Tag Archives: punch

Lake favorites

Posted on August 17, 2011 by msshoescocktails | Leave a comment

Okay, okay, Ms. S&C promises this will be the last of the lake-related blog posts, Twitter posts, and Facebook posts. But, she couldn’t wrap up this year’s lake trip without sharing more of her favorites.

Drink favorites
Bloody Mary’s, Grapefruit Crushes, Pimm’s, Champagne cocktails, red wine, beer, beer, and more beer: there are lots of drink options at the lake. (You saw this picture from last year, right?) Thankfully, Ms. S&C is not charge of them all. Last year, a friend (we’ll call her Mrs. Smith) introduced us to Banks Rum and the Five Island Watermelon Punch. This year, Mrs. Smith, prepared for us a traditional Bajan Rum Punch. We didn’t keep score, but it was likely this year’s winning cocktail.

When Ms. S&C inquired about the recipe, Mrs. Smith shared the traditional (and delightful) saying to help one remember:

One of Sour
Two of Sweet
Three of Strong
And Four of Weak

It translates into this:

1 cup lime juice
2 cups simple syrup
3 cups white rum, preferably Banks Five Island White Rum
2 cups of ice and 2 cups of cold water

Directions:

Stir all ingredients together in a large pitcher. To serve: fill a highball glass with three or four additional ice cubes. Garnish with a splash of Angostura bitters and a dash of grated nutmeg.

I want to think it is the perfect balance of sweet and sour that makes this a winning cocktail, but I really think it is the bitters and fresh grated nutmeg.

Favorite moments
Like the numerous drink selections, a lot of games are played at the lake: bocce, horseshoes, Scrabble, Mexican train dominoes, Left-Center-Right. But, it was during a competitive guys-against-girls game of Celebrity where a Coach Taylor impression (from Mr. Smith, coincidentally) will go down as my favorite charade moment of all time. With one turn of a hat, breaths were taken away. #fullhearts

Ms. S&C would consider almost any yoga session by the water a perfect moment, but her favorite yoga moment came on a rainy day — with first day jitters behind her — when she led an extensive indoor session that turned into a truly blessed experience. #namastebitches

Playlist favorites
Where there are booze and games, there is music. We marked this occasion with a collaborative playlist, in which everyone submits two song requests. Below you’ll find the complete list of songs, with notations for those currently in heavy rotation in the S&C house.

Mercy — Duffy
When Did Your Heart Go Missing? — Rooney
Birthday — Kings of Leon
Little Lion Man — Mumford & Sons
Loving Cup — The Rolling Stones
Jingling Baby — LL Cool J
Price Tag (feat. B.o.B) — Jessie J
Can I Kick It? — A Tribe Called Quest
Walk On The Wild Side — Lou Reed
Toob Amplifier — The Presidents of the United States of America
Rolling in the Deep — ADELE
Give Me Everything (feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer) — Pitbull
Otis (feat. Otis Redding) — JAY Z & Kanye West
My Mistakes — Eleanor Friedberger
Holdin On to Black Metal — My Morning Jacket
Hold You Back — JC Brooks & The Uptown Sounds
Metal Firecracker — Lucinda Williams
Get Me Bodied — Beyoncé
Look At Me Now (feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes) — Chris Brown
Am I the Only One — Dierks Bentley
Cheers (Drink to That) — Rihanna
S&M — Rihanna
Baby Got Back — Sir Mix-A-Lot
So Lucky (Eurovision 2011 – Moldova) — Zdob Si Zdub
Your Touch — The Black Keys
Evacuate the Dancefloor (Radio Edit) — Cascada
Everybody Gets to Go to the Moon (Live) — The Three Degrees
True Loves — Hooray For Earth
That Way (feat. Jeremih & Rick Ross) — Wale
On My Level (feat. Too $hort) — Wiz Khalifa
I Gotta Get Drunk — Redbird
Rehab — Amy Winehouse

Until next year!

posted by Ms. S&C

What to drink on Thanksgiving

Posted on November 24, 2010 by msshoescocktails | 3 comments

Happy Thanksgiving from S&C!

Over here at S&C, we are grateful for a lot of things this Thanksgiving. We’re grateful for loving family and friends. We’re grateful for our good health. We’re grateful that we continue to be inspired. We’re grateful for you!

Thanksgiving is a great holiday. It is a great holiday filled with some really great food. (Ms. S&C *loves* Thanksgiving Day food.) In addition to that turkey you’re brining, that homemade cranberry sauce you’re making and that pumpkin pie you’re baking, there are beverages to think about! Don’t get overwhelmed though, Ms. S&C is here to help.

PUNCH

Why not start off the afternoon with a seasonal punch? Your guests (especially if you have a lot of them) will think it is festive and fun and delicious. You can go with the Autumn Spiced Punch (a S&C fave that has been referred to as “autumn in a cup”). Or, you can try this new S&C punch recipe (which is good with or without the booze). It is another crowd-pleaser, not to mention it looks so pretty with the floating apple slices and cinnamon sticks.

Sparkling Cinnamon Apple Punch

Ingredients:

2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 gallon apple cider , chilled
4 cups cranberry-apple juice, chilled
12 bottles sparkling wine , chilled (or sub one liter ginger ale for mocktail version)
Fresh apple slices
Cinnamon sticks

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar and cinnamon to a boil; stir until sugar is dissolved. Chill (preferably overnight). Just before serving, combine the syrup mixture, juices and sparkling wine in a punch bowl or large pitcher. Garnish with fresh apple slices and whole cinnamon sticks. Serve over ice, or use an ice block to chill.

BEER

For those non-punch-drinkers, offer them beer before dinner. And if you are going to drink beer on Thanksgiving, you might as well drink a pumpkin beer, right? There are some good ones out there. There are a lot of good ones, actually. There are some mild ones and there are some full-bodied ones. Ms. S&C gave a rundown of her faves awhile back. (And yes, Dogfish Head Punkin Ale is still high on the list.)

WINE

Opinions run far and wide about what wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner. Some say Zinfandel goes best with turkey. Others say Riesling, for its acidity and touch of sweetness, is a good match. You could have the best of both with a rose. Or, Beaujolais Nouveau is often a popular choice because it is light and fruity, and it goes well with turkey and the melange of side dishes. Ms. S&C says drink what you want! (But you should probably have a mix of red and white. And don’t forget the champagne! Because: it truly goes with everything.)

NIGHTCAP

Have a bourbon. Or a glass of prosecco. Or a cognac like B&B.

Ms. S&C wants to know: What’s on your Thanksgiving dinner menu? What will you and family and friends be drinking around the dinner table?

posted by Ms. S&C

3 Comments

Posted in beer, bourbon, champagne, cocktails, fall/winter cocktails

Tagged champagne goes with everything, holidays, pumpkin beer, punch

Cocktails by numbers

Posted on November 16, 2010 by msshoescocktails | Leave a comment

Ms. S&C hasn’t blogged a lot recently, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t had some notable experiences to share — especially on the cocktail front. Here’s a little glimpse of what she’s been up to.

13 — Points scored in a blind beer-tasting game

Friends, who host an excellent Halloween bash each year, led guests in a blind tasting of eight beers at their most recent party. Points were awarded for correctly guessing the beer style, brand and country of origin. Ms. S&C had a respectable third place finish.

2 — Punches made in a one-week period

Ms. S&C made a punch for her friends’ Halloween party. Ingredients included: cinnamon-infused simple syrup, lemon juice, apple cider, apple brandy, sparkling wine.

Ms. S&C made a second mocktail punch for a co-worker’s baby shower, using many of the same ingredients: cinnamon-infused simple syrup, apple cider, cran-apple juice, ginger ale. Please note the lovely garnishes of fresh apple slices and cinnamon sticks.

2 — Parties hosted in a three-day stretch

The two cocktails Ms. S&C created for her bookclub and a post-dinner party deserve their own dedicated posts. The Clover Club Cocktail was tres apropos for discussing “The Group.” And the pear margarita (secret ingredient: pear-infused simple syrup) was an inspired choice for post Mexican dinner imbibing.

7 — Football games left in the regular season

One recent game day beverage was a Red Eye (or Michelda). A simple combo of lager and tomato juice (but feel free to add lime and spices), is a great treat for those days when you want something more than just beer.

posted by Ms. S&C

S&C for baby

Posted on February 17, 2010 by msshoescocktails | 2 comments

Ms. S&C has a dear co-worker/friend who recently delivered what-looks-to-be (because I haven’t met him yet!) a precious baby boy. I recall when shopping for a baby gift, I struggled a bit. I wanted something that matched his mom’s impeccable style. From the day we met, I knew we would be fast friends — we were wearing the same Nine West paisley peep-toe pumps! She’s been a constant fashion inspiration since.

I finally settled on Converse All Star’s — because even little ones could use a pair of Chuck Taylor’s. I found them over at Nordstrom at a reasonable price (not sure why baby shoes tend to be so pricey).

Shoes for baby, because even little ones need their own Chucks.

Before the little guy arrived, our office hosted a baby shower and Ms. S&C happily served on the punch-making committee. I found this work-and-pregnant-lady-friendly recipe at Allrecipes.com. It’s called chilled Christmas punch, but it can be enjoyed year-round. New S&C name is:

Spiced Mocktail Punch
(serves a dozen or more)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 (46 ounce) can pineapple juice, chilled

• 4 cups cranberry-apple juice, chilled

• 1 liter ginger ale, chilled

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar and cinnamon to a boil; stir until sugar is dissolved. Chill (preferably overnight). Just before serving, combine the syrup mixture, juices and ginger ale in a punch bowl or large pitcher. Serve over ice, or use an ice block to chill.

posted by Ms. S&C

2 Comments

Posted in cocktails, shoes

Tagged baby shoes, converse, mocktails, punch

T’is the season–for clementines

Posted on December 30, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 2 comments

Ms. S&C thinks there’s a lot to love about clementines. Those perfectly small, round citrus, with a deep orange color, pack a lot of flavor. (Not to mention they are so easy to peel and seedless.) And, how irresistible are those boxes at the grocery store this time of the year? But, when you’re a family of two, how do you make use of them all? Ms. S&C is here with a few cocktail suggestions so those beauties don’t go to waste. Think of today as a two-for-one special!

That delicious box of clementines can be used for a number
of delicious cocktails

Cocktail Number One: Ms. S&C came across an inviting recipe for an Old Fashioned over at Metrocurean. She tested a few batches, made a few minor modifications, and couldn’t have been happier with the end result. The infused simple syrup is pretty fantastic, and all the flavors mesh perfectly with bourbon. To conclude, this is an awesome cocktail.

Clementina Old Fashioned
adapted from Jaleo, makes 1 drink

For cinnamon apricot syrup:
(make one day in advance, preferably)

dried apricots (approx. 6)
4 cinnamon sticks
Peel from one clementine
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Combine sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add cinnamon sticks, apricots (1 apricot for each drink you plan to make) and clementine peel. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Let cool and stand for several hours, or overnight (recommended). Use any leftover syrup to sweeten tea, or for other cocktails.

For the cocktail:

1 clementine, segmented
1 1/2 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon
1 tablespoon of apricot cinnamon simple syrup
zest of 1 clementine
A few dashes orange bitters

In a cocktail shaker, muddle apricot (from syrup) and clementine. Add bourbon, cinnamon apricot syrup, orange bitters and enough ice to fill a rocks glass. Shake well. Pour into a rocks glass and finish with a generous amount of clementine zest.

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Cocktail Number Two: Naturally, Ms. S&C has offered to make punch for New Year’s Eve festivities. Last year she whipped up a sparkling cherry sensation that was quite good. This year she plans to adapt a citrusy champagne punch from Epicurious. And, for Ms. S&C’s party purposes, this recipe will likely be tripled.

Sparkling Citrus Punch
makes eight servings

Ingredients:

1 cup white grape juice
1 1/2 cups fresh grapefruit juice (preferably pink or ruby red)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup Cointreau, triple sec, or other orange-flavored liqueur
1/4 cup Cognac or other brandy
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
2 clementines, segmented
1 lime, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lemon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bottle Champagne or other sparkling white wine, chilled

Stir together juices, wine, triple sec, Cognac, mint, fruit, and cooled syrup in a large pitcher. Chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour. Stir in Champagne. Garnish with clementine, lime and lemon pieces.

Happy New Year from S&C!

posted by Ms. S&C

2 Comments

Posted in bourbon, cointreau, fall/winter cocktails, wine

Tagged clementines, infused simple syrup, old fashioned, punch, S&C test kitchen

Cake and punch

Posted on April 29, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 9 comments

The fun thing about going to a one year old’s birthday party is the party turns out to be one that’s really more for adults. Ms. S&C recently had the pleasure honor of fixing a punch for an adorable lad’s first birthday party. Said adorable lad also happens to be Miss Mojito’s nephew! While the pomegranate champagne punch was a crowd pleaser, the real hit of the party was this incredible rainbow-colored cake baked by the lad’s superstar mom, LC. LC tells me the rainbow cake was inspired by a number of blogs and recipe sites (Google rainbow cake and you’ll get oodles of results). But her cake and icing recipe came from Restaurant Eve’s Birthday Cake. Clever mom that she is, LC implemented the rainbow layering and colored coconut for the topping, rather than using plain old sprinkles.

bday-cake Spectacular rainbow colored birthday cake

For the punch: when asked to help make a cocktail for the party, I wanted something equally colorful and festive. Since we were serving a large crowd of 20-30 people, I knew that punch was the only practical option. I found a pomegranate rum punch recipe from Bon Appetit on Epicurious. I’ve always been a fan of pomegranate juice – the color and tartness make it a perfect mixer for cocktails. Not to mention all the health benefits. But, I’m not so much a fan of rum (which could be good in a fall/winter version), so I subbed champagne and white wine, and made a few other tweaks. The result was a bright, cheerful, and sparkling beverage that parents, and friends and family of parents, can enjoy.

pom-champagne-punch Pomegranate champagne punch with lime and mint

Pomegranate Champagne Punch

Ingredients:

Simple syrup
5 bottles chilled brut Champagne
2 bottles chilled white wine (Ms. S&C uses sauvignon blanc)
1 cup triple sec
3 cups pomegranate juice, (Ms. S&C prefers POM Wonderful)
4 limes, thinly sliced
Simple syrup, to taste
Pomegranate seeds (optional)
Fresh mint for garnish (optional)
1 ice block

Directions:

For the simple syrup: bring 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar to boil in small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Cool syrup completely. Note: adding lime slices is always an option to infuse the syrup.

Combine Champagne, white wine, triple sec and pomegranate juice in punch bowl. Add syrup to sweeten to taste. Mix in lime slices, and pomegranate seeds. Add ice block to bowl. Garnish with mint.

posted by Ms. S&C

9 Comments

Posted in cocktails, fall/winter cocktails, spirits, spring/summer cocktails, wine

Tagged champagne goes with everything, infused simple syrup, pomegranate, punch

Too much of a good thing

Posted on January 5, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 5 comments

Isn’t too much of a good thing what New Year’s Eve is all about? When Ms. S&C likes something, she kinda gets all consumed by it. Take Duffy’s Rockferry album for instance. Once she got it for her b-day, it was in heavy rotation on her Ipod for weeks. Everyday on the metro, she would listen to the whole album beginning to end (she’s usually a shuffle kind-of a girl). Now that the Duffy newness has worn off, she’s moved on to T.I’s Whatever You Like. Damn, that song is catchy. And, let me tell you — it made the metro ride to work today at least bearable. The first day back after the holidays is the pits. Absolute. Pits.

Ms. S&C’s obsession fascination with punch has lasted a lot longer (yes, it made the 2008 Year in Review list). When given the opportunity to make a holiday cocktail for LKO’s New Year’s Eve party, she could not resist. Taking cues from the autumn spiced punch and LC’s champagne punch, we came up with this delicious Shoes & Cocktails exclusive — a sparkling cherry punch! This drink’s bright, festive color make it a perfect holiday cocktail. It was a splendid way to start off the night!

angelas-nye-punch-003

After recently trying a Ritz Cocktail with maraschino liqueur, I knew I wanted to use cherry liquor in something, so I replaced the apricot brandy from the champagne punch. And, I feel like if you are going to go through the trouble of making simple syrup yourself, you might as well infuse it with something. I made this simple syrup with cranberries mainly because I had a leftover bag of them in the freezer, but also because I wanted something with the deep red color (I thought more cherries in the syrup may be an overload on cherry flavor). The frozen cherries were a delicious little surprise at the bottom of the cup, and they helped keep the punch cold.

Sparkling Cherry Punch

Ingredients:

4 bottles of champagne
2 bottles of white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
8 oz. cranberry infused simple syrup (see ingredients and directions below)
8 oz. cherry brandy
1 bag of frozen pitted cherries

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. Stir. Easy schmeasy!

Simple Syrup Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 bag frozen cranberries

Simple Syrup Directions:
It is recommended that you make the simple syrup a day in advance to maximize the cranberry flavor. Combine water, sugar, and cranberries in a saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Cover and chill for 12-24 hours. Strain bits of cranberry from the syrup.

S&C wants to know: What fun, festive drinks did you have to ring in the new year? Share your NYE drinks below!

5 Comments

Posted in cherry liqueur, cocktails, fall/winter cocktails, spirits, wine

Tagged champagne goes with everything, flavored ice cubes, holidays, infused simple syrup, punch, s&c exclusive

Holiday party cocktails

Posted on December 23, 2008 by msshoescocktails | 2 comments

Break out the punch bowls! S&C has two great holiday drinks for you. Our friends LC and CA hosted their annual gift exchange party over the weekend. LC served the delicious champagne punch she makes every year. I think it is a family recipe. It is bubbly and festive and everybody loves it. If you don’t make it for the Christmas holiday, it would be perfect for a New Year’s Eve bash.

LC’s Family Punch

champagne_punch

Ingredients:

2 bottles of champagne
1 bottle of white wine
8 oz. apricot brandy
8 oz. triple sec
1 liter club soda

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. Add block of ice. For less potency, half the amounts of brandy and triple sec. (As the night goes on and you continue to refill the punch bowl, halving is not a bad idea.)

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After attending the Holiday Cocktails seminar, I was inspired to make homemade eggnog for LC’s party. Eggnog is quite easy, as long as you have an electric mixer. And by mixing the ingredients one by one, it ensures that they are well blended. This recipe is an adaptation of several I’ve seen. I didn’t add cognac or brandy (a spirit found in most recipes), mostly because I didn’t want it to be too boozy. I also added more vanilla extract and spices to make it more indulgent and dessert-like. I think the final product was a perfect accompaniment to chocolate pound cake and the other fine desserts served at the party. It is also a fine substitute for cream and sugar in your coffee.

Eggnog

Ingredients:

Dozen eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon clove
2 teaspoons nutmeg, plus extra for garnish
4 cups heavy whipping cream
5 cups milk
2 cups dark rum (I used Gosling’s Black Seal)

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add sugar, continue beating. Add vanilla, clove, nutmeg, continue beating. Add heavy cream, little at a time, continue beating. Add milk, little at a time, continue beating. Chill for 1-2 hours. Before serving, add rum and mix well. Garnish with nutmeg. For less indulgence, substitute some of the heavy cream with milk.

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S&C Wishes You Happy Holidays and Best in 2009!

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Posted in cocktails, dark rum, fall/winter cocktails, spirits, wine

Tagged champagne goes with everything, eggnog, holidays, punch

Happy valley

Posted on October 22, 2008 by msshoescocktails | 2 comments

S&C went tailgating over the weekend. Headed to State College, PA, to see friends JD and Bob, and see Penn State take on clobber Michigan. It was super-fun being in a college town, and one that is crazy about football. Tailgating is, of course, awesome. S&C really likes hanging out with friends during the day, eating, and drinking. Not to mention, the fall foliage was gorgeous up there.

To celebrate the festivities, we prepared an autumnal punch, recipe courtesy of Ms. RB, our friend out of Texas. This punch is very mellow, so it is definitely appropriate for an afternoon of drinking. If you’re planning a Halloween party, or attending some other fall-related shindig, serve this punch. It is a winner.

Autumn Spiced Punch
Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
12 cinnamon sticks, broken
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
4 cups cold apple juice
1 12 oz can apricot nectar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 bottles white wine, preferably Sauvignon Blanc

Directions:
In a saucepan combine water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Cover and chill for 12-24 hours. Strain spices from syrup. Combine syrup with fruit juices. Pour into punch bowl (or plastic pitcher, if you’re tailgating) and add wine.

And, in case you’re interested, our tailgating menu included: chicken wings, pork barbeque, coleslaw, and baked beans. Perfect for the back of a pick-up truck.

After the game, we headed to The Tavern Restaurant, a town favorite, and famous for a drink called the “Original Sin.” The Original Sin recipe is top-secret, but apparently is 50% alcohol (including brandy), mixed with club soda, a secret fruity mixture (definitely includes maraschino in some form), and topped off with champagne. It reminds you of a spiked punch you may have had in high school. If you’re there, you have to try it.