Lush Life: Gingerbread Man

I came across this while on Twitter the other day and it sounds dee-licious. Folks are always looking for that perfect holiday cocktail and this is definitely a great contender for that title. Can't wait to try it out for myself!

Lush Life: Dirty Martini Letdown

It is with great sadness and regret that I inform you, my loyal reader, that the Dirty Martini is the nastiest alcoholic beverage I've ever tasted in my life! In. My. LIFE! Yes, it pains me to say it but that is one gross drink! Yuckaroo buckaroo!

I got a taste of the "DM" (I won't dare say or in this case type the name of this dreaded drink again) while I was in New York City recently. It was a dark and stormy night and some friends and I decided to hit up a lounge in Manhattan. Okay ok, it wasn't actually a dark and stormy night but I'm trying to set a tone here folks! It was a little brisk though, but anyway back to my story. While at the lounge, the Fat Black Pussycat to be exact, I stuck with one of my usual fruity cocktails for my first drink. I opted for a coconut margarita concoction made with rum. It was of course tasty, but I could barely taste the liquor which is a major no-no. One of my friends ordered a "DM" earlier that evening so when the waiter came over to take our orders for the next round I ordered a "DM." I was in the mood to try something different so I figured why not.

When our newly ordered drinks arrived I immediately took a sip of my "DM." Upon tasting the "DM" I couldn't help but wonder to myself what in the world I could have possibly done to the waiter to make him fill this cute little martini glass with water from the East River. Because that's exactly what it tasted like! Like ocean water! Salty and just plain nasty. I had absolutely no idea that a "DM" is made of olive juice. Who puts olive juice in a drink? Yuck! The name is misleading too, they should just call it an Olive Martini. I don't normally send drinks back, but I made an exception for the "DM." I got a pineapple martini instead and it was so gooood I had to get a second one :o)

It might sound wimpy, but I think from now on I'm going to stuck to my fruity drinks.

Lush Life: Sean Falyon And Playboy Tre's Red Cup Party Promo

To build some hype for their Red Cup Party that will be taking place during Atlanta's A3C Hip Hop Festival, Sean Falyon and Playboy Tre have released a video of them (just Falyon really) getting their Red Cup on. It also serves as a warning for those who like getting their Red Cup on maybe a little too much. We all know what that usually leads to...Check out the video below!



If you'll be in The A for A3C be sure to check out the Red Cup Party on October 7 at Lenny's Bar. Details are below.

Lush Life: Bacardi's Premixed Classic Cocktails

If you're looking for a fuss free cocktail this Labor Day Weekend then you may want to check out Bacardi's Classic Cocktail Pina Colada and Strawberry Daiquiri. Since the drinks are already premixed there's pretty much no effort on your part, just simply pour and garnish.

Their fruity, refreshing flavors make the Pina Colada and Strawberry Daiquiri cocktails perfect for the unofficial end of sumer. And as an added bonus, the health conscious out there will be happy to hear that the Pina Colada Classic Cocktail contains zero fat because it's made with coconut water and not coconut milk.

The Bacardi Classic Cocktail is also available in Mojito and Raspberry Mojito. If you happen to take pride in your bartending skills then check out some Barcadi drink recipes that do require some mixing.

Bacardi Torched Cherry Torched Colada
1 part BACARDI TORCHED CHERRY Flavored Rum
1-1/2 parts BACARDI COCONUT Flavored Rum
1-1/2 parts pineapple juice
Pour over ice and garnish with maraschino cherry or lemon wedge

Bacardi Torched Cherry Storm
1 part BACARDI TORCHED CHERRY Flavored Rum
1-1/2 parts pineapple juice
1-1/2 parts cranberry juice
Shake ingredients, pour over ice and garnish with pineapple wedge.

Bacardi Torched Cherry Torchade
1 part BACARDI TORCHED CHERRY Flavored Rum
3 parts Lemonade
Shake ingredients together, pour over ice and garnish with lemon wedge.

Lush Life: Tommy Bahama Rum Summer Cocktails

As I’m sure many of us already know, one of the best ways to beat the heat this summer is to indulge in a delicious cocktail or two. One of my favorite liquors to make summer cocktails with is rum. Is it a coincidence that “rum” rhymes with “yum?” I think not! It’s smooth, sometimes sweet, and downright delicious. Over the past few weeks I was able to sample various cocktails made with Tommy Bahama Rum’s Golden Sun Rum and White Sand Rum. Below I've posted the recipes to five of my favorite cocktails.

The first three cocktails: Tommy’s Classic Mojito, Mai-Tommy, and Blue Hawaiian are all based on Tommy Bahama recipes. The pina colada recipe was found on the Coco Lopez Website and The Cherry Bomb was my own creation.

Blue Hawaiian
1 part Tommy Bahama White Sand Rum
1 part blue Curacao
1 part coconut cream
2 parts pineapple juice

Pour all ingredients into a blender with a scoop of crushed ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane glass and garnish with a fresh pineapple slice and maraschino cherry.

The Blue Hawaiian is pretty much the blue version of the pina colada although for some reason even though the tastes are similar I still prefer the pina colada. I guess that blue-hue can be a little intimidating.

Mai Tommy
1 part Tommy Bahama White Sand Rum
1 part Tommy Bahama Golden Sun Rum
½ parts coconut rum
2 parts orange juice
2 parts pineapple juice
Splash of grenadine

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass garnished with an orange slice and maraschino cherry.

I personally loved this drink because of the various fruit juices. The combination of the different fruits make this an ideal cocktail for the summer months. Perfect for BBQ’s and other outdoor functions.

Tommy’s Classic Mojito
2 parts Tommy Bahama White Sand Rum
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
The juice of one lime
1 bunch of fresh mint
Dash of sparkling soda
Crushed ice

Muddle ingredients in a shaker, add ice and rum. Shake well and pour into a chilled tall cocktail glass. Add sparkling soda, garnish with a mint sprig.

I prefer my cocktails fruity and strong so you won’t hear me raving about the mojito anytime soon. I did give it a shot for the sake of this review and it really isn’t that bad. It's actually quite the refreshing cocktail. It reminds me of a minty Sprite with alcohol in it. Crazy description, right?

Classic Pina Colada
2 ounces Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
2 ounces pineapple juice
1½ ounces Tommy Bahama White Sand Rum
1 cup of ice

Mix all ingredients into a blender until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with pineapple slice.

I’m pretty much convinced that a pina colada made with quality rum like Tommy Bahama Rum (and an extra shot) is the best drink EVER. I was in heaven drinking this bad boy. I'm salivating just typing about it. Okay, not really but the Tommy Bahama Rum pina colada is nothing short of amazing.

The Cherry Bomb (My personal recipe!)
2 parts Tommy Bahama Golden Sun Rum
1 part Diet Cherry Pepsi
The juice of one lime

Combine all ingredients in a glass. Mix with a stirrer. Garnish with a sliced lime and maraschino cherry.

As a cocktail enthusiast I was a little disappointed to find out that my own special little recipe tasted pretty blah. The week I made this cocktail I was trying to eat somewhat healthy so I wanted to create a cocktail that wasn’t as high in calories. I think it’s the diet soda that killed it. That stuff really is nasty. I think it could actually be a decent drink with a little adjustments here and there.

The review above is based on samples I received of Tommy Bahama Rum.

Lush Life: Belvedere Vodka’s Intense Popcorn Sour

Have you ever wished upon a star in the hopes that one day you’d be able to combine the fluffy deliciousness that is popcorn and the joy that is Belvedere Vodka? Well, wish no further my friend. Belvedere Vodka Mixologist Claire Smith has done just that with her latest creation, the Intense Popcorn Sour. Yummmmmmmy!! Check out the video below for Smith's recipe.



Ingredients
Popcorn Infused Belvedere Intense
20ml lemon juice
15ml popcorn simple syrup
Dash grapefruit bitters
Dash egg white
Shake and strain over cubed ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a caramelised lemon wheel.

Oh, and I had no idea that Belvedere sold 100-proof vodka. Sounds dangerous...