toll-free (915) 491-7353Grandma's Lounge
- About Grandmas Lounge
- Storing Champagne
- Opening Champagne
- Storing Wine
- Storing Brandy, Whisky Other Spirits
- How to Chill a Glass
- Using A Shaker
- Using A Mixing Glass
- How To Muddle
- Flavors And Garnishes
- Experimenting With Flavors
- Garnishes
- Sources
- GRANDMA'S FAVORITE DRINKS:
About Grandmas Lounge
In this section of my web site you will find information on making
casual cocktails or mix drinks. I found out the best way of starting your own
'casual' home bar is not by going out to the nearest liquor store and getting
into a liquor-buying frenzy. The best way is to look up a drink you would like
to try and buy all the required ingredients needed to make that particular drink.
My local newspaper carries on the Living Section of the Saturday morning
newspaper the drink of the week. Local, professional bartenders from the
various night spots submit a drink they have perfected. Sometimes you will
find that particular drink in the local bookstore's bartender's guide books
but they will be somewhat different in their makeup.
Before you know it, (and if you are a very, very casual drinker like Grandma), you will have
a well stocked home bar. What about the bar itself? To begin, you can use any waist-length
table you might have stored in your attic or garage. As you continue to collect the different
liquors, mixers, liqueurs and what not, you might start considering buying a bar. However,
before you do, make sure you have measured the area where you think of putting your bar.
Grandma wanted to buy a bar she saw in a furnishing store called "Tradiciones" but it was too
wide and big for the space she had for a bar in her home. The bar was beautifully crafted and
besides it was pricy ($3,000).
On the other hand, Grandma had been several times to the
Country Music Fan Fair in Nashville, Tennessee and during the day she would go sightseeing.
She went to the Jack Daniel's Brewery located about thirty miles from Nashville in Lynchburg,
Tennessee. She saw a beautiful Jack Daniel's Whisky Barrel Bar in the General Store
(931-759-6370) priced at $1,500. To make a long story sh
ort, she did not have a means
of bringing it home. It would have cost us $257.44 to have it delivered. Abuelita still
has plans to buy that Jack Daniel's Whisky Barrel Bar in the near future. For now she
settled for a southwestern style bar she bought, through the internet, from Sears Roebuck
for $300 including shipping cost. The bar was a bargain since it was on sale and it is
just as beautiful as the Whisky Barrel Bar.
The moral of this short story is that a bar is a bar is a bar even at a bargain price. All you
have to do is shop around.
Once you have a bar and all the trimmings then what? Well, whenever you feel like a drink you
don't have to go anywhere to spend $7 to twenty bucks to have that drink. Secondly, you prevent
the possibility of driving your car home after you had two or three drinks. That in itself is not
only very costly but very dangerous to say the least. Did you know that if you weigh, for instance, 100 pounds it only takes 2.5 drinks for you to have an estimated .08% blood alcohol. The following is from the Texas Commission on alcohol and drug abuse data:
At 0.02% - Drivers show mild change, may seem slightly elated.
At 0.05% - Drivers hesitant: alternate from "who cares?" to impulsive aggression.
At 0.10% - Judgment seriously affected. Coordination impaired and legally considered "under the influence." Simply stated---Don't drive!
At 0.15% --is unmistakably drunk. All faculties seriously affected.
At 0.30% - is stuporous.
At 0.40% - becomes unconscious; possibly in coma and on verge of death.
One of the rules Abuelita follows when friends or relatives visit, Abuelita
cordially offers a drink, if it is appropriate, after dinner. However, Grandma only makes one
or two drinks for each person. Abuelita lets them know only one or two drinks will be served.
This is not being stingy; this is being careful. You certainly don't want someone to get
wrapped up around a telephone pole several blocks from your home. Worse yet, you don't want
someone you were serving drinks to wind up in a fatal accident. That would not only be extremely
sad but you leave yourself open, not from friends or family but the victims, to legal action
to say the least. For this reason Grandmas Lounge does not recommend "cocktail parties."
Storing Champagne
Champagne should be kept in a rack in a horizontal position. This is how producers keep it in underground cellars. Champagne loves the dark and the coolness. It is important to maintain a consistent temperature around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. A warning: Do not freeze champagne to chill it. This can ruin the contents. Always use clean champagne flutes that have been wiped to remove traces of residual dishwashing liquid.
Opening Champagne
Wrap a clean towel around the bottle and hold it firmly in one hand. With the other, undo the wire around the cork. Point the bottle away from you and any guests, and gently push the cork with both thumbs to release it. Turn the bottle as you do this. Or, you can hold the cork in one hand while you hold the bottle by the curved indentation in the other, and slowly turn the bottle--but not the cork--until the cork pops out. When pouring champagne, aim for the middle of the flute and pour slowly. Pause after a few moments to let the bubbles subside, then start pouring again. Fill the glass to only three-quarters full. Do not waste a drop.
Storing Wine
Do not place a bottle of claret or burgundy in the refrigerator. Red wine should be stored on its side so any sediment falls to the bottom when you stand the bottle upright. White wines are best kept chilled, but do not place a bottle in the freezer to chill, because this has a detrimental effect.
Storing Brandy, Whiskey and Other Spirits
Abuelita (Grandma) recommends you store these bottles upright. If a spirit comes into contact with cork, an unwelcome effect is created.
How To Chill A Glass
Rule number one: always chill a cocktail glass before you pour any liquid into it. The chilled effect makes a drink look fabulous and appealing. Put the required number of glasses in the freezer for a few hours before you need to use them. Or, fill them with crushed ice--this will chill the glass. Tip this ice away before the cocktail is poured.
Using a Shaker
Shake any recipe that contains spirits, juice, and heavy (double) cream. The most common shakers are the Boston shaker and the
two-piece metal shaker you can buy from any quality home store. The Boston Shaker is made of two pieces--one is metal, the other is clear
glass. The ingredients are poured in the glass. The ingredients are poured in the glass section so you can see what you are doing, and
then ice is added. The metal part covers the glass, and is gently sealed with a slap of the palm. You will notice it nearly always sits
at a sideways angle; this is normal.
Turn the shaker upside down. When the drink is shaken, the liquid will end up in the metal part. Let the drink settle for a moment
before parting the two sections. If you can't open it easily, place your thumb under the middle section, where the metal and glass
meet, and push gently. This will break the vacuum inside. To serve the drink, pour it through a bar strainer, holding it firmly
over the shaker's opening.
The Regular Shaker consists of a base, a small section with a fitted strainer and a lid. It's usually compact, small, and easy to
handle. Always be sure to hold the lid down firmly. If you get carried away, and it gets stuck, ease the lid up with both thumbs.
Sometimes a quick, hard twist will also do the trick. I you have shaken it for a while, wipe the outside with a cloth to warm the
sides slightly and loosen the vacuum.
Using A Mixing Glass
Cocktails whose ingredients mix easily and must be served chilled are made (built) directly into a mixing glass, and then poured into a cocktail glass. Always place about six ice cubes into the glass first and, using a bar spoon; stir the ice around to chill the glass. Strain off any excess water. Add each spirit and stir the mixture well. Strain into a glass. Classics like Negroni and Manhattan are always stirred in a mixing glass.
How To Muddle
This is a simple action requiring a little strength in the wrist. To muddle you need a muddler. Sometimes, the end of a
bar spoon has a muddler as part of its design. More bartenders are using this method now--instead of bashing the fruits to a pulp,
as in a blender.
Muddling brings out the essence, and most of the fruit remains intact. Fruits or mint are muddled directly in the bottom of
the glass. Choose a glass with a heavy base. Dice the fruit and place it in the glass or shaker. Add sugar (if stated)
and /or a dash of spirit or wine (if stated) and muddle the fruit.
Flavors and Garnishes
When making a cocktail, it is important to balance the flavors in the
recipe. There are four basic flavors; sweet, sharp (sour), spicy, and
bitter.
The perfect cocktail is the result of a harmony of one or more, or
all four, flavors. Before you choose which cocktail to make, think
about what you want from the drink. Each of us has taste buds that
are satisfied by different flavors. For example, if you drink a
Vodka Sour you might think it contains nothing but tartness. Yet,
sweetness underlines the flavor to balance the sharpness.
Sweetness in cocktails usually comes from ingredients such as
liqueurs--Kahlua, Cointreau, Baileys, Grand Marnier, Galliano, and
limoncello--which contain an intensity of sugar. These are low
in alcohol volume, but high in sugar content. Some fruit juices also
add sweetness. A Piña Colada tastes sweet because of pineapple
juice and coconut cream.
Sharpness is a flavor that causes you to smack your lips after a sip.
Sharpness refreshes your taste buds more than other flavors. Any
recipe made with fresh lime or lemon juice will taste sharp, as will
a recipe containing raspberries, which have a distinctly sharp taste.
Cocktails with a sharp flavor include the Margarita.
Spicy cocktails are those with a hint of cinnamon or nutmeg, or other
such spices. A Bloody Mary is spicy because it features tomato juice
and black pepper.
Bitterness is found in cocktails containing Campari and other bitters.
Generally, bitterness comes with an ingredient made of herbal extracts,
such as Fernet Branca (an excellent digestif). Bitter cocktails
include the Negroni.
Experiment With Flavors
Consider which drinks you immediately like and make a note of the ingredients. Until you have mixed the recipe as given in the newspaper article, book or magazine, you will not know exactly how the drink should taste, so make it precisely the first few times, and then experiment. If you prefer a slightly tart taste, add more lemon or lime juice. Experiment until it is perfect for you. However, if you are making the cocktail for friends, ask them how they prefer it, and tailor the cocktail to please their palates.
Garnishes
The following look good as a garnish:
- apples (cut in a thin wedge or fan)
- blackberries
- blueberries
- Cape Gooseberries
- cucumber peel (for a punch, and pimm's)
- celery sticks (optional for Bloody Mary)
- kiwifruit
- lemons (in a wedge or sliced)
- limes(in a wedge or sliced)
- maraschino cherries (cocktail cherries)
- mint, fresh green
- olives (for a Martini)
- oranges (in a wedge or sliced)
- pineapples
- red currants on a stem
- raspberries
- star fruit (thinly sliced)
- strawberries
Garnishes are the finishing touches.
First, consider the flavor, then match the garnish with the
dominate flavor.
Second, consider the color. A yellow garnish with a green drink
would be visually disastrous.
Third, a garnish must be in proportion to the
glass.
Three red currants on a cocktail stick perched on the rim look lost,
whereas a stalk of red currants cascading from the rim is perfect. Strawberries
can be dropped in the drink, particularly into a flute, or perched on the rim.
Take out the green stem, and slice into as many pieces as you want without
separating them. Fan out the slices and slip the strawberry over the rim. Or use
a whole hulled strawberry, making a slit in the bottom and slipping it over the
rim.
Three-Berry Garnish
Choose three blackberries or raspberries and a spring of mint. Make a tiny incision in the top of one berry with a sharp knife. Select a leaf with a bit of a stem and push the stem into the incision. Spear all three berries with a cocktail stick. Add to the rim.
Cape-Goose-berry Garnish
Hold a Cape Goose-berry (Physalis) in one hand. With the other, unfurl the layers one by one, working each fragile leaf into a shape. Make a small slit in the bottom of the fruit and sit it on the rim of the glass.
Lime/Orange/Lemon Spirals
Using a zester and starting from the top, cut around a lime, making a long spiral. Hold the fruit firmly in your hand and press the zester firmly into the peel.
Tips:
- Choose fruit that is firm to the touch.
- Wash any fruit and dry it wit a paper towel.
- Always use a sharp knife.
- Be creative but don't overdo it!
Sources:
The Bartender's Guide to Cocktails and Mixed Drinks----by Stuart Walton---Barnes and Noble Books.
Shots, The Diminutive Guide to a Little Big Drink---by Erikka Haa---Barnes and Noble Books.
Playboy Bartender's Guide, Deluxe Edition,---by Thomas Mario---Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
Complete Home Bartender's Guide---by Salvatore Calabrese---Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
The Tequila Cook Book--by Lynn Nusom---Golden West Publishers.
Grandma's Favorite Drinks
- Apple Martini
- Blue Crush
- Lemon Drop Martini
- Santa Barbara Martini
- Canaries
- Contreauversial Caipirinha
- Dominic's Martini
- French Kiss
- Blue Blazer
- Bloody Maria
- Fruit Sour
- Greyhound
- Monkey Gland
- Witch's Potion
- Sombrero
- Spritzer
- Embassy
- Pain Killer
- Swirl Margarita
- Blue Romarita
- Caipirinha
- Surfer Sanctuary
- Grapetini
- Banana Barbados
- Rubytini
- AntE Up
- Jamaican Cowboy Margarita
- Michelada What It Is
- Original Michilada
- Modern Michilada
Apple Martini
- 1 ounce Apple Pucker
- 1 ounce Absolut Vodka
- Splash of Midori
- 1½ ounce of Sweet and Sour
- Mix Apple Pucker, Absolut Vodka, Midori and Sweet and Sour in shaker. Shake with ice. Strain into martini glass.
Blue Crush
- 1 ounce Malibu Rum
- 1 ounce Hypnotiq
- ¼ ounce Blue Curacao
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon of Coco Lopez
- Splash of freshly squeezed orange juice
- Mix together, shake with ice and strain into chilled martini glass, garnish with an orange twist.
Lemon Drop Martini
- 1 ounce Cointreau
- 2 ounces Vodka
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- ½ sugar syrup
- Shake with ice and strain into chilled martini glass, garnish with lemon peel twist.
Santa Barbara Martini
- 1½ ounce Cointreau
- 1½ ounce of Damrak or other premium gin
- 1½ ounce grapefruit juice
- Shake with ice and strain into chilled martini glass, garnish with orange zest
Canaries
- 1 ounce Cointreau
- 1 ounce Mount Gay Rum
- 1 ounce Bols Crème de banana
- 1 ounce cherry brandy
- 3 ounces pineapple juice
- 3 ounces orange juice
- Shake with ice and strain into hurricane glass filled with ice, garnish with two orange leaves or pineapple wedge.
Cointreauversial Caipirinha
- 1 ounce Cointreau
- 1 ounce Mount Gay Rum
- 1 ounce sugar
- 1 lime cut into eighths
- Muddle lime in base of old-fashioned glass to release juices and oils, pour ingredients in and stir with ice.
Dominic's Martini
- 2 ounces of Amaretto
- 1ounce Grand Marnier
- 1 ounce Sweet and Sour
- Pour all three ingredients in a glass with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass, garnish with a twist of lemon to rim.
French Kiss
- 2 ounces of Sweet Vermouth
- 2 ounces of Dry Vermouth
- Lemon Peel
- Pour vermouth over ice cubes in a stemmed cocktail glass, rub the rim with lemon peel, and drop the peel into the drink.
Blue Blazer
- 3 ounces Irish Whisky
- 1½ ounce clear honey
- ¾ ounce of lemon juice
- 3-4 ounces of water
- Cinnamon sticks
- Pour liquid ingredients into a pan and heat gently until honey has dissolved. Place a teaspoon into a short tumbler; pour drink carefully into an old-fashioned glass. (The teaspoon keeps the glass from cracking due to the heat.) Garnish with cinnamon sticks. (This is a good drink for the common cold).
Bloody Maria
- 1½ ounce of Tequila
- 3 ounces tomato juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Dash of tabasco sauce
- Salt, pepper, celery salt, celery stalk and lemon slice.
- Pour liquid ingredients into a shaker cup with ice. Shake well; strain into a tall glass. Garnish with a celery stalk, and add seasoning to taste.
Fruit Sour
- 1½ ounces Bourbon or Scotch
- 1½ ounces of lemon juice
- 1½ ounces of fruit liqueur
- Maraschino cherry
- Orange slice
- Pour liquid ingredients into a shaker cup with ice cubes; shake well. Pour into a short tumbler and decorate with a cherry, slice of orange, and two short, thin straws.
Greyhound
- 1½ ounces of Vodka
- Grapefruit juice
- Pour vodka over ice cubes in a tall glass. Fill with grapefruit juice. This drink is sometimes ordered in a bar as a "Vodka-grape." It's a marvelous thirst-quencher in hot weather.
Monkey Gland
- 3 ounces Gin
- 1½ ounces orange juice
- 3 dashes Pernod or similar Anise Drink
- 3 dashes Grenadine syrup
- Pour ingredients in the order listed over ice in a shaker cup. Shake well, then strain into a fairly large cocktail glass. No garnish is needed. This cocktail's name dates back to the Roaring '20s, and alludes to glands that were thought to provide eternal youth and vigor!
Witch's Potion
- 1 cup hot tea
- 1½ ounces of Strega
- Pour Strega into the hot tea...then simply relax and enjoy the luscious aroma and taste. Strega, meaning "witch," is an herbal liqueur that comes from Italy. Some say the aromatic steam given off when it's mixed with hot tea does wonders for a headache!
Sombrero
- 1½ ounces Coffee-flavored Brandy or Liqueur
- Milk
- Fill a tall tumbler with ice cubes. Pour in brandy or liqueur then top with milk. Stir and serve. This drink's name reflects its place of origin--the southwestern United States, where it continues to be quite popular.
Spritzer
- 1 glass Dry White Wine
- 7 ounces of Soda or Sparkling Mineral Water
- Lime Slice
- Pour wine into the glass and twist the lime slice into it. Add mineral water or soda to taste. Garnish with the lime slice.
Embassy
- 1½ ounces Drambuie
- 1½ ounces Bourbon
- ¾ ounces Sweet Vermouth
- Pour ingredients slowly into a cocktail glass or small tumbler. Serve without ice.
Pain Killer
- 1 ounce 96 proof rum
- 3 ounces Piña Colada mix
- 2 ounces orange juice
- 4 ounces pineapple juice
- Mix all ingredients with ice. Strain, and pour in tall glass.
Swirl Margarita
- 2½ ounces real sangria
- 16 ounces margarita mix
- Pour 1 ounce of sangria on the bottom of a 24-ounce margarita glass. Include 8 ounces of margarita mix in a swirling motion. Add second ounce of sangria in swirl motion. Fill with remaining margarita mix. And top with remaining sangria.
Blue Romarita
- 1 ounce tequila
- 1/2 ounce Cointreau
- 1/2 Blue Curacao
- 3 ounces Sweet-and-Sour mix
- Salt rim of a piña colada glass and fill the glass with ice. Pour Cointreau and Curacao. Add sweet-and-sour mix, stir and serve.
Caipirinha
- 1 Lime Quartered
- 1 Tablespoon of sugar
- 1 Shot of Cachaca
- 1/2 Cup of ice cubes with water
- Place the lime and sugar in the bottom of a glass. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, crush and mash the limes. Pour the liqueur and ice. Stir well. This is a summer drink to appreciate before a meal. Decorate the glass with a slice of lime. Great with Brazilian barbecues.
Surfer Sanctuary
- Shot of Midori
- Shot of Malibu Rum
- Shot of Piňa mix
- Whipped cream
- Mix the ingredients together and top with whipped cream.
Grapetini
- Frozen grapes
- 1 ounce white grape juice
- 2 ounces Skyy Vodka
- Mix juice and vodka together with ice. Stain and pour into martini glass and fill with grapes.
Banana Barbados
- 1 ounce Malibu Rum
- 1 ounce of Creme de Banana
- 1 glass of Piňa mix
- Myers's Dark Rum
- Mix first three ingredients together in a tall glass. Then layer with Myers's Dark Rum. Top with whipped cream and cherry.
Rubytini
- 2 ounces of citrus vodka
- 1 ounce ruby red grapefruit juice
- Slice lime
- Pour vodka and grapefruit juice into a mixing glass. Shake and pour into a martini glass. Top with lime.
AntE Up
- Splash of pineapple juice
- Splash of orange juice
- Splash of sweet and sour mix
- 1 ounce melon liqueur
- 1 ounce Bacardi Coco
- 1/2 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce merlot
- Mix first six ingredients together. Shake and top with Merlot. Serve.
Jamaican Cowboy Margarita
- 1 ounce Tequila
- 1/2 ounce Malibu Rum
- 1/2 ounce DeKuyper Peachtree Schnapps
- Splash Orange Juice
- Splash Pineapple Juice
- Splash Sweet and Sour
- Splash of Margarita Mix
- Fill mixing glass with ice; add ingredients and mix. Serve in a Margarita glass and garnish with an orange slice.
Michelada What It Is
This is not just a beer. It is a more than just a beer! It is beer alright, but beer that is frothy; has its own character and its own flavor. Not everyone will like a "Michelada" but so is true of regular beers. Nonetheless, you must try a "Michelada" and who knows, maybe you will never drink regular beer again.
Loosely translated, "Michelada" stands for "My Cold Beer" in Spanish. A version of what beer drinkers are used to on the Mexican border gained fame in Mexico, and made its way into the United States in a lighter, less complicated form. Originally, "Micheladas" were a mixture of dark beer (such as XXX or Negra Modelo) and a Bloody Mary-like mixture of lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Tabasco Sauce and black pepper. Today, in the modern world of beer drinking, a "Michelada" is a light beer poured over lime juice, and ice cubes in a salt-rimmed beer glass. Below you will find the recipes for the old way "Micheladas" used to be made and also the new modern version. Try both of them see which one you like best. Enjoy.
Original Michilada
- ½ lime, preferably a Key lime
- Coarse salt
- 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1 dash Tabasco sauce
- 1 dash soy sauce
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 12 ounce beer, preferably a dark Mexican beer
- Squeeze the juice from the lime and reserve. Salt the rim of a medium size beer glass by rubbing it with the lime and dipping it in a coarse salt (like a Margarita). Fill the glass with ice. Add lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Tabasco sauce and pepper. Pour in beer, stir and serve, adding more beer as you sip.
Modern Michelada
- 2 large limes
- Coarse salt
- 12 ounces light Mexican beer (Corona, Tecate, or Sol)
- Squeeze juice from both limes and reserve. Salt the rim of a medium size beer glass by rubbing it with the lime and dipping it in coarse salt (like a Margarita). Fill with ice. Add lime juice and slowly pour beer into glass, being careful not to let the beer get too frothy. The more foam that rises to the top, the less salt you'll have on the rim of the glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.