Halloween Happy Hour Season Has Begun!

We're kicking off Halloween happy hour season with an easy cocktail that packs a knockout punch! (Yes, I cheated on the bobbing for apples.)

Put the BAR in BARbecue!

Memorial Day is upon us and thus the unofficial start of summer! It seems as though I was just shoveling snow, although I'm not complaining - this is far better! If you're thinking of venturing outside and firing up the grill, here are some serving suggestions from the mid-century booklet Seagram's Week End Bar and Barbecue Book. You'll note that many of the recipes call for Seagram's Golden Gin, which hasn't been produced in a years, which is a shame, as it was 94 proof. Go ahead and use another dry gin - I won't tell!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Cocktails for Trolls

A self-appointed officer of the Internet Police is apparently targeting YouTube channels that feature alcohol content. She posts long-winded comments on said channels, schooling the creators on why alcohol is (in her not-so-humble opinion) 'as bad as marijuana,' shouldn't be legal and will generally send users to hell in a hand basket faster than you can say "Bottoms up!" She really can go on and on. She hasn't found our channel yet, but give her time. I'm not going to name her (at least not until she targets us) because I'm generally against public shamings and I don't want to give her any publicity! However, I'm not against having a laugh at her expense. Here's my tribute to her, culled from the pages of one of our favorite bar guides, which gets heavy use in our live broadcasts, Bar Guide, Published by TRUE, The Men's Magazine (1950).

As always, if you don't like alcohol or are against it, by all means, don't drink! You'll save a ton of money. Come back next Monday and we'll have another mocktail for you!

Mocktail Monday: Spring Shower

It's Monday, which means mocktails! Today's is perfect for a gloomy May morning (at least in our part of the world), the Spring Shower!

Spring Shower

4 oz Twinings Honeybush, Mandarin & Orange tea, brewed

1 oz blueberry juice

1/4 oz fresh lime juice

4 dashes of Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Have a fabulous week!

If You Like It, Drink It

We love creating cocktails that we enjoy and that we think others will enjoy and we love sharing them, since we want everyone to enjoy! Sometimes it can feel like life doesn't have enough enjoyment and we hope, in our small way, to help to rectify that. Adult beverages can help you to unwind and be a relaxing ritual after a long day. But there's nothing relaxing or enjoyable about defending your choice of cocktail or spirit to some beverage bully who would tell you you're "wrong" to like your martinis with vodka or a Bloody Mary when it's not brunch. Those people need to pour a large glass of whatever they enjoy and get lives. Life is too short to not drink exactly what you like, so fix yourself a large version of whatever you love tonight. If you get any comments from the peanut gallery, savor it that much more. It will drive them nuts!

This wouldn't be my choice, but she seems to be enjoying it!

A Case Of The Mondays

I don't normally get "the Mondays," since I actually prefer being busy to relaxing, but this has been a very Monday Monday and I could use a cocktail. Well, another cocktail. I'm not going to lie, I've already had one! Yesterday Paul injured his foot assembling a piece of IKEA furniture, then we found out that, once again, one of our debit cards has been breached and someone has been making fraudulent charges overseas. Our bank is fantastic and flagged it right away, but yeesh! What does the rest of the week have in store? Fortunately for Paul, we'll always have the Painkiller. I highly recommend shaking one up if your Monday has been anything like ours!

Painkiller

2 oz amber rum (Pusser's preferred)

2 oz orange juice

1 oz pineapple juice

1 oz cream of coconut

Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice and pour into a double old-fashioned glass with ice.

Here's to things looking up this week!

How About A Hurricane For Mardi Gras?

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras and those who celebrate may just be looking for cocktails and other goodies in which to indulge before the fasting season of Lent. Others may just want to drink! We had a request for a Mardi Gras cocktail and I thought the perfect choice would be the Hurricane, a World War II-era cocktail created at Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans. The story goes that it was difficult to get certain liquors during that period, but that rum was plentiful, so bar owners were forced to accept huge supplies of rum along with their whiskies and scotches, which were more popular at the time. As you'll see, this cocktail is the perfect way to use up large amounts of surplus rum!

As with just about any cocktail, there are as many ways to make it as there are recipes and guides. One of our favorites, Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, lists the recipe in his Grog Log with only three ingredients: dark Jamaican rum, passion fruit syrup and lemon juice. Dark Jamaican rum would be my personal preference, but I've made it here with gold rum, since that's what Pat O'Brien's calls for on their website. They also call for their proprietary Hurricane mix, which I don't have, so I went with passion fruit and lemon for the rest. Their drink also has a distinct red color and many recipes do call for grenadine. I added a touch of grenadine to mine, but our grenadine is brownish since we make our own with actual pomegranate and it didn't add a red tint. If you really want that red color, either food color or a commercial grenadine (which likely has food color) will give you the look you desire!

Hurricane (our hybrid version)

4 oz gold or dark Jamaican rum

2 oz passion fruit syrup

2 oz fresh lemon juice

A dash of grenadine (optional)

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a hurricane glass with ice.

By the way, the name "Hurricane" supposedly comes from the shape of the glass - like a hurricane lamp. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

We Have A New Store!

Have you ever wondered where you could purchase the bitters and other items that we use on the show? How about in our brand new Amazon affiliate store (click here to visit)?! We're excited to be able to offer many of the items we use on a daily basis (though not actual liquor, unfortunately) and we get a small commission every time we make a sale, even though the prices are Amazon's regular prices. Everyone wins! We won't place anything in the store that we don't own ourselves or haven't personally tried, so rest assured that anything in the store has been personally vetted by the Kitsch-en. I hope you'll visit and come back when you're looking for cocktail-related products! And, if you have any items you'd like to see us carry in the store, let us know!

Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en Cocktail Emporium

Wednesday Happy Hour - Three for One Cocktails!

It may be a short week, but it's feeling long to me! Good thing we're running a special - three lovely libations for the price of one, each created for a subscriber to our YouTube channel! Without further ado, here's what we're offering today:

The Straw Boater

The Straw Boater (created for Lucas)

2 oz gin

1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Verde liqueur

1/2 oz pineapple juice

1/4 oz fresh lime juice

1 stopper of Boy Drinks World passion fruit bitters (click here to locate)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

The Layover

The Layover (created for Jenny)

2 oz bourbon

1/2 oz Aperol

1/4 oz pomegranate liqueur

1/4 oz fresh lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Ocean Voyage

Ocean Voyage (created for Lee)

2 oz tequila

1/2 oz hibiscus liqueur

1/2 oz ginger syrup

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

2 dashes of orange bitters

2 dashes of Angostura bitters.

Shake all ingredients with ice and pour into a tiki mug or tall glass.

Thank you so much to our subscribers and hang in there - the weekend is just around the corner!

Cocktails for Subscribers!

We offered to make custom cocktails for folks who subscribe to our YouTube channel and here are the first couple that we've come up with, in order of when people replied to our post. More coming soon! And, if you haven't subscribed to our channel yet, what are you waiting for? Another fabulous episode is going online tomorrow!

Low Tide

Low Tide (created for Lei Patrick)

1 oz vodka

1 oz Art in the Age sage liqueur

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz strong black tea

1 dash of Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Pink & Naughty

Pink & Naughty (created for Jenn Marie)

2 oz silver tequila

1/2 oz Benedictine

1/2 oz Ancho Reyes ancho chile liqueur

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

A dash of cayenne pepper IF you like it hot (you can omit this step)

Pink cherries for garnish

Shake all ingredients except the cherries with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherries.

More subscriber cocktails coming soon, with our thanks! 

Pink Drink for Sunday

Here's a lovely libation we created for the lovely Loni, a generous donor to our Feeding America fundraising campaign! It's perfect for Sunday brunch (or any other day of the week!)

Sweet Pink Bubbles

Sweet Pink Bubbles (created for Loni)

3/4 oz strawberry liqueur (Click here for the recipe we used to make our own!)

2 dashes cherry bitters

Chilled pink sparkling wine

A pink cherry (red is okay, too)

Combine all ingredients in a champagne flute and stir gently.

Thank you so much, Loni!

In other news, our first attempt at doing a live video on YouTube fell apart when we realized that we had to use the webcam in our computer. No bar shots? No mixing drinks? No thank you! We did our video on Facebook instead and it was a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed the comment that said that we're "destroying tiki" and that young people don't care about this stuff. Where would anyone get the idea that we're trying to appeal to young people?! :D We make drinks, so that lets out anyone under 21, plus I'm pretty sure anyone under the age of 35 has their own shows to watch, starring people young enough to be our children. But I'm glad he watched - thanks for the view!

More live video coming soon and, if you have an idea for a live broadcast, let us know!

Winter Drinks and Appetizers, 1937-Style

Are you still in entertaining mode after the holidays? Do you simply need a drink? In either case, Through the Seasons with Seagrams (1937) is full of inspiration! Whether you seek a Hot Whiskey Toddy for one or a Tom and Jerry recipe "sufficient for 30," this charming booklet has your needs covered. And a four-ingredient appetizer in which one of the ingredients is whiskey? Yes, please!

Cheers!

Late December Cocktail

Our fundraising campaign for Feeding America is still underway and we have a cozy, year-end cocktail for another fabulous donor! This one is perfect for curling up with on a snowy weekend (or enjoying by the pool, if you're lucky enough to be in warm weather)!

Late December Cocktail

Late December (created for Ann Renee)

1 oz vodka

1/2 oz orange liqueur (I used Gran Gala)

4 dashes of Angostura bitters

Merlot

Combine all ingredients in a wine glass and stir. For a lower alcohol version, omit the vodka.

Thank you, Ann Renee! Your generosity is deeply appreciated! Happy New Year!

More Holiday Cocktails for More Fabulous Donors!

Friday means happy hour here at the Kitsch-en and this week we have four cocktails for you, all created for fabulous donors to our Feeding America fundraiser! There will be even more this weekend, since we have more wonderful donors to serve!

We're so grateful for everyone's generosity in helping this fabulous cause - thank you all!

North Pole: After Hours

North Pole: After Hours (created for Steve)

2 oz rye

1/2 oz Art in the Age Ginger Snap liqueur

8 dashes of molasses bitters

A twist of lime

Serve on the rocks.

Stardust

Stardust (created for Julie)

2 oz gold tequila

1/2 oz vanilla liqueur (I used Xanath)

1/2 oz cherry liqueur (I used Rothman & Winter Orchard Cherry)

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

A dash of Angostura bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a pink cherry.

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice (created for Robert and featured in last Tuesday's episode)

2 oz amber rum

1/2 oz cherry liqueur (see above)

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

3/4 oz blueberry juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass with a coconut rim. Create rim by dipping the rim of the glass in light corn syrup, allowing excess to drip away, then dipping in shredded coconut.

Des Yeti

Des Yeti (created for Kristy and Geoff and featured in today's episode)

2 oz gin

1/2 oz raspberry liqueur

1/2 oz elderflower liqueur

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

2 oz pineapple juice

5 dashes of cranberry bitters

Shake with ice and pour into a yeti or tiki mug. Garnish with a festive sprig of rosemary.

Cheers and have a fabulous weekend!

Holiday Cocktails For A Few Fabulous Donors!

Our fundraising campaign for Feeding America is underway and, as promised, we're starting to deliver customized cocktails for our fabulous donors! Here is the first batch. We'll have many more over the next week, so stay tuned!

Sophisticated Santa

Sophisticated Santa (created for Lisa)

1 1/2 oz gin

1 oz Pimm's No. 1 liqueur

1 oz orange juice

1/4 oz fresh lime juice

4 dashes of chocolate bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass! Garish with a candy fruit slice and cherry.

Jetsetter's Holiday

Jetsetter's Holiday (created for Angie)

2 oz Bacardi 8 year old rum

1/2 oz Ancho Reyes liqueur

1/4 oz Cappelletti Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro (rhubarb amaro)

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass!

Pink Christmas

Pink Christmas (created for Alice)

2 oz vodka

1/4 oz pomegranate liqueur

1/4 oz hibiscus liqueur

1 oz pink grapefruit juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass! Garnish with a candy fruit slice.

Christmas by the Fire

Christmas by the Fire (created for Teri)

1 oz vodka

1 oz Cabernet Sauvignon

1/4 oz triple sec

1/2 oz pomegranate juice

1/4 oz fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a wine glass and stir. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Thank you again to all of our wonderful donors! If your drink isn't here it will be soon! Also, if you missed Tuesday's "Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en" episode, click here to watch and see the cocktail we created for Robert - the Winter Solstice!

If you'd like to donate to our fundraiser, click here for the link to our fundraising page. Thank you!

Happy Repeal Day!

December 5, 1933 was the happy day when the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, repealing Prohibition, the "noble experiment" gone wrong. That calls for a drink! Click here for two easy recipes that celebrate booze in honor of this auspicious occasion. Happy Repeal Day!

Out of the Tub cocktail

The Holidays Are Going To Be Nuts!

Tomorrow's episode will show you many ways to cope with the nuttiness of the holiday season, but here are a few cocktails from the booklet Create Intrigue...Taste The Possibilities, from Frangelico, the hazelnut liqueur of which I'm a big fan, to get the party started! I expect to taste the possibilities many times over the holiday season! Who's ready for a cocktail?

Election Night Punches, 1970s Style

We'll be shooting three "Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en" episodes here tonight, so our lovely libations will take care of themselves. However, if you're looking for something to take the edge off of election night, here are a few punches from Anchor Hocking's 1970s (no date, but I'm going to confidently say "bicentennial era") pamphlet, Americana Punch Recipes. I'm even including one with no alcohol, just in case you feel like showing up for work tomorrow!

I'd go with the Liberty Bell Bracer or Log Cabin Cooler. They're the booziest!

Cocktails for Coping: Laurice's Choices

Yesterday we asked what everyone is drinking to cope with election anxiety and, as I expected, we got some fabulous responses! Laurice even got us some shots of her choices, so, without further ado, here are two easy cocktails for coping!

Kamikaze

1 1/2 oz vodka

3/4 oz orange liqueur (Laurice has gone with Cointreau - nice choice!)

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass!

Black Russian

2 oz vodka

1 oz coffee liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass or do like Laurice and serve on the rocks.

Thanks, Laurice! Now, what are you drinking?

What are you drinking to cope?

We received a message from our very sweet friend Michael a couple of days ago, who said that he had voted earlier that day and had prepared himself a  Bombay gin and tonic with pink grapefruit juice to help wash away the sourness and bitterness that has come with this particular election. It got me wondering what everyone else is drinking to cope? Judging from the crowds I've been seeing in the liquor stores lately, people are drowning their sorrows. If you're among those folks, please let us know what you're imbibing in the days leading up to the election. Snap a photo and we'll feature it here! We could even create a cocktail guide! It would be a public service.

A patriotic pink grapefruit gin and tonic