Mandarine Napoleón TDN Drinks...or close enough!

Edit: We have received some awesome feedback to the video so far, including a nod that we should do this feature every week (Seriously?! You want to hear my voice that often?!). Chuck Taggart chimed in, too, with his suggestions to our tweaks of the Lillet Tomlin and offered the following tips:

• If you don't have orange bitters, just leave them out. Angostura's flavor profile is enough to make a completely different drink.
• Don't have access to Regan's (or any kind of) orange bitters? Chuck offers Cocktail Kingdom and KegWorks as suggestions to purchase online. Happy Hunting!
  

Two weeks ago, Mandarine Napoleón sponsored an evening of conversation and cocktail-conspiring in the Mixoloseum chat room. We saw some great drink ideas emerge from a group of the craftiest spirits and cocktails writers around - if you missed out, you're in luck!

Here is your chance to see some of the great cocktails developed during the evening, coupled with the hilarity of Samantha and myself trying to recreate two of the evening's submitted recipes. We attempt to make Chuck Taggart's Lillet Tomlin and SeanMike Whipkey's Mandarine Cooler. Let the critique of my technique begin (don't be too harsh now, please)!




You can watch the video again by logging on to our Brand Action Team YouTube channel.

Cheers!
Stephanie

Thursday Drink Night with Mandarine Napoleon

Thirsty Thursday is almost upon us this week, and that means another edition of Thursday Drink Night is ready to take place. The Mixoloseum is the site for this weekly online chat and will be sponsored this Thursday by Mandarine Napoleon. Spirits writers and cocktail enthusiasts alike will be suggesting uses for the product in new cocktails, trying the drinks at home, and perfecting their recipes.

Never been to the Mixoloseum before? You haven’t taken part in a TDN yet? You don’t know what you’re missing out on! The event is open to the public and new members are always welcomed. Just grab yourself a bottle of Mandarine Napoleon and log in here (you’ll need to create a user name and password, first). Be sure to bring your best ideas for cocktails using the acclaimed orange liqueur.

The fun starts at 7 pm EST and runs into the wee hours of the night (or morning, if you want to be technical..). Come early if you can because Mandarine Napoleon’s master distiller will be joining us in the chat room from Sweden to discuss the product and answer any questions.

Look forward to chatting on Thursday!

Scotchtails for Spring

New England is infamous for its quirky, quick-changing weather and that’s certainly been the case in Connecticut this month. Not two weeks ago our basements were flooded and the National Guard was actually called into our small town to help control the flood. Days later we had record high temps and sunshine. Currently, we’re somewhere in between but I’m hoping (if only for the sake of our newly-planted grass) that the weather starts leaning in Summer’s direction.

April’s Scotchtail is perfect for this time of year (no matter what the weather’s doing) and the flavor combo of grapefruit and honey is divine! Easy-to-make, too! What more could you ask for?

April Cocktail

1 ½ Chivas Regal 12 yo
1 ½ oz. Ruby Grapefruit Juice
2 barspoons honey
Dash Grapefruit bitters

Stir the honey in the empty old fashioned glass. Add the whisky and continue until dissolved. Following the addition of the Grapefruit Juice, top with crushed ice.

If grapefruit isn’t your style, try this light and refreshing drink that would be fantastic through summer!

Cascade

1 ½ oz Chivas Regal 12 yo
¾ oz. Monin Mandarin Syrup
¾ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
Dash Peach Juice
Tonic water.

Shake all ingredients (except tonic) together in a Boston shaker. Pour over ice and top with tonic water. Garnish with sliced apple.

Cheers!

-SH

Winter Wonders

The countdown to spring continues here, but Winter does have a few redeeming qualities. It makes great weather for drinking the following: Mindas Touches, Fireside Sippers, and Chrysanthemums. Curl up with a good book and one of these in your hand and you won’t be disappointed!

Fireside Sipper – drink and photo by Cheri Loughlin

1-1/2 part Premium Single Malt Scotch Whisky

3/4 part Hiram Walker Peach Flavored Brandy

1/8 part Hiram Walker Amaretto Liqueur

1/4 to 1/2 part Filtered Water to taste

Place liquids in a mixing glass – no ice. Stir gently to blend. Pour into snifter.

Chrysanthemum

2 oz. Dry Vermouth

1 1/2 oz. Benedictine
1/4 tsp. Pernod Absinthe

Stir Vermouth and Benedictine with cracked Ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Add Pernod and garnish with an orange twist (flamed, if you prefer).

Mindas Touch

1 oz. Chivas Regal 12yo

1/4 oz. Apricot and Butterscotch Syrup

1 dash Orange Bitters

Stir and serve in a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with dark chocolate shavings.

Where to Drink: Atlanta, Beleza’s Orange Swizzle

This post is part of a new series, where we will review establishments across the U.S. mixing up delicious cocktails with OVAL!

YouTube code:

If you’ve been paying attention (there might be a test) you probably heard we were in Atlanta recently for Thursday Drink Night sponsored by OVAL vodka. Wow! Yummy drinks. We chose to use and abuse the crew at Beleza for this event because I had such an awesome experience visiting their bar back in April.

This Brazilian-style restaurant and bar has a FAB.U.LOUS OVAL cocktail called The Orange Swizzle on the menu and in this video, mixologist Adam Fox fixes it up. Now, this one’s pretty involved. It might not be something you can whip up at home on any ol’ night of the week. That’s why this post is called “where to drink.” If you’r e in the mood for something special & different (and you find yourself in this great city of the South) you need to head to Beleza and let the bar staff take care of you. Cheers!

The Orange Swizzle

1 ½ oz. OVAL vodka
½ oz. Cane Syrup
¾ oz. Lime Juice
6 Mint Leaves, bruised
3 ½ Wheels of Orange, muddled in tin
Bar spoon Cointreau
½ oz. Homemade Ginger Beer
2 oz. Soda Water
Dash of Aperol

First of all, take a deep breath. This is going to be serious. Start off with the mint in a Collins glass and use a swizzle stick to bruise the leaves. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the orange wheels. Add cane syrup, lime juice, Cointreau, ginger beer and OVAL vodka. Dry shake. Add ice and continue to shake thoroughly. Fill the Collins glass with crushed ice. Strain the contents of the cocktail shaker over the ice. Swizzle with swizzle stick. Top with soda water and mark with Aperol. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Reward yourself for a job well done and DRINK!

Oval TDN Cocktails: Don’t mind if I do

Last Thursday’s TDN was sponsored by OVAL vodka and I had a great time trying out new cocktails in Atlanta. Jon Flowers and Rob Chen of Drink Planner joined me at Beleza, where mixologist Adam Fox helped us out by making the fabulous new cocktails (submitted by participants online) and even threw in a few of his own new creations.

The result was a great evening with delicious drinks—my personal favorite of the night was a bit of a shocker. I’ve got to admit when I first read the recipe (submitted by Cass McClure) I thought it was a little bit crazy-I mean, four ounces of vodka! Wow! But if you too are a doubter, whip this sucker up stat and you’ll find it’s deceptively smooth (thanks in part to the use of OVAL) and terribly tasty. Here she is:

Perfumed Beauty by Cass McClure of Junk Hauler’s Junk

4 oz. OVAL vodka
½ oz. Sloe Gin
½ oz. Lime Juice
1 ½ oz. Simple Syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 wedge pineapple
4 mint sprigs
¼ tsp. ground cardamom

In a snifter, muddle a large wedge of pineapple with three mint sprigs, 2 dashes bitters, and ¼ tsp. Cardamom. Fill glass with crushed ice. In a shaker, combine vodka, sloe gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. Shake and pour into glass. Garnish with a bunch of mint sprigs, lime wedge, and a rim of cardamom mixed with simple syrup.

I’m telling you, delicious! And if for some crazy reason, this drink isn’t your style, go check out a few more featured recipes (and some lovely drink photography by Rick Stutz) on the Mixoloseum blog. Big thanks to all the participants who joined us in the Mixoloseum chat room, to the Drink Planner dudes, Adam Fox, & the rest of the crew at Beleza! Cheers!

OVAL vodka sponsored fashion event

On Tuesday I made my way down to Manhattan for an OVAL vodka sponsored fashion event. It was the launch for the new Vamp Jewelry Collection by Fetty. The line is a punk-rock collection designed by Justin Tranter, lead singer of Semi Precious Weapons (watch him rock out in this video from the event). You may have seen Fetty jewelry on celebrities like Rihanna, Kate Moss, or Kim Kardashian.

Chet, Scott, and Devyn from the Real World Brooklyn showed up for the party, as did Christian Siriano from Project Runway (try and find them in the video if you can). The place was packed and the crowd loved their OVAL vodka cocktails. Here’s one for the road:

The Shogun by Heinz Kaiser:

1 ½ oz. OVAL Vodka
1 barspoon honey
1 pinch of wasabi
¾ oz. lime juice

Pour ingredients into a chilled mixing glass. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with four slices of cucumber and two slices of fresh ginger. Enjoy!

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.

A Caipirinha for Carnaval!

Carnaval is coming! The popular Brazilian holiday begins tomorrow and lasts until Lent. In Brazil, people celebrate with costumes, parades, samba music, and (you guessed it) Cachaça! Leblon, Brazil’s finest Cachaça, is helping to spread the Carnaval love with events nationwide, an awesome Carnaval kit for you home party, and of course, fabulous cocktails!

If you’ve been to the Leblon site, you’ve seen the vast array of cocktail recipes—everything from complex bar-chef masterpieces, to martinis and twists on the classics. But I think for Carnaval, it’s best to stick to the basics. What better way is there to celebrate Carnaval than with Brazil’s #1 cocktail—the Caipirinha?

The traditional Caipirinha is the current fave in my household. My fiancé and I can’t get enough of them and, though there is some muddling involved, it’s a super easy cocktail to fix. Once you’ve got your bottle of Leblon stocked, all you need to do is pick up a couple limes from the grocery store and you’ve got cocktails for the night.

Traditional Caipirinha

2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
½ lime
2 tsp superfine sugar (or 1 oz. simple syrup)

Cut the lime into four wedges. Muddle the lime and sugar (or simple syrup) in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add Leblon Cachaça. Shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Super easy! Once you’ve got that down, you can make several variations on the Caipirinha by muddling fresh fruit. The Blackberry Caipirinha is absolutely delicious!

Blackberry Caipirinha

2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
6 Blackberries (or any berry will do)
¼ lime, sliced
1 tbsp sugar

Place blackberries with sliced lime in a shaker and muddle well. Fill with ice and add Leblon Cachaça and sugar. Shake vigorously and pour into a rocks glass. Garnish with a blackberry. Yummmmmmmmmm!

Ok so you’ve got the cocktails for your Carnaval party—now all you need is the Leblon Carnaval kit to top it off. This party-in-a-box includes green Carnaval masks, Bon fims, Carnaval beads, Caipirinha glowsticks, napkins, stirrers, a muddler and samba music. What more do you need? Still looking for more direction? The video below will walk you through how to make the perfect Caipirinha. Saude!

Thursday Drink Night Wrap

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had the good fortune of visiting our nation’s capital last week—not to partake in the Inaugural festivities (I was two days too late) but to partake in some Absinthe—namely Mata Hari. That’s because this past week’s Thursday Drink Night event was sponsored by Absinthe Mata Hari, and I joined a few bloggers participating live from the Tabard Inn in D.C.

Much to the disgust of Steve, I had never actually been to Washington before. Well, I shouldn’t exactly say that—once, on a family road trip to North Carolina, my father stopped in D.C. at two in the morning and woke us all up to show us the monuments. This was not a particularly good memory, as it involved being awoken at two a.m. and was soon followed by being pulled over by D.C. police for looking sketchy at two a.m. Nevertheless, I guess it would be better to say I’ve never stayed in D.C.

Thankfully, my first stay in D.C. was a great one, as I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Tabard Inn—what a cool place. I have a hard time explaining it to people, but it’s just so funky. It’s a really old building with antique furniture and wood-burning fireplaces, beside which you’d expect to find an old man smoking a pipe (were smoking not prohibited). The whole layout of the Inn is like a crazy labyrinth, with brightly painted walls, dark corners, and loud artwork. I guess that’s not coming out right because it doesn’t really sound that appealing, but trust me, it’s awesome!

That is, except for one thing—the clown. Yikes. If you have an issue with clowns, avoid room number 55 or this is what you’ll see staring back at you all night. Notice the orb in the upper left-hand portion of the photo. Creeeeeeeeeeeeeepy. Needless to say I did not sleep very well at the Tabard, but it was worth it just to taste the hanger steak with gorgonzola mash and their Pisco Presidential Punch—yum!

For Thursday Drink Night itself, I joined SeanMike and Marshall down at the bar, where the fabulous Chantal was working her mixology magic. I owe a huge thanks to Chantal, who let us totally hog her bar the whole night, made more than a couple crazy cocktails, and even helped me snake an extension cord around the barware and over the posi machine when my laptop died. Kudos!

Later, Rick and Nathan joined us, while Owen, our videographer, documented the whole thing with a flip camera (which I am now totally obsessed with, by the way). I should have the final video this week and will definitely post it as soon as possible so you can see us all in action!

Now let’s get down to it because this post is getting long…the drinks. There were so many it’s hard to keep them all straight, but I know I enjoyed how raspberry and Mata Hari played well together in Gabriel’s Zelle’s Betrayal (pictured) and I think my favorite of the night was Rick’s Dead Spy (recipes for both below). For the full list and a transcript of the evening’s activities, keep an eye on the Mixoloseum blog for an official wrap-up. Cheers!

Zelle’s Betrayal by Gabriel Szaszko of Cocktailnerd:

1 ½ oz. Rye
½ oz. Absinthe Mata Hari
½ oz. Orange Juice
¼ oz. Sweet Vermouth
¼ oz. Raspberry Syrup
¼ oz. Simple Syrup
3-4 Mint Leaves

Dead Spy by Rick Stutz of Kaiser Penguin:

Swizzle:
1 oz. Lemon Hart 151
1 oz. Appleton Extra
¼ oz. Absinthe Mata Hari
¾ oz. Lime Juice
¼ oz. Cinnamon Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

OVAL Vodka at Cognac Brasserie

On a recent business trip to New York City, I had a delicious lunch at Cognac Brasserie in Midtown. The food was excellent and the atmosphere lively, but the drinks were, by far, the highlight.

Cognac’s got a new cocktail on their menu created by Ben Demarchelier. The Litchi is a well-balanced cocktail that pairs OVAL Vodka with the flavors of lychee fruit and lemon. It’s delightful and not overly sweet.

If you’re in the area, I highly suggest dropping into Cognac to give this one a try. Not planning an NYC excursion anytime soon? The recipe is below so you can give it a try at home. Impress your holiday guests with this simple yet tasty tipple!

LITCHI (as made by Ben Demarchelier, Brasserie Cognac, NYC)

2 parts OVAL Vodka
2 parts Lychido
Splash of Lychee Juice
Splash of Fresh Sweetened Lemon Juice

Mix the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a fresh Lychee heart.

The People Have Chosen...

On Election Eve voters turned out in droves…to decide the Official Drink of the OVAL Office. Sponsored by OVAL vodka, the OVAL Office Event took place at the Bryant Park Cellar Bar in NYC Monday Night, and featured fabulous judges including fashion designer Richie Rich of Heatherette. On the ballot were five delicious finalist cocktails, chosen from the hundreds submitted online by mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts across the country.

Guests (and judges) had a taste of each cocktail and then cast their ballot at our polls. The results were a little bit controversial, as the Monica Lewinsky cocktail (scandalous yet tasty) beat out the Obamatini (a strong favorite in New York). Unlike its namesake, the Obamatini had to settle for a First Runner Up showing, followed closely by The Dirty Victory (recipes and creators listed below).

The Monica Lewinsky by Nicole Gorden of New York, New York

2 oz. Oval Vodka
1 oz. X Rated Liqueur
1 oz. Fresh Lemon-Lime Sour
Sugared Rim

Prepare a chilled cocktail glass by wetting the rim and dipping in sugar. Fill Shaker with ice. Add OVAL vodka, X Rated Liqueur, and Fresh Lime Sour. Shake thoroughly and strain into the cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh strawberry and a lemon slice.

On her home turf, Nicole Gorden won out with this yummy cocktail featuring OVAL vodka and X-rated Liqueur. The cocktail was a little bit sour for my taste, but the sugared rim helped to balance it out. The crowd loved it and as you can see, it’s a beautiful drink. Congratulations to Nicole Gorden who will receive the grand prize of $500.

The Obamatini by Sasha Dylan King of Ventura, California

2 oz. OVAL Vodka

1/2 oz. Navan vanilla cognac

1/2 oz. Chambord

1/2 oz. pineapple juice

1/2 lemon juice

vanilla bean infused sugar

splash of champagne

3 fresh raspberries

Combine OVAL vodka, Chambord, Navan, pineapple juice, and lemon juice in a shaker and shake until your arm hurts. Strain in a chilled martini glass rimmed with vanilla bean infused sugar. Finish with a splash of champagne and garnish with raspberries. Enjoy (unless you’re name is John McCain).

The Obamatini had a very good showing, but fell just short at the finish line. It was my personal favorite of the night. The smoothness of the OVAL vodka, and the combination of Navan and Chambord just sang. The only complaint I heard the whole evening about this drink was from one person who found it a bit too sweet. If you find the same problem, I’d suggest using a dry champagne to top and perhaps a bit more lemon juice. Still, I’ve got to say the Obamatini got my vote.

The Dirty Victory by Katelin Reeves of Indianapolis, Indiana

2 oz. OVAL Vodka

1/4 oz. Bloody Mary mix

1/2 oz. olive juice

dash hot sauce (optional)

2 olives

1 lime wedge

1 small celery stalk

Fill shaker with ice. Add OVAL vodka, Bloody Mary mix, olive juice, and hot sauce, if desired. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with celery, lime, and olives.

If I’m being perfectly honest here, I need to admit that I did not taste the Dirty Victory before casting my vote. Why, you ask? Well, I’m not really a fan of Bloody Marys (of which this drink is a variation) and I’m a total wuss about hot sauce. What I can say, however, is that everyone at the party that did taste it raved about it (especially the judges) so it must have been pretty damn good!

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who participated in the event. Make sure and give all of these a try. Pick your own favorite and mix it up on January 20th to welcome our new president the right way! Cheers!

Vote for the Official Drink of the Oval Office!

Get to the polls and fulfill your civic duty before it’s too late! No, I’m not talking about politics—I’m talking cocktails. Oval Vodka is looking to find the Official Drink of the Oval Office and it could be your very own creation! Thousands of submissions have already poured in, so don’t miss your chance. All you have to do is create an original cocktail recipe that features Oval Vodka. The polls close Saturday, October 25th at 11:59pm so get to it!

The entries will be narrowed down to five finalists, and those cocktails will be available for tasting and voting at the Oval Vodka Launch Party, which will take place Monday Nov 3rd at the Bryant Park Hotel Cellar Bar. The judging panel, which will include fashion designer Richie Rich of Heatherette, Mike Dawson of MAXIM Magazine and others will announce the winner just in time for Election Day, so we can all welcome the new president with a delicious cocktail. Head over to the Oval Office Site to make your mark and do your part today!

New Absinthe Mata Hari Cocktails!

I actually got to be the taste-tester for these original Absinthe Mata Hari cocktails, developed by Bryce Hardy. I can tell you my personal favorite is The Bohemian Mojito, but the Cherry Life Saver is delicious and tastes just like the candy, and the Courtesan packs a punch but tastes great too. If you’re thinking about throwing an Absinthe Party, serve up a few of these along with the traditional ritual—it’s a modern spin with the mixable Absinthe!

Cherry Life Saver

1 1/2 oz. Cherry Vodka
1 oz. Absinthe Mata Hari
1 oz. Hiram Walker Triple Sec
1 oz. Cranberry Juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

The Bohemian Mojito

6-8 Mint Leaves
2 lime wedges
2 dashes Simple Syrup
1 oz. Bacardi Limon
1 oz. Absinthe Mata Hari
Soda Water to top

Throw the mint leaves in the bottom of a Collins glass. Squeeze in the juice of two lime wedges, and add the wedges to the shaker. Add the simple syrup and muddle. Add the remaining ingredients and tumble. Return to Collins glass. Top with soda water and garnish with a generous sprig of mint.

The Courtesan

1 part Absinthe Mata Hari
1 part Southern Comfort
1 part Lime Juice

Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Strain into a chilled shot glass.