Cocktails: This Summer Serve Up a Delicious Hibiscus Margarita

Chef and Food Blogger, Leigh Ann Chatagnier shares a delicious summer cocktail recipe for Hibiscus Margaritas.
 Hibiscus Margarita: Serves Two

Says Leigh Ann, "Have you ever made anything with dried hibiscus flowers? More than likely you have had a hibiscus tea or at least seen it, but I am here you tell you that you need to make a cocktail with it too! This margarita is the perfect balance of sweet, floral, and tart and is super refreshing! It is going to make your summer celebrations complete, not to mention it’s an absolute gorgeous color thanks to those little dried flowers!

Whether or not you are planning on hosting a party, or are just going to be hanging at home with your family, I am pretty sure this cocktail need to be on your summer menu!"

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Dried Hibiscus Flowers (Usually spice shops carry them and so does World Market or you can order online!)

1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Sugar or Agave
2 Oz. Tequila
1/2 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
1/4 Cup Kosher or Maldon Salt for Rimming Glasses

Directions:
In a small saucepan make hibiscus simple syrup by combining dried hibiscus flowers, water, and sugar and bring to a boil stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Turn off heat and let steep for 5 minutes.

Strain the syrup, removing the dried hibiscus flowers and let chill completely.

Take a lime wedge and go around the edge of two glasses.

Pour salt onto a plate or into a bowl and dip the limed rimmed glasses into the salt.

Fill the two glasses with crushed ice and add lime juice, tequila, and hibiscus syrup to a cocktail shaker and shake well to combine and then pour over the ice into two glasses.

Garnish and serve immediately. 

Cocktails: Ketel One Poolside

Ketel One Vodka has created some delicious, tasty and colorful cocktails perfect for kicking off LGBT Pride Month!
   
Poolside

1.25 oz Ketel One

.25 oz Blue Curacao

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.75 oz Simple Syrup

Glass: Cocktail

Ice: None

Garnish: Brandied Cherry

Shake. Strain.

Cocktails: RHu-Paul's Orange Tic-Tac

The finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race is on May 19, and the fine folks at Art in the Age have put together the perfect cocktail to sip while watching the contestants strut:

 

RHU-Paul’s Orange Tic Tac

1 part Art in the Age RHUBARB

1 part orange juice

2 parts sparkling wine

Splash cranberry juice

Flamed orange peel 

(optional) Teaspoon of Galliano

 

Mix RHUBARB and orange juice in a glass, over ice. Top with sparkling wine and a splash of cranberry juice, and garnish with a flamed orange peel. For extra 70’s disco flair, stir in a teaspoon of Galliano liqueur.

Inspired by the lunch that RuPaul shares with finalists (a single orange Tic-Tac), this fruity, fizzy cocktail is fabulous.

It's Just Social - aka Jeff's Happy Hour - Photo Album

The It's Just Social group - aka Jeff's Happy Hour - met this past Friday, June 15 to kick off Pride weekend right - with good friends, good food, and good cocktails at the Interstate kitchen and bar on Santa Fe. Good times!

Gay Guy Gift Guide: Colorado Cider Company

Colorado Cider Company produces fresh hard cider for the discerning Colorado drinker. 

With a well-developed craft beer market and an educated populace, hard cider has been a missing choice in the Denver market. Colorado Cider Company hopes to remedy that. Gluten-free and dryer than typical cider, Colorado Cider is available in fine liquor stores, bars and restaurants throughout Colorado.

Visit coloradocider.com for a location near you and get some for Father's Day for your father ... or your daddy.

New Year's cocktail: Pomegranate champagne

Add a unique twist to the traditional midnight toast by blending bubbly with pomegranate (or cranberry) juice.

And check out BHG.com for nine more fun and festive cocktail recipes to ring in the New Year.

Cocktail Recipe: Heklina's Ruby Sipper

I had enough cocktails this past weekend to hold me for quite a while but for those of you who are looking for a little something to wet your whistle, why not try Heklina's Ruby Sipper?

Heklina’s Ruby Sipper
1 ounce SKYY Infusions Pineapple
1 ounce Cranberry Juice
1 ounce Orange Juice
Mix into a highball glass with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

Absolut gay pride

The limited edition bottle celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, arguably the most important milestone in the gay equality movement. The rainbow-colored bottle cover is made of a durable, thick plastic and fits snugly around a 750 ml bottle of Absolut. Best of all, when you’re done with the original bottle (presumably around 8:32 a.m. the morning of parade day), you can replace it with another. And another. And another.

Cocktails: Absolut GLAAD

Absolut vodka has created a signature cocktail to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their partnership with GLAAD - the Absolut GLAAD.

To make the Absolut GLAAD, simply mix Absolut Mango and pineapple juice and garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Absolut cocktails from 'RuPaul's Drag Race'

Quench your thirst with some of these delicious cocktails featured on 'RuPaul's Drag Race.'

*click to embiggen and read

Hey, you got protein in my vodka!

Created in San Francisco, the birthplace of the original martini, Devotion Spirits is set to unleash the groundbreaking power of the first-ever 80-proof, four column distilled vodka with the benefits of protein that is made in the United States. Whether enjoyed on the rocks, mixed, stirred or shaken, Devotion Vodka provides for the smooth, delicious ultra-premium vodka taste discerning mixologists (professional or novice) are seeking.

Created and developed by company President Drew Adelman, a nightlife, dining aficionado and fitness buff, Devotion Vodka was inspired by his search to combine his two favorite passions: fitness and nightlife.

“My own personal mantra has always been … if you are going to be bad, you might as well be good,” notes Adelman. “With Devotion Vodka I can stay devoted to my regimen, while stepping out for a good time. I used to actually take my own protein out with me when I went for a night on the town. Then I realized there were millions of people like me who wanted to take care of their bodies and also have a good time. From that passion, Devotion Vodka was born.”