Austria IS a tourist destination!

What are some of the world’s most appealing wine destinations? This was the exact question Helen Cross pitted at her blog Simon Seeks when she sought us out for help.

Lucky for her, I had the perfect solution – Austria! It may come as a surprise that we have all developed some pretty close ties to the Eastern European country, but I shall explain.

Constance works with the Austrian Wine Marketing Board, whereas I have sung the praises of Absinthe Mata Hari, produced locally in Vienna. And Steve will be traveling back to Vienna in just over a month! Together, we helped to sling Austria to the top of Helen’s post on tourism. Give it a read here.

Constance had the opportunity recently to travel to Vienna and experience firsthand the majestic palaces and roaring hills I thought only existed in movies (The Sound of Music, anyone?). But, from her pictures and her glowing stories, Austria – and particularly Vienna – is a not to be missed destination for wine and spirits.

But what are some other wine and/or spirits destinations that are not to be missed on your lists of global traveling?
Feel free to leave us comments. We are, of course, always happy to talk on all things Austria :)

Cheers!

SJ

(Photo Courtesy of VieVinum 2010)

My First Column on Bar None Drinks

I recently was extended the opportunity to join the team of talented booze-y bloggers and writers at Bar None Drinks and am proud to be included in this wonderful spirits community.

Doctor’s orders from Dr. Bamboo himself kept pressuring me to get out while I had the chance; he’s been locked down by ball and chain over there as the site’s longest serving contributor.

Gotcha! It was actually quite the opposite. He sent me one of the nicest emails ever welcoming me to the “crew of goofballs” as he so aptly put it.

I am thrilled to let you all know that my first column is up online! And you should go read it! Like, right now! This month’s post is a discussion surrounding absinthe and the lesser known Bohemian Style that is making headlines for its mixability in cocktails.

So continue to check back here and at Bar None Drinks for cocktail and spirits news. If there is a particular topic you’d be interested in learning more about, leave me a comment. I’m always eager to dig up the goods on the spirits you are most excited about.

Cheers!
SJ

Bohemian Bay Breeze

My taste buds are looking for something tropical today in the aftermath of National Rum Day (8/16). My Twitter feed was on overload yesterday with the likes of Mai Tais, Daiquiris (of the classic and frozen varieties), and Pina Coladas.

Today I’m shifting gears and playing with a different base spirit, absinthe. Specifically a Bohemian-style absinthe. If you haven’t tried this category of absinthe before, run out to your store and find a bottle of Absinthe Mata Hari. Mata Hari, and Bohemian-style absinthes in general, have a much more muted anise profile than its French and Swiss counterparts, making it more accessible and easy to mix in cocktails.

So here’s that tropical treat I’ve been gearing you up for:

The Bohemian Bay Breeze
1 part Absinthe Mata Hari
1 part Pineapple Juice
1 1/2 parts Cranberry Juice

Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into an Collins glass with fresh ice.

Cheers!
SJ

Summer Time Lime

Because it's a refreshing citrus drink that's perfect on sweltering days...

Mata Hari Lime Cooler

1 1/2 oz. Absinthe Mata Hari

1 oz. Triple Sec

3 oz. Fresh Sour Mix

Soda Water (to top)

Combine first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into an iced Collins glass. Top with soda water and garnish with a lime slice.

And if you have a minute--check out what Hal Wolin had to say about Mata Hari over on A Muddled Thought.

Absinthe Mata Hari on Wall Street!

If you didn't already catch it, please check out Eric Felten's Absinthe article, which appeared in the Wall Street Journal weekend edition (May 9-10). He rated Absinthe Mata Hari good/very good and picked up on the brand's point of difference, it's more subtle flavor and mixability. See for yourself:

Good/Very Good

Mata Hari $52.99 A distinctive and appealing alternative for those of us not quite so ambitious in the absinthe department. Light on the licorice with a muted and subtle herbal complexity. Can be drunk, with ice water and a little sugar, with something resembling pleasure.

You can read the whole article here: Sampling Absinthe’s Dubious Charms

Cheers!

Drink O' The Irish

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya & Happy St. Patrick’s Day, readers. With a last name like Harrigan, you can bet I like to enjoy a few St. Patty’s Day cocktails with my corned beef & cabbage on March 17th.

Ok, so I’m not really Irish—the name’s Armenian actually, and was changed from Harrigian to Harrigan when my family arrived in America. But I feel, since I was taunted and tortured with the following song for the majority of my childhood, I should get to reap the benefits of an Irish-sounding last name:



After all, everybody’s got a little Irish in them on St. Patty’s Day. Get in touch with your Celtic roots with a few tasty (and green, of course) cocktails this eve. Cheers!

The Ugly Leprechaun

1 ½ oz. OVAL Vodka
½ oz. Jameson Irish Whiskey
½ oz. Hiram Walker Melon Liqueur
¼ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz. Simple Syrup
2 oz. Kiwi Puree
Lime wheel for garnish

Chill a large cocktail glass. Shake ingredients with ice in a shaker. Strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wheel.

Grasshopper

¾ oz. Cream
¾ oz. Hiram Walker Crème de Cacao, white
¾ oz. Hiram Walker Crème de Menthe, green

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with chocolate cookie crumbs.

Irish Cooler

1 ½ oz. Absinthe Mata Hari
½ oz. Hiram Walker Peppermint Schnapps
½ oz. Cream

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir. Serve over ice in a rocks glass.

Mardi Gras Cocktails

Ok, so I’ve got to be honest. I’ve never really understood the whole Mardi Gras thing. It’s kind of French, it’s kind of Catholic, it’s the day before Lent but it’s total debauchery. Are we just trying to get all the sinning out before Lent starts, or is it just an excuse to party hard on a random Tuesday?

Last summer I visited New Orleans, the famed home of the biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the U.S., for Tales of the Cocktail and fell in love with the birthplace of the American cocktail. Even on a relatively quiet and excruciatingly hot night in July, Bourbon street was alive with jazz, drinks, and (unfortunately, for me) middle-aged folks wearing nothing but body paint—Yikes! I can only imagine how crazy things are in the Crescent City this week, with Mardi Gras celebrations in full swing.

Regardless of its reason for being, I’ve always enjoyed Mardi Gras because it’s the perfect time to be carefree, have fun, and get a taste of the warmer seasons ahead with great spring/summer party cocktails. So un-pack your blenders, pull out your drink umbrellas and swirly straws and fix up a couple of these. I guarantee you they’ll be better than the 7-Eleven Slurpee-esque Hurricanes they sell on Bourbon.

Vive le Mardi Gras! Cheers!

The HYP Fairy

3/4 oz. Absinthe Mata Hari

1/2 oz. Hpnotiq Liqueur

splash fresh sour mix

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a chilled shot glass.

White Peach Paloma

2 oz. Tequila
½ oz. Hiram Walker White Peach Schnapps
2 oz. Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice
2 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
1 oz. Simple Syrup

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a salt-rimmed glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lime corkscrew. Serve blended, if preferred.

Southern Belle

1 ¾ oz. Absinthe Mata Hari
1 ¼ oz. Hiram Walker Pomegranate Schnapps
Splash cranberry juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Grapeful Red

1 oz. Hiram Walker Pink Grapefruit Schnapps
¼ oz. Hiram Walker Triple Sec
Dash grenadine

Shake over ice & serve in a chilled shot glass.

Oscar Night Libations

Oh yeah…I’m that girl. I’m the girl who waits for Awards season all year long. I try to see as many of the nominated films as possible. I have my girlfriends over for cocktails and fancy-schmancy appetizers and we “oooo” and “ahhh” over the glamour of the red carpet. Yep, that’s me.

I’m not ashamed of this fact—quite proud actually and I’m guessing I’m not alone. Yes, I’ve even known a guy or two (straight guys!) who’ve been known to throw an at-home Oscar-viewing party. So if you too are Oscar-crazed, pretentious about film, or just love the fashion, you’ll appreciate these two cocktail recipe ideas for this Sunday.

The Red Carpet:

1 ½ oz. OVAL Vodka
1 oz. Compari
1 oz. Hiram Walker Pomegranate Schnapps
1 oz. Pomegranate Juice
½ oz. Simple Syrup

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon slice.

Winslet Cocktail: (it’s really the Starlet Cocktail, but I like this name better)

1 oz. Absinthe Mata Hari
1 oz. Orange flavored vodka
1 oz. Hiram Walker Black Raspberry Liqueur
1 oz. champagne

Combine Absinthe, vodka, and black raspberry liqueur in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with a raspberry.

What's Absinthe?

What’s Absinthe? That’s a question I heard from several people at the Liquor Depot in Avon, CT this past weekend. I was there for a special Valentine’s Day Absinthe Mata Hari tasting and, for many guests, it was their first experience with Absinthe.

When you spend your day reading cocktail blogs, it’s hard to imagine anyone hasn’t heard about Absinthe, but there are still so many people who either don’t know anything about it or are filled with misinformation about the category. Some people I spoke to still believed it was illegal in the U.S. or it would make them go crazy and cut their ear off. Even more were hearing about Absinthe for the first time and wanted me to compare it to something they had already tried.

That’s a tough task to tackle. To what can you compare Absinthe? Pastis, Sambuca, or Anisette liqueurs? No, Absinthe, especially bohemian style, is definitively and fundamentally different from anything else out there. Just try it yourself and see!

We got a great response, both from guests who tried Mata Hari in the traditional drip and in a Bohemian Baybreeze.

Bohemian Baybreeze:

1 ½ oz. Absinthe Mata Hari
2 oz. Pineapple Juice
1 oz. Cranberry Juice

Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into an old fashioned glass.

Many first-timers caught the bug and wanted to learn more about Absinthe’s fascinating history. We might have some work to do to further spread the word about Absinthe, but I think it’s safe to say that Mata Hari has begun to steal hearts, even in our country’s smallest corners. Thanks to everyone who came out for the tasting! Cheers!