Consulting

(Pictured above is a Blue Cosmo being made as a part of Friday's Mixology class with a twist of lemon).

Who doesn't like a top ten list? Most of these cocktails have been around since prohibotion and the beginning of the modern drinking age. Along with the list, I am offering up my rating of the cocktail on a scale from 1 to 10 -  aptly named Michael's rating - and tasting notes/occasion. Of course, everyone's taste profile is different so take that in account. If you haven't tried some or most of these, then I feel bad for you. One of my favorite sayings is "I feel bad for people who don't drink because that's the best they're going to feel all day".

I recently received excellent ideas from my blog followers as to what topics they most like to read about. To follow up on that I am dedicating this post to dear cousin, Laura Nagy, who is a big fan of seasonal cocktails. I love ya, Laura...Without further adieu, I give you three outstanding, refreshing summer cocktails from my secret personal stash...The common theme to these cocktails is that they all contain grapefruit juice and are best drank outside at a pool or on a deck...Let me know your thoughts.

This post goes out to Kathy Pioli Lubbers, one of my Facebook friends from 'Raise your Spirits', who had a keen interest in the significance of glassware and the reasoning behind using it. Take the Martini. You merely mention it and it conjures up a distinct image in eveyone's mind - its glass, a shape that is timeless, classic, elegant, and indicative of drink culture from the beginning of time. What would the Martini become without its iconic vessel? It's safe to say that the entire drinking experience would be changed if it was served in a can.

(Cover photo courtesy of Ping Pong Dim Bar - revamp.com)

If you ever walked in to an American bar and asked for an Asian cocktail you would probably get a blank stare from the bartender. It’s a pretty vague request, but so is asking for an “American” cocktail. If you say that you would like a cocktail that uses Asian ingredients or flavors, such as ginger, jasmine, or lychee, you may experience the same result.

There are always, and will always be debates over what is the best tasting vodka? what is the best value vodka? Does it matter if a vodka is cheap versus expensive? Is the quality that much different between expensive and cheap vodka?

I realize that many of you have been craving a post on just cocktails, so here it is for your enjoyment...Plus, it is "World Cocktail Week" so what better way to celebrate cocktails. There are some truly fabulous cocktails that are perfect for this time of year - summer...The latest craze are 'muddled' cocktails with the most famous being the "Mint Julep" and "Mojito", but there is so much more that can be made...What this means is that you taking a fruit, veggies, herb or spice and mashing it in the glass to release the oils, juice, and aroma with 'muddler' before preparing the cocktail.

As a follow-up to my last post depicting famous writers drinking their favorite concoctions, I switch gears a bit by presenting you with some pop culture and the marriage between movies and those infamous cocktails. We all love a good movie, and in my case, especially ones that feature classic or modern cocktails. You don’t have to be a cocktail aficionado to appreciate the dramatic effect they play on the big screen. I can still remember many of the movie scenes below and the cocktails featured in them.

The best cure for writer’s block? A stiff drink. Maybe they're on to something here. I just may have to try their technique. Who would have thought that the writing profession and cocktails would go together?

Booze and literature have long had a close relationship - many of the world’s most famous authors were as good at drinking as they were at writing. And the drinks they liked to imbibe made such a strong impression that Raymond Chandler, F. Scott Fitzgerald and many more immortalized a number of classic cocktails in their novels.

Like a thoroughbred thundering down the track, the Kentucky Derby is just around the corner. So dig out your best Derby hat and check out this little history lesson on the Kentucky Derby and  the infamous, Mint Julep. No matter which horse you’re rooting for, you’ll feel like a winner.

More than two hundred years ago, somewhere in North America, cognac, peach brandy or un-aged whiskey was mixed with sugar and mint, and served on a mound of snowy ice for the first time. The resulting Mint Julep was a chilly masterpiece that conquered the sweltering dog days of summer.