How you doin’? While it is the end of summer, now may be best time to hop on the big bird in the sky and fly off to Hawaii. The hotel rates have dropped and the weather—well the weather is always great.  Even if it isn’t, you’re still in Hawaii.
 
So, this is the best time to introduce yourself to the Blue Hawaii cocktail—not to be confused with the similarly named Blue Hawaiian. The original Blue Hawaii cocktail was born at Honolulu’s Kaiser Hawaiian Village (now Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Resort). In 1957, a sales rep from Dutch distiller Bols asked legendary bartender Harry Yee to design a drink that featured the brand's blue curaçao, a Caribbean liqueur made using the dried peel of the Laraha citrus fruit.
 
After experimenting with several variations, Yee settled on a cocktail that featured rum, vodka, blue curaçao, pineapple and sweet-and-sour mix. The drink is still recognized today for its signature blue color, pineapple wedge and cocktail umbrella garnish. In fact, it's Yee who is largely credited with popularizing the now iconic trend of miniature cocktail umbrellas in cocktails by including them in his creations.
 
The Blue Hawaii is typically shaken with ice and strained into a tall glass, but it can also be prepared by blending all of the ingredients together—Yee is said to have varied his method per the guest’s preference. Both options taste great, though the frozen version may prove extra refreshing on a hot day.
 
The Blue Hawaii recipe calls for sweet-and-sour mix, and you can certainly choose one of the bottled products available at liquor grocery stores. But if you’re game to make your own—a very simple task—you’ll create a fresher tasting cocktail. All it takes is sugar, water and lime juice.
 
The Blue Hawaii has enjoyed a place in popular culture. Its invention predates Hawaii’s statehood by two years, and it is the most famous drink associated with the Aloha State. It was Yee who named the cocktail that shares its name with the 1961 Elvis Presley film. And since the drink’s debut, there have been numerous variations on the recipe, such as the Blue Hawaiian, which uses crème de coconut. But if you want to taste the authentic recipe, this is it.
 
So, mix up the cocktail, ask Alexa to play Elvis’ Blue Hawaii and enjoy. Cheers!
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
3/4 ounce vodka
3/4 ounce light rum
1/2 ounce blue curaçao
3 ounces pineapple juice
1 ounce sweet and sour mix (recipe below)
Garnish: pineapple wedge and a cherry
Garnish: cocktail straw or umbrella
 
Directions
1.     Add the vodka, light rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice and sweet-and-sour mix into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. (Or blend all ingredients with ice in a blender.).
2.     Strain into a Hurricane glass over crushed or pebble ice. (Or pour from blender into glass with no ice.)
3.     Garnish with a pineapple wedge, a cherry and a cocktail umbrella.

ChefSecret:  How to Make Sweet-and-Sour Mix for A Blue Hawaii
Most products marketed as "sour mix" are meant to approximate fresh lemon juice and sugar. The Blue Hawaii uses a lime-based variant that's easy to make at home ahead of time. Just combine 1 part simple syrup with 1 part lime juice. This can also be done in the shaker as you create the drink, by substituting the sweet-and-sour mix with 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice and 1/2 ounce simple syrup.
 
Quip of the Day:  A. Did you hear about the Hawaiian surfer who became a yoga instructor? B. He learned how to ride the waves of tranquility!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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, 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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #BlueHawaiiCocktail #BlueCuracao #Vodka #LightRum #Pineapple #HarryYee #HawaiianVillage #Elvis #Cheers #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                                                            ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? We are always looking for the unexpected when it comes to bringing you happy hour cocktails. Now we are falling head over heels with this Chicken Soup Hot Toddy… it’s sort of a riff on a traditional Hot Toddy.
 
This was originally invented at The James Hotel in NYC which plays up the chicken soup’s savory flavors. Now add a carrot and celery stick for garnish and you can drink and snack your way through some fall vegetables. Gin and chicken soup... it’s good for what ails you… Cheers!
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
1 ounce Hendrick’s gin
1 dash Angostura bitters
1/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 ounces warm chicken stock
Garnish with a carrot stick, celery stick and parsley sprig.
 
Directions

1. Pour all ingredients into a snifter.
2. Garnish with a carrot stick, celery stick and parsley.

ChefSecret:  If you’re in a beefy mood, substitute warm beef stock for chicken soup.

Quip of the Day:  Chicken soup is healthy for you… as long as you’re not the chicken!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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, 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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #ChickenSoupHotToddy #HotToddy #HendricksGin #Gin #Bitters #ChickenStock #FallHappyHour #Cheers #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                   ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? It’s Happy Hour South-of-the Border Style!
 
One of the most classic Mexican cocktails is the Paloma! This easy bubbly cocktail combines tequila with grapefruit to make a simple sour that’s sweet tart and refreshing. It’s perfect for happy hour drinks, or water it down and it could be a brunch punch, too. The Paloma is traditionally made with grapefruit juice and soda water.  (See ChefSecret)
 
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients
Flaky sea salt & grapefruit wedge, for the garnish
2 ounces tequila blanco
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
2 ounces fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce soda water
​ 
Directions
1.    Cut a notch in the grapefruit wedge, then run the grapefruit around the rim of a glass.
2.    Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of flaky sea salt.
3.    To the glass, add the tequila, lime juice, grapefruit juice and simple syrup and stir until combined.
4.    Fill the glass with clear ice.
5.    Top with soda water and serve!

ChefSecret:  You can easily substitute the fresh grapefruit juice and soda with 3-ounces of Squirt.  Squirt is a grapefruit flavored soda.

Quip of the Day:  A Mexican man sneaks across the border to watch his favorite football team play and makes it all the way to the stadium. He doesn't have tickets,  so he finds a large pole to climb up on and jumps down into the top of the bleachers to get a bird’s-eye view of the game.
After the game was over, his buddies back in Mexico ask him how the game was…  he replies: "I don't know why you all don't think Americans are nice. As soon as I sat down everyone turned around, looked at me, and started singing 'Jose, can you see?'"
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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, 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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #PalomaCocktail #TequilaBlanco #GrapefruitJuice #Tequila #Squirt #FallHappyHour #Cheers #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                        ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? It’s the beginning of the 2024 football season, and in my house, we’re celebrating the old Packers. My Green Bay Slammer is a traditional mixed drink that may have its roots in Ireland and has become a popular choice for those looking to enjoy a strong and flavorful cocktail.
 
This unique drink combines two well-known Irish spirits, Guinness and Irish whiskey, to create a bold and robust flavor that is sure to please any whiskey lover. The combination of these two powerful ingredients creates a drink that is both smooth and rich in taste, making it a favorite choice for those looking to enjoy a classic Irish beverage at the football stadium… or in your man cave or family room.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients
6 ounces Irish stout beer
3/4 ounce Irish whiskey
3/4 ounce Irish cream liqueur
 
Directions

1. Pour beer into a pint glass.
2. Pour whiskey and cream liqueur into a shot glass.
3. Drop the shot glass into the bottom of the pint glass and drink the entire contents at once.

ChefSecret:  My Green Bay Slammer is often enjoyed as a shot or in a small glass, making it a popular choice for those looking to savor the intense flavors of the drink in a single shot. With its strong and hearty profile, this cocktail has gained popularity among those who appreciate a strong and robust drink. Whether enjoyed on its own or as a part of a larger cocktail menu, the Green Bay Slammer is a beloved choice for those looking to experience the bold and distinctive flavors of Irish spirits and Green Bay sports.

Quip of the Day:  The Pope, the Packers & the Vikings
On a tour of Texas, the Pope took a couple of days off to visit the coast for some sightseeing. He was cruising along the beach in the pope-mobile when he heard a frantic commotion just offshore. A helpless man wearing a Minnesota Vikings jersey was struggling frantically to free himself from the jaws of a 25-foot shark.

As the Pope watched, horrified, a speedboat came racing up with three men wearing Green Bay Packer jerseys. One quickly fired a harpoon into the shark's side. The other two reached out and pulled the bleeding, semi-conscious Viking Backer from the water, Then, using long clubs, the three beat the shark to death and hauled it into the boat.

Immediately the Pope shouted and summoned them to the beach. "I give you my blessing for your brave actions," he told them. "I heard that there was bitter hatred between Green Bay Packers & Vikings fans, but now I have seen with my own eyes that this is not true."
 
As the Pope drove off, the harpooner asked his buddies "Who the heck was that??" "It was the most knowledgeable Pope," one replied. "He can summon God anytime and has access to all of God's wisdom."

"Well," the harpooner said, "he may be knowledgeable & have access to God's wisdom, but he knows squat about shark fishing. Is the bait holding up okay, or do we need to get another one?"
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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, 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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #GreenBaySlammer #IrishStout #Whiskey #IrishCreamLiqueur #Packers #GreenBayPackers #FallHappyHour #Cheers #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                         ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? It’s Labor Day weekend and it’s still very hot in many places around the country.
 
Here is my Labor Day Happy Hour libation—Lemonade and Tequila Cocktail. In keeping with many other cocktails I make, the lemon is balanced with a touch of lime and the finished drink has just a spritz of fizz from some ginger ale.
 
Seriously, if one can find true love in a cocktail, I’m there… even if it means cheating on my first love, the margarita—Sorry, Jimmy Buffett. This is nothing less than a simple and crisp end of summer cocktail. Let’s just call it my Labor Day Margarita Lite!
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
2 ounces tequila (good quality)
1-1/2 ounces lemonade (see notes to make your own)
1/4 ounce lime juice
1-1/2 ounces ginger ale
 
Directions

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the tequila, lemonade and lime juice.
2. Shake it like you mean it until ice cold.
3. Fill a Collins glass with ice; pour the contents of the shaker over the ice and top with ginger ale.
4. Lightly stir.
5. Garnish with a lemon slice and be sure to include a holiday, red-white and blue straw.

ChefSecret:  Use any lemonade you like. However, if you want to make your own like I did it’s easy… and fresh is really best.

1. 1 cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 6 lemons)
2. 3/4 cup simple syrup to taste (make simple syrup by combining 1/2 cup water with 1 cup sugar and heating until the sugar dissolves)
3. Add 1/2 cup of ice chips to mixture and stir; refrigerate as necessary.
4. Combine the lemon juice and simple syrup in a pitcher and stir.
5. This is the best lemonade ever!

 
Quip of the Day:  Wife: I love you so much, I could never live without you.
Husband: Is that you or the margarita talking? Wife: It’s me talking to the margarita. 
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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 and be kind.