Happy New Year's Eve!!!

It's almost 2009 and I am very excited to see what the new year brings!!! I wish everyone a wonderful, happy, healthy 2009! Today is National Champagne Day (who knew?!) so what else would one drink? I love all champagnes! Dry, sweet, pink, whatever!!! (I can even drink those yummy "sparkling wines"!!! Don't tell France! Ah hell, tell France!) Sitting at a Christmas party the other night, I had some yummy Absolut Mango when cocktail inspiration struck! I love mango and I love champagne! DING DING!!!

Breakfast at Terri Lee's

• 1 ounce Absolut Mango


• 4 ounces of your favorite chilled Champagne


• Fresh mango slice or just a tiny dash of pureed mango

Add the Absolut Mango to the champagne flute and top with chilled champagne. Drop the fresh mango slice in and enjoy!!!

Oh, that mystical Emerald Isle!

I am still daydreaming of all the mystical places I visited in Ireland and actually getting a little sleepy...I need a PICK-ME-UP!!! So what's better in the afternoon than a nice cup of coffee? And while we are daydreaming, what about a nice cup of Irish Coffee? (I'm actually not even a coffee drinker but I will if it has whiskey in it!) Beats the hell out of eggnog.

Irish Coffee

• 1 1/2 ounce Jameson (or some other Irish whiskey)


• 8 ounces of coffee


• 1 tsp of sugar (or to taste)


• 1 tbsp of whipped cream

Pour the sugar into an empty glass and then add the whiskey. Follow with the coffee and stir until sugar is mixed well. Float whipped cream on top and enjoy!

Upon return from Ireland,

Upon my return from Ireland, I am missing the tall, dark and handsome young things I left behind. Of course I am talking about freshly poured pints of Guinness!!! My Goodness My Guinness! What did you think I was talking about? Anyway, why does Guinness taste so much better on the Emerald Isle? I blame it on all the craic. That's "craic" not "crack" ya'll! (even though its pronounced the same way) Craic is all the fun and jolly good times to be had in Ireland. If your evening has been filled with craic, its been a great night! Even though the Irish aren't so fond of Queen "Vicky" or of her husband Prince Albert, December 14th marks the anniversary of his death back in 1861. And since there was a drink actually created in commemoration of his passing, let's have a few no matter your political beliefs!!!

Black Velvet

• 3 ounces chilled Guinness


• 3 ounces chilled Champagne

Slowly pour the ingredients in order into a Champagne flute. Don't stir.

Thank the Heavens for John Jameson!

Today is an Irish Whiskey day! Why? Because it is. I am so lucky to have Irish blood in my veins and a (drinking) song in my heart. One of my favorite drinks is the lovely Jameson Irish Whiskey. It has been produced for over 220 years and a glass of Jameson is consumed every second in Dublin alone. It works out to be about 20 glasses every second around the world! Even the Heavens above love their whiskey since the equivalent of about 6,000 bottles of Jameson evaporates from the casks at the distillery every day. This is known as "the angels' share." So get over your college car bomb days and learn to enjoy what else Jameson has to offer! It's incredibly smooth and can be served on the rocks, neat, with ginger ale or coke. I love a good Jameson and Ginger. Let's drink to our Irish heritage during this long weekend of Thanksgiving! "Slainte!" (For your non-Irish folks that's the Irish 'cheers' pronounced 'slawn-cha.') Now in true Irish tradition, go out and get drunk! "Slainte!!!"

Jingle Juice

OMG! When is the economy ever going to turn up?!? You people need to travel! Spend your money with me! Doesn't Barbados or Jamaica sound lovely this time of year? Wouldn't you rather spend the holidays on a deserted beach instead of in an itchy wool reindeer sweater that Aunt Lou insisted on? Me too! (The beach, not the sweater part) Ok, ok. Maybe my budget won't allow for it this year either but if you want to go, call me! I need something to do around here...So, if you do end up at crazy Aunt Lou's this weekend your going to need some juice. Jingle Juice that is!!! Try this recipe out! My friend made it last year for my Holiday Cocktail Competition and it won the grand prize! (I think the prize was an itchy wool elf sweater from Aunt Lou's but who's counting!)

Jingle Juice:

• 5 cups Orange Juice


• 1 cup Vodka (you know I like Stoli)


• 1/3 cup Orange Liqueur (I like Grand Marnier but Triple Sec will do too)


• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

Garnishes: Fruit flavored candy canes, maraschino cherries, lemon and orange slices

Stir together orange juice and next four ingredients. Serve over ice and garnish! Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

If you need to make a non-alcoholic version, (I shudder to think) omit the vodka and orange liqueur and add 2 cups of Sprite for a Rudolph Spritzer

Key West!

Upon recently returning from the Florida Keys, feeling refreshed and revived, I started missing those cute little Key Limes!!! Seriously, how cute and bite size are those little guys?! And even though "the weather outside is frightful," why can't we bring the islands into our own homes? Well, crank up the heat, put on your favorite bikini, turn on a little Jimmy Buffet or Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (my fav) and drink up! Let the crooners take you away to your own private island while you sip on a yummy Key West inspired cocktail...

Key Lime Martini

• 2 Key Limes
• 4 ounces pineapple juice
• 2 ounces on vanilla vodka (I love Stoli!)
• sugar for rim

Cut a wedge from one of the key limes and run it around the rim of the glass. Sugar the rim of the glass. Place the lime wedge back on the rim of the glass for decoration. Squeeze remaining Key limes and shake with the pineapple juice and vanilla vodka. Strain into your sugared glass.

Even though martinis are not famous for their fruit, this is the time I add any fruit that I have in the fridge for decoration! Pineapple rings, maraschino cherries, etc... Just try not to take away from those little precious Key limes!!!

Jumpin' Jellybeans!!!

Jumpin' Jellybeans, its finally Friday!!! I am so glad the weekend is here! I have friends in town and another friend's birthday party tomorrow! It's going to be an action packed party for this Weekend Warrior!!! Let's celebrate with champagne! J'aime le champagne!!!

Jumping Jellybean

• 1 ounce tequila


• 1 ounce Grand Marnier


• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice


• 3 to 5 ounces chilled Champagne

Shake all ingredients and strain into a glass. Slowly top it off with glorious Champagne!!!

Just Jack!!!

As I was watching Will and Grace last night (and laughing hysterically), I heard one of my favorite all time TV characters Mr. Jack McFarland toast his friends while taking shots in a bar. Which made me think of one of my favorite shots, a Baby Guinness! This is a great shot that I know flamboyant Jack would love too! Now "One...Two...THREE, FOUR, SLAM IT WHORE!"

Baby Guinness

• 2 1/2 ounce of Kahlua


• 1/2 ounce of Bailey's Irish Cream

Pour the Kahlua into a shot glass, and carefully add the Bailey's using the wall of the shot glass. The Bailey's gives a "Baby Guinness" its nice Guinness style "head."

Fiddle-Dee-Dee!!!

Today is the birthday of the beautiful and dashing Vivien Leigh, best known as Mrs. Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler in Gone with the Wind. Miss Scarlett, I love. She is the quintessential Southern Belle, never to be outdone. And to that I toast the unknown future of our country just as Miss Scarlett toasted hers. "After all, tomorrow is another day!"

Try this New Orleans classic, The Scarlett O'Hara

• 2 ounces Southern Comfort
• 2 ounces cranberry juice
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon
• 1/2 ounce fresh lime

Let Your Voice Be Heard!!!

Today is the day! Its a turning point in our nation's modern day history. This is going to be a record breaking election so please vote! Take pride in your country, people! Like Al Capone said "Vote early and vote often." Now just VOTE!!!

Monday Morning Zombie Fever, anyone?

I have to say that this weekend will go down in Halloween history! What a blast! I wish some things had better outcomes but you take the good with the bad (DUI officers being the worst of all evils). I love the fact that this weekend everyone seems to just cut loose! Where else can drunk teletubbies, antebellum beer pong players, black sugardaddies, bikers, cowboys, sailors and Audrey Hepburn mingle but at a good Halloween party? Not to mention the hot tub! And who knew about this "Peanut Butter Jelly Song"? I didn't...I thought it was going to be all the rage but I guess it already is. Maybe next time! Good thing this is a once a year kinda holiday...

Happy All Hallows Eve!!!

I start with my very first post on this glorious All Hallows Eve! This special day originates from European Pagan religious festivities, steeped in magic and communication with the spirit world! Sweet! Let's party! But for those of you that wake up tomorrow on All Saints' Day with a spooky hangover, you made need a "corpse reviver." Technically, any cocktail made with three diferent liquors in equal part are considered corpse revivers. However, a little "hair of the dog" never hurt anyone, right?...Right? Someone call me...

Try this classic version of a Corpse Reviver:

• 1 ounce brandy

• 1 ounce Fernet Branca (bitter aromatic Italian spirit made from herbs and spices)

• 1 ounce white creme de menthe

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass