Fun with Booze!
You might think from the title of this blog that I’m some kind of lush. Far from it. I advocate safe, responsible drinking. I’m often the designated driver and I always check to make sure friends are in the proper condition to drive. I also respect recovering alcoholics’ need to stay away from the stuff.
Having said that, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying the occasional libation. And with the resurgance of cocktail culture and the emergence of the mixologist—which is basically a bartender schooled in chic and complex drink making, versus a bartender, who may not know what to do with Chartreuse (a liqueur made in France by Carthusian monks) but will make you a wicked dry martini—you can really have a lot of fun trying out all different kinds of concoctions, from wild and crazy to sophisticated and classy.
Join the party…
So, because both of us are out of work and need something fun to distract us (and maybe drown our sorrows), a friend and I have decided to embark on a mission: come up with as many funky, fun new cocktails as we can for as little money as possible. Not that the goal is exactly “Budget Boozing” or “Recession Cocktails” (I’m sure somebody somewhere is already working on that), but it’s got to be that way for us because we simply don’t have a whole lot of money to spend. (It’s interesting to note that during hard economic times, the liquor industry is one that not only does not suffer but actually increases in business. There are two reasons for this: 1) More people entertain at home and so need to stock their bars and 2) people want to forget their troubles.)
My friend and I went out today and bought about $90 worth of liquor. But we got some sweet deals—for that $90, we got a box of booze. We made some good choices, caught some good sales, and walked out with enough alcohol to inebriate all the members of Phi Beta Psi. We’re going to have some fun and put our minds on something other than finding jobs that obviously don’t want to be found and meeting freelance deadlines.
What amazed me is the proliferation of flavored liquors. Fruity flavored rums and vodkas have been around for a while but I was floored by the black cherry whisky I saw. And the macadamia-flavored vodka. And the pineapple tequila. Even Kahlua has upped the ante by introducing a mocha, a French vanilla, and a hazelnut version of their coffee liqueur. People are looking for new and exciting, and the liquor companies are gladly obliging. This opens up a whole new world of cocktail making. 
If anyone wants to contribute their thoughts to the art of cocktail making, feel free to comment. Let me know what your favorite drinks are, where your liquor loyalties lie, and what gets your party rockin’. In the meantime, below is a recipe for a Kahlua Martini, courtesy of drinksmixer.com.
Hopefully, I’ll be recovered enough by next week to make my next entry. 
Have a great week, everyone.
Kahlua Martini
1 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. vodka
1 splash coffee
Have you ever tried a liqueur called Nocello? I’ve run across the name but not the actual product and am curious about what it tastes like. I do like Frangelico (naturally, says Fran!
), though I admit I use it more for cooking than baking. A dash of it is lovely in chicken liver pate’, and a big dump of it is lovely in a hazelnut pound cake.
My usual drink is gin and tonic, or strawberry margaritas when I can get them.
Oh, I have been dying to try Nocello. (For those of you who have never heard of it, that is a walnut liqueur.) I think I’ve even seen it once in a store but it’s a bit on the expensive side, so I’ve not tried it yet. I like Frangelico, too (that’s hazelnut). It’s quite yummy in mixed drinks, as well as just for sipping. It must be really tasty in chicken dishes!
Strawberry margarits…yum!
Have you tried your kumquatcello yet? I’ll be that will make some interesting drinks.
Why, yes, Deb. I have tried it…and it was gooooood.
You’re right, it probably would make a good cocktail ingredient. I shall lock myself up in my laboratory and experiment…