How you doin’? Bourbon is a barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn. The name derives from the French Bourbon dynasty, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain. Contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, both of which are named after the dynasty.
 
Bourbon has been distilled since the 18th century. Although bourbon may be made anywhere in the United States, it is strongly associated with the American South in general and with Kentucky in particular. Bourbon was recognized in 1964 by the U.S. Congress as a "distinctive product of the United States." Bourbon sold in the U.S. must be produced in the country from at least 51% corn and stored in a new container of charred oak.
 
So, what would be more fitting than having an all-American spirit for the consummate all American Holiday weekend? The Kentucky Country Bourbon-Cranberry Cocktail is nicely balanced, with no flavor overpowering the others. Additionally, the bourbon isn’t too strong—not overly fruity or too sweet, which is a plus.
 
It’s refreshing and delicious, and it makes a fantastic, colorful and festive party drink since it calls for cranberries as a garnish.
 
Total time:  50 minutes (includes cooling time)
Yield:  10 to 12 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
4 cups American bourbon
Orange peels, for garnish
Sprig of thyme, for garnish
 
Directions

1. Combine the cranberries, orange juice, sugar and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and cranberries start to pop; about 5 minutes.
3. Let cool completely, then combine with the bourbon in a large pitcher.
4. To serve, pour into glasses over ice and garnish with an expressed orange peel.

ChefSecret: Live to enjoy the rest of the holiday season with you family--DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.

Quip of the Day: “Bacon alone can’t solve all of our woes; that’s what Bourbon is for.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. 

#ThanksgivingRecipes #Thanksgiving #KentuckyBourbonCranberryCocktail #Cocktail #Bourbon #Cheers #HolidayRecipes #Holidays2022 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                    ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? The holidays call for very special Happy Hours cocktails. This Pumpkin Pie Martini is a great way to wish all a very Happy Thanksgiving, especially for those who want something a little different.
 
All of us at Perspectives really want this cocktail to become a staple for any Thanksgiving menu and the perfect way to end your meal if you’ve filled up on too much dinner.
 

Prep time:  8 minutes
Yield:  1 stiff one
 
Ingredients
1-1/2 ounces gin (I prefer Hendrick’s gin)
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ounce spiced rum
1 ounce ginger liqueur (I prefer Pataka brand)
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 tablespoons fine sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I prefer McCormick)
2 -3 tablespoons Reddi Whip whipped cream
 
Instructions

1. Add the gin, vanilla extract, rum, ginger liqueur and pumpkin puree into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake it like you mean it until well until combined.
3. Mix together the sugar and pumpkin pie spice and coat the rim of a martini or coupe glass by moistening the rim and then dipping it into the sugar-spice mixture.
4.  Double strain the martini into the glass and top with a squirt of whipped cream.
5. Garnish with a shake of pumpkin spice on top of the whipped cream.

ChefSecret:  This is a stiff drink; be responsible--DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.

Quip of the Day: “They say a martini is like a woman's breast: one ain't enough and three is too many.” They say that, but I really didn’t just say that, did I? 😳
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. 

#Cocktail #HappyHour #ThanksgivingRecipes #Thanksgiving #PumpkinPieMartini #Gin #Rum #Ginger #Cheers #HolidayRecipes #Holidays2022 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? Here’s a Thanksgiving frozen party cocktail for your Thursday feast—enough for everyone. Frozmopolitan is a version of the ever popular Cosmopolitan—a drink developed by Toby Cecchini. Toby, the owner of The Long Island bar in Brooklyn, has developed a lot of great “froz” cocktails like the "froze-mopolitan" (a portmanteau of "Frozen" and "Cosmopolitan'') which tastes so much like a delicious fruit punch that you might not notice there's alcohol in it. Be sure to keep the cocktail away from the kiddos.
 
Serving the drink in well-chilled glasses straight from the freezer helps it stay frozen a little longer.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Freeze time:  30 minutes
Yield:  10 cocktails
 
Ingredients
 For the simple syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
 
For the Frozmopolitan
8 cups ice cubes
3/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail (I prefer Ocean Spray)
1/2 cup simple syrup
1/2 cup (4 ounces) citrus-flavored vodka (such as Absolut Citron)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 limes)
1/4 cup (4 ounces) orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier, triple sec, or Cointreau)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
 
Directions
To make the simple syrup

1. Stir together sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
2. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Make ahead and allow to cool
3. Simple syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

 
Directions
To make the cocktail

1. Process all cocktail ingredients and the simple syrup in a blender until completely smooth and slushy, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Frozmopolitan can be stored in the freezer for up to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to maintain texture.
3. Pour evenly into 10 chilled martini cocktail glasses.

 
ChefSecret:  If not serving right away, cover the blender and pop it in the freezer, stirring the drink occasionally, for up to 30 minutes.

Quip of the Day: “I consider myself cosmopolitan--That is, I’m full of vodka and cranberry juice.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide .
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. 

#Cocktail #HappyHour #ThanksgivingRecipes #Thanksgiving #Cosmopolitan #Frozmopolitan #CranberryFrozmopolitan #Vodka #HolidayRecipes #Holidays2022 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                     ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? Here’s a great Fall cocktail that has survived the test of time—over 100 years.
 
Blood & Sand is one of the few classic mixed drinks that includes Scotch whisky. It was named after Rudolph Valentino's 1922 bullfighter movie Blood & Sand. The red juice of the blood orange in the drink helped link it with the film. The recipe first appeared in the 1930’s Savoy Cocktail Book. This cocktail is a little sweet and a little smoky challenging the senses, making for a great year-round cocktail.
 
The Blood & Sand is usually served in a coupe glass (Champagne Coupe). Personally, I prefer a rocks glass. Its main ingredients include the juice of a blood orange (fresh is best), Sweet Vermouth, Cherry Heering (a Danish liqueur) and Scotch.
 
It’s a breeze to make—pour and shake all ingredients in a shaker, double strain the mix into the selected glass and garnish with a slice of blood orange or orange peel.
 
Ingredients 
3/4 ounce scotch
3/4 ounce Cherry Heering
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed blood orange juice (if available)
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1 burnt orange twisted (see ChefSecret)
 
Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
2. Add ice to the cocktail shaker.
3. Shake vigorously—like you mean it—until the shaker is frosted over.
4. Strain into chilled rocks glass over fresh ice.
5. Garnish with a burnt orange twist and enjoy.

ChefSecret: I use a small dessert blow torch to scorch the strip of orange to release the essential oils.  Don’t have one? Place the orange strip directly on an oven grate and broil on high for about 1 minute.

Quip of the Day: “Am I getting older or is the elevator finally playing “cool” music?”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide .
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #Blood&SandCocktail #RudolphValentino #Cherry Heering #Vermouth #BloodOrange Cheers #Covid19SurvivalBlog #2022 #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? The first cocktail I ever tasted was a Vermouth-Cassis at La Petite Café in Hollywood, California—it had an interesting unique taste profile. I continued to enjoy a V-C when I went to cooking school in France—of course everything tastes better when you’re eating and drinking in Paris, right?
 
A Vermouth-Cassis is a simple and light drink, perfect for hot summer days or any change of season, especially when you move into fall. The name says it all, as the recipe is a mix of dry vermouth and crème de cassis (crème de cassis is a sweet black currant liqueur). The V-C is best served over ice and topped with club soda—easy to make and delightful to sip. It is a wonderful alternative to stronger drinks—like a whiskey sour—and is just as refreshing as a gin and tonic. It's also an excellent dinner drink that can take you from aperitif through the entire meal, offering a slightly sweetened, sparkling beverage to enjoy throughout the evening.
 
Crème de cassis is of French origin. It is most often used to sweeten other wines or Champagne such as the all-time favorite Kir Cocktail. Crème de cassis is sweet, but also tart, and this liqueur can be beautifully mixed with white wine, gin, or bourbon, but can also be enjoyed on its own over ice as a digestif.
 
On the other hand, vermouth is a fortified wine that can be either sweet (usually produced in Italy) or dry (usually produced in France)… it’s a beautiful addition to anyone’s back bar. Vermouth makes wonderful martinis and negronis, but it can also be enjoyed as a tasty aperitif, on the rocks, or with a splash of soda water. Unlike distilled spirits, fortified wines have a short shelf life of just a few months—an open bottle will begin to go stale and should be replaced several times a year.
 
Don’t let crème de cassis be an afterthought. Look for top-shelf options like those from Giffard, Gabriel Boudier and Lejay, all of which produce authentic French cassis.
 
Prep time:  3 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
Ice
2 to 3 ounces dry vermouth, your taste
3/4 ounce crème de cassis
3 ounces club soda, or to taste (tonic works as well)
1 strip of twisted lemon peel

Directions

1. In an iced Collins glass, pour the dry vermouth and crème de cassis over the rocks.
2. Stir well.
3. Fill the glass with club soda and stir again.
4. Garnish with a twisted lemon peel.
5. Serve and enjoy.

Note: Some drinkers prefer to leave the vermouth cassis unstirred. It produces a layered cocktail like the original tequila sunrise which used crème de cassis. This allowed the drinker to stir with a straw themselves—it’s just a matter of taste.

ChefSecret: This drink can easily be customized to suit your personal taste. Pour as much vermouth as you'd like—some recipes use up to 4 ounces—and sweeten it with crème de cassis as you see fit.

Quip of the Day: “Without the freedom of speech in the United States we would never know who the idiots are.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #VermouthCassis #Vermouth #Cassis #Giffard #GabrielBoudier #Lejay #Cheers #Covid19SurvivalBlog #2022 #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022