Thursday Happy Hour: Cocktail Recipes, Drinks, Music, and Good Times

Grapefruit Fizz

Fun with the Out-Laws

Any minute now, G will back from the airport with his parents. I should be doing one more house pick-me-up, but I already worked hard today. And it's happy hour.

Sipping on a Grapefruit Fizz, I sit back, waiting for the headlights to swoop across the windows. This drink is ... different. Bright. It's oddly similar to a Dark and Stormy.

The grapefruit makes me think of Borrego Springs. Years ago, my dad had a tree or two in his yard there, and my sister and I would weave in and out of the branches to fill paper sacks of the sweetly floral fruits. Tickled. Over grapefruit.

This is what I'm thinking when the door swings open with a rush of night air and a penguin shuffle of suitcases. Heyyy! Maybe we'll escape to Borrego Springs this weekend to see the desert flowers.

The Jack Rose

Breaking Tradition (and Making New Ones)

Ask our friends and family, and they'll tell you we are not your typical, traditional couple. We've broken tradition so many times now that that in itself seems to be our tradition. That includes when it comes to making traditional or popular cocktails.

For our visiting pals, we made a great classic cocktail -- that was the request --  but one we were sure no one in the room had tasted: the Jack Rose made with Laird's Applejack. A beautiful rose color (thus the name) with a fruity and floral bite. Much like it's more tame cousin, the Sidecar, this drink goes down easy and looks good doing it.

We've made a new space behind the bar for Laird's and hope this traditional spirit will find its way into more new classics.

Between the Sheets

Can Your Guests Guess What's in This Drink? 

First: blindfold all your guests. Or, perhaps a better idea, make this drink behind their backs. G chose the latter. Then shake, shake, shake over ice, pour through a strainer and sip. Can they identify the ingredients? Close your eyes, slip, slurp. Is it gin? Is it bourbon? It must have bitters. I was way off -- and he made me guess for a long time.

It's a bright but smoky, clean summertime cocktail. Loved it. But if I had known the ingredients, I would have never ordered it.

French 75

Happy New Year!
This year, we were lucky to have several good friends visit from out of town. There's just nothing better than a house-full of friends, newly downloaded lounge music turned up just loud enough to make everyone raise voices, dancing candle-flames, and a table of small bites.

We stuffed dates with blue cheese, paired Gorgonzola and fig jam with piles of Prosciutto, poured blackberries in bowls, and drizzled creme fraiche over smoked salmon and bagel chips. Of course, we also served up lots and lots of French 75s -- our favorite sparkling white wine cocktail.

Stinger

Holiday Cheer from Your Hosts at Thursday Happy Hour!
We've been celebrating Thursday Happy Hours for a while now -- as you can see from this photo of us apparently taken in 1957. Okay, sure, Gary is handy with the Photoshop, but we still had a great time sipping Stingers -- our holiday favorite -- and being silly with a trip-pod and camera remote while winter tunes thumped the house. Doesn't everyone do this kind of thing during the holidays?

Sidecar

Ready to Fly!
With two computers glowing, laundry running, suitcases open with outfits spilled all over the living-room, we still took a moment to pause for Sidecars and tunes at happy hour. This time an extra-special toast!  We clinked glasses and pushed the button to invite our Facebook friends to Thursday Happy Hour (you can join our group, too.) Then held our breath that nothing broke.

A sidecar is like a margarita but with limes instead of lemons and brandy instead of tequila (I think I read that in GQ some time – it’s a good description.) It’s sweet and smoky and dense and perfectly memorable. Especially with this iMix G made.

Just for Thanksgiving week, we're posting a new festive beverage every day! Cheers!