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.
Showing posts with label blog business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog business. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Hockey's Back!
Today, on the whole, has been a bad day. (I won't go into it; you've had yours, too.) We'll have bad days between now and Spring 2011. But now, we'll also have hockey on TV most nights to distract us! This automatically makes them a whole lot better than bad summer weekdays.
Okay, it's not the start of the season yet. As Penguins fans, we wait for October 7 with baited breath. But pre-season's just fine for now. We'll enjoy these games and see what the newcomers do and hope against hope that our favorite players aren't injured by the time the games that count roll around.
Since I'm married to a Red Wings fan, tomorrow's pre-season opener is particularly special in my household. It's special even though we can only listen to it on internet radio. We'll kiss on every Penguins or Red Wings goal, as per cherished tradition, which means we get to kiss on every goal tomorrow night! I hope all the goalies are sieves and the Wings' goalies are just a little leakier. Oooossss-goooood...
I've decided I needed to do a few things with the blog this season. I'm still finding a new layout I like. I decided that I will never again use my blog as part of a pride-bet with my wife, her best friend, or any other Red Wings fan. Last year, I talked myself into having to turn this blog red and white for 24 hours, including this disgusting and hastily-assembled logo:
*shudders* Never, ever again. I also had a real thing for using cinnamon schnapps in warm cocktails last year. I figured that I need to diversify my repertoire as we get into winter. I made this last night. There isn't a drop of schnapps, cinnamon or otherwise, in it. Depending on where you live, the weather may be cool enough to make you want to try it tomorrow night. If it isn't, it'll get that way soon, and isn't that awesome?
Hockey's Back!
1 bag licorice tea (I used Stash Tea's Licorice Spice)
2 ounces Pernod
1 ounce vanilla vodka
1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda
Brew the licorice tea in a mug half-filled with hot water for a few minutes. While that's brewing, combine Pernod and vanilla vodka, either by stirring in another small glass or shaking. When the tea is brewed, remove the bag and stir in sweetener, then Pernod and vodka. Sip slowly while it's warm.
Okay, it's not the start of the season yet. As Penguins fans, we wait for October 7 with baited breath. But pre-season's just fine for now. We'll enjoy these games and see what the newcomers do and hope against hope that our favorite players aren't injured by the time the games that count roll around.
Since I'm married to a Red Wings fan, tomorrow's pre-season opener is particularly special in my household. It's special even though we can only listen to it on internet radio. We'll kiss on every Penguins or Red Wings goal, as per cherished tradition, which means we get to kiss on every goal tomorrow night! I hope all the goalies are sieves and the Wings' goalies are just a little leakier. Oooossss-goooood...
I've decided I needed to do a few things with the blog this season. I'm still finding a new layout I like. I decided that I will never again use my blog as part of a pride-bet with my wife, her best friend, or any other Red Wings fan. Last year, I talked myself into having to turn this blog red and white for 24 hours, including this disgusting and hastily-assembled logo:
*shudders* Never, ever again. I also had a real thing for using cinnamon schnapps in warm cocktails last year. I figured that I need to diversify my repertoire as we get into winter. I made this last night. There isn't a drop of schnapps, cinnamon or otherwise, in it. Depending on where you live, the weather may be cool enough to make you want to try it tomorrow night. If it isn't, it'll get that way soon, and isn't that awesome?
Hockey's Back!
1 bag licorice tea (I used Stash Tea's Licorice Spice)
2 ounces Pernod
1 ounce vanilla vodka
1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda
Brew the licorice tea in a mug half-filled with hot water for a few minutes. While that's brewing, combine Pernod and vanilla vodka, either by stirring in another small glass or shaking. When the tea is brewed, remove the bag and stir in sweetener, then Pernod and vodka. Sip slowly while it's warm.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Housecleaning
Hockey's coming back! The Penguins are coming back! No, really! So I decided to organize my blog a little bit better, update my links list, and finally make my logo grammatically correct. If you think I should link to your blog or someone else's, please let me know.
The roster's not completely set yet, but there will be some changes. We say goodbye to several players, with varying degrees of enthusiasm: Mark Eaton, Sergei Gonchar, Bill Guerin (okay, I keened over him for a day on my Twitter account, don't judge me), Jordan Leopold, and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The drinks I named after them are under the "past Penguins" tag.
We say hello to Arron Asham (several tomato juice baths and a Little Tree around his neck will help with the Flyer stink), Paul Martin, and Zbynek Michalek. I look forward to getting inspired by them, and any other new additions to come. Also, I completely forgot to name one after Alex Goligoski! I'll be fixing that next season.
While you wait and bite your nails, maybe you'd like a drink. This milkshake is nice and cold while it's hot outside, but uses good autumn-y flavors.
Taste of Hockey Season
1 scoop black walnut ice cream (butter pecan will do if you have to)
2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce milk
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (maple/agave blend is a cheaper substitute)
Pour all ingredients into blender; blend until everything's mixed. Pour into a glass and drink immediately.
This one is perhaps a bit better for you, but it's cool and tasty and has an excellent green color.
Summer Street Hockey
1/2 cucumber, peeled
1 cup honeydew melon, in chunks
2 ounces light/white rum
1 ounce Midori melon liqueur
Handful of ice cubes
Blend all ingredients in blender until everything's the same consistency. Pour and drink immediately.
The roster's not completely set yet, but there will be some changes. We say goodbye to several players, with varying degrees of enthusiasm: Mark Eaton, Sergei Gonchar, Bill Guerin (okay, I keened over him for a day on my Twitter account, don't judge me), Jordan Leopold, and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The drinks I named after them are under the "past Penguins" tag.
We say hello to Arron Asham (several tomato juice baths and a Little Tree around his neck will help with the Flyer stink), Paul Martin, and Zbynek Michalek. I look forward to getting inspired by them, and any other new additions to come. Also, I completely forgot to name one after Alex Goligoski! I'll be fixing that next season.
While you wait and bite your nails, maybe you'd like a drink. This milkshake is nice and cold while it's hot outside, but uses good autumn-y flavors.
Taste of Hockey Season
1 scoop black walnut ice cream (butter pecan will do if you have to)
2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce milk
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (maple/agave blend is a cheaper substitute)
Pour all ingredients into blender; blend until everything's mixed. Pour into a glass and drink immediately.
This one is perhaps a bit better for you, but it's cool and tasty and has an excellent green color.
Summer Street Hockey
1/2 cucumber, peeled
1 cup honeydew melon, in chunks
2 ounces light/white rum
1 ounce Midori melon liqueur
Handful of ice cubes
Blend all ingredients in blender until everything's the same consistency. Pour and drink immediately.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Cleaning out the Lockers--the Ukraine Train
I wish I had more to say about Alexei Ponikarovsky and Ruslan Fedotenko. Really, I do. If either or both come back, I look forward to the opportunity to get to know them well. If not, well, safe travels.
Watermelons and cucumbers are some of my favorite things about summer, and it's gonna be a long one. The watermelon one's named after Fedotenko 'cause it matches his cheeks.
Tenk Top Margarita
1 cup cubed, seeded watermelon
1 1/2 ounces gold tequila
1 ounce triple sec
1 teaspoon lime juice
Handful of ice
Blend all ingredients in a blender until good and slushy. Pour into a chilled margarita glass.
Pittsburgh Poni Daiquiri
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 ounces vodka
Handful of mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
Handful of ice
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Serve in a tall glass.
Watermelons and cucumbers are some of my favorite things about summer, and it's gonna be a long one. The watermelon one's named after Fedotenko 'cause it matches his cheeks.
Tenk Top Margarita
1 cup cubed, seeded watermelon
1 1/2 ounces gold tequila
1 ounce triple sec
1 teaspoon lime juice
Handful of ice
Blend all ingredients in a blender until good and slushy. Pour into a chilled margarita glass.
Pittsburgh Poni Daiquiri
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 ounces vodka
Handful of mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
Handful of ice
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Serve in a tall glass.
Cleaning out the Lockers--the Shot Blocker
What else for Jay McKee but something that will have you taking lots of shots in one go? Those familiar with this blog know that when I want to get more than lightly toasted--like, oh, if the unthinkable happens and the Flyers are contending for the Cup, knock on wood--I head in the direction of the tiki bar.
The Shot Blocker
3 ounces pineapple juice (fresh if possible)
3 ounces orange juice
1 1/2 ounces Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (NOT blue curacao)
1 1/2 ounces dark rum
3 ounces bourbon
Crushed ice
Blend all ingredients in a blender for a few seconds, or shake if your shaker's big enough. Fill a big glass about three quarters of the way with crushed ice. Pour the liquid into it. Make sure the number of the local cab company's programmed into your cell phone.
The Shot Blocker
3 ounces pineapple juice (fresh if possible)
3 ounces orange juice
1 1/2 ounces Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (NOT blue curacao)
1 1/2 ounces dark rum
3 ounces bourbon
Crushed ice
Blend all ingredients in a blender for a few seconds, or shake if your shaker's big enough. Fill a big glass about three quarters of the way with crushed ice. Pour the liquid into it. Make sure the number of the local cab company's programmed into your cell phone.
Cleaning out the Lockers--the Backup Goalie
It's over. Damn it. But there are still a few items of business. I intended to name a cocktail after everyone who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009-2010 season. I am missing four: Ruslan Fedotenko, Brent Johnson, Jay McKee, and Alexei Ponikarovsky. (I do not recognize Chris Bourque.)
This is a drink I made out of necessity. It is similar in execution to my SIL's "Punch in the Mouth," which was her way of dealing with half a bottle of sub-par syrah. What I had was sub-par New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a lot-lot of strawberries. Due to weather conditions, the market is awash in good, cheap strawberries, plus this had to be the year that I first successfully grew some myself in my container garden. The puckery-citrusy white wine and the strawberries played pretty nicely together, actually, so much so I want more this spring.
As a backup goalie, Brent Johnson was by definition called upon to help salvage a sub-par effort and keep resources from going completely to waste. He did a pretty decent job of it, including last night against the Montreal Canadiens. This therefore seems to fit.
The Backup Goalie
1 cup strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced in half
1 cup cheap New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda
Handful of ice
Blend all ingredients to a puree in the blender. Pour into a tumbler. Easy.
This is a drink I made out of necessity. It is similar in execution to my SIL's "Punch in the Mouth," which was her way of dealing with half a bottle of sub-par syrah. What I had was sub-par New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a lot-lot of strawberries. Due to weather conditions, the market is awash in good, cheap strawberries, plus this had to be the year that I first successfully grew some myself in my container garden. The puckery-citrusy white wine and the strawberries played pretty nicely together, actually, so much so I want more this spring.
As a backup goalie, Brent Johnson was by definition called upon to help salvage a sub-par effort and keep resources from going completely to waste. He did a pretty decent job of it, including last night against the Montreal Canadiens. This therefore seems to fit.
The Backup Goalie
1 cup strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced in half
1 cup cheap New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda
Handful of ice
Blend all ingredients to a puree in the blender. Pour into a tumbler. Easy.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Out of the Penalty Box!
I have got to be more careful when I pride-bet. But the 24 hours with that awful, awful red-and-white color scheme are OVER! So, I hope, are the Washington Capitals tomorrow night. The Caps may be a bit distracted--wonder why?
As I said, I'll be drinking Crosby Sucks in honor of the chants we'll be hearing all week. However, I thought of what I want to be chanting at my TV. This isn't my recipe--it's a classic cocktail that I enjoyed in my early twenties on the rare occasions when I really, really wanted to get hammered. Basically, it's jungle juice, but since it's blue and tastes citrusy, I loved it.
Adios Motherfucker
1 ounce gin
1 ounce light rum
1 ounce tequila
1 ounce vodka
1 1/2 ounce blue curacao liqueur
2 ounces sweet-and-sour mix
1 ounce lemon-lime soda
Shake all the alcohol plus sweet-and-sour mix in a shaker. Pour into tall glass with ice. Float lemon-lime soda on top.
As I said, I'll be drinking Crosby Sucks in honor of the chants we'll be hearing all week. However, I thought of what I want to be chanting at my TV. This isn't my recipe--it's a classic cocktail that I enjoyed in my early twenties on the rare occasions when I really, really wanted to get hammered. Basically, it's jungle juice, but since it's blue and tastes citrusy, I loved it.
Adios Motherfucker
1 ounce gin
1 ounce light rum
1 ounce tequila
1 ounce vodka
1 1/2 ounce blue curacao liqueur
2 ounces sweet-and-sour mix
1 ounce lemon-lime soda
Shake all the alcohol plus sweet-and-sour mix in a shaker. Pour into tall glass with ice. Float lemon-lime soda on top.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Open Bar
I didn't see anything particularly "cocktail-worthy" about tonight's game against the New York Rangers. It was an ugly game with a beautiful result--the Penguins gutted out a win. However, I've decided to take a moment just to explain a few things about this blog, now that the Olympics and trade deadline craziness is over.
I am an almost-36-year-old woman who loves to cook and fancies herself an amateur bartender. People came to our house all the time even before we won a huge hi-def TV. Back in early November, when it seemed that a new defenseman was getting injured every day, my friend B. decided to give me a penguin-shaped cocktail shaker "for watching your games with", as a joke. (I promptly told him I'd make him Hurricanes, as his Carolina Hurricanes had been having an even worse season at that point.) I shared this at Pensburgh.
During the next game, which was a loss, Chris Kunitz yelled "Aw, FUCK!" really loudly near an open mic. It was what everyone in Penguins Nation was thinking. I'd used that penguin-shaped cocktail shaker to fix a super-lemony variation on the French 75 cocktail. The drink seemed so right--sour, but tinged with sweetness. The Cussing Penguin was born. I posted the recipe to Pensburgh as a wry commentary on how the team was doing.
"I hope you can post a celebratory drink," said Hooks Orpik. The very next game, I could. My beloved Bill Guerin scored an unbelievably lucky goal in literally the last few seconds of the game to turn it from a loss to a tie. The Penguins would win in overtime. I'd whomped together another drink in the kitchen before the game, and it was delicious. I named it The Lucky 13 after Guerin and posted that.
From then on, I was hooked. I decided to create cocktails for all the Penguins players and post them when they accomplished something particularly cool, whether it was taking a hard hit and staying in the game or a hat trick with two assists. I posted the recipes at the Puck Huffers blog, too, in comments. People at both PH and Pensburgh suggested that I create a blog for the recipes, and so I did in December, backdating posts containing earlier recipes. I hadn't thought of putting together a Penguins fan blog, but one featuring recipes as commentaries seemed fun and unique.
Of the players we began the year with, only Max Talbot, Ruslan Fedotenko, Brent Johnson, and Jay McKee haven't had a cocktail named after them or their accomplishments yet. They will. Alexei Ponikarovsky and Jordan Leopold have joined us; Martin Skoula, who showed some promise earlier in the season, was traded. Since I have the freedom to write without considering other peoples' space here, I have shared cocktail recipes for other hockey-related occasions, including the Winter Classic. Because most puckheads think NBC's hockey coverage sucks, I thought it was funny to post drinks that involve running the blender (who cares if you can't hear Pierre McGuire, right?) and a lot of alcohol in "honor" of the fourth-place network.
I try to keep the recipes relatively simple, alternatives to beer that you can put together from ingredients you can find in your local supermarket or liquor store during intermission or right before the game. (Okay, I'm not counting the food. That's just here because I can do it.) I've had some flights of fancy with cocktails, and that has its place. But that place is not hockey night. I won't be asking anyone to track down lavender honey or make their own rosemary-infused simple syrup, not that any hockey fan would be doing that before the game!
Every recipe I post is tried and true. My own tastes sometimes show out loud--I don't usually care for garnishes. I try to support local farmers, so there's always lots of fruit in my house. I love citrus and spices. I love fresh ingredients, yet I also have an irrational fondness for soda and blue food dye. I try to remember that I'm not just doing this for myself, and I try not to make the recipes I post too-too girly. While this blog will probably always skew female, I'm not going to spray the place with virtual man repellent, at least not on purpose.
Oh, and I still hope to come up with something worthy of being called the Pittsburgh Penguin before the season's out.
I hope, above all, that other Penguins fans are enjoying this. Please share your thoughts and suggestions.
I am an almost-36-year-old woman who loves to cook and fancies herself an amateur bartender. People came to our house all the time even before we won a huge hi-def TV. Back in early November, when it seemed that a new defenseman was getting injured every day, my friend B. decided to give me a penguin-shaped cocktail shaker "for watching your games with", as a joke. (I promptly told him I'd make him Hurricanes, as his Carolina Hurricanes had been having an even worse season at that point.) I shared this at Pensburgh.
During the next game, which was a loss, Chris Kunitz yelled "Aw, FUCK!" really loudly near an open mic. It was what everyone in Penguins Nation was thinking. I'd used that penguin-shaped cocktail shaker to fix a super-lemony variation on the French 75 cocktail. The drink seemed so right--sour, but tinged with sweetness. The Cussing Penguin was born. I posted the recipe to Pensburgh as a wry commentary on how the team was doing.
"I hope you can post a celebratory drink," said Hooks Orpik. The very next game, I could. My beloved Bill Guerin scored an unbelievably lucky goal in literally the last few seconds of the game to turn it from a loss to a tie. The Penguins would win in overtime. I'd whomped together another drink in the kitchen before the game, and it was delicious. I named it The Lucky 13 after Guerin and posted that.
From then on, I was hooked. I decided to create cocktails for all the Penguins players and post them when they accomplished something particularly cool, whether it was taking a hard hit and staying in the game or a hat trick with two assists. I posted the recipes at the Puck Huffers blog, too, in comments. People at both PH and Pensburgh suggested that I create a blog for the recipes, and so I did in December, backdating posts containing earlier recipes. I hadn't thought of putting together a Penguins fan blog, but one featuring recipes as commentaries seemed fun and unique.
Of the players we began the year with, only Max Talbot, Ruslan Fedotenko, Brent Johnson, and Jay McKee haven't had a cocktail named after them or their accomplishments yet. They will. Alexei Ponikarovsky and Jordan Leopold have joined us; Martin Skoula, who showed some promise earlier in the season, was traded. Since I have the freedom to write without considering other peoples' space here, I have shared cocktail recipes for other hockey-related occasions, including the Winter Classic. Because most puckheads think NBC's hockey coverage sucks, I thought it was funny to post drinks that involve running the blender (who cares if you can't hear Pierre McGuire, right?) and a lot of alcohol in "honor" of the fourth-place network.
I try to keep the recipes relatively simple, alternatives to beer that you can put together from ingredients you can find in your local supermarket or liquor store during intermission or right before the game. (Okay, I'm not counting the food. That's just here because I can do it.) I've had some flights of fancy with cocktails, and that has its place. But that place is not hockey night. I won't be asking anyone to track down lavender honey or make their own rosemary-infused simple syrup, not that any hockey fan would be doing that before the game!
Every recipe I post is tried and true. My own tastes sometimes show out loud--I don't usually care for garnishes. I try to support local farmers, so there's always lots of fruit in my house. I love citrus and spices. I love fresh ingredients, yet I also have an irrational fondness for soda and blue food dye. I try to remember that I'm not just doing this for myself, and I try not to make the recipes I post too-too girly. While this blog will probably always skew female, I'm not going to spray the place with virtual man repellent, at least not on purpose.
Oh, and I still hope to come up with something worthy of being called the Pittsburgh Penguin before the season's out.
I hope, above all, that other Penguins fans are enjoying this. Please share your thoughts and suggestions.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
USA! USA! USA!
I promised red, white, and blue cocktails, but I had surgery planned this past week and underestimated just how much that would cut into my blogging time (no pun intended!) Tomorrow, my "cocktail" for watching USA versus Canada mens' hockey will be Percocet chased with Stash Tea's Red, White, and Blueberry Fusion.
This is a favorite of mine for times when I feel patriotic, though. There are a gazillion variations--the point is to pick liquors and mixers that will sit on top of each other, in red, white, and blue, equal amounts, and not stir. This is mine.
Bomb Pop
2 ounces blue curacao liqueur
2 ounces pre-made lemonade, without pulp (Turkey Hill's works)
2 ounces pomegranate liqueur
Pour pomegranate liqueur into old-fashioned glass first. Slowly pour in lemonade, then blue curacao. It'll mix, but don't stir it!
A few other All-American cocktail ideas, some of which are more complicated than I'll ever make during intermission:
the Boston Pops Martini, which I like because it's rimmed with Pop Rocks instead of sugar. (Free Candy!)
Food and Wine magazine's recipes and illustrations
It's gonna feel weird rooting against Sidney Crosby tomorrow. Having Brooks Orpik on Team USA makes it tons easier. USA! USA! USA!
This is a favorite of mine for times when I feel patriotic, though. There are a gazillion variations--the point is to pick liquors and mixers that will sit on top of each other, in red, white, and blue, equal amounts, and not stir. This is mine.
Bomb Pop
2 ounces blue curacao liqueur
2 ounces pre-made lemonade, without pulp (Turkey Hill's works)
2 ounces pomegranate liqueur
Pour pomegranate liqueur into old-fashioned glass first. Slowly pour in lemonade, then blue curacao. It'll mix, but don't stir it!
A few other All-American cocktail ideas, some of which are more complicated than I'll ever make during intermission:
the Boston Pops Martini, which I like because it's rimmed with Pop Rocks instead of sugar. (Free Candy!)
Food and Wine magazine's recipes and illustrations
It's gonna feel weird rooting against Sidney Crosby tomorrow. Having Brooks Orpik on Team USA makes it tons easier. USA! USA! USA!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
"Oh, God, McGuire's talking."
Another week, another Sunday afternoon Penguins game on NBC. This time, the Pens take on the Detroit Red Wings! This means either way, L'Ailee and I will be kissing to celebrate every last goal, so I'm kinda hoping both goalies are sieves and the Penguins win by, like, 11-10. I have also pride-bet. L'Ailee's best friend loves the Wings, too. If the Pens win, his daughter and I get to decorate his cab with Penguins-iana so he and his customers can enjoy it all Monday. If *shudder* the Wings win, I have to turn this page red and white all Monday and post the official recipe for the Detroit Red Wing cocktail. Let's go Pens!!!
Have I mentioned that there needs to be a cocktail worthy of being called the Pittsburgh Penguin yet? I'm still soliciting suggestions. Something black and/or Vegas gold, maybe? Or something really Pittsburgh? How about something that'll start out awesome, make you sick in the middle, then make you really glad you stuck with it until the end?
Anyway. Some of you may feel that it's too early to drink (and if you're in Detroit or further west, you're probably right.) Some of you may not want a cold drink, since it's pretty damned cold in many parts of the US already. But some of you might really want to run the blender while the idiots on NBC are talking and get yourself into a mellower frame of mind. To this end, I post another blender drink.
You know how that Verizon commercial with the hockey teams stranded in an airport with an icy runway is pretty cool even though the teams are the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers? This is kinda like that. I hate bananas, with a passion, and I can tolerate this. Other people I know really like it. Essentially, it's most of a Bananas Foster dessert--no flambe-ing, sorry--turned into a daiquiri.
Bananas Foster Daiquiri
1 whole ripe banana
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar
2 ounces dark rum
1/2 cup crushed ice
Break the banana into several pieces. Put all ingredients in the blender. Blend at a low speed for a few seconds, then on high until everything's together and the drink is firm. Pour into a cocktail glass.
Have I mentioned that there needs to be a cocktail worthy of being called the Pittsburgh Penguin yet? I'm still soliciting suggestions. Something black and/or Vegas gold, maybe? Or something really Pittsburgh? How about something that'll start out awesome, make you sick in the middle, then make you really glad you stuck with it until the end?
Anyway. Some of you may feel that it's too early to drink (and if you're in Detroit or further west, you're probably right.) Some of you may not want a cold drink, since it's pretty damned cold in many parts of the US already. But some of you might really want to run the blender while the idiots on NBC are talking and get yourself into a mellower frame of mind. To this end, I post another blender drink.
You know how that Verizon commercial with the hockey teams stranded in an airport with an icy runway is pretty cool even though the teams are the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers? This is kinda like that. I hate bananas, with a passion, and I can tolerate this. Other people I know really like it. Essentially, it's most of a Bananas Foster dessert--no flambe-ing, sorry--turned into a daiquiri.
Bananas Foster Daiquiri
1 whole ripe banana
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar
2 ounces dark rum
1/2 cup crushed ice
Break the banana into several pieces. Put all ingredients in the blender. Blend at a low speed for a few seconds, then on high until everything's together and the drink is firm. Pour into a cocktail glass.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Two in One
During a losing streak in which I tried very hard not to despair over the Penguins' direction, broken only by a win against the Atlanta Thrashers, I wasn't really inspired to celebrate the team with cocktails. That's why there haven't been new posts. (Well, that and I was kind of busy.) Last night's win against the Toronto Maple Leafs put me in the happy position of being unable to choose which of two Penguins players I wanted to celebrate. So, to make up for a recent lack of cocktails, I am going to post both.
Before I do, a little bit of business. It's hard to come up with something truly innovative when you're mixing drinks, particularly if, as I do, you'd just like to quickly whomp something together in your kitchen for watching the game. I came to like the combination of bourbon with a teaspoon of maple syrup and a dash of lemon juice this winter. Apparently this is called a Maple Leaf. Obviously that was unacceptable last night.
I've done a couple of internet searches, and while there are cocktails named after several hockey teams, there are none named after the Pittsburgh Penguins! By the end of the regular season, I'd like to create something simple and good that is worthy of being called the Pittsburgh Penguin. If you have suggestions, or if anyone has beaten me to it, please let me know in comments.
Anyway. Sergei Gonchar came roaring back from a leg injury with a vengeance last night. Two goals, including a power play goal! Yes, that power play goal was awfully weird, the way it bounced off the back of the net. Yes, it sucked that there was a dispute with the referees and that Gonchar wound up spending two minutes in the penalty box for hooking. But it counted, goddamn it, it counted! Soon after Gonchar left the box, he scored a much clearer and more decisive even strength goal that not even the referees could doubt.
Y'all probably figured that I love citrus by now. My brother, who knows his artisanal spirits, gave me a bottle of Compass Box' Orangerie as a present. It is delicious. You can't technically call it Scotch--it is a Scotch infusion with notes of orange and cloves, and I like it just with club soda. I'd like it in my bath if that was an option. Since Gonchar is a grown-ass man who likes the finer things in life, I bet he'd want the second-to-last shot of my Orangerie if I were serving him. He can't have it. However, after last night's performance, I'd be willing to get him some good single-malt Scotch and make the following:
Gonchar's Revenge
(a/k/a "I'm Blind, I'm Deaf, I Wanna Be a Ref")
1 1/2 ounce Scotch
1/2 ounce orange liqueur
1 dash orange bitters
1 dash cloves
About 3-4 ounces club soda
Put all of the ingredients except the club soda in a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice; shake like crazy for a minute. Pour the Scotch mixture into a highball glass, straining out ice. Fill glass with club soda. Yes, it's almost a basic Scotch-and-soda, with added flavors. It doesn't taste quite like the Orangerie, but it's good nonetheless.
The other player I'd like to thank for the Penguins' win last night is Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins' goalie has been in a bit of a slump. (I may have used the phrase "Swiss cheese" to describe his recent performance.) But he was awesome against the Maple Leafs. The Leafs kept throwing rubber at him, especially during the third period--22 shots in that period alone. He allowed one goal by Matt Stajan. There could have been so many more. His performance was one of the big reasons why the Penguins won by a wide margin.
There exists a drink called the Depressed Goalie. That's not our Flower, not even when he's a sieve, and certainly not last night! This is a very simple drink with a really nice flavor, and it might put a big Fleury-esque smile on your face. Look for the sparkling pear juice in health food aisles at the supermarket, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe's.
the Happy Goalie
2 ounces amaretto
About 3 ounces sparkling pear juice
Pour amaretto into a champagne flute. Top with sparkling pear juice. Don't stir--a light shake is plenty. (You don't want to break the bubbles!) Sip slowly.
Before I do, a little bit of business. It's hard to come up with something truly innovative when you're mixing drinks, particularly if, as I do, you'd just like to quickly whomp something together in your kitchen for watching the game. I came to like the combination of bourbon with a teaspoon of maple syrup and a dash of lemon juice this winter. Apparently this is called a Maple Leaf. Obviously that was unacceptable last night.
I've done a couple of internet searches, and while there are cocktails named after several hockey teams, there are none named after the Pittsburgh Penguins! By the end of the regular season, I'd like to create something simple and good that is worthy of being called the Pittsburgh Penguin. If you have suggestions, or if anyone has beaten me to it, please let me know in comments.
Anyway. Sergei Gonchar came roaring back from a leg injury with a vengeance last night. Two goals, including a power play goal! Yes, that power play goal was awfully weird, the way it bounced off the back of the net. Yes, it sucked that there was a dispute with the referees and that Gonchar wound up spending two minutes in the penalty box for hooking. But it counted, goddamn it, it counted! Soon after Gonchar left the box, he scored a much clearer and more decisive even strength goal that not even the referees could doubt.
Y'all probably figured that I love citrus by now. My brother, who knows his artisanal spirits, gave me a bottle of Compass Box' Orangerie as a present. It is delicious. You can't technically call it Scotch--it is a Scotch infusion with notes of orange and cloves, and I like it just with club soda. I'd like it in my bath if that was an option. Since Gonchar is a grown-ass man who likes the finer things in life, I bet he'd want the second-to-last shot of my Orangerie if I were serving him. He can't have it. However, after last night's performance, I'd be willing to get him some good single-malt Scotch and make the following:
Gonchar's Revenge
(a/k/a "I'm Blind, I'm Deaf, I Wanna Be a Ref")
1 1/2 ounce Scotch
1/2 ounce orange liqueur
1 dash orange bitters
1 dash cloves
About 3-4 ounces club soda
Put all of the ingredients except the club soda in a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice; shake like crazy for a minute. Pour the Scotch mixture into a highball glass, straining out ice. Fill glass with club soda. Yes, it's almost a basic Scotch-and-soda, with added flavors. It doesn't taste quite like the Orangerie, but it's good nonetheless.
The other player I'd like to thank for the Penguins' win last night is Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins' goalie has been in a bit of a slump. (I may have used the phrase "Swiss cheese" to describe his recent performance.) But he was awesome against the Maple Leafs. The Leafs kept throwing rubber at him, especially during the third period--22 shots in that period alone. He allowed one goal by Matt Stajan. There could have been so many more. His performance was one of the big reasons why the Penguins won by a wide margin.
There exists a drink called the Depressed Goalie. That's not our Flower, not even when he's a sieve, and certainly not last night! This is a very simple drink with a really nice flavor, and it might put a big Fleury-esque smile on your face. Look for the sparkling pear juice in health food aisles at the supermarket, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe's.
the Happy Goalie
2 ounces amaretto
About 3 ounces sparkling pear juice
Pour amaretto into a champagne flute. Top with sparkling pear juice. Don't stir--a light shake is plenty. (You don't want to break the bubbles!) Sip slowly.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Locking up the liquor cabinet
I know, just as I opened it, too! Well, it's only temporary. I'll be back and posting around the 29th. I have a good reason. I'm a Penguins fan, but the reason I got into hockey in the first place is my wife L'Ailee, who loves the Detroit Red Wings. (To answer the inevitable questions: Yes, we're both women. I'm bi. I meant every last word I said about Bill Guerin's doability and Sidney Crosby's back porch...and wouldn't those be good names for cocktails? Yes, the last two Stanley Cup Finals were kinda hard on us, but we got over it.)
Anyway. We usually go home to my family in Florida around Christmas, but we decided we'd really rather, you know, enjoy our money, vacation time, and each other. (Since you probably have plenty family drama of your own and use hockey and/or cocktails as a means to escape, I won't bore you with mine.) We live in NYC. We hit on the idea of seeing our teams play in their home arenas. So we're leaving for Pittsburgh on Sunday night, if the weather allows it. I'm sure Monday morning, at least, will be go.
Our schedule is New Jersey Devils at Pittsburgh, go to Detroit, Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit, Christmas Day at *her* family's house for once in Ontario, Columbus Blue Jackets at Detroit, go back to Pittsburgh, Toronto Maple Leafs at Pittsburgh, then go home. There won't be any cocktailing for me unless I can sneak in an airplane bottle of bourbon to doctor my overpriced Diet Cokes, but that's not really the point of going to the arenas anyway. I feel kinda bad for L'Ailee. Just as she gets to go to Joe Louis for the first time in eons, the Wings are as decimated by injuries as, um, the Penguins were quite recently. Yeah, I know I'm a bad Pens fan for saying that.
I'll be watching the Penguins against the Buffalo Sabres (of course!), but probably won't have time to post a cocktail recipe of my own even if everybody's played out of their minds and the score is 20-0. However, of the ten I've already posted, some might be pretty decent for your own holiday parties. I was told by several of our guests that the Lucky 13 went well with Thanksgiving dinner. I also recommend the Penguins Power Play, the Super Duper Slapshot, and Staal's Shorthanded Breakaway.
I'll leave you with someone else's cocktail recipe. I wish I could be this creative and I'm very glad I'm not this creative, all at once. (What I post are recipes that can be made during commercial or intermission.) I'm finding a way to make this happen at my house, or perhaps L'Ailee's uncle's house. It'll make a real impact at yours. Just get your Stanley Cup Champions cap to protect your hair, your thickest leather gloves, your safety goggles, and, of course, your red hot fireplace poker, then see how to make a Red Hot Ale.
Happy holidays to all y'all, and let's go Pens!!!!
Anyway. We usually go home to my family in Florida around Christmas, but we decided we'd really rather, you know, enjoy our money, vacation time, and each other. (Since you probably have plenty family drama of your own and use hockey and/or cocktails as a means to escape, I won't bore you with mine.) We live in NYC. We hit on the idea of seeing our teams play in their home arenas. So we're leaving for Pittsburgh on Sunday night, if the weather allows it. I'm sure Monday morning, at least, will be go.
Our schedule is New Jersey Devils at Pittsburgh, go to Detroit, Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit, Christmas Day at *her* family's house for once in Ontario, Columbus Blue Jackets at Detroit, go back to Pittsburgh, Toronto Maple Leafs at Pittsburgh, then go home. There won't be any cocktailing for me unless I can sneak in an airplane bottle of bourbon to doctor my overpriced Diet Cokes, but that's not really the point of going to the arenas anyway. I feel kinda bad for L'Ailee. Just as she gets to go to Joe Louis for the first time in eons, the Wings are as decimated by injuries as, um, the Penguins were quite recently. Yeah, I know I'm a bad Pens fan for saying that.
I'll be watching the Penguins against the Buffalo Sabres (of course!), but probably won't have time to post a cocktail recipe of my own even if everybody's played out of their minds and the score is 20-0. However, of the ten I've already posted, some might be pretty decent for your own holiday parties. I was told by several of our guests that the Lucky 13 went well with Thanksgiving dinner. I also recommend the Penguins Power Play, the Super Duper Slapshot, and Staal's Shorthanded Breakaway.
I'll leave you with someone else's cocktail recipe. I wish I could be this creative and I'm very glad I'm not this creative, all at once. (What I post are recipes that can be made during commercial or intermission.) I'm finding a way to make this happen at my house, or perhaps L'Ailee's uncle's house. It'll make a real impact at yours. Just get your Stanley Cup Champions cap to protect your hair, your thickest leather gloves, your safety goggles, and, of course, your red hot fireplace poker, then see how to make a Red Hot Ale.
Happy holidays to all y'all, and let's go Pens!!!!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Under time and budget!
Are those not the most beautiful words in the English language? I really thought I couldn't get this blog together until January, but I was so wrong. "Unexpected free time" is another beautiful phrase. Now I can post all the cocktail recipes I come up with for the Penguins (or anything else hockey-related) here. Welcome!
There are things I want to do with this blog (for one, learn how to position tags to the left), but for the most part, I'm satisfied. I welcome feedback. I'd especially like to know if everyone considers this color scheme readable. I'm still happy I found the hex code for Vegas Gold.
So. Philadelphia Flyers tonight, and the Penguins will be in their house. I don't like to get too overconfident. The guys are most beatable when they feel unbeatable, and the Flyers can always be counted on to be, well, themselves. But win or lose, we can always toast the fact that we're not Flyers fans anyway. I personally will have my very favorite creation so far, Crosby Sucks. I've come to consider that yet another beautiful phrase, especially when a goal horn quickly follows it.
There are things I want to do with this blog (for one, learn how to position tags to the left), but for the most part, I'm satisfied. I welcome feedback. I'd especially like to know if everyone considers this color scheme readable. I'm still happy I found the hex code for Vegas Gold.
So. Philadelphia Flyers tonight, and the Penguins will be in their house. I don't like to get too overconfident. The guys are most beatable when they feel unbeatable, and the Flyers can always be counted on to be, well, themselves. But win or lose, we can always toast the fact that we're not Flyers fans anyway. I personally will have my very favorite creation so far, Crosby Sucks. I've come to consider that yet another beautiful phrase, especially when a goal horn quickly follows it.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
By popular demand...
There will be commentary. There will be celebration. There will be complaining. There will be a few recipes for actual food, like lucky black and white cookies and borscht made in honor of Evgeni Malkin (and also to get rid of the beets from my farmers' co-op box.) There will be inappropriate jokes and comments about the players' bodies. There may actually be a little hockey knowledge someplace, too!
But most of all, there will be two things I enjoy a lot coming together: The Penguins and cocktails. Over at the Pensburgh and Puck Huffers blogs, I have posted several cocktail recipes in honor of individual Penguins players and their achievements. Those will go here. There will be others, too, like something red, white and blue for Team USA and frozen drinks to be made during NBC intermissions, when nobody minds running the blender. While I drink one drink a day or less--all too often, I'm sipping on herbal tea on my couch--I do love cocktails as a creative medium. Some people can draw, some people can edit video, but I can mix drinks. This will primarily be a site that corrals all those recipes in one place.
I'll be working on it here and there, but please don't expect much before January. For the moment, I will be backdating the recipes I've already come up with and posting them here when I grab the chance. Soon enough, I'll have it right. I'd be happy to take suggestions and requests from other fans.
But most of all, there will be two things I enjoy a lot coming together: The Penguins and cocktails. Over at the Pensburgh and Puck Huffers blogs, I have posted several cocktail recipes in honor of individual Penguins players and their achievements. Those will go here. There will be others, too, like something red, white and blue for Team USA and frozen drinks to be made during NBC intermissions, when nobody minds running the blender. While I drink one drink a day or less--all too often, I'm sipping on herbal tea on my couch--I do love cocktails as a creative medium. Some people can draw, some people can edit video, but I can mix drinks. This will primarily be a site that corrals all those recipes in one place.
I'll be working on it here and there, but please don't expect much before January. For the moment, I will be backdating the recipes I've already come up with and posting them here when I grab the chance. Soon enough, I'll have it right. I'd be happy to take suggestions and requests from other fans.
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