all month long , we’re going to feature a signature holiday drink and release it on thursday.
one thing that is fun to do if you’re having a holiday cocktail or dinner party is to start with a pre-made signature drink. typically just one to hand people as they come in. when people come over, try to engage all the senses. for example, your house is infused with scented candles that have already been burning a while or a tasty dinner in the oven, a holiday playlist with regular music mixed in with holiday music and a signature cocktail!
this first cocktail is the perfect holiday sipping drink. you’ve got cinnamon flavor with the whisky, vanilla, pumpkin and irish cream all together.
all this month, if you post on social media, send us a photo or comment here on the blog of one of ROF’s drinks you made, we’ll enter you in a drawing to win a sleeve of these:
JACK-O-FIRE
1 part Fireball Whisky
1 part vanilla vodka
1 part pumpkin spice liqueur
1 part Irish cream
Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick and ground nutmeg. Recipe from here.
like the margarita, the martini has many great memories for me.
at an early age, i always thought the martini glass was chic, hip + intimidating, all at the same time. as a teenager and in my 20’s, i used to watch clips of the rat pack and james bond – always with a martini in hand and thought there was something cool about it.
i can remember a boss i had when i was 30 telling me: “even if you don’t drink martinis, you need to know how to make one. if you’re entertaining clients, you won’t look like an uncivilized buffoon.” right at that time, i decided that if i was going to make one, i had to actually drink one first. i went into st. pete’s dancing marlin one evening (one of my regular spots) and pete asked: “RO, what can i get cha?” i said: “a martini”. with a smirk on his face, he asked: “what kind?” i replied (painfully honest here) “i have no idea”and then added: “make one that the cool guys drink”.
i watched him chill the glass, mix the concoction, slide it over to me on a bev nap where i took a sip, winced and choked back to him “pete, this is nothing but a cold shot in a big fancy glass.” he laughed, walking away and said “yep, it sure is!”.
take the martini glass, put 6-8 ice cubes + a splash of water and let sit and chill for 10 minutes.
while chilling, fill the shaker with ice + pour 3 ozs of stoli vodka, the smallest dash you can pour of vermouth and a splash (1/2 oz) of olive juice (this is called dirt and i like mine just a little dirty). put the lid on the shaker and shake for 2 minutes. kind of like this:
finish:
take off top of shaker, dump out ice from the martini glass + strain the martini into the glass (no ice in glass) + garnish with two olives.
much like the margarita, this is a sipping drink. do not operate heavy machinery if you’ve had more than 2 of these! but, as they say:
“One martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough.” James Thurber
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