Mixology

Copyright

Copyright © 2005 Time Warner Book Group

All rights reserved.

Postcard Images: Found Image Press

Illustrations by Milan Bozic

Time Warner Book Group

Hachette Book Group

237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Visit our Website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

First eBook Edition: June 2009

ISBN: 978-0-446-56254-6

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I want to thank Stacey Ashton, my publisher, friend, and great drinking buddy. This book would have never happened without your vision, and I thank you for inviting me to be a part of it. You're the best!

To all of my drinking buddies (you know who you are), thank you for helping me with years of research. To Yosh, you are always there for me, especially for a ski-break cocktail. Many thanks to Jean Griffin (for hiring me!) and Olga Vezeris, my editor and cheerleader, of Time Warner Book Group.

This book is dedicated to my father, who has stood by me with endless support and love, through good times and bad. I love you Dad. And to my mother, who is always in my heart, and who, as an avid reader, would be proud that I got published.

VODKA

Let's start with America's favorite spirit: vodka. The craze for vodka started with the Russian-made Smirnoff mixed with ginger beer and lime, the drink known as the Moscow Mule. By the 1960s vodka had surpassed its elder, gin, in popularity and folks were following James Bond's lead by using vodka in their martinis, instead of the usual gin. Most often vodka is distilled from grain or potatoes, and it's always odorless and it used to be always colorless. These days, there are many popular colored and flavored vodkas to choose from. (Many are featured in the New Retro Martinis chapter of this book.) Because of its traditional look and smell, vodka has a wonderful way of blending with whatever you mix it with—sweet, sour, or otherwise. Some of the all-time favorite retro drinks are vodka-based: the Bloody Mary, Salty Dog, and White Russian, to name a few. Vodka doesn't have 20 percent of the American market share for nothing!

Bikini

2 oz. Vodka

1 oz. Light Rum

½ oz. Milk

1 tsp. Sugar

1 spritz Lemon Juice

Combine ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish: lemon twist

Black Russian

1 ½ oz. Vodka

¾ oz. Kahlúa

Combine ingredients in shaker with ice, shake, then pour into old-fashioned glass.

Bloody Mary

1½ oz. Vodka

3 oz. Tomato Juice

½ tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp. Lemon Juice

2–3 drops Tabasco Sauce

Ground Black Pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in shaker with ice, shake, then strain into highball glass over ice. Garnish: celery stick or lime wedge

Bull Shot

2 oz. Vodka

4 oz. Chilled Beef Bouillon

½ tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in shaker with ice, shake, then strain into old-fashioned glass.

Cape Codder

2 oz. Vodka

5 oz. Cranberry Juice

Combine ingredients in mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into ice-filled highball glass. Garnish: lime wedge

Harvey Wallbanger

1 ½ oz. Vodka

4 oz. Orange Juice