Whiskey sour

 Cocktail of the week is

Whiskey sour

2 oz whiskey
juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp powdered sugar
1 cherry
1/2 slice lemon

Shake blended whiskey, juice of lemon, and powdered sugar with ice and strain into a whiskey sour glass. Decorate with the half-slice of lemon, top with the cherry, and serve.

We did omit the garnishing, but it was delicious anyway.

Viikon cocktail on

Whiskey sour

6 cl viskiä

puolikkaan sitruunan mehu

1/2 tl pölysokeria

kirsikka

sitruunaviipale

Ravista viski, sitruunamehu ja pölysokeri jäiden kanssa shakerissa. Siivilöi lasiin.

Me jätimme koristeet pois, mutta juoma oli silti raikkaan herkullinen.

Cocktail set

 
 Husband has now two shakers (basic shaker with strained and a Boston shaker), liquor measurer and strainer to make his cocktails. We bought six martini glasses for New Year to replace the mixed glasses we previosly had. Later on we also have to replace other drinkware, next we will buy new highball glasses to replace the old 0,50 EUR stained Ikea high glasses and then purchase new old fashioned glasses. Cocktail making once a week as hobby seems to mean endless coctail ware buildup...

Siipalla on nyt kaksi sheikkeriä (tavallinen siivilällä varustettu ja Boston shaker), alkoholimitta sekä siivilä cocktailien tekoa varten. Uudeksi vuodeksi hankimme kuusi martini-lasia vahojen parittomien sijaan. Myöhemmin tarkoituksena on hankkia korkeita high ball-laseja, jotka saavat korvata vanhat himmeät Ikean 0,50 EUR korkeat lasit sekä matalampia old fashioned-laseja. Cocktailien teko  harrastuksena näyttää olevan loputonta varustelua...

New Year Eve Luau

We will have a small luau, a tiki oriented Hawaian themed party tonight. Luau parties are quite common in US, but most Finns haven't even heard of term luau. Husband is very into Tiki and we have held several luaus.

We will have only few guests, but I have prepared several Hawaian dishes and Husband will make his tropical cocktails.

Happy New year 2010!

Meillä on tänään pieni luau, Havaiji-teemainen illanvietto muutamale ystävälle. Luau-juhlat ovat Yhdysvalloissa melko tavallisia, mutta Suomessa moni ei ole kuullut edes termiä luau. Siippa on kovin innostunut tiki-kulttuurista ja meillä onkin ollut useita luau-juhlia.

Tänään meille tulee muutamia vieraita, olen tehnyt useita havaijilaisia ruokia ja Siippa tekee trooppisia cocktailejaan.

Onnellista Uutta Vuotta 2010!

Negroni

Cocktail of the week is Negroni. I and Campari are not friends, but Husband enjoyed Negronis in few bars in Milan. It has a nice Christmassy red shade.

Negroni

3/4 oz gin

3/4 oz campari

3/4 oz sweet or dry vermouth

1 splash club soda

Srir the alcohols with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Add club soda.

Viikon cocktail on Negroni. Minä ja Campari emme ole koskaan ystävystyneet, mutta Siippa nautti Negroneista muutamassakin baarissa milanossa. Juomassa on mukavan jouluinen punainen sävy.

Negroni

2 cl giniä

2 cl camparia

2 cl makeaa tai kuivaa vermuttia

clubsodaa

Sekoita alkoholit jään kanssa ja siivilöi jäähdytettyyn cocktaillasiin. Lisää tilkka clubsodaa.

Aperitivo in Milan

Vietin Siipan kanssa pitkän viikonlopun Milanossa; shoppailimme, teimme ikkunaostoksia, kuljimme kaupungilla, katselimme tyylikkäitä ihmisiä ja söimme hyvin.

Joka ilta ennen illallista nautimme eri baareissa aperitivot; viiden maissa miltei joka baariin oli katettu näyttävä valikoima pikkupurtavaa, joita sai nauttia ilmaiseksi ostettuaan juoman. Emme aivan ymmärtäneet kuinka tämä milanolainen traditionaalinen versio happy hourista oli kannattavaa liiketoimintaa, juotuaan yleensä yhden kohtuuhintaisen juomansa ja nautittuaan lautasellisen herkkuja ihmiset yleensä lähtivät muualle illalliselle.

I spent five days in Milan with Husband; just shopping, window shopping, people watching and eating well.

Every night before dinner we enjoyed beloved Milanese tradition of pre-dinner drinks accompanied by complimentary “stuzzichini,” or appetizers. Milan is the home of the aperitivo — a tradition that takes the concept of the buffet to an entirely new level. Almost every bar seemed to have after five or six in the evening great variety of free snacks with cocktails. We did not quite figure out how this was profitable business as after one not too expensive drink and plate full of all kind of small goodies people left elsewhere for dinner.

Holiday cocktails

Ordered Husband an addition to his cocktail book collection. He has loved his Mr. Boston's official bartender's guide. He picks up one cocktail per week (well... sometimes two...). Hope he will like this holiday edition as well.

Tilasin Siipalle Mr. Boston's Holiday cocktails-kirjan. Hän on ollut ihastunut New Yorkista ostamaansa Mr. Boston's official bartender's guide-kirjaan ja valitsee sieltä viikon cocktailin (joinain viikkoina jopa kaksi...). Toivottavasti hän pitää myös tästä juhlapäiväversiosta.

Oh gosh!

Cocktail of the week is fresh and easy to mix.

Oh, Gosh!
1 1/2 oz light rum
1 1/2 oz triple sec
1 oz lime juice

Shake well with ice and strain in  to a martini glass.

Wasabi crusted peanuts accompany well this fresh coctail.

Viikon cocktail on raikas ja helppo tehdä.
 
Oh, Gosh!

1 1/2 osaa vaaleaa rommia
1 1/2 osaa triple seciä
1 osaa tuorepuristettua limemehua


Ravista jäiden kanssa ja siivilöi Martinilasiin.

Wasabipähkinät sopivat hyvin tämän juoman kanssa.

Gin pills

Instead of cocktail recipe I add photos of a vintage Gin Pill box. How convinient; gin in a pill form and it seems to be also treatment for kidneys...

Bought this funny little wooden box in Cape Cod, Massachusets two years ago.


Cocktail-reseptin sijaan laitankin kuvan ginipillerirasiasta. Onpa kätevää; giniä pillerimuodossa ja ne näyttävät olevan vielä munuasillekin hyväksi...


Ostin tämän hauskan puisen pikku rasian Cape Codista Yhdysvalloista pari vuotta sitten.

Asian coctail

While I was cooking an Asian inspired dinner, I also wanted to sip some "Asian coctail". So I looked around in my fridge and cupboards and came up with this.

Yellow dragon

4 cl white rhum

slice of lime

3 slices of fresh ginger

dash of cinnamon

1/2 dl pineapple juice

tonic

ice cubes

Mull lime, cinnamon and ginger in a highball glass, put ice cubes in glass, pour pine apple juice over and top with tonic water. Mix and enjoy.

First I named this Golden dragon, but noted that there is already a coctail named Golden Dragon, includes brandy and Chartreuse... Maybe I should try that as my "end of the working week" cocktail tonight?

Time to pop the champagne!

I work in fashion with several foreign business partners. One of them brought me and my boss two mini bottles of Lanson a while ago and told us to open them when we get the first order for them from our market.

Yesterday it was time to chill the bottles and open them in the afternoon. It is always a joy to celebrate a special occasion with real champagne. What a great start for weekend!

A21 coctail bar

A21 cocktail bar has been open for two years, but I had never been there before. Happy to see that cocktail culture has spread in Helsinki.

I had a tasty "Indian" ginger and cinnamon infused mango drink and another cocktail (sorry, cannot remember the name), our waither mentioned it was originally invented by Don the Beachcomber, one of the elders of tiki cuture.

Very good drinks and good service. Also here our waiter only spoke English, this seems to be a trend in Helsinki restaurants lately.

Hotel Haven lobby bar

Hotel Haven on Unioninkatu is one of the newest hotels in Helsinki. It's stylish boutique hotel in the heart of city and is memeber of The Small Luxury Hotels of The World chain. I have heard that their rooms are excellent and service very good.

They have an upscale bar which was almost full on Friday night, but still quiet and serene. Sat there for a good while and enjoyed the atmosphere, company of friends and of course our coctails.

Salutoget bar

 I have been to Salutorget few times for coffee and wanted to return for cocktails, last weekend we met friends in their bar for drinks. The bar is stylish and it was full on Friday night.

What they are missing is a signature cocktail list. However the bartender asked what I liked; sweet or sour, short or tall and mixed me a nice tall, sour cocktail.

Also their bathroom is very roomy and looks classy, it's built in old bolt.

Easy cocktail

Even though real mixology is often fun and results fantastic coktails, for bigger crowds easily fixed cocktails are better solution, they can also be stunning and taste good.

Here I have used strawberry flavor red sparkling wine and pomegranate seeds for fresh taste and luxorius look.

Tony Bennett and Dean Martin

I had the priviledge to see Tony Bennett singing in Copenhagen Tivoli six years ago. He was extremely stylish, had a great voice at age of 75 (he is 81 now), very professional and charmed all the ladies on the front row and further. Actually he looked more stylish than in this video...

I also have always liked to be entertained by Dean Martin. Here the two crooners are in the same show. Sip a cocktail, listen and enjoy.

Herbs

I love fresh herbs; I use mint, coriander, rosemary, basil, thyme etc. on cooking, baking, salads and of course on drinks... Mmmm... love that fresh mint flavour in my Mojito!

Mojito

 

1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
  10 mint leaves

Havana Club white Rum (2 ounces)

2 ounces club soda

1 sprig of mint for garnish 

Place the mint leaves into a long "collins" glass and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it.  Add the powdered sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler.  Add crushed ice,  then add the rum and stir, and top off with the club soda.  Garnish with a mint sprig.

In the spirit of weekend

While you starting weekend and are sipping cocktails, Engelbert Humperdinck is an entertaining companion.

Lovely day

What a lovely day; warm and sunny! +19 C in mid September is true luxury for us Finns.


Went to buy some Finnish presents ("A good citizen" t-shirt, notebook with old photos of Helsinki and a Helsinki map) for Husband's Australian cousin, who has this week received also Finnish citizenship, he now holds both Finnish and Australian passports. Congratulations B!

Had coffee at terrace of a quite new restaurant Salutorget http://www.royalravintolat.com/salutorget/. Nice looking place by the Market square, they had stylish ladies room in the old bolt. They seemed to have also a cozy bar, made already plans with Husband to return for cocktails.

Kir Royal

In the spirit of Paris, I'll have a Kir Royal tonight.

Kir Royal

Pour 2 cl Cassis in champagne flute

Add champagne or dry sparkling wine

Enjoy!

Buckthorn berry martini

Shortcut from detox tea to cocktails... Tried buckthorn berries instead of lemon in a coctail. Worked quite well, this one is for you if you prefer sour cocktails!

Buckthorn berry martini

1/4 dl buckthorn berries smashed and sieved
4 cl vodka
2 cl martini dry

Shake ingredients and serve in martini glass.