Happy Hour Friday - Margarita

Getting ready for Cinco de Mayo, so must have margaritas.

Margarita

Rim a tall glass with salt.
Fill glass with ice.

Add:

• 1 oz. tequila
• 1/4 oz. Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• Fill with sweet and sour

Garnish with a lime slice.

Enjoy with lotsa salsa and guacamole.

Happy Hour Friday - Hot Toddy

Sigh. Hot Toddies only because I need them. Been a bit under the weather the past few weeks. Hot Toddies may be an old wives' cure but it works for me.

Hot Toddy

In a heat proof glass or mug, add:

• 1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
• 1-1/2 oz. whiskey (or my fave -- Wild Turkey Honey)
• 1 lemon wedge, juice squeezed
• Hot water

Stir and sip.

Happy Hour Friday - Vodka Gibson

I was talking about Gibsons the other day and now I cannot get them off my mind. Will I have one? Will you have one?

Vodka Gibson

Fill a shaker with ice.
Add:

• 2-3 drops dry vermouth

• 1-1/2 oz. vodka

Shake until very cold.
Strain into a martini glass.

Garnish with:

• Cocktail onions

If you want to make it a Dirty Vodka Gibson, add some of the onion juice to the shaker and blend.

Happy Hour Friday - Chocolate Martini

There are so many versions of the Chocolate Martini. This is just one of them.

Chocolate Martini

Fill a shaker with ice.

Add:

• 1-1/4 oz. vanilla vodka
• 1/2 oz. Godiva liqueur

Shake until chilled and strain into a martini glass.

Happy Hour Friday - Appletini

I think I may have tried this...once or twice. It is a popular drink though so give it a try.

Appletini

Fill a shaker with ice.
Add:

• 1-1/4 oz. vodka
• 1/2 oz. Apple Pucker

Shake until cold and strain into a martini glass.

Garnish with:

• Cherry

Happy Hour Friday - Irish Coffee

Probably to wind down from St. Paddy's Day.

Irish Coffee

Place a sugar cube in a coffee glass.

• Add 1 oz. Irish whiskey

Fill with hot coffee

Garnish with whipped cream.

Happy Hour Friday - Irish Car Bomb

St. Paddy's Day. Yipppeee!

Irish Car Bomb

Fill a pint glass halfway with Guinness.
In a shot glass, pour:

• 1 oz. Irish whiskey (Jameson)
• 1/2 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream

Drop the shot into the Guinness.

Whooooaaaaaaa!

Happy Hour Friday - Cosmopolitan

How about a Cosmopolitan? These were the rage years ago. Oh, well...why not...

Cosmopolitan

Fill a shaker with ice.

Add:

1-1/4 oz. vodka
1/4 oz. Triple Sec
1/4 oz. lime juice
1 oz cranberry juice

Shake until chilled. Strain into a martini glass.

Garnish with:

Lime wheel

Happy Hour Friday - Lychee Martini

Howz about lychee martinis since the Chinese New Year Parade will be on Saturday. Yeah, okay, sounds good to me!

Lychee Martini

Fill a shaker with ice.

• Add 1 oz. vodka
• Add 1 oz. Soho lychee liqueur
• 4-6 tablespoons syrup from canned lychee

Shake until chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with:

• 1-2 lychees

Mmmmmm...

Happy Hour Friday - Zombie

I woke up this morning feeling like one. A zombie, that is. Groggy and sluggish. But that is a Friday morning to me. Dragged down by the past week's events.

This drink is also known as a Hurricane to some folks. Same yummy stuff.

Zombie

Fill a tall glass with ice.

Add:

• 1 oz. light rum
• 1/2 oz. dark rum
• 1/2 oz. grenadine

Fill with equal parts:

• pineapple juice
• orange juice

Float:

• 1/2 oz. Bacardi 151 (whoooooooa!)

Happy Hour Friday - Mind Eraser

Hmmmm...not sure why this is called a Mind Eraser. To me, it is a skinnied down Black Russian.

Mind Eraser

Fill a rocks glass with ice.
Add:

• 1 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. Kahlua
• 1 oz. soda water

Happy Hour Friday - Mudslide

Pretty popular and tasty.

Mudslide

Fill a rocks glass with ice.
Add 1/2 oz. vodka.
Add 1/2 oz. Kahlua.
Add 1/2 oz. Baileys.

Mmmmmmm...tasty...

Happy Hour Friday - Melon Ball

I had the martini version - a Cantaloupe Martini. The difference is the glass (martini glass, of course) and the amount of ingredients. And they look different, of course, since a martini is shaken. But the taste is pretty similar.

Melon Ball

• Fill a tall glass with ice.
• Add 1 oz. vodka.
• Fill with orange juice.
• Float with 1/2 oz. Midori.
• Garnish with a cherry.

Yummy!

Happy Hour Friday - Long Island Ice Tea

How about an old school drink? Ha ha. Not sure what brought on the nostalgia. Thought it would be fun.

Long Island Ice Tea

Fill a tall glass with ice.

Add:

• 1/2 oz. vodka
• 1/2 oz. gin
• 1/2 oz. rum
• 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz. tequila

Fill with sweet and sour.

Float Coke on top.

Garnish with lemon.

To oldies!

Happy Hour Friday - Kamikaze

I used to drink these a long, long time ago.

Kamikaze

In a shaker full of ice, add:

• 1 oz. vodka
• 1/4 oz. Triple Sec
• 1/4 oz. lime juice

Shake until cold and strain into a rocks glass.

Happy Hour Friday - Vodka Collins

Let's keep it light and easy for the new year.

Vodka Collins

In a tall glass:

• Fill with ice.
• Add 1 oz. vodka.
• Fill with equal parts sweet and sour and soda water.
• Optional garnish - cherry and lime

Happy Hour Friday - Midori Champagne Cocktail

Midori Champagne Cocktail

In a champagne flute:

Add 1 oz. Midori.
Fill with champagne.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice.

Happy Hour Friday - Greyhound Champagne Cocktail

I am not sure what the official name of this drink is because I made it up. I just thought of what I would like to mix with champagne.

Greyhound Champagne Cocktail

In a champagne flute:

• Fill 3/4 glass champagne.
• Fill with red grapefruit juice.
• Squeeze lime juice.

Happy Hour Friday - Champagne Cosmo

Champagne Cosmo

• Add ice to a shaker.
• Add 1-1/2 oz. vodka.
• Add 1-1/2 oz. cranberry juice.
• Add 1/2 oz. lime juice.
• Add splash of Grand Marnier or Triple Sec.
• Shake until chilled.
• Strain and pour into a champagne flute.
• Fill with champagne.

Happy Hour Friday - Bellini

A tasty favorite of mine. Three versions of the drink. Try and see which one is your favorite. I like mine with white peach juice.

Bellini

In a champagne flute:

• Fill with champagne
• Add 1 oz. Peach Schnapps
• Garnish with lemon twist

Bellini (White Peach Juice)

In a champagne flute:

• Fill with champagne
• Add white peach juice

Bellini (Peach Nectar)

In a champagne flute:

• Fill with champagne
• Add peach nectar