Benedict Arnold

I really should have shared this the day both Jaromir Jagr and Max Talbot signed with the Flyers. However, it's become pretty obvious that Talbot's move to the Flyers, as understandable as it was for him from a business standpoint, has gotten to his former teammates during the 2012 Playoffs. (Copying his "shhh", Kris Letang? Really?) So, another strong classic for Game 4 that seems to fit.

Benedict Arnold

2/3 ounce whiskey
1/3 ounce Benedictine liqueur

Shake with ice in a shaker. Strain ice; serve in a cocktail glass. Go top shelf for the whiskey if you make this one.

Captain's Punch

Questions have been swirling around the Penguins throughout this depressing first round of playoffs, but the main one is, "Why are the Penguins so dang cute and cuddly?" Oh, wait, that's not it. The main one is, "What the hell happened to them?" Watching the Penguins combine porous defense with outright thuggery was embarrassing for fans at best. And Sidney Crosby, usually a good leader, was right in the thick of it.

But let's have some fun with this. We're going to want something strong for Game 4. Something that tastes almost as good coming up as it does going down, if things come to that. In light of our captain's aggression, Captain's Punch, a Southern classic, somehow seems right.

Captain's Punch

1/2 oz spiced rum (like Captain Morgan)
1/2 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1/2 oz Southern Comfort
2 1/2 oz orange juice (no pulp is best)

Fill a highball or old-fashioned glass with ice cubes. Pour all ingredients into it. Stir fast, drink slow.

Game Time Decision

It's midseason, yet I hadn't posted any cocktail recipes for our beloved Pittsburgh Penguins since preseason. Part of it is that I've been uninspired. I've either come up with drinks that are far too precious to whip together before a hockey game (lavender-sage simple syrup with Meyer lemon-infused vodka, anyone?) or extremely simplistic ("Hmmm, what would go good with this flavor of Zevia? Oh, vanilla vodka with that, too!").

Mostly, however, it's that injuries have made the season depressing. Sidney Crosby came back to us....for a whole eight games. Kris Letang's broken nose and flu, which were bad enough, ended up actually being a concussion. Zbynek Michaelek and Tyler Kennedy were also concussed. Other players have had more standard injuries to their feet, hands, and knees: Richard Park, Ben Lovejoy, Paul Martin. Yesterday, the Penguins disclosed that Jordan Staal will be out for 4-6 weeks with a knee injury, Craig Adams suffered a knee injury during this morning's practice, and James Neal has a broken foot. I may have missed somebody, and at this point, I don't care.

Oh, and the Steelers are now officially out of the playoffs! Yippee!

A couple of weeks ago, one of my tweeps (I apologize for forgetting which one) suggested that I make something called a "Game Time Decision," as so many of our Penguins and even our AHL boys have those words printed after their names. I went with something that tastes a bit harsh, but is warming in this oh-so-cold winter and tastes like courage in a cup. Our guys need it.

Game Time Decision

6-8 ounces hot brewed coffee
2 ounces bourbon
1 teaspoon sugar
1 or 2 dashes cayenne pepper
1 or 2 dashes cinnamon

Brew the coffee. Slowly stir in the cayenne, cinnamon, and sugar, then the bourbon. Drink while it's still hot.

Cursed Third Jersey

"Blue" should really be a category in itself here, because I have an unnatural fondness for unnaturally blue drinks. But Penguins fan @BangBangPenguin suggested on Twitter that I make yet another and name it after the allegedly cursed new blue third jerseys. (Frankly, I got a Sidney Crosby one for Christmas 2010--one of the best gifts my mother ever gave me--and have only worn it once. You know why.)

So, once again, time to get out the trusty blue curacao and drink up. We'll probably need it.

Cursed Blue Jersey

1 ounce blue curacao
1/2 ounce Goldschlager
1 ounce white rum
2 ounces light ginger ale (Canada Dry, Northern Neck, etc.)

Mix the blue curacao, Goldschlager, and white rum in a shaker with a handful of ice (preferably crushed). Pour, ice and all, in an old fashioned glass. Top with ginger ale. Stir very lightly.

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS: I only suggest Goldschlager because of the gold flakes, which suggested "Vegas Gold" to me. Any other cinnamon schnapps would do. Coconut-flavored rum is also tasty in this. As for the ginger ale, a darker and richer variety such as Vernor's or Blenheim's would be delicious, but muddy the color, thereby not making it match the cursed blue jerseys anymore.

First Taste of Hockey

I haven't done much here at Cocktails with the Penguins, or my personal blog either, this summer. I've been busy, and Twitter has absorbed most of my words. Also, it's been one hell of a depressing offseason. But we have hockey tonight! Pittsburgh Penguins hockey! It may only be preseason, but it's against the Detroit Red Wings and looks to be lots of fun. (My wife and I have bet our earlobes, and I sincerely hope I'm not wearing her itchy, ugly Winged Wheel earrings to work tomorrow.)

I came up with a drink involving late summer/early autumn fruit that tastes as good as preseason hockey feels. Get out the blender!

First Taste of Hockey

Half a black or red plum
4 ounces peach cider
2 ounces bourbon
Dash of ginger
Dash of vanilla
Cup of ice

Peel and seed the plum half. (Eat the other, or do whatever else you want with it.) Puree it with half of the peach cider and half of the bourbon. When that's smooth, add in the ice, ginger, vanilla, rest of the cider, and rest of the bourbon. Blend together. Pour into a tumbler, enjoy the game, and hope that absolutely no Penguins get hurt!

Painkiller for Trade Week

Hockey's over for the summer, but there's still a lot going on in Penguins Nation. There are the optimistic reports: Sidney Crosby's working out twice a day, like he did in summers before the concussion! Evgeni Malkin's healing up from his ACL surgery really well! Dan Bylsma swears he's working on the power play! The Philadelphia Flyers finally got a decent goalie, but jettisoned their best forwards to pay for him!

Then there are the moments when we realize how different our own team will look very soon. Tyler Kennedy became an unrestricted free agent today, after writing his resume late last season. Max Talbot turned down an offer from Ray Shero. Rumors of Jaromir Jagr's possible return have longtime fans getting jumpy. And as I write, something else may have happened.

So. We need something good and strong. Something to take away the pain we'll be feeling as we refresh Twitter and our favorite Pittsburgh Penguins forums the next few days. I can't think of anything better than the Painkiller, a terrific tiki classic. The following is the traditional recipe, though the proportions of the non-liquor ingredients can be played with to make a stronger or weaker (and still quite tasty) drink.

Painkiller

2 ounces dark rum
4 ounces pineapple juice
1 ounce coconut cream
1 ounce orange juice

Shake with a few ice cubes, then strain into an tall glass filled with ice. Sprinkle ground nutmeg on top.

If you feel like working a little harder, I've been enjoying this rum-infused Painkiller sorbet as well.

NOTE ON INGREDIENTS: The original recipe calls specifically for Pusser's dark rum. I don't endorse any brand, and have had no problem with other brands. Fresh orange juice is also recommended, but it's hard to come by this time of year. Any good not-from-concentrate orange juice with a bit of pulp will work.

Sidney's Superstition

As Penguins fans, we hated the 2011 Winter Classic, but loved HBO's 24/7 series. One of the better parts addressed Sidney Crosby's many superstitions, including his 5 pm peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I wanted to do this drink in his honor, and then his season ended in early January. But, his doctor's cleared him for his usual summer workout routine. This made me pathetically happy after that depressing 2010-11 season. So, celebrate the fact that we (knock on wood!) have Crosby on his way back to us with this shooter. He can't have it at 5 pm on game day, but that shouldn't stop you this fall. It's better than putting on a nasty old cup, anyway.

Sidney's Superstition

1 ounce Castries peanut liqueur
1 ounce strawberry vodka

Shake ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice until well-blended. Serve in a shot glass immediately. Recipe can easily be multiplied for a group.

NOTE ON INGREDIENTS: I don't specifically endorse Castries, and I'm certainly not getting paid by any liquor company. I simply don't know any other peanut liqueur. (My first "peanut butter and jelly"-ish shooter was actually made with Frangelico.) This one's very creamy, intense, and rum-based.

Adios Motherfucker, Redux

I'd love to be welcoming Sidney Crosby back with a peanut-butter-and-jelly shooter, but that's most likely not going to happen. We don't get Matt Cooke back unless the Penguins go to the second round, and Evgeni Malkin is still on the mend. So. Our boys need to use the forces they have. We've seen them do it for months now, to much better effect than they have the past two games.

I've posted this classic drink recipe before, but it's even more appropriate now that the Tampa Bay Lightning forced a Game 7 in the quarterfinals. Birds of the Burgh suggested on Twitter last night that I make a drink for a team facing elimination and make it strong. Nothing else seems more right than this.

While you're making this Wednesday evening, one of my favorite fight songs: "Comanche", by the Revels.

Adios Motherfucker

1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz light rum
1/2 oz silver tequila
1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz blue curacao liqueur
2 oz sweet and sour mix
2 oz lemon-lime soda

Pour all the ingredients except for the lemon-lime soda into a chilled glass filled with ice cubes. Float soda on top. Stir gently.

Let's grind these bitches down!

Arron Appreciation

When Arron Asham first came to the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Philadelphia Flyers, I was among the skeptics. I joked about how Asham would have to "wash the Flyers stink off with tomato juice," as one does when they're sprayed by a skunk.

When Asham scored his second goal of the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, it occured to me that he deserved a drink. This is a variation on the Highland Mary or Mary, Queen of Scots, which uses Scotch instead of vodka. I don't like Bloody Marys of any description, but after all, Asham needs that tomato juice. I also don't eat meat. That said, it can't all be citrus, spice, and everything nice here at Cocktails with the Penguins, and a friend of mine really liked this, so some of you may, too.

Arron Appreciation

1 1/2 ounces Scotch
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 dashes Tabasco Chipotle sauce
dash Worcestershire sauce
2 regular-size pieces Slim Jim or similar beef jerky

Combine all liquid ingredients in a shaker with a handful of ice. Snap one of the jerky pieces in half, and add that to the shaker to flavor the drink. Shake until blended. Strain into a tall glass half-filled with ice. Use the other piece of jerky as a garnish/swizzle stick.

Ingredient note: The flavors in here are so rich, there's no need to waste a truly great Scotch on this. Go ahead and use the cheap stuff.

The Pittsburgh Penguin

Recipes for cocktails called the Detroit Red Wing and Dallas Star exist. I believe I invented something that can fairly be called the San Jose Shark a couple weeks ago. (Like other people, I got inspired by the teal color of their uniforms. I won't post it until later, if at all.) When I decided to share the San Jose Shark on Twitter, I felt kinda bad that I'd never gotten around to creating something worth calling the Pittsburgh Penguin.

Then I found out about a Kahlua cocktail called a Panda Bear. I love pandas. I love all black and white animals. I'm not ashamed to admit that this is why the Penguins logo initially caught my attention. I liked the concept of the dark Kahlua with something creamy, but hate milk in a cocktail. I also got inspired by the Dallas Star to use Goldschlager, as Vegas Gold is part of the team's colors.

I enjoyed the hell out of it last night, though the Penguins weren't on. I like almost every cocktail I improvise. They're like children--I value each one because I made them and it cost a bomb to bring them into this world. (I don't use cheap liquor.) So I did a quick Twitterpoll. My tweeps' response confirmed that I was on to something.

So, finally, *the* Pittsburgh Penguin cocktail!

Pittsburgh Penguin

1 1/2 ounce Kahlua
1 ounce cream of coconut
1 ounce Goldschlager
crushed ice

Shake all liquid ingredients in a shaker. Fill an old-fashioned glass about two-thirds of the way with crushed ice. Pour the liquid over the ice.

Should any Penguins fan have a different idea of what would fit, or know of a drink called the Pittsburgh Penguin that existed before this one, I'm listening.

Note on ingredients: I am not compensated by any company, and do not endorse any brand. I use brand names here only because I don't know any substitutes for the types of liquor used.

Real Deal Neal

I missed an opportunity to name a drink after James Neal when he scored his first goal as a Pittsburgh Penguin, and this one's amazing, so I'm making up for it.

Detroit Red Wings games are always super-stressful for me, because I'm married to a Red Wings fan. Since we're both women, we traditionally bet that the one whose team loses will wear the other's NHL team earrings to work the next day. I was happily visualizing the Penguins earrings in her lobes when the Penguins proceeded to piss away a 4-0 lead (or the Wings came back, or both). The Wings tied it, and the game went to shootout. Of...course!

Joey McDonald had done a terrific job for the Wings after Jimmy Howard was chased out of the net. But it wasn't quite enough. James Neal, after lots of good tries throughout the game, scored the one and only shootout goal. That was all the Penguins needed, really. And so, in gratitude to Neal for keeping those ugly, itchy Winged Wheels out of my earlobes, I offer this. I'm still in love with variations on the caipirinha, and I'm surprised at myself for not thinking to combine two of my favorite flavors sooner. Maybe this can help you forget controversies involving elbow-happy wingers for a moment.

Real Deal Neal

2 ounces vanilla-flavored vodka
1 small lime or half a large lime, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon sugar

Muddle the lime and sugar in an old-fashioned glass (a wooden spoon or piece of sugar cane is best). Fill the glass with ice, crushed if possible. Pour vanilla vodka over it. Stir, then sip.

Justin Deffrey

Yes, I know that the Pittsburgh Penguins' *former* AHL call-up, who was recently given the chance at the full-time NHL role he deserves, is named Dustin Jeffrey. But fans and announcers alike sometimes get confused and want to call him "Justin." It really happens after a drink or three.

Jeffrey's two goals last night, one in the first period and the game-winning goal in overtime, were sweet by any name. The Penguins have still gone over a month without winning in regulation, but in the past couple of weeks, it seemed like they were getting either one pity point or nothing. The team and the fans needed a win badly, and Jeffrey delivered. He and Jordan Staal snapped the Boston Bruins' seven-game winning streak.

I decided to toss together random ingredients during the second intermission because I was craving something tiki-ish and I didn't want to walk the streets of Brooklyn on Saturday night. I always have dark rum and cherry liqueur in my kitchen, and I like cream of coconut more than is good for me. You'll probably have a hard time with anyone's name after this.

Justin Deffrey

2 ounces dark rum
2 ounces cream of coconut
1 ounce cherry liqueur
1 ounce pineapple juice
dash allspice

Pour all ingredients in cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Shake for about 30 seconds. Pour the resulting drink into a hurricane glass mostly filled with ice, preferably crushed.

Sweet Whiskey Nisky

I haven't been inspired for a while, partly because I was busy and partly because of the rash of injuries that hit the Penguins this winter. But I'm optimistic about the new guys. One of them, Matt Niskanen, was best known earlier this season as that dude on the Dallas Stars who got his ass handed to him by Sidney Crosby. That will change soon. Niskanen scored his first goal with the Penguins last night and assisted Chris Conner out of his 17-game goal-less streak. While it wasn't enough to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, his effort was definitely welcome, as was the one pity point.

A Penguins fan on Twitter (I forget who) tweeted "Sweet whiskey Nisky!" in response to his goal. I got inspired. I had a bit of limoncello that I just hadn't felt like using in my kitchen, so I used that. I love the combination of lemon and honey. I ended up with this while trying to avoid Mike Milbury on Versus during first intermission. This took the edge off when I realized I actually agreed with him that Antti Niemi deserved that nice new contract with the San Jose Sharks.

Sweet Whiskey Nisky

1 1/2 ounces whiskey
1 ounce limoncello
1 teaspoon honey
handful of ice

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake like crazy. Pour into a glass, ice and all. Good for sipping.

Reverend Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy, a rookie defenseman who's familiar to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton fans, had himself an interesting game against the Florida Panthers last night. He got into his first NHL fight, scored his first NHL goal, and received his first NHL stitches after inadvertently blocking a shot with his face. The 5-2 win might have happened without him, but it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun. That deserves some recognition.

I was in love with variations on the caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil, last season. It's fruit crushed with cachuaca or clear rum, basically. But recently, I wanted to try something a bit different. No fruit, just spices. It doesn't look pretty, but it came out awesome.

Reverend Lovejoy

2 1/2 ounces cachuaca or white rum
1/2 inch of peeled, fresh ginger root, cut into slices
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 teaspoons sugar
crushed ice

After you prepare the ginger root and cinnamon stick, place at the bottom of a wide-mouthed glass. Add sugar. Pour in cachuaca or rum. Muddle spices. (A wooden spoon works best for this.) When the spices are blended in, fill the glass with crushed ice.

Letestu Limeade

Yes, yes, we all know Sidney Crosby is brilliant and blossoming into the hockey god potential people have known he had since he was a kid. The write-ups of last night's game included his name in the headlines. The 11-game win streak wouldn't have happened without his amazing 17-game point streak.

But, you know, Mark Letestu also scored two goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Along with Chris Conner, he's the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton call-up who I want to have a permanent place on the roster. He's worked hard on a small yet very feisty line with Conner and Tyler Kennedy.

I chose to name this after him because the alliteration was just plain irresistable. I loved Captain Morgan Lime Bite since I tried it this summer. Essentially, this is a spiked Sonic limeade, so if you live by a Sonic, you can just buy one and stir Lime Bite into it. But this is easy.

Letestu Limeade

1 can (12 ounces) lemon-lime soda
Half of a lime
2 1/2 ounces Captain Morgan Lime Bite
crushed ice

Fill a large tumbler halfway with crushed ice. Squeeze the lime over the ice, taking care not to let too many seeds get into the glass. (Pulp's fine.) Pour in the Lime Bite, then the lemon-lime soda. Stir gently.

Kunitz Comes Back

Have you ever felt like maybe you were losing your touch at something you used to be okay at? And then you have a moment where you realize, "No, I'm still pretty good at this"? I had it when I made this particular drink earlier this week. I used Bigelow's Cinnamon Stick black tea as my base. When I tweeted about it, the person behind Bigelow Tea's account tweeted me back to say it sounded good!

Chris Kunitz might have felt that way, sort of, last night. Last season was a bummer for him--he spent much of it injured, and just wasn't right when he was on the ice. He was absolutely diesel against the Hurricanes last night, doing everything he needed to. He ended up scoring two goals, although the second needed to be cleared with the war room in Toronto.

I've named a drink after Kunitz. It's the first of these cocktails ever, the Cussing Penguin. It lightened up a loss when he hollered "Aw, fuck!" into a hot mic on live TV. But it's nice to have actual good hockey stuff to remember Chris Kunitz by, so I felt I should name this after him, too.

Kunitz Comes Back

1 bag Bigelow Cinnamon Stick or other cinnamon-flavored black tea
2 ounces bourbon
half a clementine orange (if you have a particularly big one, you may want less)
1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda
hot water

Steep the tea bag in a large mug filled 2/3 of the way with hot water. Give it 3-5 minutes while you peel your clementine and get the bourbon. When the tea's done, take the bag out. Pour the bourbon and sweetener in; stir. Gently squeeze the clementine half into the mug (don't let seeds or a lot of pulp get into it). Stir once more, and drink immediately.

Note on ingredients: If you can't find the cinnamon tea or don't want to buy a whole box, use a standard bag of black tea and add 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon to it while it brews. Chai tea will *not* work, trust me.

Atlanta Beauty

I hadn't felt inspired lately. Neither had the Pittsburgh Penguins. After the debacle on 11/10/10 which I'll forever refer to as the Boston Bruins Massacre, things were looking pretty bleak indeed for our guys. There were several question marks. Two big ones were Marc-Andre Fleury and Evgeni Malkin.

Then on the 12th, the Penguins roared back to life with a 5-1 win over a severely injured Tampa Bay Lightning. (Hey, our team started the season with tons of injuries, so fair's fair.) Last night, they went to Atlanta to play the Thrashers.

The influx of former Chicago Blackhawks into Atlanta, as well as the fact that the Penguins were playing the second of back-to-back games, had me worried for a moment. So did the fact that Brent Sopel, a Thrashhawk who I normally like, scored the first goal, and it went unanswered for a very long time. But Fleury made some amazing saves. Then Evgeni Malkin, bless his heart, scored the first Penguins hat trick of the season! 4-2, baby! Everyone's right. I worry too much.

This is a drink that I made as a tribute to Atlanta. I actually drank this last night. It's a beautiful city. It gave us Coca-Cola and OutKast, the zoo has a lovely panda family, and it's got a fascinating mixture of old and new. It's also still a wonderful place for slumping Penguins players to come back strong. I love Atlanta!

Atlanta Beauty

6 ounces Coca-Cola or Coke Zero
2 1/2 ounces Southern Comfort Peach

Combine ingredients in a glass with a few ice cubes. Stir gently.

Didn't say it was gonna be complicated, right?

Go-Go Mojo

The Pittsburgh Penguins finally won their first game at the Consol Energy Center last night!

Really, that's the important thing. Alex Goligoski's game-winning goal in overtime broke the Consol Curse, *and* he did it in the cursed blue uniform! On the power play, even! That's some powerful mojo on Goligoski's part right there. Of course, the reason last night's game against the New York Islanders was tied in the first place is because the referees screwed up. They called a clean shoulder-to-shoulder hit by Kris Letang on Blake Comeau (who has a future in Hollywood) an illegal head shot, giving Letang a major and a game misconduct. Since the Islanders actually aim for the net when they have a power play, they scored two goals fairly quickly. Comeau "healed" enough to assist on the second. I'm hoping the referee's smart enough to feel incredibly stupid today.

Last night, I made Mexican-style hot chocolate. This is the kind with the solid bars, not the powdered mixes. I added espresso-flavored vodka. When the Penguins couldn't seal the deal in the 6 minutes of power play Nino Niederreiter handed them, I added a bit more! I made the chocolate super-thick because the vodka thinned it out a bit. This isn't going to be an every-game thing for me simply because it's very rich and I don't want my super-loose jersey to fit perfectly again, but it's good for one night.

The measurements are weird for a reason. I want to stress that this will make 2 servings. A tablet of Mexican chocolate usually makes 4. I mixed in 2 ounces espresso-flavored vodka, but as I said, I added more a bit more and ended up with 3 ounces. My wife doesn't drink; she combined her hot chocolate with coffee and liked that lots.

Go-Go Mojo

1/2 tablet Mexican-style chocolate
2 cups milk
1 or 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash cayenne pepper
3 ounces espresso-flavored vodka per mug of hot chocolate

Heat 2 cups milk and 1/2 tablet chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Keep mixing with a wire whisk until mixture is frothy and starts to boil. Remove from heat; add sugar and spices. Pour into 2 mugs. Let it cool just a little, then stir 3 ounces espresso-flavored vodka into each mug.

Think of Engelland

The Penguins have had 4 regular-season games so far, but I haven't really felt like celebrating any team member's accomplishments. The fact that only one game has resulted in a win--against the badly mismanaged New Jersey Devils--is part of it. We're experiencing an early season Injuryfest again, with Staal, Orpik, Michalek, and Asham out. Frankly, I've been seeing a lot of lackluster play. The first few minutes of last night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs (3-4 Penguins) pissed me off. Should've been watching the last miners come out of the Chilean mine anyway...

That doesn't mean there weren't a few enjoyable moments. The best by far was this fight between AHL call-up Deryk Engelland and the Leafs' goon Colton Orr. Orr got knocked the hell out, and that doesn't happen very often!

orpikEYES, a fan of the Penguins (duh) and cocktails, suggested naming a blood orange mimosa after Eric Godard, who's usually our designated goon. But I've already named this wasabi-spiced Bloody Mary after him. So, since Engelland took Godard's role by fighting Orr, he gets this named after him instead. It's simple but effective, like the Penguins' power play should be. Brunch is served, bitches!

Think of Engelland

Blood orange
Champagne

Slice blood orange in half. Squeeze the juice from it, using whichever method is available to you. Strain out any seeds or pulp.

Pour champagne into a flute, filling it about halfway. Fill glass the rest of the way with blood orange juice, and stir gently.

Note on ingredients: Don't waste really expensive champagne on this. Also, if you don't want to squeeze an orange or can't find one, 2 ounces of bottled blood orange juice will work.

Staal-Healing Rum

I wasn't going to post this here. Sometimes I get complicated, and that doesn't seem right for this blog. Things like the lavender limoncello I made this summer are So Not Hockey. But when I mentioned that I'd made rum infused with pumpkin and spices on my Twitter account, a couple of my Penguins fan tweeps were very interested. So I'm posting the recipe here.

You can use this rum in many ways. I combined it with cream soda last night, which made the Penguins' first pre-season loss more bearable. Actually, I think my eyes rolled back, it was so good.

It won't be ready for the start of the season. You need at least 5 days to let the flavors really get into the rum; I let it go a week. You'll have quite a bit of the pie pumpkin left, so this is good if you're also planning to make something else with pumpkin.

One of those Penguins-fan tweeps suggested naming this after something else that's going to be worth waiting for--the healing of Jordan Staal's foot! I know I'm looking forward to that, as much as I looked forward to drinking this all week. This may not actually have curative properties, but you won't care.

Staal-Healing Rum

Small pie pumpkin
1 vanilla bean
2 cinnamon sticks
About 5 whole cloves
1 750 ml/quart bottle dark rum

Cut the pie pumpkin into pieces and remove seeds. Use a vegetable peeler to shave several thin ribbons, about 5 inches long, off a piece of pumpkin. Break the cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean in half.

Place pumpkin ribbons, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and cloves in a 1 1/2 quart glass container. (Pitcher, jar, etc.) Seal tightly. Put it in the fridge or not, but do not touch for at least 5 days! Use as you want (straining out pumpkin and spices, of course) after that.

If you use vodka instead of rum, the flavor's a bit different, but it makes awesome martinis for Halloween.