Friday Happy Hour: After Dinner Get Together

In another installment of our continuing series of party ideas from the good people at Wolfschmidt, here is a concept for an "after dinner get together." Of course, we're not sure if the idea is to have dinner separately, and then invite the folks over for drinks and nibbles after dinner? Or if we're having dinner out somewhere and inviting them back for a nightcap? Well, work that out for yourself, but here we go:

Well, the hors d'oevres sound delicious! Particularly that rum cake -- just don't let it turn into a soggy mess! And, here are the drink specials:

Kind of a vodka stinger!

Sounds great -- and it kind of sounds like a vodka version of a Ward 8!

Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: An Intimate (and relaxed) Supper

Aren't we all breathing a sigh of relief now that the hectic holiday season is over? But, still, don't we miss some of the warmth and togetherness we had? Maybe we'd like a little of it, but not as much of ... well, everything. Here's the solution, brought to us by our friends at Wolfschmidt Vodka:

As you can see, your guests are flocking to you eagerly! And all you had to do is throw together a few simple dishes. Here are two other easy dishes to round out the menu:

And, of course, we can't forget the specialty drinks we have lined up for our little, no-muss, no-fuss soiree:

A nice variation on this otherwise familiar drink! And:

Interesting! (Actually, this is really a wet vodka martini)

Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: hosting the hit soiree!

Now that we're in the early social season, why not think about hosting a swanky soiree? Let's turn to our friends at Wolfschmidt Vodka for some advice from their "Instant Hospitality Party Book":


It's all about making it easy so that you can enjoy the comfort and company of friends! Keep it flexible and casual -- while keeping it strictly coat and tie! The menu sounds delicious, and the preparation is a snap. Here are the drink recipes you can have at hand so that your guests (or your bartender-of-the-moment) can enjoy:

See what a hit you are! This is shaping up to be the social event of the season! Just don't forget to pick up your best tie or cocktail dress from the cleaners. Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: a beach party!

This week, being the last weekend before Labor Day, we want to savor the summer! We turn again to the good people at Wolfschmidt Vodka and their '60s era "Instant Hospitality Party Book" and take up their suggestion for a beach party:

Look at those two piece bathing suits -- and the ones that the women are wearing, too! And, of course, who doesn't enjoy smoking a pipe at the beach? For families and young couples alike, a beach party is a smart idea! Here's the recipe for the Riga Punch (and why not make a few thermos fulls, just in case):

Fruity, sparkling, refreshing! A great summer treat. Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: Orange Blossom

Once again, we reach into our goodie bag of "old and forgotten drinks" for this week's happy hour. The Orange Blossom appears to have been a very popular drink once upon a time, but it's obscure even to us.

Why do we say that it was popular? Well, from our own anecdotal experience, we'd have no basis to say so, because it's not a drink we encounter at all, or even hear referenced. But, there's some evidence we have uncovered in our frequent expeditions to estate sales (read about them on our sister blog, estatesalestories.blogspot.com) that hint at the history of this drink.

First, we acquired this charming glass that goes with a shaker at one estate sale:

The photo may not very clearly depict the graphic, but the side of the glass features recipes for some classic drinks: a Martini, a Manhattan, a Bronx, a Daiquiri, and .... an Orange Blossom? Okay, the Bronx is a little obscure nowadays (as we have duly noted several times in prior happy hour discussions), but those other drinks are old standards. Why would an Orange Blossom be included in their company? Was the Orange Blossom a quiet favorite that everyone was gulping down 50 years ago, but never mentions anymore? Here's another piece of evidence we uncovered in an estate sale purchase:

This is a handwritten recipe that was tucked into a cocktail booklet we picked up at a sale. This was written down sometime in the 1950s, which we know because it's written on the reverse side of a time sheet from someone's job where they had to fill in the date, and the year was provided as "195___". So, some archaeological clues, we suppose. The fact that this person wrote out the specific recipe seems to indicate how important this drink was to them -- and the instructions ("shake till shaker gets frosty") offer a charming glimpse into this person's bartending technique.

Here's a recipe from Oscar Haimo's "Cocktail and Wine Digest: Encyclopedia & Guide for Home & Bar" from 1946:

Another point that we need to discuss in relation to this drink is how much diversity there is in its ingredients. So far, we see that it, at minimum, takes orange juice and gin. The proportions of the gin and orange juice vary widely. Some recipes call for sugar to be added. The recipe on the side of the glass called for nutmeg. Here's a recipe from the 1964 edition of "Famous New Orleans Drinks And How to Mix 'Em":

Well, they kind of explain it there, don't they? To prove their point, here's the recipe from our 1933 edition of "The Drink Master":

Instead of Peychaud's bitters, they call for Angostura bitters, and instead of sugar (or grenadine or honey), they call for maple syrup. Yeah, just like the topping for your pancakes. Oh, and be sure you don't miss the little detail that this recipe is supposed to serve two. We don't know about you, but not in our household!

Next, we have a recipe from a 1960's era Fleischmann's booklet:

Here, they take the drink down to its basics: just a 1:1 ratio of OJ and gin.

But, wait .... now this drink is kind of sounding familiar .... like something we've heard of .... oh, a Screwdriver, except with gin instead of vodka! As we've commented on in the past, gin is a spirit that is slightly out of vogue (to put it mildly, and lamentably). So, maybe the Orange Blossom is as popular as ever, except that it changed its name and got a few nips-and-tucks and transformed itself into a Screwdriver? In the era when the Orange Blossom evidently had its heyday, vodka was not readily available -- could it be that as vodka came onto the market and became so popular the Orange Blossom just modernized and changed with the times?

Well, something to ponder. Regardless, here's to keeping up with the times! Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: a Harvey Wallbanger

Doesn't this tray present a tempting choice of options? Harvey is #3, there on the right. (The tall one!) (and, yes, those are cocktail weenies!) Here's how you can recreate this kind of magic yourself:

This is taken directly from Galliano's circa-early 70's promotional recipe booklet entitled "Welcome to Galliano's World of New Tastes" where they promise that "Italy's premier liqueur is also the perfect mixing ingredient."

The Harvey Wallbanger is probably single-handedly responsible for popularizing Galliano, and why you can spot its signature narrow, skinny, spire of a bottle with its golden liqueur in the back row of every bar.

The Harvey Wallbanger is pretty much the quintessential 70's drink. Equally good as an eye-opener or as a drink of choice at one of those singles bars that became so popular in that decade, it proved a reliable stand-by drink order.

Where did the name come from, though? Well, here's one take on the origins of the drink:

We suppose that story works. Here's another take on a Harvey Wallbanger, from one of those singles bars:

Penny pinching, indeed.

Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: the Daisy

A few weeks ago in our tongue-in-cheek discussion about drinks for the "advanced" bartender, we came to the point that a lot of classic drinks are simply two or three ingredients thrown together in the right proportions. In that case, the point was that you (yes, you, too!) can be an accomplished home bartender. Another point to be drawn from that is today's Friday Happy Hour topic.

A very popular drink these days -- and it's a good one -- is a vodka soda. Or, often a so-called "Citron soda" made with Absolut Citron or any other infused vodka. They're light, refreshing -- it's a great drink. They're simple to make -- hence even an "advanced" bartender can master them.

These "soda" drinks have a forgotten ancestry. A "daisy" was a kind of drink that mixed a spirit (your choice), lemon or lime juice, grenadine or a sweet syrup, and topped it off with soda. Illustrated in the following recipes from our 1946 edition of the "Cocktail and Wine Digest" by Oscar Haimo:

Now, of course, this was from an era when no one was drinking vodka yet.

Maybe it was because of the Cold War or something. But, take that citrus from the lemon juice , imagine that it's calling for vodka, and you kind of have a Citron soda.

Here's a recipe for a gin daisy from our 1948 Fleishmann's Mixer's Manual:

So, a daisy is just as easy to make as your trusty old vodka soda, and it has such an interesting history behind it. Why not add this drink to your bag of tricks and trot it out whenever you have your friends over and one of them asks for a vodka soda or something along those lines? Suddenly you're an expert! Also, by now, maybe you're kind of understanding that a daisy is a perfect summer drink -- on the rocks, spirit and soda, citrus and sweetener, and some pretty garnishes thrown in. As they say, two is too many, three is never enough!

It's too bad that you can't walk into a bar and order a daisy, since this old war horse of a drink was put out to pasture years ago. It still has legs, though, and maybe she'll make another run. But next time you or a friend orders a vodka soda, and they serve it with a wedge of lemon or a twist, think of the daisy!

Friday Happy Hour: A Patio Supper

Nothing says "summertime" like a cookout. Hungry for some barbecued chicken, potato chips, and roasted corn? How about a chocolate sundae?

Well, here's the 1-2-3 steps for the "Easiest Patio Supper":

Oh, and don't forget the drinks!

You'll be a hit!

Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: how to be a successful host in an instant!

Hosting a successful event can stress you out. Well, worry no more . . . here's how you're going to do it:


Even if you're called upon to entertain without notice, you can do it!


See, you're already about to have fun!

What should you have "at hand" to pull this off? Here's a checklist:

And, there's more:

All stocked up? Ready to go? You betcha!

Next week we're going to put this training to work with a Patio Supper!

Cheers!