Villa Maria is tasty and cheap!

Sauvignon Blanc is a varietal I generally reserve for summer days outside, preferably on the lawn at the Olema Inn, but Dini tells me this a noteworthy find. The 2007 Villa Maria from New Zealand was a hit at her dinner party this weekend, and she got it for something like $10 at Costco.

Basic Margarita

It's not fancy, but it's ridiculously easy to make and people love it.

1 can Minute Maid frozen concentraded lemonade
1.5 cans water
1 can tequila (my current favorite is Sauza Horintos because it's widely available, not too expensive, and tasty enough)
.25 can orange liquor (Citronge, Grand Marnier, and Cointreau are all good)Stir ingredients in a glass pitcher until lemonade concentrate is melted. Pour into short glasses filled with ice and with salted rims. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Heck, you don't even need any bar tools!

Update 9/27/2014: Still enjoying this recipe years later, but my latest go-to tequila is Olmeca Altos Reposado. It's tasty and often available for under $20 / 750ml. Here in Kansas City, I've picked it up  at both of the major grocery chains, Hyvee and Price Chopper.

Mai Tai

This was my first attempt at a Mai Tai, and I feel pretty damn good about it.

1.5 oz. light rum
.5 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. pineapple juice (canned)
1 oz. fresh orange juice
.25 oz. fresh lime juice
.5 oz. marachino juice

Poor over short glass full of ice. Add .5 oz. dark rum float. Garnish with marachino cherry and pineapple.

"Laranja" - Cachaca With Orange Juice

I started mixing up a quick cachaca sour but then, instead of adding orange liqueur, I added an ounce of fresh orange juice. Works really well; something about the orange juice mellows the cachaca and adds freshness.

2 oz. cachaca
2.5 oz. sweetened juice of lemon
1 oz. juice of orange

Shake and serve up with a sugared rim.

Next time I'm going to try adding no water to the lemon-sugar concoction, given that orange juice has a lot of water in it.

"Laranja" is Portuguese for "orange". At least that's what Babel Fish says.

Black Pepper and Hangar One Citron

Had a couple of drinks and small plates yesterday evening at Di Bartolo on Grand Ave. and I'm still excited about it. The bar area benefits from it's own room hidden at the back of the restaurant, complete with high ceilings and brick walls intermittently draped in red velvet. I'll be back. The most interesting cocktail find: a Hangar One "Buddah's Hand" Citron martini with ground black pepper. The two flavors complimented each other beautifully, and there was something unexpectedly appealing about having little black specks floating in a martini. This is a combination that demands further experimentation.

Buddha's Hand & Cranberry

On Christmas Eve I whipped up this mutation of a Cape Cod for Sherry and me. The twist is that it's served up, and the infused vodka makes it much more interesting than your typical vodka-and-cranberry highball. I was fortunate enough to have a navel orange handy, which made a perfect garnish.

2 oz. Hangar One Buddha's Hand Citron Vodka
2 oz. pure cranberry juice
2 rounded teaspoons baker's sugar

Shaken over a medium amount of ice and served up with a slice of navel orange.

Every time I drink this vodka I am reminded of what a crazy looking fruit Buddah's Hand is. I wonder if this stuff can be found around here; it could make from some interesting garnish.

Kaffir Sherbet

It's a working name. All I did was make a lemon drop with Hangar One Kaffir Lime vodka. Delicious, in the same way I thought lime sherbet was delicious when I was a kid.

2 oz. Hangar One Kaffir Lime vodka
.5 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. Minute Maid concentrated lemonade
1.5 oz. water

Medium amount of ice.
Shaken and served up.