Mixed Drinks

I'm not a huge drinker, but for entertainment purposes (ok, just for the hell of it, and because I could) I've built myself a pretty well stocked home bar.

My girlfriend and I have had some fun trying new and different mixed drinks. I especially like trying to recreate the "signature drinks" I've enjoyed at bars & restaurants. But, even with a good bar, unless you're willing to muddle your own blueberries or make your own bitters, recreating some of the drinks isn't really feasible.

So, what are your favorite mixed drinks to make at home. Bonus points for inventiveness and anything seasonal.

Here's one I made and enjoyed recently:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/12/01/dining/20091202-drinks-slideshow_15.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/fashion/30shake.html?scp=1&sq=shaken+stirred&st=nyt

 

I have posted this before, but worth repeating, you cannot go wrong with Fruit Vodka. Or Vodka Fruit. Whatever works.

--Get a big jug.
--Fill it 1/2 to 2/3 with any combination of: maraschino cherries (with the syrup), canned pineapple chunks, can/jar peach slices, mandarin oranges. Throw in all the juice.
--Fill the rest of the way with vodka. Nothing pricy, plain old Smirnoff is just fine.
--Soak. The longer the better.
--Serve in big cups: lots of ice, big scoop of fruit, fill the rest with the drink. Most people will grab a fork and eat the fruit.
--Note: You get mysteriously drunker as the fruit digests. Be careful. Your friends will hate you the next day.

 

Get a beach cooler. Clean it.
Get a shit-ton of fruit. Anything you like. Cut them all up.
Put fruit in beach cooler. Put in a good amount of ice. Pour two handles of vodka and one handle of Everclear. Fill with one container of Kool-Aid and the necessary sugar and water.
Good night.

 

This one is really easy to make, especially as a pre-dinner cocktail.

The B.B.C.

2 measures of gin
1 measure of Blueberry vodka
3 measures of Cranberry juice
A squeezed lime wedge

Shake over ice, and serve in a martini glass.

You could also probably get a lot of mileage out of this: Esquire's drinks database.

http://www.esquire.com/drinks/

 

Vodka Jello . . . I don't mean Jello shots . . . Jello, in a large bowl.

Only caveat is that you have to resist overdoing the vodka, or you'll encounter
some degree of jelling issues.
But with a moderate pouring hand, all should be well.

 

Many years ago, the old National Lampoon issued the following rule: No alcoholic beverage should have more than three ingredients -- and water counts.
Words to live by, ladies and gentlemen.

 

Two ingredients: Jameson. Ice cubes.

Three ingredients: The Cape Codder. Vodka. Cranberry juice. A healthy squirt of lime.

As for more than three, I'm with Gee.

 

Vodka mixes well with ANYTHING however, don't get the cheap rot gut shit. Treat yourself, don't cheat yourself and have fun.

 

I'm strictly a beer drinker, so I don't have much to add here, but a friend of mine who, in the words of Dan Jenkins from (I think) Semi Tough, has drunk everything from dish water to polio vaccine, swears by this site:

http://www.webtender.com/

 

We could drink together. I also like a vodka and tonic w/lime twist in the summer months but that's as far as I go with "mixed" drinks. Most of the time two ice cubes will do the trick for almost anything.