Celery bitters see a revival
Fee Brothers has introduced Celery Bitters to its portfolio as the fashion for bitters is, along with classic cocktails, seeing a revival. Demonstrating distinct celery notes, with background garlic and spice flavours, it's an exciting new ingredient for both professional and amateur mixologists.
Celery Bitters will be available to from July 2010, RRP £8.50 (118ml, 1.29% ABV) at Selfridges, drinkon.com and thedrinkshop.com
Competition to find UK brand ambassador
The Spanish liqueur brand Licor 43 is inviting mixologists from across the UK to prove their skill, style and flair in a bid to represent the global brand in the UK throughout 2010/2011, and winning a trip to three of the best party cities in the Mediterranean in the process.
• Read the report
Belvedere launches Pink Grapefruit
Luxury vodka brand, Belvedere has introduced a new maceration to its portfolio. Targeted at luxury retailers, style bars and members clubs, Belvedere Pink Grapefruit has been created as a base for refreshing cocktails that will partner, for example, spicy pan-Asian and Mexican style cuisine.
Distilled from whole pink grapefruits and combined with fresh ginger and lemons, Belvedere Pink Grapefruit is the only clear, fresh grapefruit distillate within the flavoured vodka category. No sugars, glycerine or artificial additives are used in the production.
RRP 70cl £29.99, 40%abv. Also available in 1litre bottles for duty-free.
Belvedere Pink Greyhound
1.5 oz Belvedere Pink Grapefruit
4 oz pink grapefruit juice
Pour into an ice filled rocks glass and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Ultimate Gentleman's cocktail
Mix it, swirl it, zest it up – 17 of Scotland’s elite bartenders showcased their cocktail culinary skills in December last year as part of The Glenrothes Ultimate Gentleman's Cocktail Contest – the first national competition of its kind held at the Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh.
• Read the report
Golden rum opportunities
J Wray & Nephew UK are leading the winter programme for its Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum range with a combination of new initiatives for bartenders
• Read the report
Courvoisier targets the
I Don’t Knows
Maxxium UK is encouraging new consumers into cognac by targeting those who don’t know what they want to drink when they reach the bar. Customers who haven’t made up their mind will be offered the bar’s I Don’t Know Courvoisier cocktail.
• Read the report
Watch the creation
Beefeater gin is featuring a series of cocktail podcasts on its website starting with Dan Warner creating a Hanky Panky and the Jacques Bezuidenhout a French-75 (pictured above).
• View the videos
• Find the recipes
Recipes from Brazil
Sagatiba premium cachaca is pushing its way into UK style bars where the Brazilian cane spirit continues to grow in popularity. Check out the Sabatiba Little Black Book for cocktails with a carnival spirit.
Webchat advice
How do you make sure your bar stands out from the rest at summer events?
The answer is to ensure you have top-notch recipes and some expert advice. Mixologist Ben Reed will be live online on Friday July 17 at 3pm for tips on making perfect summer cocktails.
• Join the webchat
Made for gin
Funkin has added Bramble, a combination of wild blackberries with Sicilian lemons, to its range of 100% fruit cocktail mixers presented in 120ml individual serve pouches. It is the first flavour in the range designed to be served with gin. Nine flavours are now available to the trade in cases of 32.
To encourage consumers to drink sherry in a modern way – chilled, in contemporary glassware – Maxxium is investing in new kits for the on-trade for Harveys. Branded pitchers, fruit containers, glasses and stirrers are included in the kits, together with PoS material to communicate the Harveys Bristol Cream and lemonade serve.
Creme egg shot
Over Easter, Cai Weller, head barman at London's Ghost Inc, served up a "cream egg shot". He said: "Easter always takes me back to my youth and it occurred to me that taking a classic favourite and redesigning it for an adult audience, would go down well with our clientele."
To achieve the Cadbury's Creme Egg taste and look, Ghost mixologists used Martell Noblige cognac, egg yolk, single cream, and butterscotch schnapps.
Standing tall
Skyy Vodka has packaged its new range of fruit flavours in a taller bottle
with bright graphics for back shelf stand-out
A lifestyle consumer ad campaign for the launch of Belvedere Black Raspberry will run in fashion magazines, on billboards and online with the tagline, “So you’re curious about maceration”
| Cocktail scene |
| Funkin adds to range... Funkin, the fruit purée brand, is refreshing its cocktail mixers range with the launch of Funkin Strawberry Daiquiri and Funkin Margarita. Available to bars and pubs as well as the take home trade, the Funkin Strawberry Daiquiri is designed to be served with rum and combines top quality Mexican limes with Senga Sengana and Elsanta strawberries. The Funkin Strawberry Daiquiri complements the other eight cocktail mixers in the range. Each is available in 120ml individual serve pouches and designed to be mixed with vodka, gin, tequila, rum or champagne. Funkin Margarita will replace Funkin Passion Fruit Margarita, due to high customer demand for one of the most popular classic cocktails . ...and collaborates with UK bartenders on product launch Funkin is also working with the UK’s top bartenders to develop a new range, Funkin Fusion, designed to inspire creativity and assist bartenders in the creation of top quality cocktails. • Read the report |
  Above: Funkin Strawberry Daiquiri and Funkin Margarita |
| Jameson launches range of summer cocktails for on-trade - with a serve to suit all palates Jameson is to launch a range of seasonal cocktails to help the on-trade drive sales throughout the summer period. The cocktails combine the Irish whiskey with a variety of refreshing flavours, delivering a serve to suit all palates. They will be rolled out in the on-trade in July, supported by point of sale material, The brand will continue the drive to establish the Irish Mule as the perfect Jameson serve and the Irish Summer Punch as the cocktail for summer. |
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| Summer Punch 100ml Jameson 50ml blood orange 50ml pomegranate or cranberry juice sugar syrup orange bitters 100ml ginger beer Mix all the ingredients except the ginger beer in a pitcher. Add cubed ice and garnish with slices of blood orange, mint leaves and assorted berries. Top up with ginger beer |
Mint Julep 50ml Jameson 5ml gomme 34 mint sprigs Dash of water Lightly muddle mint sprigs, gomme and a dash of water in a lowball glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice and add 50ml Jameson. Cap with more crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig |
Emerald Pressé 35ml Jameson 15ml kiwi liqueur 15ml lemon juice 10ml gomme Half a kiwi fruit 25ml cloudy apple juice Soda water In a lowball glass, lightly muddle the kiwi, lemon juice and gomme syrup. Add cubed ice, Jameson Irish whiskey and kiwi liqueur, cloudy apple juice and top up with soda |
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| Ready-mixed cocktails launch in alu-bottles The Mixed Ape cocktails range has been introduced in 230ml aluminium bottles. There are six flavours with alcohol: Tequila Sunrise, Mai Tai, Sex on the beach, and Niterox. Plus two alcohol free: Lime Time and Yellow Runner. The range is aimed at events requiring a fast and efficient service. Already awarded a Superior Taste Award this year by the iTQi in Brussels, the cocktail range is now being rolled out across Europe. Manufactured by Boxal, the bottles are printed in high definition offset with striking special effects with the brand identity and different flavours clearly highlighted in bright colours. Shatterproof, light and recyclable, aluminium bottles are ideal for the events sector, providing total safety while maximising the brand's on-pack image and communication. |
Winning Olmeca Margarita |
 Kurt Schlechter in action |
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My Friends Margarita Orange slice 5 raspberries Two parts Olmeca Altos Reposado 1 whole squeezed lime ¾ shot of Cointreau Rocks glass with naartje and cinnamon salt lip Muddle orange with skin in mixing glass, add remaining ingredients and shake with ice. Double strain into glass over cubed ice. Spray Olmeca Altos Reposado/Agave Syrup mix over drink (avoid salt lip) and garnish with pineapple leaves arranged in the form of an agave plant. On the side: Shot glass with slithers of Jicama (neutral Mexican fuit) dipped in homemade naartje and cinnamon salt |
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| Royalty launches line of cocktails and spirits Inspired by the trend among young adults to celebrate at home Hooghoudt has introduced a line of RTD cocktails (Mojito, Margarita and Cosmopolitan) along with a line of white spirits – vodka, rum and tequila. The new Royalty range offers “all that is needed to have the going-out experience at home”. Claessens|Cartils developed the branding "to express a quality and international character whilst fitting the value-for-money proposition". The designs on cocktail bottles have flowing shapes to symbolise the various ingredients mixed together. Each flavour variant has its unique typography to strengthen product and taste expectations. The white spirits, in identical bottles to the cocktails, follow the same brand architecture but feature a large initial for distinction. |
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Funkin unveils new stylish packaging |
| Try a malt for summer cocktails The Glenrothes Select Reserve is a malt laced with notes of ripe fruits, juicy citrus, creamy vanilla and hints of spice - perfect for cocktails. The following were inspired by The Glenrothes Ultimate Gentleman’s Cocktail Competition. . . |
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| Chevelier Sangaree
Dean Evans, Blythwood Square Hotel, Glasgow |
Monol of the Glen
Matty Hutchinson, Ricks, Edinburgh |
Fantastic Mr Fudge
Sheverne Shahbazkhani, Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh |
Sweet N Sour Spicy
Matthew Law, |
| London-based marketing agency Espionage has been making a series of short films for Bacardi. Aimed at the professional bartender or cocktail connoisseur, the most recent is The Apothecary – a London barman with a love of invention. This is a young man who has travelled the world, discovered its greatest ingredients and, in the pursuit of new classics, fused them together to make wonderfully original cocktails . . . |
 . . .watch The Apothecary and the previous two films in the series at youtube.com/trueoriginals |
| Jamaican rum launches international competition Appleton Estate has launched the Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum International Bartender Challenge & Showcase to select the top bartenders from 10 of the brand’s key markets - Jamaica, Australia, Canada, Cayman, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Spain, the UK and the US. The winner of each challenge will have the opportunity to travel to Jamaica in October to represent their country at the Appleton Estate International Bartender Showcase, which will be held in Kingston. They will also visit the Appleton Estate, attend a private blending session with Appleton Estate’s master blender, Joy Spence, and spend three nights of “rum and relaxation” on Jamaica’s north coast. |
Stoli appoints Calabrese |
 The year-long contract with Stoli will also see Salvatore Calebrese star in a promotional video to encourage consumers to 'have a go' at mixology |
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UK mixologist wins in Havana More than 40 leading international bartenders from 32 countries descended on the cocktail capital of Havana, Cuba, for the world renowned cocktail competition. |
Jose Cuervo launches new Margarita flavours in PET |
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Shake-it with Malibu Pernod Ricard UK ‘s new TV and radio advertising campaign for Malibu – Radio Maliboom Boom features two DJs who broadcast the beat of the Caribbean to the world. The campaign is supported in the trade with a new Malibu Cocktail Shaker and recipes that consumers will be able to shake themselves at the bar. |
 Radio Maliboom Boom |
 Tony Abou-Ganim has developed cocktail programmes for numerous restaurants in San Francisco and New York, as well as the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas. |
Glossy cocktail book launched Tony Abou-Ganim has published a cocktail book called The Modern Mixologist: Contemporary Classic Cocktails. Co-authored with US writer Mary Elizabeth Faulkner and featuring a foreword by Mario Batali, the book combines 60 of Tony’s best recipes and scores of useful tips about bar equipment and ingredients, as well as a brief history of the cocktail and quotes from famous cocktail enthusiasts and authorities. Colour photography by Tim Turner elevates The Modern Mixologist from just another cocktail book into an elegant work that's worthy of display on anyone's coffee table. (Agate Publishing 978-1-57284-107-9, March 26, 2010, US$35.00) |
Elderphire cruises by to win |
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| Elegant cocktail for IWD Russian Standard Vodka has created an elegant and feminine cocktail – The Melangé – to celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8). This delicate cocktail infuses the delightfully unusual dog rose with vodka and lime. The dog rose, also known as rosa canina, is exceptionally high in vitamin C, iron and antioxidants. It also has plenty of history – the fruits have been used since prehistoric times for their unparalleled health benefits, and as a treat in pies, teas, and marmalades around the world. A rose petal preserve works equally well with this refreshing cocktail as the floral notes enhance the femininity of the Melangé. |
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Diageo and Coca-Cola collaborate This summer, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) and Diageo Great Britain (Diageo GB) are working together to launch their biggest joint marketing campaign to date, to drive spirit and mixer sales in the off-trade and grow basket spend. |
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| Simply summer with Southern Comfort Southern Comfort has teamed up with top mixologist Giles Looker to create a range of summer drinks, with a twist of New Orleans. . . |
Louisianna Jam
35ml Southern Comfort |
Bayou Fruit Cup  30ml Southern Comfort 15ml Martini Rosso Ginger beer 2 Lemon wedges Seasonal berries/fruit Fill glass with cubed ice Pour in Southern Comfort Squeeze and drop the lemon wedges into the glass Add the Martini Rosso and berries/fruit Top with ginger ale Finish with garnish |
Mississippi Mule
35ml Southern Comfort |
The perfect mix for St Patricks' Day? Black Velvet - a mix of equal parts stout beer and sparkling wine – could be the perfect serve for St Patricks’ Day. Raymond Blanc announces winners of 42below Cocktail World Cup national final |
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Cruise liner champions |
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Chase competition judges: Jamie Baxter, Chase master distiller; Dougie Lowe MD Origin wines; Kirk Longsdale head spirit purchaser Corks Out; Chris Holloway, Element 8 Rum representative and former bar manager |
 Warwick Colman from Alma de Cuba, Liverpool, won first prize. Second was Nic Friar, Bar Lounge, Chester; third, Li Armitstead, The Living Room, Liverpool; and fourth, Sammy Abdalla, Oxton Bar/Terrace, Wirral. |
Chase Vodka holds first North of England cocktail competition Four contestants went through to the final round in the Chase vodka cocktail competition, in which they had to mix cocktails in a ‘ready steady cook’ style using a mystery hamper of ingredients. Warrick’s winning cocktail, Prince William’s Pursuit, was based on Herefordshire ingredients and it allowed the quality of the Chase vodka to show through and actually enhance its flavour. In the final round he had to think on his feet to make a refreshing lemon curd with a very clever name combining the Chase name and Warrick’s Australian roots: Chasen Donovan. Warrick (pictured) said, “I wanted to tie everything into Herefordshire as there’s so much to be proud of there. I enjoyed the whole straight forward style of the competition, nobody as trying to be pretentious – everyone was just having fun and plenty of banter”. |
| Cellar Trends to distribute Finest Call cocktail mixes in UK Cellar Trends, a UK specialist distributor of wines, Champagne, spirits and liqueurs, has been appointed to distribute the Finest Call range of premium cocktail mixes from February 1, 2010. Finest Call is owned by The American Beverage Marketing Company. Its range is made from all natural flavours, colours and sweeteners. They come packaged in one litre PET bottles with colour coded pourers that are designed to fit all speed rails. The range includes cocktail mixes, a purée collection and bar essentials, such as syrups and cordials. |
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 Rémy Martin brand ambassador, Alex Quintin with the Rémy IceBoxx |
Chill out with iced Rémy Martin Rémy Martin launched its new on-trade initiative for Christmas, the Rémy IceBoxx, at the Callooh Calley bar in London. The event allowed guests to sample the frozen Rémy Martin VSOP in both long and short serves throughout the night, such as the Rémy Ice Shot, the classic Sidecar and the Champagne Cognac. The Iceboxx works by chilling Rémy Martin VSOP down to minus 18 degrees, which intensifies and thickens the texture of the liquid, giving the cognac a smoother and more aromatic flavour. The IceBoxx has been rolled-out to attract a new generation of younger drinkers who would not normally think to order a cognac at the bar. The Iceboxx will also be appearing at Whisky Mist, Amika, The Ritz Bar and Jalouse. |
Return to cocktails in jam-jars |
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Four Roses UK launch The UK marketing campaign kicked off at The Light Bar in Shoreditch. It was the first installment of the Mellow Moments nights that Four Roses will be running in the new year in selected accounts. New Four Roses Jam Jars were introduced to the consumer and trade audience, which will be available throughout the UK and will be the glass the signature serves will be drank in. |
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| Tequila cocktail winners announced
Oli Blackburn from World Service Bar, Nottingham, Ansis Ancovs from Navajo Joe, London and Kyle Gibson from Blanch House, Brighton have been named the winners of the Hornitos cocktail competition, the culmination of this summer's campaign to highlight the versatility and mixability of Sauza’s premium tequila range. Top UK bars took part in the initiative to create their own cocktails using the Hornitos range, taking inspiration from classic serves with an intriguing Hornitos twist, provided by Maxxium. Home delivery for freshly made cocktails |
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Clever packaging for busy bartenders Packaging company TricorBraun has developed a bottle locking design that allows two identical bottles to be slid and locked together so the two liquids can be dispensed in combination. See packaging page. |
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| Diageo Reserve Brands raises the bar The title of Diageo Reserve Brands World Class Bartender of the Year 2009 was decided in London after a year long global competition. Six thousand bartenders from 24 countries poured their way through national heats, with just 18 making it to the World Class challenge. Pictured above: (left to right) Marco Pierre White, Salvatore Calabrese, Simon Difford, Diageo Reserve Brands Group World Class Bartender of the Year 2009 Aristotelis Papadopoulos, Dale DeGroff, Peter Dorelli, Gary Regan, Hidetsugu Ueno |
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Aristotelis Papadopoulos (pictured left) of Banquet in Thessaloniki, Greece, claimed the overall title after impressing the most recognised names in the business – Dale DeGroff, Salvatore Calabrese, Simon Difford, Peter Dorelli, Gary Regan, Hidetsugu Ueno – with his exceptional mastery of cocktail craft. |
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| All Star Lanes’ Joe Stokoe is Appleton champ Three top British mixologists – Sam Kershaw from Rick’s in Edinburgh, Tom Bulmer of The Light Bar and Joe Stokoe, manager of All Star Lanes – took Kingston (Jamaica) by storm, as they showcased their talents in front of a live audience of 350 Jamaicans in the battle to become The 2009 Appleton Estate Bartending Challenge Champion |
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A panel of judges had decided on the finalists but the overall winner on the night was down to the audience who voted with “Appleton Dubloon” crown coins, which they were given on arrival. These they paid to the mixologist that they felt had fulfilled the role of Appleton Champion to the fullest. The contestant with the most coins was declared the winner. |
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 "8 Love" |
Strawberries and cream Elements 8 rum joined forces with Eclipse Bars to serve a cocktail to celebrate the Wimbledon tennis championships. Reflecting the tournament's traditional fare of strawberries and cream, "8 Love" is a sweet and sour cocktail comprising Elements 8 Platinum Rum, strawberries, egg white cream, Limoncello and honey served in a Champagne flute. "8 Love" was served during the Wimbedon fortnight at Eclipse Bars in Wimbledon Village, Chelsea and South Kensington. 40ml Elements 8 Platinum Rum,
15ml Limoncello |
| Thai liqueur makes UK debut Mekhong, a premium Asian liqueur distilled with all natural Thai herbs and spices and fused with fragrant citrus, is being launched by ThaiBev into the UK this summer at a RRP of £14.99 for a 70cl bottle. Distiled from a blend of 95% sugarcane and 5% rice, Mekhong is a well-balanced, complex spirit, which will complement flavour-some Asian cuisine. Its spicy ginger, toffee and vanilla notes also make it a great base for a range of cocktails. “The UK bar scene is one of the best in the world so we expect there to be a huge demand for Mekhong amongst the style leaders over here,” said David Lind, marking manager, International Beverage, the international arm of ThaiBev. “There is a lot of intrigue surrounding the brand, as we have seen already in New York where the mixology community has fully embraced it. Not very often does a drink come along that is genuinely new, different and authentic – Mekhong is a drink that is so versatile, you can rediscover it time and time again.” • Read the report |
 Sabai Sabai 1.5 shots Mekhong 1.5 shots lemon juice 0.5 shot sugar syrup Pinch of sweet Thai basil Add ice and shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass and top with soda. |
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Screwdriver in a can Olifant Vodka & Jus is a mix of Olifant Vodka combined with fruity orange juice, better know as the classic cocktail “Screwdriver”. It is the first spin-off from the Olifant Vodka brand, which is produced by Wenneker Distilleries and was launched by Tattoo king and artist Henk Schiffmacher in a limited first edition 'Rock of Ages' bottle design in Amsterdam last October. The can contains 250 ml at 5% abv |
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Diageo targets bartenders with on-line film Reserve Brands Group, the luxury marketing arm of drinks giant Diageo, has partnered with digital agency 20:20 London to deliver an online film: themagnificentsevenblog.com. The four-minute movie forms part of a global programme to nurture talent in the bartending industry. • Read more Fruit infused vodkas: the flavours of summer Two fashionable flavours - melon and pomegranate - have been added to the Smirnoff flavoured vodkas portfolio. There is also an addition to the brand's RTD Cocktails Collection - Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade. Skyy Vodka, too, has joined the flavoured market with the UK launch of a range of three natural fruit-flavoured infusions - citrus, passion fruit and raspberry, which it claims meet "new high standards for natural fresh flavours". Belvedere Black Raspberry vodka has been created using hand harvested berries from the Podlasie region of northeast Poland, which are blended with French blackcurrants and with rose water. Belevedere says it uses only ingredients and the fruit is macerated for a minimum of one month. A 70cl 40%abv bottle has an RSP of £29.99, and is targeted at luxury retailers, style bars and members clubs. "This vodka is best served chilled, over ice or straight up with soda”, comments Belvedere master distiller, Claire Smith Finlandia's latest - Finlandia Tangerine Fusion - is being launched exclusively into the travel retail and US markets, and is set to rival Finlandia's most successful flavour to date, Finlandia Grapefruit Fusion, which was launched in 2006. Why tangerine? "Tangerines are a bit sweeter than an orange and deliver a powerful citrus zest," according to Jim Perry, Brown-Forman's managing director for Travel Retail. But tasting is believing, says Tony Abou-Ganim, the Modern Mixologist, who has created three Finlandia Tangerine Fusion cocktails. Featured below are some suggested cocktails for these latest vodka favours. |
Grand Tang
2
shots Finlandia Tangerine |
Sunburst 2 shots Finlandia Tangerine 0.5 shot Cointreau 1 shot lemon sour 1.5 shot orange juice 1.5 shot POM pomegranate juice Cocktail glass Garnish: slices of lemon and zest of orange |
Summer
Solstice
2 shots Finlandia Tangerine |
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Bitter Passion 1.5 shots Skyy Passion 0.5 shot Campari 0.5 shot mango juice 0.5 shot orange juice 0.5 shot lemon juice 0.5 shot sugar syrup Shake over ice, strain into a Martini glass Garnish: lemon/orange zest |
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Raspberry Cosmo 2 shots Skyy Raspberry 1 shot Grand Marnier Splash of cranberry juice and lots of fresh lime Shake with ice, strain into Martini glass Garnish: squeeze of lime |
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