Tokyo Iced Tea or Tokyo Tea

The story of the Tokyo Iced Tea is that after World War II, US soldiers stationed in Japan enjoyed this drink so much they had to attach an uncouth name to it. This is a layered cocktail and very lovely to look at. The green on the bottom is supposed to be the Tokyo river which supposedly turned green from the bombings. The ice and yellow of the pineapple juice is the city and its buildings, the diluted layer of tequila at top is the Tokyo smog, and the cherry garnish is the red Japan sun.

The drink is a misnomer because it does not resemble a long island iced tea at all. In a tall ice filled glass, add equal parts vodka and midori. splash of triple sec. pineapple juice. top with tequila.

Shirley Temple

This is a virgin cocktail and a HUGE sugar rush for kids.

ginger ale, splash of grenadine.

Red Devil

Another drink bartenders always get wrong.

Tall ice filled glass, add equal parts southern comfort and vodka. Splash of sloe gin and grenadine. Top with orange juice. Shake. garnish with a cherry. An Alabama Slammer is the same drink, except instead of sloe gin use amaretto.

Mojito

The mojito is a wonderful drink when made right. It should not be served in the winter, no matter how delicious. It is a summer drink made with mint so fresh the room fills with its aroma, and limes, juicy and succulent. The mojito is strong, but sweet and refreshing.

This is a cocktail I struggled with for a long time. In fact, the entire time I worked at the Cubbyhole I never got it right. This recipe is for four mojitos because no ever orders just one. In mixing glass add 8 - 10 lime slices, four tablespoons sugar, pinch of mint. Muddle. This means to squish the lime so the juice is released and to bruise the mint. Don't obliterate the mint.

Add a little ice. top with white rum. shake, pour into four tall glasses. add soda. not sprite.

A nice alternative to the mojito is to add fruit flavors like mango and pomegranite. my facorite is to add fresh strawberries.

Mai Tai

Ask 20 bartenders how to make this drink and you will get 20 different recipes. My recipe is right.

In tall ice filled glass. 1 part light rum, splash of amaretto, splash of grenadine, almost top with pineapple juice. SHAKE. Top with a heavy splash of dark rum. Garnish with as much fruit as you can. THIS IS A LAYERED drink. And lovely to behold.

Lemonade Martini

I make all martinis based on fruits exactly the same way... based on the same formula. Appletinis, mango martini, strawberry martini, lemon drop, etc. When I teach people how to make these drinks I tell them that the best way to make a great tasting drink every time is to simply use lemon vodka, splash of sour, triple sec and lime juice; then add whatever fruit that drink requires. The exception being with the appletini which I instruct to add a splash of ginger ale as well.

When I make these cocktails, I do a little more leg work than my students, and the result is much more delicious. I muddle a quarter of a lemon, tablespoon of sugar, and a couple of lime slices. Top with ice, add vodka and cointreau, then add a splash of whatever fruit. (the same formula is excellent for making margaritas, but with the citrus reversed. Muddle a quarter lime, a couple of slices of lemon and a teaspoon of sugar.)

In the case of a lemonade, I add ice, then a part with water. Shake, then add a splash of sprite, and a heavy splash of soda.

For a Lemonade Martini, I rim the glass with sugar, put it in a cooler while assembling the drink. I use a good vodka and cointreau. If someone orders a lemondrop I make them this, and they always say it is the best lemon drop they have ever had.

J'hor

A spicy and sweet cocktail, made with fresh ginger and strawberries.

In mixing glass, muddle 3-5 strawberries, tablespoons of shredded ginger. Add ice, splash of cointreau, equal parts lemon vodka and vodka. shake. pour over ice. top with ginger ale.

Crushed Apple Cider Martini

For some reason, the Appletini is a wildly popular drink in just about every bar in the country. They are a dark green color because the recipe calls for apple puckers which is artificially colored green. The drink is then garnished with of all things, a cherry. It makes no sense. Taste is okay, but overly sweet. If someone orders an Appletini from me, I like to add a little ginger ale to it. If gives the drink a nice flavor and some bubbles. This cocktail is NOT an Appletini. I like to make seasonal cocktails, so when October and November roll in apples are an obvious choice. Made from fresh apples, one sour and one sweet, the drinks color is a light yellow... not green. Who came up with green as a color for apple juice?

Slice into small pieces, quartered Granny Smith and Honey Crisp apples. Muddle in mixing glass with two slices of lemon, teaspoon of sugar, pinch of fresh ginger. Splash of cointreau, vodka, splash of lime juice. Shake over ice. splash of ginger ale. Pour into martini glass and garnish with an apple.

Watermelon Martini

I HATE sour mix. And it seems like most bartenders depend on it. A sweet, fruit based martini never requires sour mix. Further more, a fruit based cocktail should be dependent on the actual fruit it is based on for flavor and not based on puckers artificially flavored. YUCK!

In mixing glass, muddle two tablespoons watermelon and one lemon slice. Add ice, one part citron vodka, one part kettle one vodka, splash of cointreau, splash of pineapple juice. Shake, pour into martini glass. Garnish with watermelon.

This image shows an alternative to the Swedish Fish martini as a cocktail, the watermelon blueberry margarita, the Doctor Who, and the Watermelon Martini

Watermelon Blueberry Margarita

I like to offer seasonal drinks. Summer is not only a time of great fruit offerings but also a great opportunity to make really delicious and REFRESHING cocktails. This is no exception. Despite the fact that it is a margarita at heart, it is particularly refreshing due to the watery sweet awesomeness of watermelon.

In mixing glass, muddle 5-6 blueberries, two tablespoons watermelon, 5 lime slices, 2 lemon slices. Add ice, tequila and cointreau, shake vigorously, pour over ice and garnish with blueberries and water melon.

Somebody really liked their margarita.