Bartending | A Conscious Feast by Nicole Aloni

Posts Tagged ‘bartending’

Falling in Love with Chocolate

Consider making one of the elegant chocolate treats below for that special person who inspires you with feelings of love: Mexican Chocolate Crème Brûlée and Chocolate Martinis.
Chocolate and Wine Together: Who Knew?

Because many chocolates and wines are delicious when enjoyed together, and if ever there was a time when chocolate is on everyone’s mind, it’s February, this post looks at the synergy of flavors that can be achieved when these two “healthy” treats are served together wisely.
Pomegranate Cosmos for a Crowd

Cosmos remain hugely popular and pomegranate juice is just plain delicious. Here these two favorites are combined in a variation on the traditional Cosmopolitan with directions that make it simple to serve at a party. By freezing the pomegranate juice into hot-pink ice cubes, you keep this cocktail cool on the buffet without diluting its potency. The colored cubes also create a pretty “sunset” pattern as they melt.
Organic, Free Ranging Holiday Cocktails

When I think about New Year’s eve a couple of things pop into my mind, probably the same ones that occur to you: Champagne (a literal pop), caviar with blini, funny hats, confetti, friends/lovers and a great, sensual cocktail. I can’t deliver caviar or champagne or the love of your life to to your doorstep, [...]
Espresso Martini

Happy Saturday Night (oops, Sunday morning). I’ve decided I’ll try to post at least one cocktail recipe each weekend. A student in one of my cooking classes prompted me to dream up this fantastic drink. As she said, ”I love espresso and a martini. Couldn’t they be in the same glass?” I think this combination is beautiful and exhilarating.
How to Infuse Vodka & Rum: Create A Signature Bar

When I started working on a cocktail book (The Backyard Bartender), my chef’s approach to creating recipes of any kind led me to look for ways to bring more than just a combination of pre-made ingredients to the glass. I decided that spirit infusions were one great way to bring fresh, complex notes to the cocktails I was designing. Infusing spirits with custom flavors has become extremely popular in hip bars around the country for good reason. This simple technique—essentially steeping fresh ingredients in white liquor — allows the ambitious mixologist to create delicious, seductive and very personal cocktails with ease.
Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is the best way to sweeten any cold beverage, from Agua Fresca to iced tea or a Mojito. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, so I make a large batch to have on hand.
In future posts, I’ll include recipes for creating simple syrup variations with fresh fruit and [...]
Key Lime Flip

Ohhhhh boy! Welcome summer. This simple concoction magically recreates the flavor of key lime pie—one of my all time favorite desserts. Plus, who wouldn’t want to drink/serve a cocktail this gorgeous? There is something so seductive about a slender stem of alcohol that tastes like a sinful dessert. Talk about multi-tasking!
Melon is on the Menu

Juicy melons of every variety are a highlight of my worktable at this time of year. Their colors are so summery and fresh and the flavors blend and complement nearly every recipe from salsa to salad and dessert.
National Tequila Day

I grew up in Southern California where tequila was practically the official spirit. So, it’s only natural that I’ve developed some pretty strong opinions about the correct way to mix up a perfect Margarita and created an armload of other creative tequila quaffs, as well. Enjoy these recipes for the classic Margarita and some other summer-friendly ways to use up that bottle of Patron, Herradura, or Commemorativo you invested in on your last vacation in Cancun.