theredshaker

For Your Friday Happy Hour Amusement…..

Nov 112011

A friend posted this link on her facebook wall~

Type in the musical artist you’re currently listening to and they give you the appropriate cocktail for that mood. Plus, they play a song by that artist. I put in a dozen or so and they all came up, though I don’t know how comprehensive their data base is. Now this is not the place to go in search of actual cocktail recipes (their answers are often tongue in cheek). But while you’re enjoying your after work beverage and checking your email or making your plans for the evening, Drinkify is a fun little site to play with.

A clever well done to the creators of this site.

Cheers and happy Friday!

Happy Hallo-tini!

Goodies, martini No Responses »

Oct 312011

Be sure to fortify yourselves with the proper adult beverages while you pass out all that candy tonight. For a delicious and seasonal last minute beverage option, try the Apple Thyme Martini from a previous Halloween post. Its easy to make, takes just a few ingredients and is a real crowd pleaser.

Because around these parts, the zombies cry out, “Tiiiniiiiiiiiiiis, tiiiiiiiiniiiiiisssssssssss……………”

The Spanish Kitchen

field trip 1 Response »

Oct 152011

Shaker One here, sorry for the long hiatus from blogging. No, The Shakers haven’t turned into teatotalers or abandoned our little blog. Real life work and nonsense have kept us both away from here for far too long. But no more! There are cocktails out there crying out for us to imbibe and review! What kind of Shakers would we be to let all those poor orphaned drinks go without a home?

Thirsty Shakers, that’s what kind.

So last night I met some friends at a local restaurant – The Spanish Kitchen. Located in the heart of West Hollywood, this little gem of a place charmed me from the start. We were immediately greeted warmly by the hostess, shown to a booth and then the fun began.

Now, you may be asking me why is a martini blog reviewing a Spanish restaurant? Well Shaker fans, we’re about to talk about one of my favorite non-martini cocktails: The Margarita!

I’m not talking about those crappy overly sweet sippers of “mystery mixer” and cheap tequila you get at chain restaurants. A really good margarita is a vacation in a glass. Whether you like them blended, rocked, salty or not, the margarita is a classic cocktail.
I spent an entire summer learning to craft my perfect margarita at home. My hands were perpetually sore from squeezing so many limes, but it was worth it. Last night’s margaritas put my efforts to shame. The Spanish Kitchen has taken the humble margarita and made magic. Are you sitting down? They infuse their own tequila. Yep, fresh fruit and peppers in a quality white tequila take the drink from “wow” to “sweet mother of salsa bring me three more now!”.

I tried two of their most popular-

La Chiquita: a delicious mix of tequila infused with fresh strawberries, pineapple and kiwi, fresh lime and cointreau. Subtle, yet all the fresh fruit flavors come through. I loved this drink.

Next was a margarita with habanero infused tequila (apologies-I’ve forgotten what they call it)

This one is spicy! Really spicy, but still refreshing. Delicious.

We also sampled a few of their dishes. My favorite was the Borracho Tequila Shrimp.

Even the crustaceans here like their tequila!
And speaking of, there is also a nice selection of tequila by the glass and both red and white sangrias.

The service was outstanding, the food delicious, the decor was charmingly festooned with a little early Halloween fun and the drinks were top notch. Shaker One gives this place a big thumbs up. And I’ll be back for Taco Tuesdays!

My New Hero

Uncategorized No Responses »

Aug 152011

“Every night, in every city around the world- it happens……”

If that sounds familiar to you, then you’ve already met my new personal hero: Zane Lamprey, host of the show that is pretty well the Olympics/Super Bowl/Indy 500 of drinking: Three Sheets. I know, I know….I’m a bit late to this party. This show has sat in my hulu queue for the better part of a year, but I just never found the time. Well, nasty summer cold + weekend feeling like crap= tons of free time to catch up on some entertainment options. And after re-watching all of my favorite zombie movies, it was time for a virtual cocktail. Because that’s yet another lame by product of feeling like crap: no desire for actual cocktails. Which, when you’ve got a martini blog, can be a problem.

{The management would like to apologize for the week off of drinking/posting last week. I hope you were all able to carry on without me. Thank you for your patience and we will now resume our regularly scheduled imbibing}

I have to admit, Shaker One is a sucker for cooking/travel tasting shows. Bourdain, Ramsey…give me a chef and a half hour and I’ll happily sit for any of it. Some are great, some less so. But in reading the synopsis for Three Sheets I thought, hmmm-a show devoted to sampling cocktails from around the globe? How could this not be fantastic?

And it is my friends, oh my yes it is.
First off, Zane is an excellent host. He’s funny, warm, adventurous and makes a real effort to seek out what is unique and/or special in any locale, all while being totally respectful to the country and it’s people. And the man’s liver has got to be bulletproof. Even in my wild imbibing college days, I couldn’t keep up with him. And that’s saying something. How he’s made it through 4 seasons of this without ending up on the transplant list is beyond me. So far I’ve worked my way through the first season and part of the second, vicariously sampling all that is weird, wonderful and wet in a glass.

If you enjoy travel and cocktails, this is the show for you. I look forward to the rest of the series. Zane Lamprey, I owe you a drink if we ever cross paths.

Cheers!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler~

Champagne/Prosecco, field trip, garnish No Responses »

Aug 032011

Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend a private event at a great bar/restaurant on Hollywood Blvd- The Five 0 Four. Located near the Walk of Fame, this is a charming and boisterous Cajun/Creole themed place where it’s always Mardi Gras. The gorgeous outdoor patio seating transports you away from the bustle of Hollywood and into a happy vacation mood. And because it’s in Hollywood, the people watching is unparalleled.

I sampled several cocktails through the course of the event. First I started off with a Pimm’s Cup. Now Pimm’s is a fairly recent discovery for me. I had it for the first time at Le Cafe Deux Magots in Paris in a pimm’s and champagne. Delicious! So I was anxious to try the cocktail that’s a ubiquitous English refresher. And I loved it. It is the perfect light cocktail on a warm summer evening. I’ll be making this at home without a doubt.

Next I was feeling adventurous so I ordered a Sazerac. As the server warned me, it is something of a whiskey martini and quite strong. I must admit that this one was lost on me. It wasn’t the drink (it was well made), it’s just that I’ve never acquired a taste for the brown boozes. If you enjoy your whiskey, this is a drink for you.

I missed trying their Hurricanes, though those that did certainly appeared to be enjoying them. Towards the end of the evening I was in the mood for something a bit different and asked the bartender what he recommended. I received one of my favorite answers, “want me to make something up for you?”. Yes and yes. Say hello to Petey, the charming bartender who can put together one hell of a drink:

I knew I was in good hands when I saw him spank the mint. He made up a lovely St.Germain cocktail on the spot! I wish I remembered what he put in it, as I’d order it again and again. Oh well, I’ll just have to make another visit and see if he can repeat the deliciousness. I so appreciate finding a bartender who will happily go off menu and have fun with it. A great drink to end the night with.

Thank you Five O Four for a memorable evening. I know where to go when I need a little taste of the Mardi Gras spirit in my week. Until next time, Shaker One out.

UnbeVEEVably Healthy

Goodies, martini, Spirits 1 Response »

Jul 292011

Recently a friend gifted me with a bottle of -for me- a brand new spirit: Veev acai liquor. He had tried it on his own and was not impressed……said it had an earthy flavor, with almost chocolate notes. I was intrigued. Finding myself with an entire bottle of the stuff plus pitcher and recipes, what does Shaker One do? Why, invents her own concoction of course!

The Strawberry Acai

Fresh ripe strawberries muddled with chocolate mint leaves ( Yes, you read that correctly. I have chocolate mint growing in The Balcony Bar garden), shaken over ice with Veev and a dash of chambord. All I can say is this is my kind of health food! Yum and yum. Fruity with just a hint of sweetness…..you get a very subtle taste of the chocolate mint. This one is a winner. 4 olives.

Now I must admit that when I tried a sip of the Veev straight I was skeptical. It smelled like the jello shots I make for tailgating season. Oddly sweet and indistinctly fruity. It looks like vodka-completley clear, but does have a touch of sweetness to it. I read the suggested recipes and was uninspired. Now that I’ve given it a run I can see it playing very well with different fresh berry flavors….and perhaps even in a dessert martini. You can read for yourself all the supposed heath claims for this “miracle fruit”.

Thanks Simon for sharing and inspiring!! Now I’m off to take my *winkwink* vitamin……and no, I’m not wearing the bracelet.

Bubbly Tales Pt. 13: Test Drive

Champagne/Prosecco, Goodies No Responses »

Jul 272011

I have this lovely gift of new ingredients from my sister and have been thinking of how best to explore them. I love bitters. Angostura or Peychaud’s are what most of you probably have sitting in your bar cabinets (Fee Bros are also excellent). Angostora bitters are always in my bar-a staple of many classic cocktails. But you may have noticed while perusing the aisles of your local liquor mart that bitters have branched out into a seemingly endless array of flavors. From chocolate to celery, there’s now a bitter for just about any cocktail occasion.

Included in my surprise box was a bottle of blueberry bitters.

Now as a berry goes, the blueberry is not my favorite (blueberry pancakes aside). But I’ve played with bitters enough to know that you often want either a taste that mimics and magnifies your base flavor notes, or something to accent and add a touch of a contrast. Not sure what blueberry bitters would even taste like, and bitters not really being something you take a sip of to taste, I decided to showcase them on the ultimate neutral palate:

The Classic Champagne Cocktail with Blueberry Bitters

Generally a champagne cocktail is a sugar cube dropped into the bottom of a flute, saturated with a few drops of bitters and topped with champagne. Orange peel garnish optional. I learned how to drink these in my first “grown up” job. The Lancome executive from Paris would order them for us at the bar of The Four Seasons Beverly Hills. Where I’d valet park my green 1979 Chrystler Cordoba (fine corinthian leather included). I felt as soignee as a 23 year old driving a crappy car could. Elegance in a glass.

Out of oranges at the moment, I subbed in a lime peel. This is delicious! You get more of a softer bitter taste with just the palest hint of blueberry. Gorgeous with champagne. I’ll have to ponder what type of martinis this bitter could best highlight.

And I can’t wait to try the next one!

Strawberry Mint Martini

martini, Spirits No Responses »

Jul 222011

This one is sort of a Shaker take on a strawberry mojito. Muddled fresh strawberries, mint leaves, simple syrup, shaken with ice, vodka and lime juice……

A more girly martini perhaps. Sweeter with just a subtle hint of mint coming through. Next time I’d go heavier on the lime. I feel like it’s missing something to pull it up into the really fantastic range. Plus, I can’t help but compare any strawberry martini to the Strawberry Jalapeno superstar. Still, tasty and refreshing. A pleasant summer sip.

3 3/4 Olives

Bubbly Tales: Pt. 12- The Effervescent Chameleon

Champagne/Prosecco, Spirits No Responses »

Jul 202011

True Confessions Time: Shaker One has an entire shelf in her fridge devoted solely to all things fizzy. I use bookends to hold up the rows of bottles. Mostly its a few varieties of proseccos, kept on hand for whenever the mood hits. Currently there’s also that bottle of South African bubbly I’ve wanted to try but just haven’t found a reason to open, next to the bottle of Schlumberger White Secco. And of course, the ever present emergency champagne bottle remains at the ready at all times (usually Moet).

Shaker One Life Rule: Like pearl earrings or a little black dress, a lady always keeps a chilled bottle of champagne on hand for any emergencies.

Now I adore champagne cocktails, but sometimes one is in the mood for something a bit different…like:

Bittersweet Bubbly Cooler

Take a tall glass, add a splash of Chambord, a bigger splash of Rose’s Lime (or lime juice and simple syrup), a few dashes of bitters (like Angostura), add ice, fresh berries top with sparkling wine and stir.

This is a unique take on the traditional champagne cocktail. Not sweet, with a complex layered flavor that is still completely refreshing. This is a great way to kill the last of the bubbly in last night’s bottle. I shall make this one again very soon.

Pop your corks and enjoy!

The Gift of Inspiration

Goodies, Spirits No Responses »

Jul 152011

So I’m sitting at my desk doing work-related things and my doorbell rings. Huh, not expecting anyone at 5pm on a saturday afternoon. “Fedex delivery, we’re gonna need an adult’s signature for this”.

Well, technically I suppose I qualify. But I didn’t order anything….and it seems to be booze. Can it be? Is the mythical Wine Fairy real??

I opened the carton and unwrapped some wonderful new ingredients:

Fruit infused dessert wines and bitters from a small manufacturer in Maine. A few emails later, I discover to my delight that one of my Sisters, while in Maine, did a tasting and decided I needed to experiment with some fun new ingredients~!

I can’t wait to see how these play with summer fruits. And two new bitters! I do love the special magic that just the right dash of bitters can add to a cocktail.

Sorry, no wine fairy. But even better~inspiration in a box, completely unexpected. Stay tuned for what I dream up with these.

And thanks Lynda!!

Older Entries Newer Entries