Consulting

An adult version of the 19^th century lemon drop candy, the Lemon Drop (Martini) consists of vodka, triple sec (orange liqueur), lemon juice, and simple syrup that is shaken and strained into a sugar-rimmed Martini/Cocktail glass and garnished with a lemon twist. In some circles, people have begun to mix it with Citrus Vodka, i.e. Absolut Citron, but the classic way is straight vodka.

Whether you're hosting a halloween party or want some cool and different cocktails to share with others, try some of these cocktails this week or over the halloween weekend. RYS will be serving most of these cocktails on Friday night. These are novelty drinks so proceed with caution. They are visually appealing, but not necessarily the best tasting. Have fun with it!

With the fall harvest and upcoming Thanksgiving feasts, it’s the perfect time of year for fall/winter cocktails incorporating seasonal shrubs (sweetened vinegar-based syrup). Made with respect from seed to glass, my friends over at Prairie Organic Spirits are using their fine spirits to create seasonal fall/winter cocktails made with homemade shrubs. 

Here is a selection of my 3 favorite winter sangrias you can mix it up for your holiday parties, office parties, or an excuse to get together with friends, family, and neighbors. Have Raise Your Spirits whip up one of these for your next event...Enjoy and drink responsibly!

Honeycrisp Apple Sangria

Serves 16. Use large bottle of wine and double ingredients to double amount.

National Liqueur Day is October 16th. It’s never too early to begin thinking about the holidays, and Thanksgiving is—deep breath—just over a little over a month away. Many liqueurs/cordials are perfect to be sipped in the winter months so why not make some of your own and gift to others for the holidays or even make some for a holiday party.

The classic citrusy Italian liqueur limoncello, almond-flavored amaretto, and cocoa cream-flavored Irish cream are always crowd-pleasers and are great anytime.

One of my favorite things to do is Do-It-Yourself (DIY) infusions and batched cocktail projects. I've been experimenting in the laboratory for quite a while now and I still learn something new every time. The fun thing about infusing spirits, liqueurs, syrups, and waters is that there aren't a lot of rules and complicated techniques to employ. Plus, it allows for using fresh ingredients and healthier, low sugar content, less expensive, and adds a personal touch. Most of the time it's just mixing things together, taste testing and experimenting, and seeing what happens.

In celebrating "National Vodka Day", I offer up some cocktails that are classic and will look very familiar to most while others are originals with my own personal twists. The suggested vodka brand used for each cocktail is intentional based on it's character and tasting notes in relation to other ingredients. Of course, as always, you are welcome to use your own favorite vodka, but it's important to have a well-balanced cocktail even with vodka's subtle taste qualities.

Depending on where you are in the world, what you’re ordering, and type of establishment, tipping can be tricky. What is considered a bad tip? When is the tip included and when isn’t it? Is there ever a time where you shouldn’t tip well? Tipping is not a city in China!

These are all common questions that have been on people’s minds forever.  Nevertheless, there’s one kind of tipping that stays pretty consistent across the board and should be: tipping a bartender.

(Cover photo courtesy of my friends at Liquor.com)

National Whiskey Sour Day was August 25^th, but the reality is that the Whiskey Sour is a great drink that can be enjoyed all year long if made properly. With all the quality of bourbons, small-batch bourbons, and other whiskies on the market today, it is no wonder that it has stood the test of time and endures as one of the country’s most popular sour cocktail.

After a short time away, I am back to offer more delectable cocktails to enjoy on "National Rum Day" on the 16th. As usual, the brands listed for the ingredients can be easily substituted with other brands, but reflect what I recommend for those cocktails. Whether you like to sip or mix white rum, dark rum, spiced rum, black rum, or special reserve rum, there is something for all of you here.