Carnaval: One Sip at a Time…

Leblon Cachaça

Named after one of Rio de Janeiro’s districts, LeBlon Cachaça conveys the spirit of Brazil. With a slogan like “Live, Love, LeBlon,” what else would you expect? This top-notch sugar cane liqueur sambas its way into any celebratory cocktail, especially this time of year!

I like everything about this product. The cachaça itself is superb. The packaging conveys “cool” and “fresh.” And, they have an awesome CD featuring soothing Brazilian beats, super for a party or one-on-one chill-out time. Check out some of the music on their website. I’m not the only one to like it. LeBlon has gotten rave reviews… I strongly encourage you to try it for yourselves!

I’ll jump right in and share some of their drink recipes. I didn’t include the basic Caipirinha (lime juice, cachaça and sugar) but am highlighting some more unusual cocktail ideas. Their website has many more.

If you are interested in experiencing Carnaval vicariously through my trip to Rio, a few years ago, keep reading… (oh, and speaking of LeBlon, if you make it down to Rio, go hang gliding in LeBlon. There is no view of that gorgeous city that beats jumping off a cliff, soaring through the air and landing on the beach. I call it “experiential tourism…”)

Brazilian Rose
2 oz. LeBlon cachaça
3 oz. Guava Juice
Splash Triple Sec

Shake together, with ice. Pour into cocktail glass. Garnish with a rose petal.

Watermelon Smash
1 1/2 oz. LeBlon achaça
1/2 oz. lemoncello
1/2 oz. simple syrup
2 wedges watermelon

Muddle melon and syrup in mixing glass. Add LeBlon and lemoncello, shake and serve in a rocks glass. Garnish with watermelon.

Mistico
2 oz. LeBlon cachaça
1/2 oz. Fresh lemon juice
1 oz. Tamarind concentrate
10-15 rosemary needles
1 1/2 oz. ginger beer

Muddle rosemary, slightly, releasing some of the oils. Add LeBlon cachaça, lemon juice and tamarind concentrate. Shake and strain into a glass, over ice. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro

Do you think that all the major holidays are over after Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve and Valentines Day? Well, you are wrong, wrong wrong! Call it what you willl – Mardi Gras, Carnaval, Carnival, Fat Tuesday… the biggest party of the year is upon us. (The photo on the right depicts the 2007 Carnavale King, Queen and Princesses!)

I got to experience Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, in 2002. It was the most colorful, spirited, memorable spectacle I have seen in my life. A blur of feathers, drumbeats and gyrating flesh is how I’d describe it in a few words. Simply amazing.

At the time, I was visiting a friend, who grew up in Barra, just on the outskirts of Rio. Tropical and lush, the whole area is paradise. And, don’t even get me started on the beaches…

I had always imagined Carnaval to be something like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, a parade through the city streets, people throwing beads from floats, interacting with the breast-flashing spectators. In fact, it was not like that, at all.

The Sambadromo is Rio’s special place where the parades happens. It looks like an elongated football arena. Tickets are purchased. Excited crowds pack themselves into the stands. Music blasts, in all directions. Everyone is smiling, dancing and shouting. The anticipation mounts. Then…

An explosion of energy, below. The star dancer from the first samba school bursts into the arena. Usually, she is tall, beautiful and covered with strategically placed beads, feathers and sequins. The rest of her is tanned, toned and bare. Dancing with fervor, hips moving at the speed of machine gun fire, the clock starts ticking the moment she steps foot into the Sambadromo.

In fact, the carnavale parade is a competition, which lasts three days and nights, in a row. The top samba schools in Rio compete against one another, every year, for top billing. Cariocas (residents of Rio) breathlessly scan the newspapers each morning, searching for the results from the night before. This year’s contestants are: BEIJA-FLOR, ESTÁCIO DE SÁ, GRANDE RIO, IMPERATRIZ LEOPOLDINENSE, IMPÉRIO SERRANO, MANGUEIRA, MOCIDADE, PORTELA, PORTO DA PEDRA, SALGUEIRO, UNIDOS DA TIJUCA, VIRADOURO and VILA ISABEL. The year I went, Beija-Flor won.

Each samba school has its own song, its own colors and its own fans. Think about the passion with which Brazilians follow their favorite soccer teams, apply that to their favorite samba school, and you will start to get an idea of the hysteria packed into these three few days.

From the time the head dancer places her foot inside the Sambadromo, the samba school has one hour and fifteen minutes to make it all the way through, and out the other end. Each minute longer or shorter than that amount of time results in a deduction of points. Behind the head dancer, rows of drummers march in. Boom-ba-boom-boom. After them, an ornate, gaudy, grotesquely exquisite float pulls in, featuring half a dozen smiling, samba-ing showgirls, stirring up the crowds. Behind that, lines of costumed dancers – male and female – some with swirling skirts, some with large masks, all with a lot of spirit.

Almost anyone can be one of these dancers, if they are willing to pay their way in. Sometimes, supporters of the samba school are invited to walk in the parade. Sometimes, tourists fork over the bucks to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Behind those people, come more floats, more samba dancers, more drums. As each school passes, its fans sing their ‘fight’ song. This You Tube clip will give you an idea of what its like.

The year I went, my friend took me to the Salgueiro samba school, a couple of weeks before carnaval got underway. The whole place was bustling and draped with its colors. It was loud, and it was hot (in every sense of the word!) He asked a female friend to teach me to samba.

At first, I felt a bit intimidated, but once her hips were swinging and shaking, and she was having a damn good time doing it, I just let myself go. Whatever I lacked in technique, I believe I made up for in enthusiasm! And, at least I had some basic moves when watching the flurry of celebration in the Sambadromo. And, I think that pretty much sums up Carnaval and the Brazilian way of life. Let loose, have fun, drink a caipirinha and dance!

TLM Interviews Square One Vodka CEO, Allison Evanow

Against The Grain

Allison Evanow has a long relationship with the spirits industry. She began by bartending while working on her MBA at Thunderbird Business School, in Arizona. Upon completion of her studies, Pepsico offered her a position in Mexico City, where she lived for two years. After spending the next five years in Spain, Jose Cuervo came calling, in need of an Executive who spoke Spanish and had a strong understanding of Latin American and Hispanic cultures.

Today, Allison lives in Novato, California with her husband, Bill, and twin boys. After becoming a mother at 39, she decided to parlay her know-how and experience into her own business. Driven by the concept that a sound business can have “soul,” Allison conceived the idea for Square One vodka.

Her organic spirits company is an expression of socially responsible meeting modern lifestyle. Allison defines herself, first and foremost, as a foodie. Alison calls Square One "a great vodka for foodies.” She explains, “I had worked with Domain Chandon - and I love wine - but as a business person and consumer, I find spirits more fun. Wine is someone else’s end product. With spirits, you create your own.” She warns that one has to be careful mixing spirits and food, and it helps to be knowledgeable bout food and balance. For example, she suggests a straight martini to complement oysters, while a slightly sweet vodka cocktail made with fresh ginger, agave nectar and vermouth is fabulous with sushi or ahi tuna.

Allison also enjoys taking her passion for creating in the kitchen to the bar, cooking up new combinations resulting in mind-blowing cocktail recipes! While doing this interview over the phone, she was cooking up persimmons, nutmeg and ginger to use in drinks for a party, that evening. (recipe below) She jokes, “My husband says, I bet CEO’s of other liquor companies don’t spend time cooking up herbs in their kitchens.”

And, this type of personal touch is exactly what makes Square One vodka shine. As I preach in my cocktail seminars, the quality of the ingredients makes or breaks the cocktail. Also, as a proponent of sustainable lifestyle, I feel good about supporting these rare companies that follow through on their promises. Allison says that 80% of the emails she receives are from women, who are choosing which bottles to buy in the stores, taking cocktail classes and expressing interest in companies who ‘walk the walk’ of their marketing campaigns.

Square One is truly organic, not ‘organic-lite’ like many other things we are sold. Allison explains, “All vodkas talk about filtration. I thought, rather than cleaning up the vodka on the back end, why not start at ‘square one’?”

Allison points out that making Square One “organic” happens at two levels. First, they start with 100% certified organic rye, no herbicides, no genetic modification, etc. Next, the distillation process is organic. Finding that rye is a more difficult grain to distill, Square One loses 50% of the yield. However, the result is a creamier, softer flavor.

Square One even uses non-toxic ink and recycled paper made from bamboo, cotton and sugar cane pulp for their labels. Allison points out that it costs more money to produce vodka this way but she prefers a smaller profit for a product which makes her proud. She says, “We took a big hit on our profit margins to present Square One, on the shelves. We ask our distributors to do the same.” (With an average cost of $30, Square One vodka runs $2 - $8 more than Grey Goose.)

Allison sums up her approach to spirit-making like this, “We are literally trying to go against the grain but we are up against the big boys.” She says that the deep pockets of large liquor companies can afford to put a lot of money toward marketing, and differentiates Square One this way, "Our philosophy is not just inside the bottle."

Square One is served worldwide but if you find yourself in Allison’s neck of the woods, a few Bay Area restaurants serving it are: Fifth Floor, Frisson, Rye and NOPA.

Here is a special recipe created by Allison, herself! :

Square ‘simmon (aka: “Golden Gate”)

Persimmon Puree
4 fuyu persimmons, chopped (remove seeds)
1 fresh vanilla bean, split down the middle to open
2 Tbsp. Crystallized ginger, cut into small cubes
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 c. sugar
3 c. water
Juice of 1 lemon

In a medium-sized stock pot, melt sugar over medium heat until amber/golden brown, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Once color is achieved, remove from heat and pour water slowly down the sides of the pot. Water will bubble, steam and sputter and sugar will immediately harden. Return to medium-high heat and cook until sugar is melted again, stirring occasionally. Once completely melted again, add chopped persimmons, vanilla bean and crystallized ginger. Cook on medium-low heat (strong simmer) for about 2 hours, or until persimmons are completely soft and liquid is reduced by almost half. Stir in a pinch of nutmeg. Cool, then remove vanilla bean, discard pod, and scrape any remaining pulp from inside bean into mixture. Add lemon juice, then puree until finely pureed. Working in small batches, pour puree into a sieve strainer. Use the back of a large spoon to press the puree solids against the sieve. Use the fine liquid puree to make the cocktail. The remaining thick puree in the strainer can be jarred for a few days and used as a delicious jam.

Golden Gate Cocktail
2 oz. Square One Organic Vodka
2 oz. Persimmon Puree
Ice

Shake vodka and puree vigorously for 30 seconds. (This cocktail needs dilution or it will be too thick, so shake away!) Strain into chilled martini glass. No garnish required as the vanilla bean specks float beautifully in the glass!

You Give Me Fever...!

Anyone tried this new "stimulation beverage?" Apparently, it tastes of ginger and vanilla, and its herbal blend is supposed to be liquid Viagra. It launched within the last month. I'm dying to get my hands on some... gotta know, gotta know! Sipsters, I'd love to hear your reports...

Chicago Warms Up With Valentine’s Day Drinks

The Windy City's N9NE Steakhouse shares these delicious-looking libations with The Liquid Muse community. (Flirtation looks particularly temping, to me… yum!)

Flirtation
1 oz. White Godiva
1 1/2 oz. Stoli Strawberry
1/2 oz. heavy cream

Shake in a shaker and serve on the rocks with a strawberry garnish.

Kama Sutra
1 1/2 oz. Level vodka
1 1/2 oz. peach sake
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. mango puree
ice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, shake once, and pour into a wineglass over ice. Garnish with edible orchid, orange slice and cherry.

Love Potion #9
1 oz. Stolichnaya vodka
1 1/2 oz. Alize Passion
1 1/2 oz. Alize Gold Passion
splash of fresh orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

Bubbling With Love – With or Without a Guy!

Every Sipster knows that nothing sparkles like champagne. (Well, ok, diamonds, sparkle more but let’s stay on topic here…)

Personally, I could drink champagne, prosecco, cava (basically, any sparkling wine) any day of the week… but today is the day of the year to really indulge. And, just because my husband is on a business trip, don’t think that I won’t enjoy a champagne cocktail! No man is necessary to indulge in a nice hot bubble bath, a few luscious chocolates and a chilled glass of champagne (or two). This post is devoted to the sparklers, and I have a several to share with you!

Let’s start with a couple of sparkling cocktails from MARTINI & ROSSI® Asti to get you in the mood…

Eternal Kiss
1 / 2 oz Strawberry Puree
1 / 2 oz Rose Syrup
4 oz MARTINI & ROSSI Asti
Strawberry Slice
Pour puree and Rose Syrup into champagne flute and mix with a stir
stick, add MARTINI & ROSSI Asti. Garnish with strawberry slice.

Cupid's Arrow
1 oz Pink Lemonade
4 oz MARTINI & ROSSI Asti
Splash of Grenadine
Lemon Slice
Pour Pink Lemonade into champagne flute, add MARTINI & ROSSI Asti
over top of lemonade. Garnish with Lemon Slice.

Want to try something unusual? How about this “manly” twist on a champagne cocktail…

Black Velvet
5 oz chilled Guinness
1 1⁄2 oz chilled Champagne
Pour Guinness into champagne flute. Add champagne carefully, so it does not mix with Guinness, and serve.

Do you like to color coordinate your cocktails with the holiday? If so, you will love this I tasted this Pommery Pink POP Rosé Champagne. I really enjoyed tasting it. It isn’t overly sweet (a danger with pink champagne sometimes) but has lovely fruity tones.

If you are cooking for your sweetie, or friends or spoiling yourself, tonight, this is super with grilled or smoked salmon, proscuitto and melon or poached lobster. Or, transition into dessert and serve this with fruit tarts, crème brulée or berries and cream.

ZEN-out!

The Tea Trend Hits the Bottle...

If you’ve been paying attention, you know that Tea-tinis are becoming the latest cocktail craze, coast-to-coast. Later this week I will be highlighting places you can find some of those exciting libations…

In the meantime, I want to share this fab new product: ZEN Green Tea Liqueur. Known for healing and protective qualities, green tea is one of the most popular new health crazes in America. ZEN liqueur takes the battle for enlightenment to the bar!

ZEN has the taste of green tea (but yummier). It is a little herby, rather sweet and absolutely unique. It is a tiny bit reminiscent of Midori (melon liqueur) but not as fruity. It has the slightest hint of wheatgrass juice (but without the nasty aftertaste). If you like mate, green tea or other herbal flavors, and if you like being on the edge of ‘what’s hot now,” it’s a must try!

Here is a recipe, courtesy of ZEN:

ZENTINI
1 part ZEN Green Tea Liqueur
2 parts SKYY Citrus
Splash of Lime juice
Shake and serve in a martini glass

Mardi Gras Cocktails

Focus: New Orleans (Carnavale cocktails coming...!)

Carolyn Fox invited me to be a guest on her radio show on KHZ radio, to talk about Mardi Gras cocktails. We are recording it today, and it will run later this week. I am very excited about this topic, as there are so many fun cocktails from New Orleans and a rich history behind them. It is even rumored that the term "cocktail" was coined in New Orleans, itself.

The Original New Orleans Cocktail
Legend has it that in 1838, French Quarter resident, and pharmacist, Amadee Peychaud played around with brandy, bitters and an egg cup (called a coquetier in French). Nearly 2 centuries later, this concoction is still popular in the Big Easy and known as The Sazerac:

2 oz Straight Rye Whiskey (or Bourbon)
Dashes of bitters
1/4 oz Pernod (licorice and herbs)
1 tbsp Simple Syrup (or 1 sugar cube)

Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Feeling Fizzy
Another popular drink from NOLA was invented in the 1880’s by Henry C. Ramos, in his bar at Meyer's Restaurant. It is rumored that Louisiana governor at that time, Huey P. Long, took hs favorite New Orleans bartender with him to New York so he could enjoy a well-made Ramos Gin Fizz whenever he pleased!

2 oz. gin
3 drops orange flower water
1 egg white
1 tsp. bar sugar
1 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
1 oz.cream
Soda water

Shake very vigorously for at least one minute. Strain into a tall thin glass, or a very large old fashioned glass, and top with some soda water. Stir.

*note: The secret of its flavor and texture is orange flower water and egg whites. If you don’t find orange flower water in your favorite liquor store, try a Middle-Eastern markets.

Hot Stuff
The French word for “burn” is bruler. Brulot refers to burned with spices or sugar. This Café Brulot recipe is attributed to Dominique Youx, top lieutenant to the pirate, Jean Lafitte.
1 lemon
1 orange
6 whole cloves
2 small cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 ounces triple sec
1 ounce brandy
1 1/2 cups black coffee

A brulot bowl is any silver or copper bowl that can be heated with sterno or candle flames from the bottom. Over your brulot bowl, peel lemon, then orange, allowing any juice to go into the bowl. Add cloves, cinnamon stick, triple sec and brandy. Bring the liquid to a slight simmer, stirring constantly. Ignite the mixture inside the bowl with a long match. Slowly add hot coffee, pouring around the edges of the bowl so that the sizzling sound may be heard. Continue stirring until flame dies out. Ladel into cups.

Hold On To Your Hats - It's A Hurricane!
2 million people come to New Orleans, every year. The city's population is about a million inhabitants and it has more than 3000 bars. Alcohol laws are, shall we say, “fluid” and booze flows every day of the week, at any hour of the day. “To-go” cups are even permitted, so revelers can sip a cocktails while strolling down the street. I've walked right up to a sidewalk vendor and bought this New Orleans classic, myself! The Hurricane, said to have been invented in the 1940’s at Pat O'Briens bar in the French Quarter, and named after the shape of a hurricane lamp.

2 oz light rum
2 oz dark rum
2 oz passion fruit juice
1 oz orange juice
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 tbsp simple syrup
1 tbsp grenadine

Shake (or blend) all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a hurricane glass. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice. (Photo courtesy of Acadiana.)

In the mood for a beer?
Try Abita Beer (also called the Mardi Gras beer) A local brew, it is made in Abita Springs, Louisiana

When the Valet Farts in Your Car...

What would you do?

Had it happen last night. Very awkward. He pulled my car up, took the money from my hand, grinning all the while. We got in - Kelly, Sue, George and I - and we nearly jumped back out! The most vile, putrid odor filled the car... (And, I know it wasn't one of us. We know each other well enough that we would have admitted it...)

I've never had a valet fart in my car before. What is the appropriate protocol? Take back the tip? Say something? I imagine it wasn't intentional so I didn't want to be too mean... but it was nasty. Does the Valet Training Guide outline that this is not appropriate behavior?

So, do you:
a) just pretend nothing happened and pull away from the curb?
b) act like an A-Hole and shame the valet?
c) complain to someone about it?
d) just roll down the windows and drive down Sunset Blvd. practically puking up the Thai food and beer you just enjoyed moments before...?

Really, just in case it happens again... I want to be prepared! What would you do?

Toast A Soldier

Putting politics aside and getting down to a human level, I like to send a message to those poor buggers in Iraq (and other troubled parts of the globe) who deserve a little boost in morale. If you feel the same, send them a toast on the Six Packs For Soldiers Site.

Poland Gets the Gold!

Leszek Kraszewski is the Head Honcho, Number One, International Champion in Finlandia Vodka's 9th Annual Vodka Cup.

In a blind tasting, his drinks won as overall best. They were judged by not only their taste but also aromatic and aesthetic qualities.

Leszak tends bar in Warszawa's swanky lounge, THE Cinnamon. He, like all the bartenders there, attended a 2-week intensive bartender school. Kraszewski looks at bartending as a long-time career.

In Lapland, his cocktails got him not only a gold medal, special plaque but also some hugs from the Finlandia Hostesses (whom I affectionately refer to as the Finnish Snow Princesses).

Here are his winning drinks:

ButterFly
4 cl Finlandia Vodka
2 cl De Kuyper Butterscotch
Ginger Ale
cinnamon syrup

Shake vodka and butterscotch and cinnamon syrup. Top with Ginger Ale. Garnish with a rose petal.

Now Cochones
3 cl Finlandia Redberry (this flavor is not available in the US)
2 cl De Kuyper Peach Tree
3 cl Grapefruit juice
3 cl Orange juice
3 cl Lychee juice
Shake, strain and pour into glass. Garnish with a lychee and one berry.

Passion of Cinnamon
4 cl Finlandia Grapefruit (will be available in the US in April)
2 cl DK Watermelon
1 cl Sour
4 cl Cranberry juice
Shake and garnish with a blackberry.

English Flair

David Cordoba is the English lad (with the Spanish name) who placed second in the International Vodka Cup.

A veteran of "Flair" competitions, David is a man of many talents. In the vodka cup, only the drinks mattered but he treated the crowd to a little show at the after-party following the Awards Ceremony.


TIJUANA LADY
35ml Finladia Lime Fusion
15ml Yellow Chartreuse
25ml lime juice
15ml Agave syrup
1 dash Egg white

Put all ingredients into a boston glass add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with lime zest

SUN IS SHINING
60ml Finlandia Mango Fusion
25ml lime juice
2 barspoon Apricot conserve or Jam
Passion fruit
Sparkling or Soda water

Put the first 4 ingredients into a boston glass, mix well with a bar spoon. Add ice and shaker. Single strain into a high ball or sling glass full of ice and top with soda. Garnish with a slice of mango & 1/4 piece of passion fruit

THE WHITE REINDEER NIGHT
50 ml Finlandia Cramberry Fusion
10 ml Cherry marnier
50 ml white peach puree
12.5 ml Demerara - honeycomb vanilla infusion gomme
2 dashes eggwhite

Put all ingredients into a boston glass add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into an old granny's tea cup. Garnish with 3 cubes or balls of white peach

Mexican Spirit

If Cesar Hernandez did not win the Bronze Medal (third place) in the Vodka Cup, I would have bestowed him with Mr. Congeniality. His unending enthusiasm was contagious!

Even when most of us were dragging our asses around (after parting 'til the wee hours, then waking at 6:30 am to brace the freezing cold and resume relentless - though fun - activities) Cesar was smiling, joking and always wearing the Mexican flag pinned to his snowsuit. The night of the award dinner and ceremony, he went around to every person in the room and offered them a sip of tequila in celebration. Gotta love it.

Rumor has it he has already been offered a job bartending in Romania for a season... A long way from home but an experience to be sure.

Cesar's home bar is in Playa del Carmen, outside Cancun, Mexico. His drinks for the vodka cup are:


Cranberry Breeze
1 oz. Finlandia Cranberry Fusion
3 oz. Cranberry juice
3 oz. Orange juice
1 splash Amaretto
Shake, with ice. Pour into cocktail glass, garnish with orange peel twist and cranberries.

QQ Lime
1 oz. Finlandia Lime Fusion
1/2 oz. Roses lime
4 oz. Cucumber juice
Brown sugar
Shake all ingredients with ice, served in hollowed-out cucumber.

Finland Rocher
1 1/2 oz. Finlandia Vodka
1 oz. Frangelico
4 oz. Condensed milk
3 Ferrero Rocher chocolates
Sweet cream
Blend or shake very vigorously. Serve over crushed ice in a tall wine glass.

Like Miss Universe, But Better!

Continued Coverage of the International Vodka Cup Cocktail Competition...

It was better than Miss Universe for me, anyway. Firstly the contestants were mostly men (though I must give a 'shout out' to the few kick-a** women bartenders in the group) and all were making cocktails. Hellooo...?

Finally, here is a list of those 22 bartenders who beat out the competition in their own countries, and won a trip to the Ice Hotel in Finland, to vie for the ultimate placement as world champion. Each created 3 cocktails that wowed judges enough to get them this far... (I'd say they deserve a toast!)

Hoath Zsolt – Hungary, Costin Gache – Romania, Massimo Goacchini – Italy, Steffan Lohr – Germany, Paul Lambert – Ireland, Joost Dikmans – Netherlands, Martin Manov – Bulgaria, Leszek Kraszewski – Poland, Cesar Hernandez – Mexico, Arnaldo Hernandez Semidy – Puerto Rico, Shay Coren – Israel, Harri Tormanen – Finland, Giorgos Petris – Greece, David Cordoba – England, Francisco Antonia – El Salvador, Branislav Kunik – Serbia, Gurkam Gumus – Turkey, Olga Markevich – Russia, Aaron Specht – USA, Chris Harrop – New Zealand, Malinchev Vladimir – Ukraine, Mathew Hewitt – Australia

Sexpresso? Seriously?

TLM is not a Fan... Are men in Seattle really so hard up that they have to drive through coffee stands to leer at young girls in stripper outfits doling out coffee?

As The Liquid Muse, I'm all about inspiration in liquid form. I have no judgment over (consenting adults) getting their jollies off porn, a lap dance, or just plain old 'drunk sex with a stranger.'

But, please, folks, this is just plain pathetic...

Cocktail Lovers' Orgy

This photo is a grouping of the cocktails presented in Finlandia Vodka's 9th Annual International Vodka Cup finals at the Ice Hotel in Finland, where 22 Bartenders from 22 countries competed for the best drink.

Dunno know about you, but this many gorgeous libations all on one slab of ice makes me hot.

(Pant, pant.)

US Shake Off Winner, Aaron Specht

Ok, Sipsters! Has the anticipation been killin' ya? The winner of the US Shake Off, in Finland, was Aaron Specht of Denver.

Specht, bar manager at Prime 121, won the regional cocktail shake off, in Colorado, earlier this fall. And, like a true red-blooded American male, Aaron showed up in Finland intent to become the champion. Confident, cocky, shit-talkin' and ready to 'shake down' the competition, Aaron's tasty cocktails won him a spot in the International Shake Off, later that day. (The top three winners in that competition will be featured this week on The Liquid Muse...)

Here is the recipe for Aaron's dessert drink:

Key To Finland
1 oz. Finlandia vodka
1 oz. lime juice
2 oz. whipped cream
1/8 slice key lime pie

Shake all ingredients, vigorously. Serve up, in a pie crust-rimmed cocktail glass.

Superbowl Cocktails

Having friends over for the big game? Here are a couple of cocktails to help you toast your favorite team! (recipes and images, courtesy of Smirnoff vodka)

The Victory Dance (for the Indianapolis Colts fan)
1.0 oz Smirnoff Vodka
.5 oz Blue Curacao (or triple sec)
.75 oz lemon juice

Shake well with ice and strain into cocktail glass rimmed with sugar. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Bear Claw (for the Chicago Bears fan)
1.5 oz Cuervo Oranjo (new flavored tequila with fresh orange extracts)
4 oz Soda water
2 oz Cranberry juice

Serve over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with lime and orange.

And, for a sideline snack...

Royal Hot Wings (Serves 4)

(courtesy of Crown Royal)

1 jar (16oz.) of hot sauce

2 tablespoons horseradish

16 - 20 chicken wings

¼ cup of Crown Royal® whisky

Wash chicken wings and pat dry. Cut off and discard chicken wing tips; cut each wing in half at the joint. Preheat broiler to 400 degrees.

Line inside of broiler pan with foil to catch drips. Arrange chicken wings on broiler pan. Broil chicken wings about 6 inches from heat for 15 minutes, turning frequently to keep them from burning.

Combine hot sauce, horseradish with Crown Royal whisky. Bring to a boil. Brush wings with sauce; turn and brush the other side. Continue broiling and basting for 10 to 15 minutes longer, removing smaller, flatter pieces earlier as needed.

Celebrity Sips

Ivanka Trump, Bringing "Classy" Back...

On my way back to California, from covering the Vodka Cup competition in Finland, I changed planes at JFK in New York. Joie (also an LA resident on the trip) and I were at the United stand, checking in, when a glamorous creature wafted up to the counter, inquiring if there were any seats left in First Class because she had a friend who wanted to join her on the flight to LA. (Of course there were seats - who would say "no" to a Trump?)

Joie and I had both woken up at 4-something, that morning, in Lapland. We had endured a 2-hour busride, a 2-hour flight from a tiny airport near the Arctic Circle to Helsinki, and an 8-hour flight from Helsinki to NY. Speaking for myself, I was exhausted, stinky (wearing the same three pairs of socks for about 4 days, the same 2 pairs of long johns, the same cuddly, warm turtleneck and my now stained-and-filthy pants. I had bags under my eyes, the beginnings of a cough and, of course, my 2-inch roots.

Ivanka, a vision of all that a socialite should be, wore elegant, tight-fitting leather boots, a fabulous emerald green coat, had perfect make-up and hair, and a dazzling whiter-than-nature-can-create smile. To make matters worse, it was impossible to "hate her because she's beautiful" (and wealthy) due to her impeccable manners, friendly attitude and non-Diva demeanor. And, trust me, at that moment, feeling like an absolute toad next to this vision of everything Manhattan and Hollywood, rolled into one (who surely had enjoyed a full night's sleep, to boot) I wanted to hate her.

While so many celebs are spoiled, taudry and wreak of unbearably rotted personalities, Ivanka says "please" and "thank you," and treats people (like the United check-in lady) with respect. She happened to be next to me again, when boarding the plane, and she made jokes with other passengers in line and chatted merrily with the "mystery friend" on the phone, for whom she bought the ticket, asking if he/she would make the flight on time.

If I were a gossip columnist, I may have snapped a pic with my cell or made a point of spying on the poor lass, gathering any juicy detail with which to smear her name in cyberspace. However, I am a cocktail, travel, lifestyle journalist, and luckily such acts of desperation do not fall into my job-description.

What I do wish to share about Ms. Trump, as it relates to cocktails, is that her pops has created their own brand of vodka. I first heard about Trump Vodka last year, and made a vain attempt at getting a sample and more info, in order to blog about it on The Liquid Muse. However, this seems like the perfect opportunity to bring up the subject, and ask if any of you in Sipsterland have tasted it? If so, please comment below. I'd love to hear what you think of it...

And, in the meantime, I'm happy to report my newfound respect for Daddy's Little Girl. I might even start watching The Apprentice again...

The Shake Down

The Vodka Cup was divided into two competitions. First, the five US champions participated in the US Shake Off. The winner from this event went on to represent the USA in the International finals, a few hours later.

Both competitions took place at this bar, made entirely of ICE, in the Ice Hotel, in Lapland, Finland.

In both competitions, the bartenders made three rounds of drinks; an aperitif, a long drink and a dessert drink. Each round was timed, so the bartenders had 7 minutes to create their cocktails, consisting of up to 5 ingredients and a garnish. When the buzzer went off, the compeleted cocktails were taken back to the judges who sat in a separate (heated) building.

The main room, in which the competition took place, was well below zero (as was the whole ice construction) and the bartenders hands shook (from nerves and the cold), while the rest of us sipped warm beverages in our full-body snowsuits (my favorite was the Finlandia Mango with Hot Chocolate... YUM!) God bless the bartenders!

The Five US Regional Finalists are:

Lisa Combs
Region: Detroit
Drinks: Mango Tango
Sparkling Berrilicious
Bera Skin Rug

Paul Stern
Region: Chicago
Drinks: Mango Warm Up
Thai Lime Cooler
Fin Berry Brulee

Katriva Riggins
Region: Miami
Drinks: Coy Fin Cocktail
Fin Vine
Mocha FINal

Jason Magers
Region: Arizona
Drinks: Helsinkian Nuclear Wombat
Starlight Margarita
Wildberry Joe

Aaron Specht
Region: Denver
Drinks: Wango Mango
Finnish Fama Mama
Key to Finland

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on the winner of the US Shake Off, who went on to meet 21 international competitors in the finals... (and, yes, I will be providing drink photos and recipes!)