proof whisky, And the nominees are..., Vol. 15

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This week we are gearing up for Sunday night’s Golden Globe Awards (www.goldenglobes.org), by offering you not one, but 10 great red carpet cocktails. If you still have not selected your favourite contender you may be persuaded in doing so after tasting one of our ‘nominee-inspired’ drinks. We thought that it would be fun to match whisky cocktails to each Golden Globe nominee. Sit back and enjoy the show. 

This week’s Thursty Thursday Feature recipe is our twist on the Social Network Appletini. To learn more about our brand visit www.proofbrands.com. Become a friend on Facebook www.facebook.com/proofbrands and Twitter http://twitter.com/proofbrands 

to get last minute updates on all of our tastings, parties and events.

 

proof whisky appletini

2 oz proof whisky
½ oz Sour Puss Sour Apple
Fill shaker with ice. Add 2 oz proof whisky and ½ oz Sour Puss Sour Apple. 

Shake and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.

The Appletini has quickly become the official ‘Facebook’ cocktail after the success of this blockbuster film. Although we cannot take credit for the appletini – Zuckerberg beat us to it – we can lay claim to this tasty variation.

And the first nominee is...

THE SOCIAL NETWORK (Drama)

Director David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven) teams with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) to explore the meaning of success in the early 21st century from the perspectives of the technological innovators who revolutionized the way we all communicate.

BLACK SWAN (Drama)

'Black Swan' follows the story of Nina (Natalie Portman), a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance.

Enjoy this intermission refreshment from the comfort of your own sofa. The Promenade Bar at NYC Ballet offers its whisky with a choice of pepsi, ginger ale or on the rocks.
(You can even pre-order your intermission cocktail online to avoid lineups www.nycballet.com)

The Promenade

1 oz proof whisky
4 oz pepsi, ginger ale or on the rocks
Pour proof whisky and mix of choice in ice-filled rocks glass.

 

INCEPTION (Drama)

Visionary filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Dark Knight) writes and directs this psychological sci-fi action film about a thief who possesses the power to enter into the dreams of others.

Wake up from your deep slumber, with this elegant elixir. We chose rosewater because Chanteuse, (of movie’s featured song) Edith Piaf is best known for her song La Vie En Rose.

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

2 oz proof whisky
1 oz rose water*
½ oz Amaretto

Stir 2 oz proof whisky, 1 oz rose water, ½ oz Amaretto and serve over ice in an elegant cocktail glass. * Rosewater is available at most Loblaws, Rabba, No Frills, etc.

THE KING’S SPEECH (Drama) After the death of his father King George V (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), Bertie (Colin Firth) who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI.

A few of these will cure any speech impediment.

The King Eddy

1½ oz proof whisky
1½ oz sweet vermouth
¼ oz Bénédictine
Lemon Twist
Fill shaker with ice. Add 1½ oz proof whisky, 1½ oz sweet vermouth and ¼ oz Bénédictine. Strain into cocktail glass. Twist lemon over glass and drop it in.

THE FIGHTER (Drama)

Mark Wahlberg stars in Paramount Pictures' inspirational docudrama exploring the remarkable rise of Massachusetts-born, junior welterweight title winner "Irish" Micky Ward.

We went with Micky’s drink of choice, which is beer – punched up a little, of course.

The Micky Ward

1 ½ oz proof whisky
8-12 oz mug of beer
Pour the proof whisky into a shot glass. Drop the shot glass into the mug of beer. Ding ding ding ding! Winner!

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (Musical or Comedy)


Director Tim Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King) team up to deliver this visually dazzling take on the classic Lewis Carroll tale.

Host your own ‘Mad Tea Party’ with this magical spiked tea.

Drink Me (makes 6 cups)

1 piece fresh ginger
6 cups cold water

2-3 orange pekoe tea bags
¼ cup liquid honey

6 oz proof whisky

6 pieces rolled cinnamon bark


Very thinly slice unpeeled ginger. Set aside 6 slices. Bring remaining ginger and water to a boil in a small saucepan; add tea. Cover, slide off heat and steep 5 minutes. Meanwhile place a reserved ginger slice in each tea cup. Stir honey and proof whisky into steeped tea. Strain liquid into cups; add a cinnamon stick. Serve while hot.

BURLESQUE (Musical or Comedy)

Christina Aguilera makes her dramatic feature debut as Ali, a small-town singer who takes her shot at stardom performing at a neo-burlesque nightclub in Los Angeles.

Because Burlesque also made the short-list for a Razzie, we thought it appropriate to match this musical contender with a raspberry-based drink.

The Razzie

2 oz proof whisky

¾ oz fresh lime juice

¼ oz simple syrup

7up

½ oz Chambord

In an ice-filled shaker add 2 oz proof whisky, juice of ½ fresh lime, ¼ oz simple syrup. Shake and strain into a Collins glass. Top with 7up and then drizzle with Chambord.

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (Musical or Comedy)

'The Kids Are All Right is the heartfelt new comedy from acclaimed director Lisa Cholodenko, starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo. Two teenaged children (Alice in Wonderland's Mia Wasikowska and Journey to the Center of the Earth) get the notion to seek out their biological father and introduce him into the family life that their two mothers (Bening and Moore) have built for them. Once the donor (Ruffalo) is found, the household will never be the same, as family ties are defined, re-defined, and re-re-defined.

We're in southern California – blender drink anyone?

This Drink is Alright

1 ½ oz proof whisky
¾ oz Cointreau
¾ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz simple syrup

Add crushed ice and all ingredients to a blender. Blend and serve heaped in margarita glass with lime slice and straw.

RED (Musical or Comedy) Based on the cult D.C. Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hammer, 'Red' is an explosive action-comedy starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren.

It’s red and it’s delicious. Enough said.

The Crimson Cup

1 1/2 oz proof whisky

1 oz lemon juice

1 tbsp. cranberries (frozen & thawed)

1/2 oz maple syrup

2 oz cranberry juice

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1½ oz proof whisky, 1 oz. of lemon juice, 1 tbsp. cranberries (frozen & thawed) ½ oz. maple syrup and 2 oz cranberry juice. Shake sharply and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon and cranberry skewer.

And finally.....

THE TOURIST (Musical or Comedy)

Johnny Depp stars as an American tourist whose playful dalliance with a stranger leads to a web of intrigue, romance and danger in 'The Tourist'. During an impromptu trip to Europe to mend a broken heart, Frank (Depp) unexpectedly finds himself in a flirtatious encounter with Elise (Angelina Jolie) an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Paris and Venice, their whirlwind romance quickly evolves as they find themselves unwittingly thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Take a break from this wild adventure at Harry’s Bar in Venice. We have created our own version of their world famous Bellini. Cin cin.

The Rialto

1 1/2 oz proof whisky
4 oz peach juice
juice of ½ lime
bitters
peach slice for garnish
To a rocks glass filled with ice, add 1 1/2 oz. proof whisky, the juice of 1/2 fresh lime, 4 oz. peach juice and a dash of bitters. Stir to mix and garnish with a peach slice.

For more information on any of these movies, visit: www.moviefone.com

Weather Forecast:
Saturday: Light Snow and a high of 0 degree
Sunday: Few flurries and a high of - 4 degrees

proof whisky, ice age 2011, Vol. 14

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Happy 2011! Let’s start the new decade off right with a fun whisky recipe. Think of all the times you were told not to eat yellow snow. Well, sorry mom but we are encouraging our readers to do just that with today’s Thursty Thursday Snow Cone. Snow cones in January – why not? We will be buried in it for the next couple of months, so let's try to have a little fun with it. Get your brain-freeze on with this week’s yummy chiller, the scrumpdillyicious Yellow Snowball. To learn more about our brand visit www.proofbrands.com. Become a friend on Facebook www.facebook.com/proofbrands and Twitter http://twitter.com/proofbrands to get last minute updates on all of our tastings, parties and events.

The Yellow Snowball 

(recipe makes 4 snow-cones)
For Syrup:

3/4 cup sugar

4 oz water

2 1/2 oz proof whisky

The zest of a whole lemon

6 mint leaves

In a saucepan add sugar, water and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, simmer for 3-5 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture has changed become yellow from the zest. Remove from heat and add the proof whisky. In a heatproof container, with lid, add the 6 mint leaves. (rub between your hands first to release the oils). Pour in the lemon syrup and cool. Place in the fridge overnight. Before serving, strain syrup to remove zest and mint and pour into a dispensing bottle. Drizzle over shaved ice.

If your blender or magic bullet cannot take the wear and tear, we suggest that you call the Ice Man. (www.the-iceman.com) He delivers 18 kg bags of shaved ice. And if you still insist on making it all from scratch (we know your type), you can always pick up a machine and snow cone cups at Coolies (www.coolies.ca) (we do not recommend using snow – hello!!)

 

Snow-cone Making 101:

It’s super simple. Here’s how it comes together. We used a super-duper snowball maker for ours. (www.sno-baller.com)

All About Ice By Colleen Graham

There are four basic types, or forms, of ice (cube, cracked, shaved and block) and each have their uses. In Imbibe! David Wondrich quotes Jerry Thomas' 19th Century rules for using each, and these are still somewhat relevant in modern mixology. Thomas says: "As a general rule, shave ice should be used when spirits form the principal ingredient of the drink, and no water is employed. When eggs, mild, wine, vermouth, seltzer or other mineral waters are used...it is better to use small lumps of ice..." This is still sound advice but let's break it down for modern ice forms.

Ice Cubes:

Ice cubes are good for almost all mixing: for shaking, stirring, drinks on the rocks, or with juices and sodas. The larger, thicker surface area makes a cube melt slowly and causes less dilution and it is customary to fill a glass or shaker 2/3 full for best results.

Cracked Ice:

Smaller than cubes, cracked ice melts faster and adds more water to drinks. Usually this is used when making frozen drinks because cubes can clog blender blade and be inconsistent in the end. Two-thirds to one cup of cracked ice is perfect for a single frozen Daiquiri or Margarita. Typically bagged ice from the store is cracked.

Shaved Ice:

Crushed or shaved ice is what you typically find in fountain soda machines. This is a very fine ice that can be used in a shaker to produce a thick, slurry of a cocktail. You can also use it to make an "adult snow cone" of sorts by packing shaved ice in a glass (or paper cone if you want to get "authentic") and pouring liqueurs over the top. Spirits like Chambord, PAMA and amaretto are great alone or you can build a custom flavor by combining a few.

Block Ice:

Back in the day all ice bartenders used started as a block and it was up to the individual and their ice tools to create smaller, usable chunks and shavings for mixing. Luckily, we don't have to use picks and shavers anymore. Today blocks are primarily used for chilling party punches and can take any form you want. Rings are popular and there are many novelty molds available but you can also use almost any container you have available as long as you can remove the solid ice.

Ice Ball:

Another large chunk of ice that is becoming more popular is the ice ball, which is commonly used in Japan for serving "whiskey on the rocks.

Making the Best Ice:

Basic science says that ice is water in a solid form and given that, it only stands to reason that cleaner water produces cleaner ice, which will add water to your cocktails in the end. Start off right by freezing water that you would drink: distilled, purified, natural spring or bottled, essentially anything but unfiltered tap water. Keep your ice fresh by rotating the newer and older cubed. Avoid storing it in the freezer near foods like fish or anything else you don't want to taste in your next High Ball.

Making an ice ball:

All you need is a bag of balloons, a place in the freezer to hang them when filled with water, and a night to allow the "teardrop-shaped" ice to freeze. Read more about the technique

 

TIP: When entertaining, always buy bags of ice at the store. Whatever amount you think you might need – triple it. This is the easiest and best way to keep your drinks fresh and your guests happy. :)

 

Ice art: We purchased some great ice cube trays, and ice shot glasses around the city. 

By adding various inclusions you can create your own arctic sculptures

These are great cups in which to serve proof whisky shots (proof chillers) and frozen Crimson Cups.

 

Making an ice bar:

If building a snowman is not your thang, you may want to put your energy into building an ice-bar in your backyard. Your friends will be REALLY impressed if you serve your Yellow Snowballs, proof chillers and frozen Crimson Cups from your frozen canteen. 

You can even offer a Hot Apple Crisp to your less thermally-insulated pals. We served mini-sliders, pulled pork sandwiches and blintzes topped with crème fraiche and smoked salmon. Iced drinks, get your iced-drinks! (if you’re a gadget person check out www.eskimold.com)

 

Weather Forecast:

Saturday: Scattered flurries and a high of - 3 degrees.

Sunday: Cloudy with sunny breaks and a high of - 4 degrees.