmed;generally, a white wine glass is preferred to fully appreciate the flavors, and it’s best to serve sherry with food, particularly tapas for drier styles and richer dishes for sweeter options.

Chef Justin Khanna has worked in some of the top restaurants in the world and keeps his fingers are trends shared “Enjoying a well-made Sherry with food feels like spending time with most interesting person at a party. The versatility too makes it a stand-out as an ingredient in a cocktail, featured as part of a wine pairing in a tasting menu, or simply sipped over ice at the start of a meal. It’s high time that Sherry gets a rise in popularity, especially without the hefty price tag of other spirits.”

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