'tis the season!!

isn't this just the most amazing picture?!? the gal over at ezrapoundcake.com posted this dandy of a recipe. cheers, indeed!!

cranberry margaritas
adapted from rebecca rather’s “the pastry queen christmas”

yield: 4 servings

wedge of lime
sugar
ice cubes for shaking and serving
1/2 cup cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup silver or other 100% agave tequila
1/4 cup orange liqueur (grand marnier, triple sec or citronage)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
garnishes: thinly sliced limes or fresh cranberries

1. run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass, and dip the edge in sugar to coat. fill glasses with ice. Set aside.

2. in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all the ingredients, and shake like hell.

3. strain into ice-filled glasses and serve.

halloween happy hour!

now this week, instead of mixing up the usual pumpkin-infused (which i love) and spooky cocktails, try something a little different. something a little more like this cocktail from yumsugar...

happy apple rum twist

ingredients
1 1/2 ounces light or dark rum
3 ounces apple juice or cider
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup crushed ice
apple slice, optional for garnish

Directions
1. combine all ingredients except the slice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
2. strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an apple slice.

shhhh...don't tell

there is a speakeasy in philly. now, it might not be the same kinda of joint you guys & gals in nyc, san fran, and chicago are used to (i've been to one in nyc - it was fantastic!) but it's what we got here in philly.

and i figured you could go out tonight and celebrate (yet again) the phillies going to the world series with a brew from your favorite bar - OR you can do something a little special and savor the moment at the franklin mortgage & investment company. with a drink menu like this i might just want to start celebrating every weekend! i'm dying to try the airmail!

cheers, darlin'!

cinderella would have sipped this on her way to the ball

it's thursday! why not get a little fancy this blustery fall weekend and enjoy a little champagne and pumpkin?? (i got your attention now, right?)

check out this recipe from cocktailtimes.com:

pumpkin french 75
ingredients:
- 1 oz. plymouth gin
- 1 oz. pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 oz. simple syrup
- champagne

shake all ingredients (except champagne) in a cocktail shaker with ice. strain the mixture into a champagne flute. top with chilled champagne and serve

two things i love...

are shoes and champagne. and wouldn't you know...

(photo courtest of colette - where you can purchase for my birthday in November!)

i don't speak spanish.

but i wish i did.

i love california. the first time i visited california i went to san francisco. beautiful city. it was there that i first became aware of tequila. now, you might thinking, "kiki, haven't you every had a maragarita? or do a shot of it??" of course i have. heck, in college someone even purchased some kind of blue tequlia with a spider on the label. that wasn't a good idea.

the kind of tequila i'm talking about is the kind you enjoy. a neat tequila you sip on. lately, i've been very curious about tequila - the different kinds, different regions - all that and then some. i'm finding out the tequila discipline is quite vast. i'm thinking it might take me a while.

but you gotta start somewhere, right? let's start with a drink recipe featured in the philadelphia edition of daily candy last november. it's a drink called the deseo. which, i believe, means desire (again, i don't speak spanish). the drink is featured at a great philly mexican restaurant called (of course) tequilas. AND, one of the guys in charge as his own boutique tequila distillary called siembra azul. perfecto!

so, if one would like to start a tequila adventure, why not start with something fun and then move on the real stuff?

the deseo
(taken from daily candy, 11/10/08)
ingredients
1/6 green apple
½ lime
¾ oz. agave nectar
2 basil leaves
1½ oz. siembra azul blanco tequila (it is his restaurant)
1½ oz. champagne

1. muddle the apple, lime, agave nectar, and basil in a cocktail shaker.
2. add tequila and ice.
3. shake and strain into a champagne flute.
4. top off with champagne, stir, and garnish with a starfruit slice.

thirsty thursday

(photo by becca chambers)

my friend over at twisu recently suggested that maybe i should start a weekly cocktail feature over here at delightfully kiki. and since i'm not one who normally denies a cocktail invitation, i thought that would be a fantastic idea! so on thursdays (my favorite day of the week) i'm gonna do my best to post this, that, or other things about some of my favorite libations.

since i have been musing about the approach of autumn as of late, i thought i would use this first post to talk about pumpkin beer. mmmmmmmm, beer. mmmmmmm, pumpkin. one of my favorite pumpkin brews was introduced to me a few years back by a couple who knows good beer and can throw a heck of an octoberfest shingdig! this beer is delaware's own dogfish punkin ale. for me, it's just the right amount of sugar, spice, and all that is fall and nice in a tasty brew. just one or two will do the trick. it's the perfect cocktail for a thursday happy hour this time of year!