Cocktail Mixotology

Kick in the streets

2009-08-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

6 cherries

6 pieces of Hami melon (alternatively you can use rockmelon as well)

15ml Campari

30ml Smirnoff Vodka

Mash up the fruits till you get a nice bit of juice mixture from both, then add the campari and vodka, top with ice, and shake well. Strain it into two shot glasses. In a separate shot glass, add about 5ml of Grenadine syrup to sweeten, or to each person's taste. Just be careful not to overpower the taste of the fruits.

Red Bubble Head

2009-07-17T07:10:00.001-07:00

60ml Campari
60ml Coca Cola
30ml Elderflower Cordial

Blitz with ice till you get a smoothie consistency, and serve. This drink has this herby after taste from the campari, yet when you drink it initially, you get the full blast of the sweetness of elderflower. A simple yet sophisticated drink.

Peanut Butter Rum Shake

2009-07-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

60ml Amarula

15ml Bacardi Oro

1 heaped teaspoon of peanut butter (I used the one with grape jam in it, reason being it just tastes so good together)

1/2 teaspoon of condensed milk - for sweetness

Put it all into a blender and blend. To the volume of liquid present, add same amount of ice to it, such that the liquid covers the ice barely. Give it a good blend, and you should get your nice peanut butter rum shake.

Peanut Butter Shot

2009-07-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

This was an idea given to me by Terence (cheers) from his trip to Butter Factory. I couldn't resist the temptation to make it and try it myself. I haven't actually tasted the one at Butter, but boy it took some time to make a smooth one! Enjoy!

This should make about 2 shots.

1 small teaspoon of peanut butter(although you can vary the amount of peanut butter in it to vary the sweetness but I do prefer mine a little less sweet and a little more smooth)
30ml of Baileys Irish Cream

A tiny splash of vodka
3-4 Ice cubes

Place all this into a blender, and blend it until you get a smooth consistency. Pour it into two shot glasses, and serve it immediately. POP!

I decided to go one step ahead to make it a little more interesting by adding about 15ml of Bols Blue to it. It gives a little bit of colour to the shot, and also a fruity aftertaste. My suggestion would be that the blue shot be the masculine side of the drink and the original the feminine. Any strong protests do feedback!

Maybe Maileys

2009-06-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

Alright. This is a really crappy name, but here goes.

I wanted to have a sip of baileys again, but I didnt want it plainly on the rocks. So I decided to ransack the fridge for a little inspiration. And there it was. Mango juice. I decided to do a little half and half with mango and baileys, following it a splash of sambuca, shake with ice. The results were fantastic. What you got at the end is a smoothie consistency, unbelievably smooth maileys. Maybe.

Irish Creme de la Creme

2009-06-04T04:50:00.000-07:00

Baileys has to be one of my top 5 favourite liqueurs, because of its versatility. We probably can mix many different flavours with baileys. Here's one so far:

30ml Caramel Vodka

30ml Baileys Irish Cream

30ml Bols Peppermint

Place all the liquids in a tall glass filled with ice, stir and serve.

Black milk

2009-06-04T04:42:00.001-07:00

This drink is part of the milk-based cocktail faze. I love a bit of froth in my drinks, just like I do with my coffee. If you feel like living on the dark side for just one night, try this.

30ml Blackcurrant syrup

30ml Milk

15ml Cointreau

15ml Amaretto

Place the liquids in a shaker, shake it nice and hard, till you get a frothy mixture. (You could blend it if you're making it in bulk it works wonders). Strain it into a cocktail glass and serve.

Simple Black

2009-05-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

Not exactly what it sounds like, but just a momento of what has been an up and down, messy and one hell of a busy week(s) for me. A flood of drinks are coming, as I start to concentrate more power (and energy) on my creation of new drinks, and heres the first of a few to come.

Simple Black requires simple ingredients:

60ml Blackcurrant Cordial (any will do, although the concentration and strength differs from cordial to cordial so add to taste)
30ml Bombay Sapphire Gin
30ml Smirnoff's Vodka

Pour these liquids into a tall glass filled with ice to the brim, and top up with soda water to give it the necessary fizz. Ah. I've been waiting some time for this drink to calm my senses.

Cheers!

missJ (Apple Milk Martini)

2009-05-09T06:32:00.000-07:00

This has got to be one of my favourite female drinks. At this moment. I know and I'm sure most of you have heard of the stigma that male drinks are mostly full-bodied and bold and BITTER, whilst female drinks (or should I say drinks for females) are predominantly sweet and a little more subtle and smooth. But what the hell I do like sweet drinks. And I sure do like this one. As follows:

Many thanks to my lovely friend Joan Chua for sort of giving me inspiration for this drink, although I cant remember how and what you said but still credit does go to you for this one. Haven't done the milk layering that I promised, but it will come soon, once I get some inspiration. Can feel it coming.

AppleMilkMartini

30ml Apple Juice
30ml Fresh Milk
15ml Elderflower cordial
1/3 of a nice crunchy apple, chopped (refrain from using fuji apples, use granny smiths instead or another other if you cannot get your hands on to any of those)
30ml Smirnoff Triple Distilled Vodka
30ml Bombay Sapphire Dry Gin

In a shaker, muddle the chopped apples, until you get a nice consistency. Alternatively, you could blend it as well. Once that is done, top it up with ice, and pour in the liquids in order. I prefer to use elderflower cordial as a sweetener here because of the extra flavour it brings to the drink, giving it more sophistication. If you cannnot get your hands onto elderflower cordial, feel free to use sugar syrup! Give it a good shake, and strain it into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of Apple. (I forgot the garnish!!!) If you're a guy, serve it to the ladies, be a real gentleman. But if you're a lady, please hang on to it, you definitely do not want anyone touching YOUR drink.

CHEERS!

F.R.O.Z.E

2009-04-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

This came as a total brainwave. You got to execute this really quickly, so I would suggest that you take a good read through this whole recipe first before you start on it. Its a lot of work, but a lot of fun as well!

45ml Midori

4 ice cubes

Blend it until you get a nice smoothie consistency, then pour into a tall glas.

45ml Bols Blue

4 ice cubes

Blend it again, but now instead of pouring it into the tall glass, tilt the glass slightly, to around 45 degrees, and slowly pour the blue smoothie mixture into the glass. You should get your second layer.

45ml Bols Lychee

4 ice cubes. Again, blend this mixture till you get a nice white smoothie, and pour it into the glass the same way as the Bols Blue.

Take About 20ml of Grenadine Syrup, place it in a shot glass, and serve. The drinker has the honour of pouring in the Grenadine Syrup if he wants it, and then he will stir the drink. Best consumed with a straw

Sublime

2009-04-14T06:06:00.001-07:00

I have a headache. And although this isn't the best way to cure a headache, time and time again it hasn't failed me. I have always believed that the best temporary cure to that niggling thing stuck at the side of your head would be a strong, powerful burst of extreme emotion, or in my case, flavour. In most cases, I would turn to a nice bowl of extra spicy curry or Tom Yam soup. However, in this case, I have decided to turn to a decently sour punch, with a hint of sweetness, though its important that it doesn't overpower the potential this drink can provide. Its potent, yet effective. Suitable after a hard day's work.

30ml Tequila

30ml Bols Blue

30ml Midori

60ml Sour Mix

60ml Cranberry Juice

10ml Grenadine Syrup

Pour your ingredients into a tall glass filled with ice, in this order. You should get a nice 3 layered drink of red green and blue. Stir well before drinking.

OMG its refreshing sweet.

1 before 21

2009-04-10T06:51:00.001-07:00

Another Mango Based Drink, and purely on the spot inspiration.

60ml Mango Juice
60ml Milk
30ml Cointreau
30ml Amaretto
Top up with Ice.Serve.

Sweet.Sensous.Subtle

Lassi

2009-04-06T06:01:00.000-07:00

This was something that just randomly came to my mind. I didn't have the best of nights after having a dinner of Thai noodles cooked with lots of chilli padi, so I thought that the best way to cure myself of this discomfort would be a nice cooling drink on the stomach. And it just came to my mind.

I gotta thank Nicholas Sim (yea if you do read my blog) for providing the one and only alcoholic content in this drink, the caramel vodka. Interestingly enough, I couldn't really taste the alcohol in it, which probably is a good thing. In certain drinks for certain days, you want the full blow of the intoxication on your tongue, on other days, you'd prefer a subtle version.

30ml Caramel Vodka
60ml Mango Juice
60ml Milk
5 Mint Leaves

First rip your mint leaves such that you release a little of the minty fragrance which will sort of enhance the flavour of the drink. DO NOT bash it, too much of a good thing makes it turn BAD. To the mint leaves, pour in your caramel vodka, milk and mango juice, and in a shaker, top it up with ice, and give it a nice good shake! strain into a tall glass, and serve. Voila!

the flaming LAMBORGHINI experience

2009-03-29T03:43:00.000-07:00

Alright. Finally that day has come. My first home made flaming. Sounds really difficult to make, but it was surprisingly easy and fun. I cannot express my excitement before I did this, but all I can say after that is, WOW.

30ml of Kahlua into a cocktail glass

15ml of Vaccari Sambuca layered over it

30ml of Bols Blue in a separate shot glass

30ml of Baileys in a separate shot glass

Ignite the sambuca, and start drinking with a short straw, halfway through, pour the two shot glasses of Bols Blue and Baileys into the cocktail glass, and finish it in one big gulp. Watch the video for demo.

Manguo

2009-03-17T04:15:00.000-07:00

60 ml Bacardi Oro
15ml Grand Marnier
Pulp of half a Mango
Juice of one Lime
2 Mint Leaves
1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar

Ok the name really sounds very cheesy, but fret not. I think it really works. I decided to use black rum, to give it a nice heavier feel, but I balanced it up by adding a citrus feel to it in the shape of Grand Marnier and the lime, which will hopefully balance the natural sweetness of the mango.

In a glass, muddle the mango pulp until you feel satisfied that you have attained a smooth consistency. The tip here is to use a nice ripe and sweet mango, if you ever use a sour own, you can probably try to rectify the situation a little by adding thick sugar syrup, although I highly doubt the success of it. After this, squeeze the juice of half a lime inside, together with the Grand Marnier and brown sugar. Once you are confident that at least 75% of the brown sugar has dissolved or have been crushed, pour in the bacardi Oro and top up with ice. Give it a good shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a generous slice of mango and the mint leaves.

Apple Crumble

2009-03-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well this came out totally out of the blues to me this morning, as I sat down wondering what my next post should be about. I had apple crumble for dessert yesterday night, and it struck me, why not?

It seemed tough at first as to how I should go about configuring the dessert into a simple drink, but I did some brainstorming, so here goes!

Using a tall glass, fill up about 1/4 of the glass with crushed digestive biscuits. You really want it crushed, so alternatively you can put it in a blender and blend it. Sounds rough, but effective.

Next, we have tinned apples and fresh. Same thing, using half and half of each, blend them to a pulp, and pour it over your digestive biscuits. It should roughly leave just about the one thirds of half of the glass remaining. Into the glass, add 15ml of double cream, and 45ml of Vodka and sugar syrup to taste.

In a hot pan, toast a stick of cinammon for a minute, and after that minute, toss it straight into the drink, give it a good stir, top up with ice and taste. Serve with a straw and a long teaspoon.

BGR

2009-03-09T04:25:00.000-07:00

Today, I introduce a new shooter, with many more to come of course. Its based on the 3 basic colours of the world, which is where I want to start with, the very basis of the world, where many of our fundamentals are built upon.

I decided to use this colour combination because when mixed, or even when the shooter is destroyed, you can obtain a lovely violet coloured shot. Alternatively, you can always leave your messed up shot in the fridge for an hour or so to let the layers form up again, but I DO NOT think that anyone can wait that long to pop a shot. Shots are spontaneous and fun, so why not let it be!

Layer the shot in this order

30ml Blue Curacao
30ml Midori Melon Liqueur
30ml Cherry Brandy

Cheers!

Sangria PART II

2009-03-05T03:12:00.001-08:00

The second part would be a little less time consuming. Strawberries and grapes come to my ass best friends, and strawberries go well with cream, so this is where it starts to get a little exciting!

I'll need 10 strawberries. 5 Fresh, 5 dried. I wanted a little freshness inside this drink, and yet have a little bit of intense flavour going through the wine, so I decided in this combination. Mash them up together with 2 heaped tablespoons of sugar in a pestle and mortar (I KNOW this sounds exaggarating, but trust me). Once that is done, pour it into 500ml of Good Quality Dry Red Wine, and give it a nice stir to make sure the strawberry essences gets into the wine. Leave it for aobut an hour in the fridge before preparing to serve.

Just before you are about to serve. Get ready your sugar syrup (it all depends on the taste of the individual) and get equal parts of full cream milk to red wine that you are about to use. Pour your full cream milk and a large handful of icecubes into the blender and give it a nice blend until you get this thick foamy and frothy milkshake. Pour your red wine in it, not forgetting to sift out the strawberries, and continue blending for about 1 more min.

After you achieve a smooth consistency, serve immediately. Add sugar syrup to taste.

Sangria

2009-03-04T03:36:00.000-08:00

I've never actually given much thought about this until recently, about a week ago, but the word sangria actually brings a few ideas to my mind, which I believe to be unique. (Ok, this is just my ego setting in).

My definition of sangria is basically wine infused with a little something else. It has to be a mildly strong flavour. I decided to do something a little intoxicating to most, but nonetheless adventurous in its approach and its flavour. Enjoy!

In a small pan, toast about 20 cloves in the pan, constantly moving it around so that it doesnt get too burnt at one side. After about 1 min, remove it from the pan and give it a light bash. DO not smash it, just break it up a little at certain parts such that you release the flavours. Place it into about 500ml of Good Quality Merlot, together with the zest of 1 fresh orange. Let it infuse in a cool dry place for about 2 weeks at the most. 1 week would be the suggested optimum.

Have it on the rocks, or with 3 parts to one part of freshly squeezed orange juice (minus the pulp). Cheers.

La Fruta Platano

2009-03-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

I decided to go less of melon and bring out more of the orange in the triple sec and the flavour of banana in this shot/drink. I didnt want the melon to overpower the other flavours and so by a ratio of 1 : 2 : 2, I managed to achieve that. You can alter the proportions to your own taste, but I strongly recommend the proportions stated below. Optionally, you can layer it as a shot using a part each of the three liqueurs, to give you a nice yellow green blue layered shot.

1 part Midori
2 part Blue Curacao
2 part Banana Liqueur

Pour liquids into shaker,
Top up with ice.
Give it a good shake.
Sift into two shot glasses or in a martini glass.
Garnish with a thick slice of sweet cantaloupe melon. Cheers!

P.S. Thanks for the Name.=)

Burn

2009-03-02T03:34:00.000-08:00

Alright. I have to admit it. There's this anxiety at this present moment in my life. And probably the anxiety of it all is what drives me. You could call it or relate it to something many people will acknowledge as inner motivation. Its something similar to the new pure and refined petrol oil that we see nowadays on the television, and how it provides extra mileage for every litre in comparison to previous prototypes of petrol oils.

1 part Jagermeister
1 part Vodka
1 part Red Bull
1 part Coke syrup (basically just reduce coke in a pan and add sugar to sweeten, this sounds highly sinful and it takes the gas away, but so what, its still coke to me)
1 part Sambuca

Instructions on how to consume this drink will be disclosed when I've actually tried it.

KA74

2009-02-28T05:53:00.000-08:00

It actually took quite some time for me to think of a name for this drink, but I finally got it anyway. You could see it as a random combination of alphabets and numbers, but you can also take a closer look and notice something.

IN the bottom of a shot glass,
30ml of Tia Maria

Layer over
30ml Amaretto

Finally last layer
30ml Peppermint BOLS

Take a
POP

Humpty Dumpty had a GREAT Fall

2009-02-24T04:48:00.000-08:00

No eggs involved in this one, don't worry. But I guess it does have connotations of falling if you are not a seasoned drinker, and probably some imagery concepts from the scene where the great fall took place.

Get a tall glass. Firstly, we are going to build the wall. I'd like something with a little strength, so into your glass add:
30ml Gin
60ml Cherry Brandy
30ml Vodka
30ml Parfait Amour
15ml Grenadine Syrup
Top up with ice till the glass is about 3/4 full, and then give it a good stir.

Next we're gonna make Humpty Dumpty have a great fall. Get about 30ml of Creme Fraiche, 15ml Cointreau and give it a nice whip. Pour it into a shot glass, and prepare for the next move.

Well, basically just prepare the drinker with a straw, and on the count of three pour the blop of creme fraiche and cointreau into the first glass and give it a good drink. Don't stop till you're down. Don't FALL.

Cocoa Crunch

2009-02-21T04:27:00.000-08:00

Well I wanted to create something unique using the creme de cacao(brown). I'd like to give it a nice crunchy feel to it, so essentially this is more of a midnight snack rather than a drink.

You will need 5 shot glasses. Well I actually recommend 5 shot glasses because this probably maximises the satisfaction you get from this drink, anymore you will probably face something called the law of diminishing marginal returns.

Fill the shot glasses half full with rice krispies or any other plain crispy cereal biscuit. Next pour 15ml of creme de cacao(brown) for each of the shot glasses. Top it up with a little milk. Serve it chilled.

Bloody Mojito

2009-02-21T04:14:00.000-08:00

Well this is my version of the Mojito, and I bloody hell like it, hence the name. The ingredients are based on the original mojito, but with a few alterations.

What I like most about this drink is the explosion of flavours you feel when you take the first sip. The combination of fresh lemon limes and mint is almost alluring you to an awakening of your senses, nevertheless refreshing and one to enjoy on a bright sunny afternoon at the beach.

So firstly we get half a lemon lime (the big round ones you get in the supermarket), cut it into quarters, and throw it into the base of a glass. Into it, add a bunch of mint leaves (preferably about 8-10 leaves will suffice), and the leaf of a kaffir lime. Muddle it well, basically just smash it as much as possible because the harder you smash, the better the flavours emerge, and the more aromatic your drink becomes. Next, we will add 30ml or Bacardi White Rum and 15ml of Gordon's Dry Gin. Top up with 7-up or Sprite (well its a bit of playing cheat but does it really matter? Sugar syrup and soda water gives you 7-up anyway!) and lastly add about 15ml of Grenadine syrup. Give it a nice good stir and you might suddenly find yourself at the beach.

BANANAs

2009-02-13T05:44:00.000-08:00

Well its been a while hasn't it. A few busy nights and busy days has taken a toll but these days do not last so here I am back again.

I thought of this idea with the help of inspiration from someone, but after adding a little touch of me into it, hopefully it turns out well.

1 part Banana liqueur
1 part Cinammon Infused Vodka
1 part Milk
1 Banana, sliced
Cinammon Powder
Chocolate syrup

Well the tricky part of this drink would be to infuse the vodka with cinammon. You can experiment in different proportions over different periods of time, but I'd recommend going with one stick for every 100ml for 3 months .

Once you have that in hand, in a shaker, place the sliced banana pieces into it, and give it a good mash. Try to get a attain a smooth consistency about it by adding the milk to it and giving it a good mix. Once that is done, pour in the banana liqueur and the vodka, top up with ice, and give it a good shake.

Pour into a chilled cocktail glass (or you can alternatively strain it into the glass but I STRONGLY recommend pouring it in with all the fibres to give the drink a little bit of texture), sprinkle some cinammon powder over it and gently squeeze a little chocolate syrup over the drink in twirls. Serve with a good looking roll of cinammon.

Back in a Flash

2009-02-04T04:43:00.000-08:00

I was thinking, probably doing a little reflection of life and the many things surrounding mine. I couldn't help but notice how in general, we experience such rapid changes in life. How everything just passes by in a flash, in both manners of time and relativity. We lead such hurried lives, caught up in this rat race, always conscious of time or the lack of it. Perhaps it would be better if we could have an hour extra a day to sit down, relax and watch the world revolve. Perhaps we could have that one hour, if we could be 'back in a flash'.

This shot/drink is meant to be drank fast, but still manages to allow you to develop a relaxing feeling deep inside you. Sounds cheesy, but that's how it goes!

1 part Green Tea Liqueur
1 part Tequila
1 part Honey

I decided to go with green tea because green tea is traditionally recognised to be something that you drink at the end of a hard days work, and probably contains chemicals that help you to relax.
Basically, you place all the 3 liquids into a shaker with ice, give it a real shake, and strain it into a glass, or you can pour it into shot glasses and take a few pops.

LEMON FIZZ

2009-02-02T05:27:00.000-08:00

Today's drink will be short and sharp, both in taste and in verse. I always like a good shock to the senses whenever I'm feeling down and out, or just something to give a good adrenaline rush to the senses. It awakens me.

1 part Sour Mix
1 parts Homemade Limoncello
1 part Cointreau
Sugar Syrup
Soda water

Pour your limoncello, sour mix and cointreau into a shaker, top up with ice, sweeten with the syrup and give it a good shake. Once that is done, fill up 6 shot glasses to about three quarter its height, and top up the 6 shot glasses to the brim with soda water. Each shot should give you a burst of flavour followed by a gentle fizz.

Limoncello

2009-02-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

Well its hardly surprising that I'm not born Italian, have any links to that country, or any blood relation to any particular person living in that country. So although I may have left a few footprints in Italy, that is as far as I have gone to be able to appreciate their fascinating food and culture.

I would like to point out one particular region, Sicily, where they grow the most beautiful lemons. I have honestly never tasted a sicilian lemon, though I plan to in the near future, but I've seen from pictures and videos, and seeing is believing in the eyes of the viewer, though the lack of involvement of the other 4 senses may cause some to differ.

It is from these lemons where I believe the best limoncello is made. You could probably use the ones you can get from your local supermarket, I'm sure they are good enough. But if you are looking for something out of this world, feel free to indulge.

The portions for this infusions are probably for 100ml, so you can expand the volume accordingly.

100ml of Cheap Vodka
2 Lemons, Rind Removed (Just take the yellow rind, leave the with pith alone, unless you do not mind a very very bitter limoncello)

So the first part of your infusion will probably take 3 months, soaking the skins of the lemons in the vodka for that period of time, which will give the vodka a bit of colour. It is preferable to use a air tight glass bottle for this, and at the end of 3 months, you will be able to feel the burst of the lemon flavour when you open the bottle for the first time after those 3 months.
Once that is done, its time to sweeten it to your taste.

Juice of Two Lemons
Sugar Syrup

These two extra liquids are added to the lemon infused vodka. Add the sugar syrup according to taste. You can also create your own lemon syrup by boiling sugar and lemon as an alternative.
I prefer mine chilled with a few ice cubes. Or alternatively, use it as a liqueur to complement other drinks.

Open Door

2009-01-28T03:41:00.000-08:00

A little indulgence goes a long way. The simple ice-cream that you decide to give yourself after a long day in school, or the iced-blended coffee that you get on your way to yet another frantic day at work, or you could also take my favourite alternative. Whip yourself a nice, smooth cocktail after a rough day at work. You can never fully recognize the importance of these little indulgences that people take everyday until you try it yourself.

Indulgences induces emotions, and emotions lead to sparks; and though these sparks may seem insignificant, you would be surprised at the unlimited power it possesses to create opportunities. Which brings me to my main point, that opportunities are like open doors, and only if you are willing to take that little bit of risk, that little bit of sacrifice for a something better, you are actually opening the door for yourself to a world of difference.

1 part Frangelico
1 part Amarula
1 part Strawberry Liqueur
3 parts Fresh Milk
One Teaspoon Nutella
One Ferrero Rocher

I've always toyed with the idea of pairing hazelnut and strawberry together, perhaps out of curiousity, as to how two such strong characters can blend together. This drink is probably a little complicated, and it might turn out too sweet for some(you can always add more milk to unsweeten it), but would be to be the perfect drink for those with sugar teeth!

Our first step would be to mix the fresh milk with the nutella. Normally I'd serve these concoctions of mine in larger quantities, so in this case I would use a large mixing bowl(the kind you use for baking). In this large bowl you pour in the milk, followed by the nutella. Give it a good whisk. If you can get a bit of foam in the milk, its a bonus. The frothier your drink is, it probably makes it a little more smooth.Next with this brown hazelnut milk, we pour in our frangelico and amarula, and following that give it another good whisk. Once it is mixed consistently(make sure there are no large chunks of nutella at the bottom), place them in a shaker with ice and gently give a a few twirls to chill it. Strain it into a chilled cocktail glass. With a straw, use the length of it to hold the strawberry liqueur, and with a bit of control, gently release it in twirls around the cocktail. Finally garnish with a ferroro rocher, either by sticking it on to the rim of the glass or just drop it into the bottom of the well.

Take this little indulgence and open a world of a difference!

Life's A Melon

2009-01-27T04:41:00.000-08:00

Life's A Melon,
Sweet, subtle and immensely fruity.
It may appear in different shades,
Though often fades,
But a melon is always round,
When it grows from the ground.

Harvested on a bright summer day,
Farmers placed her on dry hay.
People come, she goes away,
On a long long journey to never return.

She loses her spirits, bottled up by fear,
Sullen and lonely, she sheds her tears.
Labelled Midori, packed in boxes,
Oh why does everyone look the same?

I got up in the morning,
Shaken by happenings on a broken night.
A trip to the gallery was all it took,
Where I caught a sight of green light shine.

I needed a companion,
For compassion's sake,
So Midori became a friend of mine,
And oh my word did she look so fine.

Melon Milk has to be one of my all time favourite drinks, and I've been thinking for some time how this will work out. I wanted something nice and sweet, for the ladies, and also it has to be creamy and full-bodied, with a very smooth texture as it goes down your throat. So I decided to create of the ultimate summer drinks that just about anyone can enjoy!

30ml part Midori
30ml Vodka
A large handful of cantaloupe melon pieces
A glass of frothed Milk
A maraschino Cherry to garnish

Well first we need to get frothed milk, and if you do not have it, you can always use normal fresh milk and basically pulse it till you get nice foamy bubbles over your milk. Next, you place your melon pieces together and pulse it even further, which will give you the base of this drink. If you like to smoothify(I know this word doesnt exist in any dictionary, but I guess you know what I'm trying to say when I use this word) your drink, you can always add plenty of ice cubes to give you the perfect consistency. You can play around with the volume of milk and melon pieces to get the right flavour as well. So next, to your base of this drink, you add 30ml of Midori and 30ml of Vodka(you can add more if you like), and shake it gently such that liquids just mix well enough. Strain your drink into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a nice green maraschino Cherry. Ah, life's a melon.

Peppermint Madness

2009-01-27T04:06:00.000-08:00

I've always been a big fan of peppermint. In whatever form is has appeared to me so far, I have consumed it. And so it is no surprise that one of my first bottles of exotic liqueurs that I bought is peppermint flavoured.

Today, I'd like to work on the base of one of my all-time favourite drinks; the MOJITO. I will be giving it a few tweaks and minor additions to this drink, so avid fans of the original mojito, do forgive me, and I am sure you will after you try this concoction of mine.

1 part White Rum
1 part BOLS Peppermint
1 part Cointreau
1 Teaspoon of Sugar Syrup (you can alter this to your own taste)
1 Lime, cut into quarters
2 Large Juicy Lychees, or alternatively 4 Large Juicy Longans
10 Mint Leaves
Soda Water

In your shaker, muddle the lime, mint leaves and lychees until you are confident that all the juices have mixed well enough. Next, add the rum, and using a stirrer, stir the juices as much as possible to infuse these flavours into the rum. Once that is done, add the rest of the liqueurs and sugar syrup, top it up with ice and shake vigorously. Pour it into a short glass(do not strain it, you'd want all the fruits to be part of the drink), and top up with a little soda water, give it another stir and VOILA!

Firecracker

2009-01-26T06:35:00.001-08:00

Oh what a pity, that such as iconic feature of the current festive season is banned in Singapore. The firecracker is symbolic to Chinese as a means of driving away evil spirits through their loud explosive noises. In the past, they used bamboo shoots which are probably cut into two-inch long sticks, and filling them up with gunpowder, it would be lit up at the stroke of midnight on the Chinese New Year, in rapid consecutive explosions. Nowadays, you would probably find them in a bright red colour with golden words or linings on it, or in the case of the country I reside in, you probably wouldnt find it at all!(laughs)

So I had this brainwave today, about how to create a drink that would mirror this impact. Explosive, bright and with a touche of continuity. It came to my mind at an instant, with my inspiration derived from cars passing by along the expressway.

Here goes:

You need 3 shot glasses.

First you pour 30ml of Cherry Brandy

Second you pour 30ml of Gold-Flaked Vodka

Third and last one you pour your nice favourite brand of golden tequila.

You may add Grenadine syrup to the vodka if you find it too bitter.

3 seconds to midnight, and in 3 swift motions, pop the first, second and third glass in order.

Happy Lunar New Year to ALL!

P.S. You could of course extend it to six swift motions, or 9 swift motions, etc, you know what I mean.

Moonshine 3am

2009-01-25T03:55:00.000-08:00

I've actually toyed around with the idea of creating a pop shot Flaming Lamborghini instead of a drink shot, and it only came to me today the possibility of doing something like that. Essentially, the densities of the different liqueurs involved do allow the creation and separation of different layers.

The whole idea of this new shot will probably need a larger shot glass of course, probably something with a capacity of around 100ml, but most importantly it has to be tall and thin, allowing the different layers to be defined.

So, the bottom layer is Kahlua, which of course can be substituted by Tia Maria or any other coffee liqueur if you prefer. This will provide a substantial base for this shot, so if you're feeling good, feel free to add more than the stipulated 30ml.

The second layer, is one of my all-time favourite creamed liqueurs of all time. Baileys Irish Cream. You can use the all natural one, though I personally feel this is the right opportunity to flaunt your Irish Cream Creme Caramel. The sweetness from the caramel combines with the coffee to give you a quite refreshing aftertaste. Sugar sweetness, cream and coffee; probably sounds like your everyday morning drink. But nonetheless, they are good friends and they combine well together.

The last layer would be the tricky layer of course. I'd like to add a layer of blue curacao to give it the whole moonshine idea; a flame burning over the blue curacao. The vision I have of the finished product of this shot is to demonstrate the passion of moonshine that shines, and drifting further into this moonlight you will be able to see the clear layer of sambuca which lingers somewhere amongst the flame-lit sky. And in literal terms, as the moon goes down, you get up, and when you get up, you take your early morning coffee drink. There is much stereotyping in this drink, but essentially this is the whole idea that I want to create.

So the third layer goes with the blue curacao on top of the Baileys, followed by the Sambuca. It doesnt have to be seperated into layers with the Curacao though. Finally flame it, and while its nice and hot, remove the flame (in your own imaginative ways), and down it in one POP! The next thing you know, its the dawn of another new day.

P.S. 3am is probably the best stipulated time for this drink. You won't regret it.

Probably, Most Certainly

2009-01-24T04:23:00.000-08:00

You could probably say and think that life is one of the few things that you expect to follow a chosen path. A path that you designed for yourself, or it is just probably manufactured by your very own actions or the actions of those around you. However, a single moment, albeit a powerful one, could change all that. You could end up stranded, looking back you see the first half of what has been an easy path(a straight one), while up ahead, you see the roads winding, dividing into intersections, and probably a lot of uneven ground. Narrating this from a third person's point of view is indeed effortless, as is reading it, but think about how you would react, if you ever encounter a situation like this. Saying it matter of factly, its all just a period of wild circumstances, which lead to other different circumstances. But if ever we get caught in the web of life, it is definitely important to always remember that good times do not last, and bad times do not last as well.

So cheers, to a great time. For tomorrow there may not be one as great as before.

I decided to create a layering effect into a drink instead of a shot this time round, and it probably came to my mind as I slowly began to form the layers in it. Well you have to stir it in the end to mix it all up so that the flavours combine, but the appearance of this drink will probably remind you of better times, with its sunny disposition and radiant colours.

1 part Grey Goose Vodka
1 part peach schnapps
1 part Cherry Brandy
1 teaspoon of honey
1 half of a canned Peach, diced
Soda water (if prefered)
Maraschino Cherry to garnish

Place your diced peach into a shaker, and muddle it nice and neat. Add to it the honey, peach schnapps and vodka. Add ice, and shake well, and strain it into a tall and thin glass filled with ice. Using a straw, carefully pour the cherry brandy into it such that you get a nice layer of the brandy at the bottom of the glass. Top up with soda water if preferred, and garnish with a marachino cherry, and maybe even a nice little cocktail umbrella. Cheers!

Swedish Delight

2009-01-23T05:31:00.001-08:00

I wanted to do something nice and fruity today, a drink that resembles a bit of summer amidst the gloomy winter season. Well in the country I live in there's only one season of course, summer! So probably this drink will probably bring out some energy inside us; a vibrancy that you probably would not expect to encounter in our daily mundane lives during this time of the year.

You would probably think I'm nuts with this combination, as it incorporates many different complex flavours into a drink, and also the combination of these flavours into this drink may sound a little too intense, but I assure you; it worked for me, and it will work for you.

I decided to go a little RED with the whole colour of the drink in recognition of the fact that today is probably the last working day before the Chinese New Year, so may this drink bring you guys luck.

You could use different summer berries; blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc, but I decided to go with raspberries for this drink as it possesses this ruby red colour and I believe its sweet fruity flavour will complement the Elderflower in it.

Place half a handful of raspberries into ur shaker and and 1 part of Elderflower Cordial and 1 part of Gordon's Gin into it. Muddle the raspberries with your muddler(of course!), until you can see the colour change in the cordial. If it is possible you should get something that looks like a puree. Top it up with ice, and give it a good shake. Pour it through a sift into your martini glass if you're feeling posh, or you can alternatively pour into a tall glass filled with ice, and top it up with soda water. Add some grenadine syrup to sweeten your tastebuds!

INFUSION

2009-01-22T08:09:00.001-08:00

Today I'd like to introduce a concept that has been around for quite some time, but is still not practised long enough! Well the title of this entry gave it all away.

So well, infusion. This process does take quite some time to take place, so one reason I feel that it is still not practiced long enough would be because of the length of time and also the patience required to infuse a particular flavour into a spirit of your choice. My first ever experiment was making my very own homemade limoncello. Yes it did took me 3 months to infuse, and the product was brilliant! The lemon rind actually decolourised into the liquid, and a sniff of the liqueur gives you a strong intoxicating lemony flavour that basically just bursts out. Following the recipe, I finished off by sweetening it(I used vodka as my base spirit, and it is very very bitter at that stage of production), and voila, I got my very own homemade limoncello. There is no greater satisfaction then from creating your very own liqueur, playing around with the intensity of the flavours and subsequently creating your very own customized drink. So go on, give it a try. It could sound totally crazy to someone, but it might just be an eye opener to another!

I had this infatuation with tea at some point of time a while back, and it probably triggered the creation of this drink. Basically its an infusion, requiring about 200ml of Rum to the rind of two limes (or lemon limes as they call it, the big round kinds that has a sweet taste to it), the rind of a lemon, and a tea bag (I added two but you could always use one which I believe is sufficient). Let it rest for 3 months, and you should end up with clear brown liquid.

Using this infusion, and seeing it as best friends of coke, I decided to keep it simple today, by making it more or less something like a housepour drink, but with a zesty kick to it.

30ml of Lemon-Lime-Tea Infused Rum
in a glass of ice
Topped with Coca cola

Serve chilled, and maybe a lemon and lime rind to garnish.

Midnight Drink

2009-01-21T03:44:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, the day right smack in the middle of the working week. You're past halfway there to the weekends, but yet you've actually still got two more days to go. You want to have some fun, do something enjoyable, but yet you don't want this decision you make to be one of regret. You could probably meet up with some friends, and maybe meet up for dinner, or a movie, or maybe even something lighter perhaps a drink or an ice cream. So what really inspired me for today's drink is perhaps nature of it.

I picked up a Tia Maria today at the stores. Oh the bliss of having a variety of coffee liqueurs, namely Kahlua and Sheridan as my others, and its probably a privilege to enjoy the many varieties at the same time. But what stood out was the subtle nature of this liqueur; smooth, sweet and perhaps a little creamy, even on the rocks. I actually thought to myself this was worth every cent spent on it.

Today happends to be cream again. I am in LOVE with creamy liqueurs. And to my surprise this actually tasted GOOD!

Midnight Drink

1 part Tia Maria
1 part Amaretto
1 part Vodka
1 part Amarula
Milk to top up

In a tall glass filled with ice, pour your liqueurs into it, and top it up with milk. Stir gently to let the flavours mix. Have a sip, you'd feel you could last the whole night long.

Creme de la Creme

2009-01-20T05:17:00.000-08:00

I've given much thought about it, and I've decided that every Tuesday will be a day where my cocktails will be cream based. It can come in the form of cream(of course!), milk, or if we see from an alcoholic point of view, Baileys Irish Cream, Amarula etc. Yes I am not oblivious to the fact that some people DO not like the taste (or maybe even the sound) of creamed liqueurs and cocktails, but I do hope that I could change all that. Afterall, its just a matter of perspective, and in the manner of my perspective, what better way to relax on a midweek working day with a smooth cocktail by your side, and all the time in your hands.

I haven't actually thought of a name for this drink, and this happened to come to my mind in a cloud of instinct, so I did what I had to, which is to hastily name it:

Oranjan

1 part Cointreau
1 part Grand Marnier
1 part Baileys Irish Cream Caramel
1 part Smirnoff Vodka
1 part Bols Creme de Cacao (Brown)
A Bar of Rich Dark Chocolate

Chill your cocktail glass with a couple of ice cubes. In a shaker, pour in ur liqueurs, in any random other as you like, top with ice, and shake well. Strain it into your glass(remove the ice first of course!), and garnish by grating some Chocolate over the glass. Here it is, the night is yours.

Monday Blues

2009-01-19T05:52:00.001-08:00

Well to chase the monday blues away, I decided on a chill out drink. Not a very fascinating drink, but perhaps, the simplicity of it will drive ur blues away.

I looked at my collection of liqueurs today, and I have to notice the insufficiency of it all, even though a few friends will think im a nutcase with that much. But variety means a lot to me, which is why I am always eager at every opportunity to expand my collection, though I am still limited by the constraints of having to work with what I have.

Which comes to remind me of a song.(Electric Blues) So electric here would give me a feeling of a shock effect, something that gives the drink an extra bite, so I would have to go with a lemon. Hardly surprising. The tough part is fitting in the blues. I didnt go so much with the colour, but rather my favourite liqueur so far, amaretto by disaronno.

Amaretto Sour(My version)

1 part Disaronno Amaretto
2 parts iced tea
Juice of half a lemon
Crushed ice.

Well, just take a tall glass, fill it up with ice, and pour in the amaretto and iced tea in proportions. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into it, and stir well. Serve with a cherry garnish and lemon rind to posh things up. Chase your monday blues away, for tomorrow comes a better (Tues)day.

Cocktail Geek

2009-01-18T05:39:00.000-08:00

This is the start of something new I recently decided to take a step forward and implement. You could choose to see it as implement, or whatever, but I would like to see it more of as a project that will be around for many years to come.

Food has always been my passion. The creativity of it all and the satisfaction that comes from it. I am not only talking about the satisfaction that we derive from consuming it, but rather how preparing a simple meal for a special someone can bring out certain emotions within us. Food has evolved in a way most discerning to us over the past few years, but what has triggered this intention most is the art of it all. This, I shall elaborate further as we move along.

Now to the focus of my entire blog and the main reason why this page was even created. Liquids appear in different forms to us. There are many ways in which they differ, in terms of colour, texture, density, concentration, taste, aroma, etc. And so by mixing and matching these different mixes(drinks or alcohol or whatever you want to call it), you get very different flavours, and since flavours are the essential components of food(in general) that invoke emotions, we could certainly bring out a whole lot more this world is asking for.

I would like to go as international as possible, exploring every single corner of the world of its amazing cocktail mixes and ideas, and at the same time share it with the rest of the world, how a little inventiveness could go a long long way. I start, with one of my favourite drinks of all time, but with a minty twist:

Long Island Mint Tea

1 part Smirnoff Vodka
1 part Gordon's Dry Gin
1 part Barcadi White Rum
1 part Jose Cuervo Tequila
1 part Bols Peppermint
Lemon rind
A couple of Mint Sprigs
Juice of Lemon
Coke to top(if preferable)

Very simple, in a jug full of ice, add all the above named liqueurs, and stir vigorously. Mix it well, and top it up with coke(original pls). Garnish with mint sprigs and lemon rind.