{the essential cocktail tools}

We make a lot of cocktails around here and have a pretty healthy bar situation filled with interesting spirits, bitters and cocktail accessories.  While I love cute little embroidered cocktail napkins, fun drink stirrers and gold plated bar accessories those just aren't the things that make a good cocktail.  Today I thought I would round up the essential tools that are the work horses of creating cocktails in our house.  Check out below for how we use each of these and where to buy!

1.  Boston Shaker & glass: Just don't bother with regular cocktail shakers like this- a classic Boston shaker is what you want in your life.  Build the cocktail in the glass side, add ice to the metal side, pour liquid into metal side, firmly close together and shake like your life depends on it.

2.  Barspoon:  We picked up this one in Paris and I'm obsessed it.  Besides having a nice weight to it and the perfect twist on the handle it also includes small measurement in the spoon area.  This little guy makes negroni cocktails possible and that is important to me.

3.  Julep Strainer:  This type of strainer is generally used for stirred cocktails along with the Yarai mixing glass (see #9).  You do not need to spend a lot of money on this tool (although like most things in life the luxury option is available). 

4.  Jiggers:  We have three sets of jiggers, but these two are the ones we use constantly for getting that perfectly measured cocktail.  One is sized 1oz to 2oz and the other is sized 1/2 oz to 3/4oz.  I find that those sizes suit my needs pretty well along with the barspoon for even smaller measurements.  Like the strainer above- you don't need to spend a ton on these, but I would recommend getting something a bit nicer as a heavy weighted jigger will make it easier to use. 

5.  Hawthorne Strainer: This little guy is the boyfriend to the Boston Shaker (#1) and you will need it to make drinking shaken cocktails possible.  Since it will be used in most of the cocktails you make, it would be best to get a nicer quality strainer- the good news is that this one is $7 and works like a dream!

6.  Garnish picks:  I bought these on a whim at Crate & Barrel and they were accompanied by a large eye roll on Chris' part, but we actually use them all the time.  I love their classy and simple look- perfect for spearing Luxardo cherries in a Manhattan. 

7. Straw-spoons:  This is another case of something that was bought more as gimmick, but has also proven to be a staple.  The perfect marriage of stir spoon and straw in one- I use these for almost every cocktail served in a highball glass. 

8.  Citrus Juicer:  They make these for limes and oranges as well- I would definitely not waste your time buying the lime one since limes fit in the lemon one.  Even though limes and lemons would fit in the one made for oranges I don't prefer to use the orange one as it is pretty large and unwieldy. 

9. Yarai Mixing Glass:  Just look at this thing- do you even need me to tell you what I use it for to want it? Probably not- it's pretty cut crystal you'll want to buy one of these just because.  It's used for stirred cocktail FYI.  Could you make stirred cocktails in the glass side of the Boston Shaker? Yes.  But the height and size of the Yarai mixing glass makes it perfect for getting your stir on with plenty of ice.  We use it for negronis, manhattans and sazeracs.

10. Wood Muddler: There have been times when I can't find our muddler and have had to make a mint julep or caipirinha with the back of a wooden spoon. That situation is wrong and it makes me appreciate having a nice muddler on hand- you should too. 

11. Champagne stopper:  This. Guy. Is. The. Best.  While its not actually a cocktail accessory, I do find myself using champagne in a lot of our cocktails and this little puppy really extends the life (aka bubbles) of a bottle.  Why not get it in gold while you're at it?

Not pictured:  I realized after grabbing all our tools, I forgot one of the most important things: ice molds.  We use three different ice molds on a regular basis.  Small square for mixing, Large Square for old fashioned glasses and Long Rectangle for high ball glasses. 

If you didn't notice- I love to use Amazon to buy most of the items on this list (as well as just about everything else in life), but my favorite site for cocktail accessories is by far Cocktail Kingdom.  I hope this round up helps you build your home bar better and enjoy making cocktails on the regular!

{summer cocktails video with Pinnacle}

Hey guys! Sorry for the unannounced radio silence around lately- real life just got in the way these past couple weeks.  I'm back today with a fun video I shot at the beginning of the summer in NYC with Glam and Pinnacle Vodka.  It's full of easy summer inspired cocktail recipes and me acting generally ridiculous on camera!! Enjoy!

Cheers!

{girls night in with Pinnacle Vodka}

Two years ago I was introduced to watching The Bachelor with a group of girlfriends as we rotated watching at each others houses every week.  At first I was in this get-together more for the wine and gossip since I was 100% skeptical of the cheesy show, but now I am full on convert obsessed with watching as the contestants compete for love (I'm really not kidding- my excitement to watch the finale last night was disturbing.)  Today I'm sharing with you my go-to entertaining set up for a girls night tv viewing party.  This formula of a batch cocktail, easy appetizers and light snacks is my go to for week night get togethers where you don't have a ton of time to prep.

Obviously you could serve wine to make it even easier on yourself, but batch cocktails only take a few more minutes to prep and they make the evening a lot more fun.  Plus guests are able to serve themselves so that as the host you can enjoy the evening as well!  For this recipe, I have modified one of my favorite girly cocktails, Maiden's Blush, into a party size recipe to serve 10 using Pinnacle Vodka and adding a champagne float.  Scroll to the bottom of the post for full recipe!

As for snacks, I always have a stockpile of spiced cashews, almonds or pistachios which I fill on a vintage tray with and set it on our coffee table for guests to graze on after the appetizers are finished.  My favorite appetizer is a good crostini recipe that tastes just as good when it is freshly toasted as it does once it has cooled after guests actually arrive.  You can see some past crostini recipes here, here and here, but for this one I keep it simple with a light spread of ricotta cheese, a tiny spoonful of ready-made pesto and top with freshly cut cherry tomatoes as well as a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  The pesto is what really brings the flavor in this crostini recipe so you could really substitute the ricotta and tomatoes for other fresh items you might have available such as goat cheese or fresh basil.

Cheers!

Pinnacle Vodka shakes things up with unexpected experiences and delightful discoveries. Explore with other fun flavors at http://www.pinnaclevodka.com Also, check us out at www.facebook.com/pinnaclevodkas and https://twitter.com/PinnacleVodka or find more fun entertaining and drink ideas on our Pinterest page at http://www.pinterest.com/pinnaclevodka/

Pinnacle® is a registered trademark of Jim Beam Brands Co. and is used with permission.  This is a sponsored partnership, with Pinnacle® Vodka, via Mode Media.  The information, comments, and ideas expressed on this website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Jim Beam Brands Co., its affiliated companies, or any of their directors or employees.

{friday cocktail: the best cocktail books}

Since all of my cocktail making tools as well as our entire bar has been packed up for the past week and a half, I'm here to today with a little round up of my favorite cocktail books instead of a fresh recipe!  We own all but one of these guys and I would recommend every single one have a space on your bar (plus they all make fabulous gifts for the drinking enthusiasts in your life which I would hope is everyone you know.)

1.  Craft Cocktails is by far my favorite of all of books because quite simply it is the most gorgeously photographed cocktail book I have ever seen.  Definitely keep this one out on your coffee table!

2.  The PDT book is the book that gets the most use in our house, both for inventive cocktails and classics.

3.  Both of Mrs. Lillien's cocktail swatchbooks are fabulous, but I prefer the dessert one since her original cocktail book includes a lot of blended cocktails and I generally don;t find myself making too many of those. 

4.  The Savoy cocktail book is the OG of cocktail books- originally published in 1930

5.  We were given Bitters as a gift and I was skeptical about it, but it actually includes a lot of great recipes as well as interesting background on one of my favorite cocktail additions. 

6.  Punch is a go to resource for big party drinks.

7.  The Bar Book was the first cocktail book we owned and its a great resource for anyone just starting their bar as it contains practically every cocktail you would ever need to look up and then some. 

8.  If you wanna get all fancy with your cocktail making Cocktails For Her For Him is the book for you. 

{diy cocktail bitters sugar cubes}

When I saw these DIY angostura sugar cubes on pinterest while we were living in Paris, I knew they would be one of the first projects I wanted to try out as soon as we got home.  I ordered up these mini ice cube molds and then started thinking about which bitters I would use the most in cube form.  I decided in addition to classic Angostura sugar cubes to also mix up some Lavender and Peychaud cube.  

The recipe appears to be quick and simple which usually has me feeling pretty skeptical about how my version will actually turn out, but these were super easy to make and for the most part they popped out the molds in perfect squares!  In addition to being great for a French 75 or Sazerac cocktail, these cubes would also be tasty used as a sweetener for tea or even a fabulous gift idea alongside a bottle of bubbly or booze!  Check out below for the recipe details:

what you need:

• 1/2 cup sugar (this amount of sugar will fill one cube tray)
• 1 tablespoon bitters (I used Lavender, Angostura & Peychauds)
• mini ice cube molds

1. Mix together sugar and desired bitters flavor in a bowl until the bitters liquid is well combined with the sugar.
2. Firmly press sugar into ice cube molds. 
3. Allow to harden overnight OR pop in the microwave for 30 seconds then let the mold sit for about 30 minutes to fully set before popping out the molded cubes!
4. Store in airtight container when not in use.

{2013: top food & cocktail posts}

I truly can't believe another year is coming to a close- it feels like we were just writing our new year's resolutions from last year. After feeling nostalgic and scrolling through the past year in posts here on Mint Love, I thought it would be fun to round up some of my favorite posts in a few different categories starting first with cocktails & food - the most important things in life really!  I hope you enjoy a little walk down 2013 memory lane....

{The Terra Cocktail: a girly cocktail I created for my girlfriend's bachelorette party}

 {vegan blackberry, fig & coconut "ice cream" - I still have a hard time believing how good this was even though it has no cream!}

{The Rose Derby Cocktail: cocktails with honey syrup get me every single time}

{grilled summer dinner menu - this entire dinner still sticks out in my mind for how fresh, flavorful and seasonal it was.}

{The Mint Love Julep - since I don't prefer whiskey, I created this "mint love" version of a classic julep to enjoy along with the Kentucky Derby!}

 {Warm Kale Salad - topped with a poached egg, crisp apples & bacon this salad quickly became my go to salad this past fall/winter}

{Fresa Brava Cocktail- a spicy little cocktail from one of my new favorite cocktail books}

 {Momofuku Birthday Cake - after hunting down all the needed ingredients, I baked this cake to celebrate mine and chris' birthdays this year.  It was soooo incredibly good that I might make it a tradition to whip one up every year!}

{Basil Cucumber Caipirinha - this cocktail was my escape from the frigid temperatures in Chicago since (like all caipirinhas) it's basically summer in a glass}

 {Dressed Up Caprese- taking one of my italian appetizer favorites and adding more things I like to it such as pistachios and beets}

{Blackberry Sage Fizz - the perfect sparkling cocktail to welcome in fall/winter!}

Up next- a round up of my favorite parties of 2013!

{gift guide: for the mixologist}

Next up in the gift guide series for the holidays- a fun variety of items for the cocktail enthusiast in your life.  Links to all gifts below and on this pinterest board along with the past guides! 

1. Sphere Ice molds  |  2. A traveling cocktail Bar  |  3. Champagne Print (also my life motto  |  4. Set of copper Moscow Mule Cups  |  5. Festive versions of the MR & MRS glasses  |  6. Sugar Paper LA coasters  |  7. Gourmet Cocktail syrups  |  8. Vintage glassware from Etsy  |  9. Gold Monogram bottle stopper & gold cocktail accessories  |  10. Society Social Bar Cart  |  11. Cut crystal Decanters - ON SALE!  |  12. Monogrammed Drink Stirrers

{mango cocktail makeovers}

Now that the weather in Chicago is just starting to resemble Spring, that makeover and cleaning itch has definitely struck me.  We have been working on completing a lot of home decor projects that were either half done or not even started yet!  In the spirit of makeovers, I thought it might be fun to "makeover" three of the cocktail recipes from my blog using mangos sent over to me from The National Mango board!  Here are the recipes for the three cocktails I made over- you can see the original cocktails recipes here: Blood Sugar Sex Magic and Soju Margarita. While I have never actually posted a full recipe for a classic mimosa (because well...it's two ingredients total.), I have posted about the existence of mimosas at many of our parties including this one and this one!

{compensation was provided by The National Mango Board for this post. All opinions are my own.}

{friday cocktail: mint love julep}

I am still trying to come around to drinking and enjoying whiskey or bourbon based cocktails.  While there are a handful that I love (like this one or this one), my first preference remains gin for this time.  Since we will be viewing the derby tomorrow I feel I must be drinking some sort of cocktail out of a julep cup so I developed a little modified mint julep recipe to suit my tastes.  You can see my recipe for a classic mint julep right here if that's your thing. 

{brunch for ten}

I love posting about the different parties we host on this blog, but I don't always get to go in depth about what it really takes to host each one. This past weekend we hosted a little brunch for 10 people at our place and I thought it would be fun to give a little insight into everything you need to host your own brunch for 10 people.  A lot of the difficulty in entertaining is the guesswork involved in how much of each dish you should make or how many bottles of what you need.  We have hosted brunch at our place quite a few times over the years and I think we have finally nailed a good menu that tastes great, but also allows us time to enjoy ourselves with our guests. So here it is!

The key to a successful brunch menu is choosing dishes that won't take over your entire Saturday prepping food and losing out on a fun weekend.  I would estimate that we spent about an hour and half prepping all the food together.

For the french toast- we followed this recipe which we made one and half times the recipe.  This was way more than we needed for 10 people so I would say you are actually safe to follow the recipe as is without doubling it unless you think you will have some particularly hungry eaters!  (Also let me just warn you that this french toast is like crack and it tastes so good it almost feels wrong, but definitely not wrong enough to not finish your entire plate and maybe seconds.)

For the potatoes we purchased 4 pounds of red potatoes for 10 people.  The potatoes were cut into bite size pieces, boiled until tender and then stored them in the fridge overnight the night before our brunch.  The morning before guests arrived we tossed the potatoes in some oil, salt and pepper then roasted them at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes. Bonus points if you wanna add some truffle oil to them!

The strawberries were simply a pound and half of strawberries which I sliced the night before and stored in their serving bowl til the next morning.

The biggest part of the meal was the baked eggs which required our guest's involvement in creating their own dish.  This is a great brunch addition because it takes a lot of work off the hosts and your guests can prepare their eggs exactly to their liking. Here's what you will need to set that up:

• 2 to 3 eggs per person
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 bunch chopped green onions
• 12 slices of bacon, cooked & chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped & sauteed  
• sriracha

optional toppings if you wanna get real fancy:

• truffle oil
• avocado
• arugula
• soyrizo
• ham
• pancetta

Each of the above items should be portioned, cooked and placed into serving bowls the night before then stored in the fridge. Before guests arrive, lightly spray each ramekin with cooking spray and place all the toppings selections out  (extra points if you make cute labels for each of them!).  Each guest will fill their ramekin with their desired toppings then crack 2 to 3 eggs on top.  To discern which ramekin belongs to who, have guests write their name using a sharpie directly onto aluminum foil and cover their prepared ramekin.  Bake ramekins for 25 minutes or until the eggs are set at 375 degrees.  See more information about baked eggs in this previous post. 

Once the eggs are about 10 minutes from being done, pop the french toast and potatoes back into the oven to warm them up.  With this many guests, we usually set all the dishes out and allow people to serve themselves with the exception of their individual ramekins.  

{a little snapshot from last weekend's brunch}

 {1.carafes for orange juice & water, 2. simple champagne flutes, 3. highball glasses- to serve bloody marys in 4. metal straws for the bloody marys, 5. ten individual baking ramekins, 6. pyrex dish}

Obviously to pull this meal off you will need plates, forks, knives, water glasses, pots, pans and etc. for 10 people, but you will also need some more specialized items that you might not already have available.  These are all items that will prove useful for many menus and occasions to come besides just this simple brunch.

Entertaining guests in our house wouldn't be complete with a few cocktails!  While I love mixing it up and trying interesting cocktail combinations, when it comes to brunch I like to keep to the classics.  A simple mimosa which I like to use Korbel's Brut for and a DIY bloody mary bar using our "doctored up" bloody mary mix are the only two drink options you need!  For 10 people, you will need 2 bottles of champagne and one carafe of fresh orange juice for the mimosas.

For the bloody mary bar you will need:

• one fifth of vodka 
• two bottles of bloody mary mix- preferably Trader Joe's version
• 10 celery stalks
• a bucket of ice
• 6 limes, cut in half and then quartered
• bottle of sriracha
• bottle of tabasco
• container of horseradish
• bottle of worchestershire sauce
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• small bowl of olives

As for coffee, we simply used our Kuerig machine for guests to use as they pleased, but one pot of coffee should get you through the event. 

 {our bloody mary tray from last weekend- check out a cuter Bloody Mary set up from our "breakfast for dinner" party we threw last year}

{1. gold flatware makes everything better, 2. paper straws would make a festive alternative to the metal ones, 3. a vintage trophy champagne bucket to keep the bubbly cold, 4. crystal decanter for the vodka,  5. labels from Sugar Paper LA for the baked eggs toppings & bloody mary bar, 6. colorful cocktail napkins from Crate & Barrel}

These are just some fun items that will punch up the decor of your get together- you certainly don't need any them to host a great brunch, but they do make everything look a bit more fancy!

{our set of gold flatware from our wedding registry that I try to use as much as possible}

I hope you have enjoyed hearing a little bit more about the process behind entertaining for a large group in way that the hosts can still enjoy themselves as well.  Brunch is one of my favorite meals and I look forward to the next time we get to cook host this meal for our friends!