Friday morning as I wake from my food coma I will find my fridge full of Thanksgiving leftovers and endless opportunities. No doubt there will be turkey sandwiches for lunch accompanied with all the fixins’ followed by homemade turkey soup for dinner.

Why not turn turkey day re-runs into tasty new libations! For example, I typically end up with a lot of cranberry sauce left over. Cranberries have a sweet and tart zing taste much like a pomegranate. By reducing the sauce on your stove top with some wine or simple syrup you can turn that canned jelly into a beautiful delicious syrup.

Why not treat yourself to a cranberry cocktail after on long day of holiday shopping and chase away those black Friday blues? Try my recipe for a great day-after-Thanksgiving Cranberry Cocktail.

        Cranberry Cocktail

        1 ½ oz Patron silver tequila
        ½ oz Grand Marnier 100
        2 oz fresh sour
        1 oz cranberry port reduction
        Garnish with 3 cranberries on a pick

        In a sauce pan on high heat
        ½ cup cranberry sauce (without whole berries)
        ½ cup of your favorite port
        2 bar spoons of cinnamon
        1 bar spoon of super fine sugar
        2 oz fresh lime juice

        Bring to boil and keep stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
        Set aside to cool. Keep in the fridge.

Or you may have some herbs left over from your homemade dressing. Don’t let them go to waste. Sage and tarragon are a terrific addition to many classic cocktails such as the daiquiri, bloody Mary, gimlet and Tom Collins.

For many who bake pies a hot toddy is an easy choice. All you need is little hot water, whisky, lemon, honey and a pinch of your favorite left over spices like cinnamon or nutmeg to make a perfect holiday Hot Toddy.

Play with your leftovers and create yourself a tasty cocktail and a new holiday tradition!

Happy Holidays!
Bridget

On a spring day six years ago I was having "one of those days" as a bartender at the Bellagio Baccarat Bar in Las Vegas. My side work was finished, and it was a slow morning. I was doing my best to "look" busy as the hours slowly passed by. A few of my regulars came by to visit. They enjoyed some of our finest specialty cocktails and had small talk all the while I was day dreaming about what a perfect day it was to be on the bike trails at Red Rock Canyon. I was suffering from spring fever.

Out of nowhere I was shaken out of my daze from a familiar loud voice yelling at me to "Smile and straighten up!" I looked up and to my surprise it was my Aunt Carolyn. She had been watching me from across the casino while playing her favorite slot machine. Aunt Carolyn has been a professional dance instructor for 50 years. And what she said next stayed with me ever since.

"I have been watching you for awhile. Not once has a smile crossed your face. You look like you are somewhere else. Being behind that bar is NO different than being a dancer on a stage. Where is your stage presence?" I didn’t know what to say. She was right. The Baccarat Bar is located in the center of the Bellagio. This is one of the first stops for many of our guests. And for most, I would be part of their first experience in Las Vegas.

Now as a bartender the term "stage presence" and its importance had never crossed my mind. We practiced familiar terms like "5 star customer services" and "classic bartending technique".

But what is a great technique without the ability to command the attention of your audience through expression and confidence?

A fellow bartender and friend, Joey V, would always say "Every day is a holiday at the bar!" Even though Joe would say this if you were in need of a quick attitude adjustment, this tagline sums up the expectations of our guests at the bar. The bar is the one place we can visit for a mini vacation from our day.

The best way to command your audience through expression is to greet them with a smile. To assure you have your guests’ attention simply place a cocktail napkin in front of them. This shows acknowledgment and you are ready to for their experience to begin.

Confidence can be achieved by being relaxed and happy while making a cocktail. Your technique should flow naturally. For instance, your experience would be different if you are served a beautiful Mojito from a confident happy bartender and then having the same beautiful Mojito from an arrogant, stressed out bartender.

So remember to "Smile and straighten up!" The bar is your stage and you are the main attraction. Treat your career as a bartender this way and every day will certainly be a holiday for you and your guest.

Cheers!
Bridget

It is one thing to eat a beet, but mix one in a cocktail? You bet!

Roasting beets turns the natural sugars to concentrate, creating a sweet juice. Add a little lime and tequila and you have a savory twist on the Margarita.

Beet juice sings when mixed with gin. Give a new life to your Lime Rickey by adding a ½ oz of fresh beet juice to the recipe. The juniper will carry the sweetness from the beet and create a bold new flavor to this classic.

Beets are full of nutritional value too. They are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. This tasty veggie is high in dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, vitamin C, iron and magnesium.

Mix equal portions of juice from a beet, carrot and an apple. Stir over ice and serve. This makes a delicious no proof cocktail. Not only does it taste good, it is good for you.

Have fun with the many beet cocktail possibilities!

Cheers!
Bridget

During each of these weddings, the toasts have been missing one key element: the signature wedding cocktail!

Brides typically spend an enormous amount of time and energy to make sure each and every detail of their wedding is special. The toast is a great opportunity to unite all of the joyful elements together.

Here are a few fabulous wedding cocktail tips:

• Have the dinner menu include a signature toast cocktail. When naming the cocktail use a word that expresses happiness after their last name. Example: For the happy couples toast: Susan McShaffrey & Craig Malloy invite you to raise your glass and enjoy a signature Malloy Bliss Cocktail.
• Incorporate seasonal fruits and juices into the cocktail that match the bridal party colors. Prickly pears make rich fuschia cocktails, watermelon is tasty and a pretty shade of pink and kiwi is bright green and perfect for a holiday wedding. You get the idea!
• Tropical drinks are already beautiful and full of fruit and flavor. This category of cocktails is perfect for a beach wedding!
• Don’t forget the non alcoholic crowd. On the bar menu include a variety of fun non alcoholic cocktails for your guests who do not enjoy spirits or wine but still want to be festive.

Friends enjoy the wedding season and brides I hope you are able to use these tips to help make your special day full of happiness!

Cheers!
Bridget

There are fun and easy guidelines for mixing with these savory flavors. To begin, don’t fear the veggies! Use them in your cocktails the same way you would a salad or a side dish.

Choose veggies that have sweet and rich flavors. You can balance your favorite cocktails by muddling them into the recipe or by simply using the juice.

Below are some of my favorite combinations:

• Carrot & ginger goes great with citrus vodka based cocktails. The carrot juice gives a sweet edge while the ginger will add a tasty zing.
• Jalapeno pepper, mango and lemon sorbet is a great combination and let’s not forget the tequila! Tequila and jalapenos go together as naturally as peas and carrots. The spiciness from the pepper can withstand and capture the agave flavor of the tequila. Add your favorite lemon sorbet and mango to the mix and your palate will have a fiesta.
• Cucumber, papaya and gin. A fantastic play on the juniper flavor of gin. Add a bit of cucumber to your classic gin cocktails and a hint of papaya. The cucumber adds freshness when muddled. The papaya will give it a boost with just the right amount of island flavor.

The combinations you mix with are really up to you. Trust your palate and most of all have fun!

Cheers,
Bridget

Labor Day weekend is here! Let’s begin the preparations for our picnics and parties. Here are a few tips to make our long weekend cocktails simple and tasty!

• Choose two cocktails that are easy to make in large quantities and that you can serve in pitchers at your party. Examples: Margarita, Cosmopolitan, or Hurricanes.
• Theme your cocktails with the holiday! Use your last name for a signature touch. Example: "The McShaffrey Margarita" or "Labor Day Lemonade".
• To enhance the charm of your party include the cocktails on your invites.
• Make mini cocktail menus to offer your guests as party favors. This is always a big hit with my family and friends.
• Make certain your home bar is well stocked with plenty of glassware, beverage napkins, straws, ice, spirits, mixers and produce ahead of time.
• To insure a non fussy picnic, pre make all of your cocktails in take along pitchers that have secure lids and store in your cooler with plenty of ice. Bring disposable glassware to ease your clean up.
• Garnishes should compliment your cocktail. Keep them simple or store bought. Example: lemon and lime wedges or a sugar cane stick.

With these tips your Labor Day weekend cocktails are sure to be a success!

Cheers,
Bridget

Please join me in helping Kyle McHugh local Chicago barman achieve his dream of opening a boutique spirit and wine shop. Please log onto www.drinksoverdearborn.com for details.

Thank you.

Cheers,
Bridget

Let’s get one thing clear: cocktails must be fun!

Home bartending is a novel concept, an effort to entertain your friends and family — and at the same time enjoying the party. No, offering your party goers a margarita using a store bought mix doesn’t constitute a true home bartender. Neither does the offering of a beer from your cooler in the garage, even if you put it in a proper glass.

A home bartender, much like a home chef, demands their guest be able to enjoy a tasty cocktail while at the same time creating a beautiful memory of the evening. Making seasonal cocktails at home doesn’t require you to follow a strict recipe. Simply follow your taste buds to your local market or the backyard.

For example: My co-author Mary’s neighbor, Wanita, who is 70 years young had an overabundance of mint growing in her backyard. She had no one left from her neighbors and friends to share her harvest with. My co-author Mary and I decided it may be time for a “Mingle Mojito” party. On her kitchen table, we laid out a selection of fruit, limes, mint (you can put the mint in a pretty vase for drama) a pitcher of simple syrup, club soda and her favorite rum. We did a short mojito demo and let her friends make their own signature mojitos throughout the evening. This gave people a great excuse to mingle, try one another’s creations and made excellent use of Wanita’s mint.

Now for those of you who do not have a mixologist or cocktail book author next door simply take your favorite classic cocktail and play with its flavors. Incorporate the fruits and vegetables (yes veggies!) of the season that you love most and all of a sudden your options for great tasting cocktails become limitless.

Always include your guests. If you are celebrating a special occasion, name the cocktail after the guest of honor and incorporate their favorite produce in the cocktail.

Where can I get great affordable produce? This is a question I get asked almost daily. Always try to shop the day of or before the party. The best way to know what produce is available in your area is to start talking to the folks at your local farmers market. The questions to ask are the following:

• Can you tell me about your apples? (or whatever fruit interests you)
• Where are they grown?
• Tell me about the farm.
• How will I know when they are ripe?
• If I buy them at their peek ripeness from you can I get a discount? (a lot of times the fruit that is at its prime is thrown out at the end of the market day)

If you live in an area like I do that has only two grocery stores available and no farmers market, begin the same conversation with the produce guy or gal about what is seasonal and how to choose the fruits or veggies at their best.

This will change the conversation at your party from “try this mojito I made with a premix from my local liqueur store” to “tonight we are making signature mojitos with mint from my neighbor Wanita’s garden and fresh strawberries from Cotton Wood farm in Shorewood IL, that has been family owned for 50 years.” Suddenly you party has a personality and life.

The question is: why great seasonal cocktails at home? The answer is simple. It is fun.

Cheers!
Bridget