What exactly is infinite awesomeness?


So this drink. It is the type of drink that can spark a conversation at any table, winter, summer, spring or fall. Depending on the proportions, it can be super sour or just a light and refreshing taste, something suitable to any pallet. So what did everyone think of this round? Also: please note that the feelings were so strong all for this drink that the pictures from the event were lost in translation. Please enjoy the lolcatz instead. 

The Recipe:

  • 1/2 oz. Midori
  • 1 1/2 oz. vodka
  • 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
  • 4 dashes orange bitters

funny pictures - I can haz  passed sobrity test...

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients in a martini shaker with ice. Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry. 

The Reviews:

 ”I like this drink, goddammit. It tastes like a “real” drink. Great pre dinner drink, got the juices going.”
Like some projects I’ve seen, the concept—a sweet and sour cocktail—was good, but the execution, not so much.” Rebekah 

“The cherry at the bottom was the best part.”

“Melancholy & infinite Awesomeness. Drink was very tart - but I liked it. Disspointed the drink was not a bright Midori green color as in the photo with the recipe. Since that would have been “Infinitely awesome” for a St. Patricks Day Drink!” - Marilyn

“It’s nice to have a complex drink to review. Warring tones of bitter and sour - the initial taste was kind of a shock, but the flavor grew on me. The aftertaste, however, was a killer. Thankfully, there’s the Magic Hat Brewing Company to ease the pain.” - Glen

“First sip was a whammy. Super bitter and stung my lips. After about three sips my jaw locked up and I decided to set it down and step away. The underlying flavors seem pretty decent, so maybe this drink could be good with a super light hand when it comes to the bitters. Prepare at your own risk!” - Stephanie

“Not a fan. Bitters do not belong in drinks. MEH.” - Nancy

“I expected infinite to be bigger thank this.” - Thudfactor

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funny pictures - YOU MIGHT HAVE  A DRINKING PROBLEM

Funny Pictures - WTF Did I Drink Cat
see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

A Litta Bita Pepa

Wanna look classy drinking tequila? This drink is for you!  Le Rouge et le Noir, or The Red and the Black. Not sure if the the drink does come from the psychological novel but wow does this drink have twists and turns. This will be a conversation starter at any party as the guests have the first sip, and are surprised, and by the last sip, tipsy and ready to mingle. 

 

The Ingredients, recipe from Food and Wine:

Makes 10 drinks

  •  2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1/2 cup coarsely cracked black pepper, plus 1 tablespoon finely ground black pepper
  • 2 quarts strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 2 1/2 cups blanco tequila (20 ounces)
  • 1 1/4 cups fresh lime juice (10 ounces)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 lemon wedge
  • Ice 
      
Instructions:
  1.   In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of the sugar with the warm water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the 1/2 cup of coarsely cracked black pepper and let cool. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 3 hours. Pour the black pepper syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup.
     Modification: we used about 1/2 the amount of black pepper.
  2. In a large pitcher, muddle the halved strawberries. Add 2 1/4 cups of the black pepper syrup, the tequila and fresh lime juice (reserve the remaining black pepper syrup for another cocktail). Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
    Dont have a muddler? Put your strawberries in a pitcher and smoosh them with the bottom of a wine glass. It works, we swear.  
  3. On a small plate, mix the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with the finely ground black pepper and the salt. Moisten half of the outer rims of 10 rocks glasses with the lemon wedge and coat lightly with the pepper-and-salt mixture. Fill the rocks glasses with ice. Stir the drink well, then pour or strain into the prepared rocks glasses and serve at once. 
    Modification: Finely ground pepper should be used, it coats the rim and melds with the sugar better. 
       

The Reviews:

“The mix of tart, sweet and spicy was great! Lovely drink.” - Sara 

” I am not particularly a fan of tequila, but I thought this drink of the week was pretty good. The pepper on the rim was distracting after the first couple of sips; I think it would’ve been better with just sugar. Tequila infused strawberries at the bottom of the cup==prize in the cereal box.” -Stephanie

“Not much to look at… but very tasty! The pepper aftertaste is really nice - a good contrast with the sweet and strawberries.” - Melissa

“The first day, the drink was decent, not great but still, you cant go wrong with tequila. On the following Monday, this drink was phenomenal. It is key to marinate the flavors more than a couple hours to get a subtle spicy aftertaste with the sweet strawberry tones.” - Nicole   

 ~Jenny

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That Time of Year

Inspired by the fact that our entire office got suckered into buying multiple boxes of girl scout cookies from a determined little 7 year old, this drink is for all of you girl scouts. Of course, not till you of age though. Oh, and PS… What is with the name change of the cookies girls? It’s called a Tagalong. Get it right.

The Recipe:

-3 parts Chocolate Ice Cream

-1 part Milk

-3 spoonfuls peanut butter

-half shot - shot of Whiskey per drink you plan on making

-6 Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies

The Reviews:

“Friggin’ tasty. I couldn’t taste the alcohol very well, but that’s fine. Would make this myself!” - Steph

“Awesome!! Adult chocolate peanut butter milkshake with girl scout cookies - doesn’t get any better than that!” -Marilyn

“Nom. Favorite by far. I’ll probably have more than one.” - Stephanie

“Pro: I could not taste the booze. Con: I could not taste the booze ” - Anonymous 

“That was deadly good. love the alcoholic milkshake, but it packed a punch!” - Anonymous

“Yum! Peanut butter, chocolate and Alcohol?!? Awesome!” - Melissa

I have to admit, if I were going to go for a Girl Scout Cookie drink, this wouldn’t have immediately sprung to mind. Thin Mints seem like the immediate choice, and possibly Samoas. But man, did this drink work. Very rich chocolate and peanut butter flavor with a refreshing milky texture and just the barest hit of an alcohol flavor. Of course, now I wish I had cookies….” - Glen

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Spring is in the air!

As fruit is starting to ripen, we decided to have an alcoholic fruity drink tasting. With cheese too of course! Having a tasting is always a great way to liven up a party or fun way to end the work day. Don’t forget the cheese or something else to nibble on or the natives will get restless.  

      

The Choices:

Crispin’s Natural Hard Cider - Artisan Reserve: Landsdowne 

“Extra Stout Bodied. A full bodied, confident & imposing cider. Fermented from a premium blend of fresh pressed apple juice, not from concentrate, using Irish stout ale yeast. It produces a slight hint of butterscotch, balanced by a subtle fruitiness and slightly dry crisp finish and a uniquely full & buttery mouth-feel.”

Abida - Purple Haze

“Purple Haze is a crisp, American style wheat beer with raspberry puree added after filtration. Therefore, you may see raspberry pulp in the beer. The raspberries provide the lager with a subtle purple coloration and haze, a fruity aroma, and a tartly sweet taste.”

Horton Vineyards Chateau le Cabin Series: Cranberry

“Cranberry with a small blend of Cabernet Franc.”

Horton Vineyards Chateau le Cabin Series: Peach

“Peach with a small blend of Viognier.”

Cheeses: Gouda, Australian Cheddar, and Krogers blended goat cheese with pesto.

   


Reviews:

“Best Cider and cheese ever! The Crispin was delicious- a stout-y sider? I didn’t think it was possible- but it was great. And the goat cheese with pesto… nom! - Melissa

“So many tasty things! If you like fruity wines, Horton has so many great ones! the peach was delicious! And the cider was, well, not like any cider I had ever had before. Took awhile to get used to the taste but not bad.” Nicole

“I’m not a fan of sweet wine. The Purple haze is usually good, but this was very flat :-( The goat cheese was fucking amazing.” - Sara

“The cranberry wine was too sweet. I was surprised I liked the Crispin cider so much. Oh and the CHEESE!” - Steph

“Wow, Crispin Natural hard cider, you are my new best friend. This cider has heart and no sappiness.” - Anoymous

Purple Haze: There’s a blast from the past. Very light, but honestly not very memorable. I’d mark it as the “Pabst Blue Ribbon” of the table, not good enough to stand out, but not bad enough to be offensive.
Crispin’s Apple Cider: It took me a moment to place the flavor, and then I realized it’s apple brown betty. The molasses adds a sweet smokiness that makes the cider something I enjoy, but only in small doses.
Peach Wine: I should be drinking this through a tiny plastic straw pushed into a silver pouch.
Cranberry Wine: Dry, yet annoyingly sweet at the same time. Never again.” - Glen

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It’s my party, I can cry if I want to….

…. Cry over how good (or bad, depending on who you talk to) these drinks were! These colorful drinks will knock you on your butt if you have more than a few, but can really add a decorative element to any birthday party! No cake? No problem! you have the Birthday Cake Martini!

The Recipe:

makes a single serving, is easily multiplied

  • 1 ounce amaretto
  • 1 1/2 ounces Pinnacle whipped cream vodka
  • 1 1/2 ounces creme de cacao
  • 1/2 ounce Godiva white chocolate liqueur
  • 1 ounce heavy cream
  • assorted sprinkles (nonpareils work best)
  • frosting

The Reviews:

“The springles are cute, but it makes it hard to drink. It is reminiscent of the peppermint martini, except that the peppermint was more refreshing. Funfetti Cake > Birthday Cake Marini.” - Stephanie

“Aha. A drink that tastes like the most useless part of the cake.” - John

“A little too… too everything for me” - Melissa

“If Baskin Robbins were to make a beverage for the grade-schoolers, this would be it.” - Anonymous 

“Sprinkles and a martini shouldn’t go together. But it grows on you.” - Anonymous

Are you certain this isn’t the Peppermint Holliday Martini with a different garnish? Initially, I was going to praise this drink for its sugary aftertaste, not unlike actual cake frosting. Then I cleared some of the rim and realized that the cake frosting flavor was actually, well, cake frosting. Aside from the frosting and sprinkles, there wasn’t a whole lot to recommend this drink.” - Glen

“Well, everyone else who wrote reviews did not like it, but I did, and as one of the birthday girls my vote counts most, right? More for me, anyways!” - Nicole

“I better not find sprinkles stuck to my clothes later.” - Caleb

“A for effort & presentation, but that is the worst drink I’ve ever tasted. Too sweet, too alchy.” - Bethanne 

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Buzzed and Wired!

Having a party this weekend and can not figure out what to do? This new idea could be a big crowd pleaser with your Starbucks craving crowd. All you need is a ton of different types liquors and the usual suspects for coffee mixing and wah-la! You have 20+ different drinks and something to please all! 

Option 1: The Colonial

  • 8 oz Hot Coffee
  • 1 Shot Kahlua
  • .5 shot Brandy
  • Whipped Cream
  • Dash of Cinnamon

Option 2: Almond Coffee Cream

  • 4oz Hot Coffee
  • 1 shot Amaretto 
  • 4oz Hot Heavy Cream
Option 3: Irish Coffee
  • 1 shot Irish Whiskey
  • 1 shot Heavy Cream
  • 1 spoonful Brown Sugar
  • 8oz Hot Coffee
Other Coffee Classics
  • Coffee with Kahlua
  • Coffee with Baileys
  • Coffee with Malibu
  • Coffee with Dark Rum
                

“Jameson maek me happi” - John

“I’ll have what Rebekah’s having ….. Buzzed and wired - great way to end a Friday!” - Melissa

“The Barista Bar was awesome. The whipped cream vodka however was not..” - Pam

“It would have been great if Rebekah hadn’t drank all of the Bailey’s” - Matt

“Loved the coffee bar! I had mine with vanilla vodka, Bailey’s and whipped cream, Delicious! - Rebekah

“The coffee bar was really fun! I oped for the Colonial Coffee(being a native of SE-VA) - but I added half and half and it made it so muh smoother. The only thing O regret is not being able to try them all! But if I had done that I may not have been able to sleep for a week!” - Marilyn

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You had me at Nutella..

Nutella french toast, nutella candy, nutella with apples, nutella brownies, nutella cheesecake, nutella ice cream, nutella banana sandwich, nutella crepes, and of course you can always make a drink about it! This weeks concoction is a Nutella inspired white russian. We think the only thing this drink may actually be missing is, well Nutella.

The Recipe:

  • 1.5 shots Frangelico
  • .5 shot vodka
  • .5 shot chocolate syrup
  • 1 shot half & half
  • ice
  • milk
  • hazelnut pirouette cookies [optional]

Mix it all up and top with a Hazelnut pirouette cookie!

The Reviews:

“Delicious! I would drink this again….. starting right now.” - Sara

“More Alcohol with cookies please. This was yummy.” - Steph

“Yummy if you like a very sweet drink. Did not care for the vanilla flavor.” - Kari

“Yum! - Not too sweet nice chocolate flavor. But can’t taste the alcohol, so one is safe, two is dangerous, three could be deadly.” -Bethanne

“Chocolate milk with alcohol and cookies …. I have no complaints.” - Stephanie

“Another Kahlua drink with a pepperidge farm cookie. Very delicious. Cant go wrong when Kahlua  + pepperidge farm cookies team up together. Remember only drinking one when you are hypoglycemic. ” - Marilyn

“F***ing delicous. Can I say that on the internet?” - Josh

“Well I love sweets and I love chocolate. This was like a chocolate milkshake. Delicious!” - J9

“Delicious!! The booze-saturated cookie wasa good addition. This tates a lot like last week’s drink. Only good.” - I think Jenny but she did not write her name on the review. but did draw a nice little picture of the drink.

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Rejoicing in the New Year..

Hazah! We are back and with two martinis to finish your week off right.

Pepperminty Goodness! Have a bunch of candy canes left over from the tree that may or may not still up at your house? May this candy coated vanilla/marshmellow martini!

The Recipe: (makes 1 drink)

  • Marshmallow sundae topping
  • 2 peppermint candies, crushed
  • Ice
  • 1/4 cup vanilla vodka
  • 1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps
  • 1/4 cup white chocolate liqueur

Pour some of the marshmallow sundae topping into your mixing container and rim your glasses with some. Dip the marshmallow rimmed glass into the peppermint candy crumbs. Mix remaining ingredients, pour into glass and enjoy!

Modifications we made:

Kroger did not have marshmallow sundae topping, as it was cold and December. We improvised by using Marshmallow fluff, added a little bit of water and heated it up. Also we did not feel like spending $30 for a bottle of Godiva white chocolate Liqueur so we used clear Creme de Caoco.

The Reviews:

“I liked it! Very refreshing & Christmas-y. I love the crushed peppermint on the glasses. Only thing missing is a sugar cookie!” - Marilyn

“It smells very inviting. The first sip was very strong but the after taste was nice and minty. The overwhelming alcohol flavor was a little off-putting, but it definitely gets better the more you drink… or maybe you just stop caring ;-) It’s definitely very pretty, although the idea of an opaque martini is a little strange. One Of these would be more than enough, based off it;s alcohol content, flavor and heaviness. - Stephanie

“The drink has great curb appeal, but the inside is a fixer - upper. The visual impression is good- the white snowy drink looks inviting, and the melting christmas candle look of the glass makes it look like a centerpiece. But the drink itself taste boring. There’s very little of interest to the flavor. The fluff adds sweetness, and the peppermint gives some complexity - but, ultimately, I was more interested in the chunks of candy cane at the bottom of the glass.” - Glen

“Tastes like like a peppermint pattie - Very sweet but sippable. Would not add something like this a a bar though. Fun and festive! - Bethanne

Now this drink. This martini was fun and simple. We have been informed that this is the replica of the drink from Outback, but you all be the judge!

The Recipe(1 Drink):

  • 1 shot of vodka
  • 1 shot of Baileys
  • 1 shot of Kahlua
  • 1 shot of milk
  • Ice
  • Whipped cream
  • Gingerbread men for the top and crumbs to line the rim!

Using a food processor or blender take some of the gingerbread cookies and grind them up. Dip the rim of the glasses into club soda and then into the gingerbread crumbs. Using a shaker, mix the ingredients with some ice and pour into the glass. Add some whipped cream to the top and garnish with a little gingerbread man!

The Reviews:

“This drink was very sweet! I agree with Sara’s statement that you need to eat the gingerbread cookie as a chaser. It tastes a bit like a sweetened White Russian. This drink is fun, and great for wintertime, but not really my style.” - Jenny
“The cookie crumbles on the sides were pretty but a little weird. Make sure you get the cookie nice and soggy from the martini, it’s soooo good dipped into it.” - Steph
“Strong alcohol burn up front for the first couple of sips, then the whipped cream melted a little bit and mellowed it out. Either that or it was strong enough to frazzle my taste buds before it was halfway over. It made me think of a less intense, less sweet version of the Murph X Bushwacker. All things considered, the best part was the alcohol-sodden gingerbread man. It was like dipping a cookie in incredibly alcoholic chocolate milk.” -Glen
“This drink just might be one of my favorites to date. I get the two “shaken, not stirred” element to a martini now! The ice flakes really added a complexity to this drink and the mushy cookie crumbs were so tasty to lick and then drink, almost like a chaser! It was so good I took a sippy cup of it home with me!” - Nicole

I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus…

This drink really needs no introduction, but we will try and give you one anyway. The Jilted Elf comes from one of our adoring fans, well our only fan. It comes from a night club in New York, where you have to be crazy to want that much cinnamon in your drink. But give it a go, and if you happen to stumble into that New York bar one day and see this drink, ask them why for us please!

    

The Recipe:

Here are the ingredients. We would not find the instructions any where on the interwebs as there is some kind of soap that came out inspired by this drink and the soap company’s SEO team went wild marketing it. Just google:jilted elf.

  • Jack Daniels Honey Whisky 1 part
  • Cinnamon Schnapps 1 part
  • Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka 6 parts
  • Orange/Tangerine Juice 9 parts
  • Fresh Fig Puree 1 part/to taste
  •  2 tablespoons honey/to taste
  • Fresh Fig Wedges & Cinnamon Sticks for garnish

We improvised and used fig preserves in this recipe as figs are damn expensive. We threw everything into a blender and poured over ice. 

After one sip of the first batch, we did not wish that on any person alive. So we make a second batch nixing the cinnamon schnapps and poured the two batches into one pitcher to mellow the cinnamon explosion out. It worked out well-ish. 

  

The Reviews: 

“I’ve never been a big fan of cinnamon schnapps and I am still not.”-Sara

“I’ve never tasted anything that was so much like mulled cider with no apples in it- Dangerously good.” - David

“I liked it—-which given the ingredients surprised me. It tastes like mulled apple sider - but has no apple anything in it….creepy! But definitely a do-again for me.” - Pam

“Spicy and Strong. Tastes like cider with a kick. Thumbs up!” - Stephanie

A nifty little drink. It’s got a lot of spice and complexity to it. I know we toned down the cinnamon schnapps, which is probably a good thing. I could have done with a little less cinnamon taste in my cup. But aside from that, it had a fried apple taste that was nicely refreshing.” -Glen

“I rarely drink mixed drinks but this was very tasty and VERY strong. A few sips and I need a designated driver!” - J9

 

“Smells like someone dissolved Spree in Antifreeze. I keep wanting to like it, but its not going to happen.” - Thudfactor

“Like a Dimetapp screwdriver. Which is unfair to Dimetapp.” - Josh

“Tastes like a Ricola cough drop.” - Rebekah 

:::our developers hard at work, beer in hand:::

You mean that one song from the radio that is really bad?

No no no, not the Hot Tottie, the Hot Toddy.Once a drink that mothers would give to their sick children to make them feel better (or just make them stop complaining), the Hot Toddy is a drink found throughout the ages.  This drink was perfect for this week for a variety of reasons. With half the office out with the flu, we decided, “Hell, why not?” It couldn’t hurt and it might taste good as well. We also finally put up our christmas decorations (You can see our pretty office at the bottom!). Finally, it helped make Steph quiet up about being so damn cold. You’re not in Savannah anymore, sweetheart. Just wait for it to snow a foot.

Recipe: (Courtesy of Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 6 tablespoons bourbon or Apple Bourbon (see below for recipe)
  • 2 3x1/2” strips lemon peel
  • 2 cinnamon sticks

Preparation:

Stir honey and water in a 2-cup measuring cup until honey dissolves. Add bourbon (or, better yet, Apple Bourbon — in which case you’ll use 1 Tbsp. honey). Divide between 2 Toddy glasses. Twist a strip of lemon peel over each drink, then add to glass. Stir each with a cinnamon stick and serve.

To make Apple Bourbon, combine a 750-ml bottle of bourbon, 4 cored, sliced Fuji apples, and 4 cinnamon sticks in a pitcher. Cover; chill for 3 days. Strain and sip — or use in recipe above.

The Reviews:

My first mug I drank without a slice of lemon, since we didn’t think to cut the lemon until I only had about a sip left. My initial impression was good. Very light, kind of a mulled cider taste. But the more of it I drank, the more one-note the sweetness became. So, obviously, I had to suffer through a second glass just to see how it tasted with the lemon. A tough sacrifice, I know. But the lemon makes all the difference in the world. It adds just the right amount of complexity to take this drink from “sweet” to “tasty.” - Glen

This drink is very comforting except for the fact that it tastes fairly different than it smells. I’d drink it again - if I had a sore throat that needed soothing. Not really a drink that gets the party going, more like winds  it down. - Stephanie 

Bethanne to Brian: “This will straighten your shit out!”

“Much better with a slice of lemon!” - Sara

Delishimus - David

It makes you really warm. Like….  Really - SR

Delicious, warm and inviting! Add a slice of lemon and it instantly changes the dynamics of the drink. THis will ward off all the funk that was circulating lately. Yummy. Note: My grandparents used to give this to me when i was little and not feeling well. I was better magically overnight! Thanks, Grammy and Grandpa! Give her Booze! - Bethanne

It tastes like a cup of melted cough drops - Brian

Once you get past the strong whisky smell, it tastes like a spiced cider. There was just enough of an apple taste to the whiskey to be noticeable and not overwhelming. A slice of lemon and a cinnamon stick is definitely necessary. - Nicole

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