Prom Night Shooter

Step 1: Ingredients and Tools

You'll need:-Shot glass-Grenadine (Density: 1.18)-Coconut Rum (Density: 1.04)-Red/Orange Gummi Bears Soaked in Triple Sec
Note:  Add gummi bears to a glass mason jar.  Fill mason jar with Triple Sec until the liqueur is 1-2" above the gummi bears.  Soak at room temperature for 12-24 hours.  The gummi bears will double in size.  Be sure to slosh the gummies around in the jar every so often or else they'll stick to one another and will tear when you try to pry them apart.

Step 2: Gummi Bear

Place gummi bear in the bottom of the shot glass.

Step 3: Grenadine

Add just a tiny bit of grenadine to the bottom of the shot glass.

Step 4: Coconut Rum

Carefully pour the coconut rum down the side of the shot glass.
Note:  You can use a spoon if you're concerned about the grenadine mixing with the rum.

Mimosa Jell-o (jelly) Shots

Try this fun twist on the Jell-shot for your next party - the mimosa Jell-o shot!  The combination of champagne and orange juice is one of my favorites - so I knew I had to try it in jelly shot form.  I thought about combining champagne + orange flavored Jell-o, but decided to try and capture all of the fresh flavors I could.  The choice is yours - in my opinion, sparkling wine is the perfect addition to any flavor Jell-o!
Ingredients1 1/2 cups orange juice1 tbsp sugar3 envelopes unflavored (Knox) gelatin1 1/2 cups champagneStrawberries to garnish

Pour juice and sugar into small saucepan.  Sprinkle with gelatin and let it bloom for a few minutes.  Heat over low heat and stir gently until gelatin is dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in champagne.  Pour into 2 oz. plastic cups and refrigerate. 
If using strawberries, clean and slice the berries.  After the jell-o shots have chilled for ~30 minutes, add the berries.  This way they'll be slightly suspended in the mixture.
Enjoy!

Fruity Champagne Cocktails (Raspberry, Blackberry and Orange)

Since bunch is the only meal that encourages boozing before noon, you might as well make the most of it with some fun and colorful champagne cocktails!
Raspberry Ginger Lime Cocktail12 raspberries, lightly mashed1 oz Triple Sec1 oz  ginger syrup
Squeeze of limeFill with champagne
Vanilla Blackberry Cocktail8 blackberries, whole and lightly mashed1 oz vanilla vodka1/2 oz simple syrupFill with champagneGarnish with mint
Comforting Mimosa3 oz fresh orange juice1 oz Southern Comfort1 squeeze lemonFill with champagne* If making in a punch bowl, use orange juice ice cubes to chill (yummy and also prevents watering down).

Romtopf aka Berry Liqueur

Autumn is here and the berries have been ripening all summer and the freezer is full of them. No idea what you want to do with them now?
Why not make a Romtopf for the Christmas table?What is romtopf? It's vodka and/or rum that you've infused with summer ripened berries. There is a multitude of recipes for how to make Romtopf, both on the internet and in my family (this is the first Romtopf instructable on Instructables although there are other 'ibles that cover the same thing (see the bottom)). Within the family we have at least two:

1. 1,5-2 dl of vodka/rum and 1,5-2 dl of sugar for every litre of berries

1. Equal amounts of berries and sugar that you cover with the necessary amount of vodka/rum

They all have one thing in common though and that is how the process goes:

• Add a layer of berries, cover it with sugar and then with the vodka/rum

• Repeat the process with the berries you want in it until the jar is filled to the brim.

• Keep the jar somewhere dark and cool for at least a month

• Filter the containts from the berries and to keep a clear beautifully coloured liqueur. The longer the berries sit in the vodka/rum the better the taste is going to be. (Pictures of this is coming up in about a month)

What to do with the berries? They're going to be a bit discoloured after a month, but you can put them in a pot and stew them into a nice sauce to pour onto your ice cream.**Be beware that the berries contain alcohol so don't serve to under-aged kids or drive directly after. ** I did this with last years batch and served to my friends as we were having an end-of-term pre-party. Tasted great together with a small snifter of the newly-made liqueur.
Similar recipes:Cranberry infused vodka by mikeasaurusStrawberry infused vodka by shuttlebean - love the pictures!

The Antioxidant

Step 1: What you need...

4 oz of a pomegranate based drink. I used a pomegranate/blueberry fruit juice.2 oz of blueberry flavored vodkaa dash of raspberry liqueur a shaker with icea 6 oz glass

Step 2: Mixing

Put several ice cubes in your shaker. Pour the fruit juice and vodka over the ice. Add a dash of raspberry liqueur. Place the cap on the shaker. Shake to mix. 
Pour the liquid into a glass.

Mygarita

Save your best bottle for another day.use a reasonably priced, reasonably good unoaked red wine with fruity, spicy notes. When peaches aren't in season, a ripe pear or an apple is a good substitute. The orange liqueur makes a sweet citrus punch. You may leave it out if you wish. Ingredients 1 bottle (750 ml) red wine 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup orange liqueur, such as triple sec (optional) 1/4 cup sugar 1 sm orange, thinly sliced 1 sm lemon, thinly sliced 1 peach, pitted, peeled, and diced 1 cup lemon soda, chilled In a large pitcher, combine wine, orange juice, orange liqueur and sugar; stir to dissolve sugar. Stir in fruits and refrigerate until chilled and the flavors have blended, 2 to 8 hours. Just before serving, gently stir in soda; serve over ice. Serves 4

Parsley Soda: The Preferred Beverage of the Fashionable Elite

Step 1: Parsley Water

Wash and finely chop the parsley. Place in pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to the boil and let simmer until water absorbs parsley flavor to taste. 
Meanwhile, juice the 2 limes. You can boil lime zest along with the parsley if you would like.

Step 2: Strain and cool

Strain the parsley water into a bowl. Add chopped ice until the water is warm. If it is too hot it will kill the yeast. Add the lime juice.

Step 3: Filter

You can filter out the lime pulp and small pieces of parsley with a coffee filter. It may take quite some time for it all to pass through, so you may prefer just to pour it through a fine strainer a few times.

Step 4: Mix, bottle, and shake

Using a funnel, pour your concoction into a plastic 2-liter soda bottle. Add 1 to 2 cups of sugar, and the yeast. Add water until bottle is almost full--leave an inch or two of air at the top. Cap the bottle and shake to dissolve the sugar. 
Leave bottle to sit for a day or two until pressure has built up to the point that the bottle does not indent when you squeeze it. Put it in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation. If you let it sit too long, the bottle will explode.

Step 5: Enjoy, become the envy of your friends and enemies

The parsley adds a subtle crispness to the soda. 
Serve with appropriate panache.

Spicy Cinnamon Apple Soda and/or Mixer

Step 1: Ingredients and Equipment

Ingredients:
• No Sugar Added Apple Juice - reconstituted from frozen concentrate is fine, too.• Cinnamon Red Hot Candies - you can find these in movie theater style cardstock boxes. year-round, or as Cinnamon Imperials around Christmas and Valentine's Day.  They're often sold to be used as cupcake decorations.• Sugar - plain old granulated white is fine, honey works, or a sugar substitute if you're looking to reduce a few calories.• Brewer's Yeast - I used Pasteur Champagne yeast, any ale yeast would work, and bread yeast is okay, if a little less tasty.  My packet of yeast was a bit less than $1 and would make around 16 liters of soda.  Once you have some in your fridge you'll want to start carbonating everything.• Water - tap water works fine for me, but do a one-bottle test if you've never tried anything with your tap water and yeast before.  There are some water additives that can keep yeast from working well.  (I go into this more in troubleshooting.)
Equipment
• 1 or 2 LIter Plastic Bottles - If it has contained carbonated liquid before it can do it again.  I used VERY CLEAN 1 liter bottles that had previously contained some carbonated flavored water.  Don't use glass bottles.  You can purchase bottles for this sort of thing from brewing supply companies if you don't have handy recyclables or want to be fancy.• Measuring Spoons• A Funnel (not absolutely necessary but definitely handy)• Microwave safe glass pitcher or a small saucepan• Something to stir with

Step 2: Mix Your Ingredients

The following directions make 1 liter.  Adjust your quantities accordingly.
Put your funnel into your bottle.Pour 1/4 cup sugar (or equivalent sugar substitute) into the bottle.Heat 1 cup of water to boiling in the microwave (using a MICROWAVE SAFE container).
Put the cinnamon red hots into the water and stir until they dissolve:2tbsp for lightly cinnamon4tbsp for a nice, spicy cinnamon6tbsp for very spicymore if you're feeling adventurous/ hate your tongueYou can do this on the stove if you would prefer (especially if you were making a lot of syrup at once.)
Slowly add 1 cup of cool water to the red hots mixture.
Pour the mixture into the bottle.Pour 2 cups of apple juice into the bottle *making sure to leave 1 to 2 inches of empty space at the top* (you may need a bit less than 2 cups).
Close the bottle, check that it's sealed, shake it to dissolve the ingredients together.  Make sure it's at a nice warm but not hot temperature.  100 to 105 degree Fahrenheit is ideal if you have a thermometer handy, otherwise shoot for something that feels cozy but not hot.
Add 1/8th of a teaspoon of yeast.  Close the bottle up again and shake it to mix in the yeast.

Step 3: Wait (and Some Bonus Safety Info)

Put the bottle(s) in a nice warm location.  Think about micro-climates where you live - I often put my bottles above the dishwasher or refrigerator, or under a furnace vent.
CHECK THE BOTTLES REGULARLY.  As soon as they feel dense/hard they're fully carbonated.  You're shooting for something that feels like a 2 liter on a grocery store shelf.  You won't be able to dent it with your fingers.  Do not open the bottles at any point while you're waiting of you'll un-do the yeast's hard work.  My bottles generally take between 12 and 24 hours.
As soon as the bottles feel nice and dense get them to somewhere cold.  A refrigerator is ideal, anywhere nice and cold will work.  You need to make the yeast go dormant at this point because it will keep building up carbon dioxide pressure until the bottle bursts.  This is why glass is a bad idea - a red sticky explosion mess would be bad enough, add shards of glass to it and you've got a potentially scary situation.  Champagne yeast is designed to build a higher pressure than soda bottles are designed for this cooling step is really important.
That said, if you put your bottles somewhere cold as soon as they're hardened up, you almost completely eliminate the explosion risk.  Don't make more than you'll consume in a few weeks, but don't be afraid to leave your unopened soda in the fridge for a while, I've found that the flavor improves over time.
Your soda will have a tiny bit of alcohol in it. If you have an alcohol allergy you shouldn't drink it, but I would venture to bet that even in most very young kids they would suffer ill effects from the sugar and cinnamon long before they could drink enough of this stuff to get drunk. I've also read that home brew sodas are lower in alcohol than grocery store orange juice, but that's from the internet so I don't really know if it's true.

Step 4: Troubleshooting

If your soda isn't carbonating here are a few things that may have gone wrong:
Too much heat.  If your mix was too hot when you added the yeast you may have killed it.  (I've had good luck with adding a bit more yeast and letting it sit for a while longer.)
Bad water.  Some cities have water that is unfriendly to living things.  The first thing to try is to boil the water you're going to use and then let it sit until it cools back to a yeast-safe temperature.  If that doesn't work you're probably looking at trying distilled water.
Too cold.  If you're keeping your soda in an area that's too cold it will never carbonate.  Try to find somewhere warmer to set it.
Not enough time.  A lot of recipes say it will take 3 to 4 days for soda to be ready.  I think I have fast results because I micromanage.
Not chilled long enough.  CO2 needs time to dissolve into a liquid.  If your bottle has hardened up but it's not carbonated when you open it, you need to let it chill for longer before drinking.

Step 5: Serve

It is important to chill the soda in a refrigerator at least overnight before serving.  Cold is required for carbon dioxide to dissolve into the liquid.  Without chilling you'll open your bottle, let all the CO2 out and drink flat soda.  With the chill you should end up with a very nicely carbonated beverage.
Some crud will collect at the very bottom of your bottle.  Don't drink that stuff.  Don't shake the bottles, pour them smoothly and don't pour our the last little bit of the bottle.  The stuff at the bottom isn't dangerous, it just tastes icky.  It's mostly debris from the yeast, but in this case there is probably also some wax from the candy mixed in.  If you intend to keep using these bottles you'll want to rinse them right away to get this stuff out.  It will be much harder to remove if you let it dry there.
As a mixer:
This stuff is great mixed with rum or vodka the same way you take a rum and coke or a vodka lemonade.  1 ounce of alcohol mixed with 3 to 6 ounces of soda is good place to start, adjust as desired.

Dr. Pepbeer

Dr. Pepbeer has a delightful malted flavor. For a dry cocktail mix light beer and diet Dr Pepper. The glass, beer, and the soda should be very cold; this drink is best served without ice.
Pour equal parts of beer and soda into a frosty, tall glass. The mixture makes a creamy, malty,  foamy head.
Drink it ice-cold, at once, for best taste.
Try ale instead of lager, or another pepper-flavor soda--Mr Pibb (by Coke), Dr. Joe's (by Trader Joe's), or Dr. Slice (by Pepsi).
Fans of Dr Pepper, malta, beer, or other malt beverages will enjoy a chilly Dr. Pepbeer.

Watermelon Sangria

Try this juicy, refreshing sangria made right inside the watermelon!  Perfect for a summer party, this sangria recipe highlights the freshness of watermelon in it's prime, and makes a great centerpiece.  White wine and lime add the zing to this sweet, tasty drink.  Plus making it is so fun, you'll be asking for a reason to make some more!  You'll need a stick blender if you want to be super popular and serve it in the watermelon.  Otherwise, you can cube the watermelon and use a blender to serve it in a pitcher.
Ingredients:

• One small (or supersize it and double the recipe!) seedless watermelon

• 1 1/2 cups dry or zesty white wine 

• 1 ounce rum

• 2 ounces orange liqueur

• 2 ounces simple syrup

• 1 lime

• 1 cup soda water or seltzer (you could use tonic and skip the simple syrup!)

Directions:

• If your melon is wobbly, try slicing off a very thin layer from one end so it will stand upright.  Place melon in a bowl to prevent tipping and spillage.  Yeah, I learned that the hard way (see picture 3).

• Cut a small hole in the top of your watermelon, large enough to accomodate your stick blender.

• Blend the watermelon into juice while scraping down the sides of the watermelon with the stick blender.  This is definitely the funnest part and potentially the messiest.

• Remove 2 cups of liquid from the melon (serve this to the non-drinkers in your party, or give myWatermelon Mint Julep recipe a try!)

• Add the wine, rum, orange liqueur, simple syrup and juice from one lime.  

• Stir gently.

• Place the lid back on the watermelon and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

• Serve over ice and top with soda water.  A fresh sprig of mint or slice of lime makes the perfect garnish.

Enjoy!

limoncello recipe

Step 1: Ingredients + supplies

ingredients: citrus fruit / fruit lemons limes grapefruits (kiwi) grain alcohol / vodka (any type) sugar

supplies: cheese grater glass bottles / jars .

Grain alcohol is ideal as it's high in alcohol content and is flavourless, however it's not available in some places. Vodka works just fine.

Step 2: Zest fruit

Using the fine grating side of a cheese grater, take the zest off your fruit. The zest of the fruit is the coloured portion of the fruit skin and the white portion below is called the pith, the zest holds the oil of the fruit while the pith is bitter. You want all zest and no pith. 
Each jar was filled with fruit zest. For the kiwi I sliced into small segments and then muddled the pieces in the jar. After, each jar was filled with vodka. The remaining fruit can be made into a citrus meringue, squeezed to make fresh juice, or maybe you can find some creative uses.

Step 3: Wait

After filling each jar was capped and set aside to steep for about 10 days, shake every few days to ensure a good mix.
During this time the zest will infuse the vodka with flavour and colour. Ensure your zest (or fruit) is completely submerged in alcohol to prevent the fruit from rotting while it's steeping.

Step 4: Strain + sweeten

After the zest has steeped in vodka for a few days it's time to strain. Using a cheesecloth and a funnel transfer the zesty-vodka to a clean bottle. I chose a decorative bottle, but any bottle with a resealable cap will work.Make sure to squeeze the cheesecloth after straining to ensure all liquid is removed from the zest.
Next a solution of simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) was added to the strained liquid, this will make the drink more palatable and less bitter. The amount of syrup to add depends on personal taste. I used about 90ml (3 fl.oz) pf simple syrup for 270ml (9fl.oz) of alcohol. 

Step 5: Serve!

Limoncello is served chilled (in chilled glasses) and typically consumed after dinner as a digestif, but is great any time you want a tart refreshment. Try it over vanilla ice cream for a zesty twist on your dessert!
Enjoy!

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Sex is on Fire

Sex is on FireValentines day is coming up sooner than some of us may appreciate.  That being said, it is also a new year too.  Are you going to be the couple that steps outside the chocolate box this year?  Or just stick to the same ole same ole routine?  Fire your night up with this spicy shooter and you'll be in for a fun ride ;)
Let me start off on the right foot and be honest with you about this shooter.  It's very strong. Hence the name sex is on fire. So this valentines day, whether you're alone or spending it with someone special, this shooter is sure to spice things up - or set them on fire!
Sex is on Fire
1/3oz Bacardi 151 Rum
1/3oz Fireball Whiskey
1/3oz Torani Hazelnut Syrup OR Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur
pour all in a shot glass subsequently and down as quickly as you can.  This shot is on fire!

Vodka (Polish: wódka, Russian: водка) is a distilled beverage composed primarily of water and ethanol, sometimes with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits or sugar.

Traditionally prepared vodkas had an alcoholic content of 40% by volume.^{[citation needed]} Today, the standard Ukrainian, Polish, Russian,Latvian and Lithuanian vodkas are 40% alcohol by volume (ABV) or 80proof. The European Union has established a minimum of 37.5% ABV for any "European vodka" to be named as such.^[1][2] Products sold as vodka in the United States must have an alcoholic content of 30% or more.^[3] For homemade vodkas and distilled beverages referred to as "moonshine", seemoonshine by country.

Vodka is traditionally drunk neat in the vodka belt countries of Eastern Europe and around the Baltic Sea. It is also commonly used in cocktailsand mixed drinks, such as the Caesar, Bloody Mary, Screwdriver, Sex on the Beach, Moscow Mule, White Russian, Black Russian, vodka tonic, and in a vodka martini.

The name "vodka" is a diminutive form of the Slavic word voda (water), interpreted as little water: root вод- (vod-) [water] + -к- (-k-) (diminutive suffix, among other functions) + -a (postfix of feminine gender).^[4][5][6]

The word "vodka" was recorded for the first time in 1405 in Akta Grodzkie,^[7]the court documents from the Palatinate of Sandomierz in Poland.^[7] At the time, the word vodka (wódka) referred to chemical compounds such asmedicines and cosmetics' cleansers, while the popular beverage was calledgorzałka (from the Old Polish gorzeć meaning "to burn"), which is also the source of Ukrainian horilka (горілка). The word vodka written in Cyrillicappeared first in 1533, in relation to a medicinal drink brought from Poland to Russia by the merchants of Kievan Rus'.^[7]

Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcanebyproducts, such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels. Rum can be referred to in Spanish by descriptors such as ron viejo ("old rum") and ron añejo ("aged rum").

The majority of the world's rum production occurs in the Caribbeanand Latin America (including the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua,Belize, Martinique, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica,Venezuela, Guadeloupe, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada,Barbados, Jamaica, St.Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Brazil, Haiti, Guyana, Peru, and Cuba). Rum is also produced in Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Mexico, Hawaii, the Philippines, India,Reunion Island, Mauritius, South Africa, Taiwan, Japan, United States and Canada.

Light rums are commonly used in cocktails, whereas "golden" and "dark" rums were typically consumed individually (i.e., "straight" or "neat") or used for cooking, but are now commonly consumed with mixers. Premium rums are also available, made to be consumed either straight or iced.

Rum plays a part in the culture of most islands of the West Indies as well as in the Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland. This beverage has famous associations with theRoyal Navy (where it was mixed with water or beer to make grog) and piracy (where it was consumed as bumbo). Rum has also served as a popular medium of economic exchange, used to help fund enterprises such as slavery, organized crime, and military insurgencies (e.g., the American Revolution and Australia's Rum Rebellion). SeeTriangular trade.

Green Beer

To make green beer you need just three things:

• beer
• a glass
• green food coloring

On St. Patrick's Day people might want to support the Irish and drink beer from the motherland, but, on any other day, it's important to note that the beer doesn't have to come from Ireland in order to make it green. It works with America's own pride and joy Budweiser just as well, and any other brand of beer for that matter.