Get ready for the holidays with this fantastic drink recipe!

I tend to click on Beantown Eats when I’m in the need of a great cocktail recipe. The site is run by my good friends Jon (drink part) and Lin (food part). This duo does such a fantastic job covering all things food and drink in the Boston area. In fact, Jon recently won a drink recipe contest that will land his latest creation on the menu at The Hawthorne.

As Nic Cage would say, “That’s high praise.” Jon knows his sh*t.

Say hello to the Spiced Apple Bourbon Fizz. I made the cocktail for this year’s Thanksgiving feast and found it to be the perfect alcoholic beverage for a family gathering.

I recommend that you follow Jon’s directions precisely and definitely lean towards the extra effort of infusing your bourbon. It makes such a difference…promise! The infusion does take a full 24 hours to reach its full potential, so please plan accordingly.

Also, Jon only uses the good stuff in all his drinks. That listed ginger liqueur runs about $30+ a bottle, but you can purchase a knock-off for $13.

As you can see, the overall presentation of this drink is beautiful and the taste is even better. The infusion also cuts that strong bourbon taste just a bit, leaving you with an incredibly smooth drink that packs a punch.

Try it out and please drink responsibly.

What’s your favorite drink to make for the holidays?

Get ready for the weekend with a Happy Hour!

Such fond memories of this port! I’ve written in the past about my love for the Dry Comal Creek Winery, located in the Hill Country just outside New Braunfels.  What a gem of a place. It sits on such a beautiful piece of land…some of the best in Texas.

It doesn’t get more relaxing than drinking a glass of wine with friends on their patio.  Somehow, we seem to make it out to Dry Comal about once every other year.  Just not enough.  About three years ago, our group discovered this 1096 Port.  It comes in two versions, white (sherry style) and this one.  I favor the dark.

We sampled some and we were hooked.  Granted, our sampling came at the end of a long drinking day.  This port could have tasted like turpentine and we still would’ve been captivated.  Back then, each bottle ran $75.  The steep price tag didn’t stop us from getting two bottles for the road.  What morons we were/are. The good news…they are now more affordable…priced at $50.

What is 1096 Port?  Well, check out the website, but I can tell you this is a perfect dessert wine. This stuff has been sitting in exposed oak casks for 1096 days. It has an almost brownish tint, with a strong caramel taste…very smooth.  And a little goes a long way.  If you know a port lover, this would make for a perfect gift.

More than the port, I highly recommend checking out this winery.  They’ll treat you like family.  Seriously, they will. One time, we closed the place down.  The manager turned off the lights, told us to stay as long as we’d like, but to make sure to close the gate.  “We don’t want any cows getting out.”

That’s my kind of place!

Get ready for the weekend with a Thursday Happy Hour!

This week’s Happy Hour is a little different. The folks over at Central Market are releasing a new line of cookies.  Go check them out today (Thursday), and can catch this following promotion:

excerpts from press release
Central Market Celebrates Cookie Launch with a Cookies and Milk “Happy Hour” for Customers
Debuts New Line of 19 Specialty Cookies and Free Milk

Baked in-store by the Central Market artisan baking team, each new cookie boasts a clean label along with unique ingredients and mix ins.

Do you love the scent of freshly baked cookies filling your house? Go ahead and pour the milk! These new cookies come in a special imported wood package created to be heated in the oven. Customers can take the package of six cookies, sold in its very own oven warming tray, and pop it in the oven up to 440 degrees Fahrenheit.

Look for the full lineup to debut in Central Market bakeries across the state beginning June 22. As a special incentive to bite into a cranberry pecan with a touch of honey or the peanut butter chocolate chunk loaded with Reese’s peanut butter chips, Central Market will host cookie “happy hours” from 3 to 6 pm on Wednesday, June 22 and Thursday, June 23 at all store locations.

Happy Hour Details:
-6 count cookie packs $3.50
-FREE 14 ounce Promise Land Milk (all varieties except heavy whipping cream) with each six pack.
-3-6 pm Wednesday, June 22 and Thursday, June 23

Included cookies: Chocolate Crispies, Chocolate Chunk, Oatmeal Raisins, Cranberry Pecan, Macadamia Milk Chocolate, English Toffee & Chocolate, Dutch Chocolate Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Pecan, Triple Chocolate, White Chocolate Pecan, S’More, Blueberries & Cream, Kitchen Sink, Black Forest, Oatmeal Cranberry Orange, Pretzel Logic, and Caramel Apple Praline

*Image and press release provided by Central Market

It’s Thursday…time for a Mighty Rib Happy Hour!

I typically bring you a drink recipe for our happy hours.  This week, I just had to tell you about Yelapa’s margarita (on the rocks).  It’s that perfect balance of flavors that you seek in any perfect margarita.  Two of these babies will knock you on your ass.

I HIGHLY recommend parking yourself at the bar (or one of the tables nearby), order a dozen raw oysters, one of these bad boys, and enjoy life.  They other drink is heavy on the ginger is and called a Banana Hammock.  Yes…I ordered a drink called a Banana Hammock.  Don’t judge!

You will not be disappointed!  Have you been to Yelapa?  Let me know how it went.