candy

Candy Inspired Cocktails

October 25, 2018 by elana Leave a Comment

ThisÂ post was made in partnership withÂ Master of Mixes. Recipes and ideas are my own.

The closer I get to Halloween, the more my brain starts chanting…candy candy candy candy candy. I mean, it’s actually Garfield chanting it, because I still think of that Halloween special from the ’80’s that I grew up on, and I still, to this day, identify with his love of sarcasm and, well,Â candy.

Candy Inspired Cocktails with Master of Mixes // stirandstrain.com Yes, I love the spooks and the change of season, but free candy always topped the list of reasons why October 31st was THE BEST. Now, as an adult, I can hop in my car, or rather, have Instacart deliver, all the candy my heart desires. At any time of year. But I’ve learned restraint and I don’t usually buy any until the week before Halloween when stores start having candy sales. And then again the day before Halloween because I’ve eaten it all the past week.

Candy Inspired Cocktails with Master of Mixes // stirandstrain.com

This year I made the exception and bought some candy a little early so I could make some treats for all of you! My readers! Working with Master of Mixes, I’ve crafted THREE tasty candy inspired cocktails you can make for yourself, or batch for your Halloween party this weekend. If you’re not familiar with them, Master of Mixes has been crafting high quality, delicious mixers for 40 years! They have more than 45 flavors in their catalog, but I narrowed down today to just three of my favorites: their Mint Syrup, Blood Orange Margarita Mixer, and PiÃ±a Colada Mixer. And my inspiration? Junior Mints, Sour Patch Kids, and Almond Joy.

Candy Inspired Cocktails with Master of Mixes // stirandstrain.com

First up is the Junior Mint inspired cocktail. And it’s ALL about that super mint flavor. Here I’ve used Master of Mixes Mint Syrup to give me a strong punch of mint flavor. Their syrup is made with Pacific Northwest Spearmint and has a clean, fresh taste. I’ve paired this with vodka, cream, and coffee liqueur to mimic the creaminess of the candy, and instead of the richness you’d get with the chocolate, I’ve opted to use a strong coffee liqueur to make this more sophisticated.

Candy Inspired Cocktails with Master of Mixes // stirandstrain.com

My love of sour drinks probably started with my love of Sour Patch Kids growing up. For this next cocktail, I’m taking the sweet and sour citrus flavors of the candy and crafting a Blood Orange Margarita with Master of MixesÂ Blood Orange Margarita Mixer. To get more citrus in, and to add a bitter element to this, I’ve mixed the blanco tequila with a touch of Dry Orange CuraÃ§ao. I’ve also created a “sour” sugar rim with citric acid and sugar to fool the taste buds. The blood orange mix is housed in an ice sphere that will make the cocktail sweeter as you drink it!

Candy Inspired Cocktails with Master of Mixes // stirandstrain.com Lastly, Almond Joy bars in my opinion are far superior to a Mounds bar. Because… almonds!! When I think coconut cocktails, I think PiÃ±a Coladas, and Master of Mixes has a perfectly balanced PiÃ±a Colada Mixer that will be the base of our final drink. A few drops of almond extract, vanilla vodka, and a chocolate float turns this drink into an over-the-top cocktail for Halloween. I’ve been calling it a Choco-joy-lada, but you can just call it delicious.

Candy Inspired Cocktails with Master of Mixes // stirandstrain.com So grab some extra candy this year, a couple of Master of Mixes bottles, and let’s plan aÂ sweet Halloween party!

Candy Inspired Cocktails with Master of Mixes // stirandstrain.com

Junior Mint Cocktail

1-1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce Master of Mixes Mint Syrup
3/4 ounce coffee liqueur
3/4 ounce cream

In a shaker filled 2/3 with ice, pour in vodka, Master of Mixes Mint Syrup, coffee liqueur, and cream. Shake 20 seconds to combine. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Pop a couple Junior Mints.

Sour Patch Kids Cocktail

4 ounces Master of Mixes Blood Orange Margarita Mixer
2 ounces blanco tequila
1/2 ounce Dry Orange CuraÃ§ao
1/4 teaspoon citric acid
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

First, to make theÂ Master of Mixes Blood Orange Margarita ice sphere, you will need a spherical ice mold like this. Alternatively, you could also use a large ice cube mold as well. Pour the mix in the mold and freeze at least 6 hours or overnight (depending on your freezer). Next, combine citric acid and sugar in a shallow bowl large enough to fit the rim of your glass. Moisten the rim of your glass with a lime wedge and roll in the prepared mixture. Then, in a shaker 2/3 filled with ice, pour in the tequila and Dry Orange CuraÃ§ao. Shake and strain into the prepared rocks glass. Add theÂ Master of Mixes Blood Orange Margarita ice sphere to the drink and stir about 20 seconds to start melting the mix into the drink. Take a few sips and try not to pucker your lipsÂ too much.

Almond Joy Cocktail

2 ounces vanilla vodka
bar spoon of almond extract
4 ounces Master of Mixes PiÃ±a Colada Mixer
1 – 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (or if you’re feeling extra fancy, then try it with the chocolate liqueur of your choice!)

In a shaker 2/3 filled with ice, pour in vanilla vodka, almond extract, andÂ Master of Mixes PiÃ±a Colada Mixer. Shake 20 seconds and pour everything into a highball glass. Using the back of a spoon, float chocolate syrup on top of the drink. Grab a reusable straw and gently mix it together, or not. Cause sometimes you feel like mixing, sometimes you don’t.

For more information on Master of Mixes, loads of cocktail recipes, and more how-to’s, please visit them at MixologyPro.com

Holiday Gift Guide: Stuff It Real Good (the stocking stuffer gift guide)

December 16, 2016 by elana Leave a Comment

You’re going to need a biggerÂ stocking this year.

Remember,Â bottles of booze fit nicely into stockings. As do magazines (about booze), gummy bears (filled with booze) and cocktail kits (for making booze). Up your cocktail party cachet with some boozy playing cards, and don’t forget the fancy glassware! Pineapples are still a thing, so throw a couple of shot glasses in that stocking. Infused ice cubes fit too! And maybe a key chain that yellsÂ I like fancy drinks!

1. Cocktail Hour Playing Cards 2. Fancy Drink Key Chain 3. Ardbeg Uigeadail Single Malt Scotch 4. Pineapple Shot Glasses 5. Imbibe Magazine (click for more details and a super subscription price!) 6. Stainless Steel Cocktail Picks 7. Homemade Gin Kit 8. Baby Champagne Gummy Bears 9. Saturn Rocks Glass 10. Veuve Clicquot Paris Arrow Bottle 11. Vincent Bartender’s Hand Salve 12. Hot Toddy Cocktail Kit 13. Herb & Lou’s Infused Ice Cubes

Catch up on all the gift guides here!

Low Rent Cocktail of the Month: Shark Toof

June 12, 2015 by elana Leave a Comment

Did you know there are only 23Â days left until Shark Week?! Because this is a thing! Get the foam fins ready! Set your DVR to record whatever programming will be on! Make… a cocktail!!!!!

In the spirit of made up holidays and network cable’s ability to hypeÂ just about anything,Â this month I’m priming you with the exact kind of cocktail you need to watch sharks turn into zombies and then rip apart other sharks and then talk about shark feelings. July is right around the corner folks, so let’s do this! Low Rent Cocktail style!

So you spend more time in front of the t.v. and less time in your home bar/kitchen/beach themed utility room, this drink helps you out by starting with a Starbucks run. Depending on where you live, you can either make the base vanilla, or if you’re feeling pretty tropical that day, coconut cream. And since I like to feel tropical every day, you’re going to spike that with a hefty dose of light rum.

But what about the sharks?!

To truly enjoy your shark viewing experience, get out the bag of blue gummy sharks and let those guys dive right into your drink. Feel free to use a cocktail pick for your harpoon.

1 small (“tall”) vanilla or coconut blended beverage (get whipped cream and stir that into the drink too)
2-3 ounces of light rum, such as 10 Cane Rum
handful of Gummy Blue Sharks

Your choice: throw the rum into your plastic cup and add the sharks, or if you’re feeling fancy, pour it all into an oversized Margarita glass and have your sharks swim on top.

The Low Rent Cocktail series is an occasional column on Stir and Strain where the boundaries of “good taste” are pushed to the limit, or more often than not, pushed out the window. Enjoy at your own risk.

Low Rent Cocktail of the Month: Candy Corn Shooters

October 27, 2013 by elana Leave a Comment

Hey kids! This months Low Rent Cocktail is a layup. That Halloween party you threw Saturday night? You’re going to have one rager of a hangover Sunday morning. The solution: more booze. And candy. Candy is always the answer. Just before you passed out into oblivion I bet you tossed a bunch of candy corn into an almost empty solo cup of vodka. Well, that sat overnight and turned into a magical elixir… of candy corn syrup… that you can shoot back and start your day. Ok, first you need to take off that Vampira makeup. Or are you still in your Teen Wolf costume? Either way, this drink is going to put things back into perspective.

Maybe next you should go find a chili dog.

2 oz. of Vodka or any clear spirit
small handful of candy corn

Toss the candy corn into the vodka and let that sit overnight, or at least 4 hours. The candy should have broken down at this point, so give it a stir, and toss it back.

It’s a thick, syrupy, candy corn flavored elixir. Unless you plopped your candy corn in some rum, then it’s going to be rum and candy corn flavored. You get the idea.

Happy Halloween everyone! If you need some monster-inspired music, check out the #songaday selections on my Twitter.

Cocktails will resume in November!

Low Rent Cocktail of the Month: The Lohan

October 4, 2013 by elana Leave a Comment

My younger sister could not be more different from me. We just look at the world from very different perspectives, and neither one of us is bothered by this. She was always the more social of us. The keg-stand, bar brawling, woo-hooing kind of partier. I had John Waters, photography and my own bottles of liquor I didn’t feel the need to share with anyone else. My distaste of beer during my high school years ostracized me pretty immediately from a lot of our peers (when I say younger sister, there is a less than a two year difference between our ages so there was some overlap with friends). And when they branched out from beer, that was pretty much to concoctions based around Southern Comfort and soda. When I think of my sister and cocktails, I think of this drink.

The Pop Rocks here are added for sensationalism. You know what they do? They SPIT IN YOUR FACE when you add them to this drink. That’s so young Hollywood starlet of them. Stand over the glass and try it. To me, this is also a super girly drink. My sis would swig this down, and then maybe punch a guy out for not holding open a door for her. The name and drink are also inspired from an Instagram conversation I stumbled upon. Local bar La Descarga, for their monthly Tiki night, created a list of drinks based on red-headed beauties like Lucille Ball and Jessica Rabbit. And punctuating the end of that list was LindsayÂ Lohan. A line from another follower summed that up with … “I thought a lohan was a red headed slut and coke”. What a perfect name for a Low Rent Cocktail. And perfect ingredients, Some SoCo and Coke. The coke here taking on a double meaning. Clearly.Â

So, for the Low Rent Cocktail of the month, I present the Lohan.

2 oz. Southern Comfort
3 oz. Coca-Cola
half a packet of strawberry pop rocks, or more if desired.

In a double rocks glass filled with ice, build the drink by adding the Southern Comfort first, then coke. Perhaps stand back a ways as you pour in the pop rocks. They will explode a bit.

A sugary strawberry explosion in your mouth. That is what you get with the Lohan.

My sister could probably party Lindsay Lohan under the table. Right now she can’t because she’s about to give birth to her first child. But even pregnant she’d rip the drink right out of Lohan’s hand and pour it over her head if she felt disrespected. Actually, she’d probably just do it because the opportunity was there.Â The original title to this post was just going to be “A Red Headed Slut and Coke”. I didn’t name it that simply because I knew what kind of traffic that would have brought in. Large numbers, but misdirected. Stayed tuned for the Holiday Editions of the Low Rent Cocktails, promising to bring shame to you who imbibe them.