Fresh ingredients are key to this drink. Avoid bottled lime juice and use the freshest mint you can find.

To muddle the first three ingredients combine them in a sturdy glass and mash them up with a muddler or a wooden spoon. The idea is to extract flavor from the mint by squeezing it. The sugar acts as an abrasive to help the process. A muddler is just a stick with a rounded end used to mash stuff up so don’t hesitate to improvise.

In a good sized glass with a heavy bottom muddle together:

• 1 rounded tablespoon granulated sugar
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• Juice of 1/4 lime

Add and stir to dissolve any remaining sugar:

• 2 oz light rum

Strain this mixture into a pint glass 1/2 full of ice (preferably crushed.) Fill the rest of the glass with:

• Club Soda

Optionally garnish with a mint leaf or the spent lime rind and enjoy the minty goodness! The recipe is easily multiplied and everything through the rum can be prepared ahead of time.

Ah, summer…

• Caramel Syrup

Fill shaker with ice. Add:

• 1.5 oz DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker
• 1.5 oz Vodka
• .75 oz DeKuyper Buttershots Liqueur

Shake well and strain into martini glasses. Garnish with a cherry.

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Fill glass with crushed ice. Add:

• 1 oz Amaretto

Top off the glass with eaqual parts:

• Orange Juice
• Cream or Half-and-half

Shake or stir well.

• 1.5 oz Light Rum
• 1 oz Midori Melon Liqueur
• .75 oz Blue Curacao
• .5 oz Spiced Rum
• 2 oz Orange Juice
• 2 oz Sour Mix

Shake or stir well.

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• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Southern Comfort
• 1 oz Amaretto
• 1 oz Midori Melon Liqueur

Fill the rest of the glass with

• Cranberry Juice

Shake well and serve.

beverage, drink, drinking, alcohol

Fill a pint glass with ice. Add:

• 1.5 oz Amaretto
• 1.5 oz Southern Comfort
• 1.5 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake or stir well and serve.

These are quite sweet, but very good.

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• 1.5 oz Vodka
• 3 oz Sour Mix
• Splash of cranberry juice
• Dash of lime juice

Shake well and enjoy!

beverage, drink, drinking, alcohol

• 1.5 oz vodka
• 1.5 oz triple sec

Fill the rest of the glass with

• Orange juice

Add:

• Splash of Sloe Gin

If done just right the drink comes out exactly the color of the pink flamingo lawn ornament.

beverage, drink, drinking, alcohol, pink flamingo

Prepare in a shot glass:

• 1/2 shot vodka
• 1/2 shot Frangelico hazelnut liqueur

Slice and have ready:

• One slice of lemon per shot

Place on a small plate:

• Two tablespoons of sugar per shot

To take the shot take one slice of lemon, dip both sides of it in the sugar. Now lick the sugar off the lemon (don’t swallow it yet), take the shot, swallow, and bite the lemon slice.

Some people taste the chocolate when they take the shot, others when they bite the lemon, but everyone tastes chocolate cake when they try this. Just make sure you keep the order straight.

alcohol, beverage, drink, drinking, shots

• 1.5 oz (1 shot) Irish whiskey
• 1 tsp brown sugar

Get a small plate handy. You’ll need it quickly.

Steam this with the steamer on an espresso machine until it’s about as hot as coffee. About 160-180 degrees Ferenheight if you’re counting. Using a grill lighter or match immediately ignite the vapors of the whiskey, let burn for one to three seconds, and snuff by placing the small plate over the cup.

Make and add to the cup:

• 1 shot espresso

Top with:

• Lightly whipped cream

The whipped cream should not be whipped as much as you would for other purposes but rather be to soft peaks.

The shortcuts

We don’t all have espresso machines or want to whip our own cream for just one drink, so here are some possible shortcuts…

You could probably do the whiskey and brown sugar mixture in the microwave. You’ll still want to ignite it. That is a very important step.

Strong black coffee could be substituted for the espresso.

For the whipped cream, buy the stuff in the can and don’t shake the can before you use it. You’ll get a thicker, more liquid cream out that’s perfect for this recipe.

Thanks to Amy for reminding me of this recipe. It’s been a long time since I made it, but I think I remembered it all.

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