A Cocktail Worthy of an Award | The Golden Flutes

The Oscars may have passed this Sunday, but we all are still in very glamorous and star-studded moods. We all dream of living the celebrity lifestyle. While it is quite difficult to do, the least we can do is sip on fabulous cocktails like the A-Listers do!

Whether you've arranged an awards show watch party or are simply feeling like dazzling up your night after an ordinary work day, you will certainly feel like a celeb while enjoying an elit Vodka Golden Flutes Cocktail. The cocktail combines award winning elit Vodka, grapefruit, pineapple and ginger, blending into a crowd-pleasing concoction. 

The Golden Flutes

Ingredients:

1½ parts elit Vodka

½ part Dry Vermouth

2 dashes Grapefruit Bitters

1 part Lime Juice

½ part Gomme Syrup

4-6 muddled Pineapple Wedges

2 slices Ginger (Not Muddled)

Pinch of Salt

Champagne

Edible Flower

 Directions:

Shake all ingredients and fine strain into a chilled Champagne flute. Top with Champagne and garnish with an edible flower.

Happy National Margarita Day | Tantalizing Margarita Recipes

Aye aye aye! National Margarita Day is here, February 22nd! As a total tequila-loving gal, this is one of my favorite days of the year. There are so many different ways to put a spin on the traditional margarita. Sweet, sour or spicy, I love them all and the possibilities are truly endless. 

For this very special holiday, Patrón Tequila, Casamigos Tequila by George Clooney and Rande Gerber, El Jimador, and Gilt City all have created festive, tantalizing margarita recipes, all unique and leave you craving more. Here are some of my favorites! Which one do you want to try?!

English Garden Margarita

Created by Sophie Brett of London, England

Ingredients:

1.5 oz / 50 ml Patrón Silver
.5 oz / 15 ml Patrón Citrónge Orange

.75 oz / 20 ml Fresh lemon juice

.5 oz / 15 ml Apricot liqueur
.5 oz / 15 ml Earl Grey tea syrup*
+ 3 Drops orange flower water
+ 2 Sugar snap peas, one for garnish
+ 2 Sprigs mint, one for garnish
+ Pumpkin oil and smoked salt rim

*Earl Grey tea syrup:

Combine simple syrup with hot water and 5 tea bags.

Directions:

1. In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle 1 sugar snap pea and 1 mint sprig with Earl Grey tea syrup.*

2. Add liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker, along with 1 cracked sugar snap pea and 1 sprig of mint.

3. Fill cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously.

4. Use a fine strainer to strain into glass rimmed with pumpkin oil and smoked salt.

4. Garnish with mint sprig and sugar snap pea.

GILT City of Angels Margarita

Gilt City has teamed up with LA's Greenbar Distillery to create an exclusive margarita recipe.

Known for its organic, hand-crafted spirits, Greenbar Distillery and Gilt City developed the Gilt City of Angels margarita, a floral and fruity concoction made with organic ingredients developed by the distillery.

You can also enjoy the cocktail during a one-day National Margarita Day Class on 2/22, where they will dive deep into everything margarita, from common tequila terms to tidbits every marg-lover should know. After a demo, they’ll shake up two of their own cocktails and receive a cocktail kit to take home! 

This National Margarita Day Class is available exclusively on GiltCity.com for only 

$40 (an $80 value), here: https://www.gilt.com/city/los-angeles/offer/greenbardistilerylafeb17

Gilt City is also offering additional cocktail classes and private tours at the distillery.

Ingredients:

1.25-oz. IXA silver tequila

0.5-oz. FRUITLAB orange liqueur

0.25-oz. FRUITLAB hibiscus liqueur

1-oz. simple syrup

1-oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice

4 dashes of BAR KEEP lavender bitters

Directions:

1. Rim a glass with lavender-infused salt; add ice.

2. Combine ingredients with ice in shaker and shake.

3. Strain over ice and enjoy.

Spicy Cucumber Margarita

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila

1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice  

.25 oz. Fresh Orange Juice

.5 oz. Agave Nectar

.5 oz. Orange Liqueur

Directions:

Combine all ingredients to iced mixing glass. Shake vigorously for 10 count. Pour all contents into a rocks glass with or without salted rim. Garnish with a lime.  

Black Raspberry Margarita

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz el Jimador Tequila

½ oz Triple Sec

3 oz Sour Mix

½ oz Chambord Liquor

Directions:

In a shaker filled with ice, add ingredients and shake to mix. Pour into margarita glass rimmed with salt (optional). Garnish with a lime or blackberry.

Tiki Rita

Created by Mindy Kucan of Portland, Oregon

Ingredients:

2 oz Patrón Reposado
.5 oz Patrón Citrónge Orange
.5 oz Fresh lime juice
.5 oz Fresh grapefruit juice
.25 oz Vanilla syrup
+ Splash Allspice dram

+ Grated nutmeg for garnish
+ Lime wheel and cloves for garnish
+ Hawaiian sea salt rim

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. 
2. Strain onto fresh ice in a Tiki glass that has been rimmed with Hawaiian sea salt. 
3. Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg and a lime wheel pierced with three cloves and grated nutmeg.

Celebrate Love with Valentine's Day Cocktails

Whether you've got a boo or not, it's hard not to fall for all of the fun that comes along with Valentine's Day season. From all the pink, white and red decor, to being able to indulge in a box of chocolates, to (of course) sipping on decadent Valentine's Day cocktails. 

This Valentine's Day, maybe you're spending the evening with your BF, your hot new fling, or your closest gals... One thing that's for sure is that we all crave a little bit of a seductive buzz on V-Day. Luckily, I have a few cocktails that will definitely stir some romance into your night, and are fit for any flirty occasion. 

Swipe Left Cosmo

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Parts SVEDKA Strawberry Colada 

1/2 Part Triple Sec 

1/2 Part Fresh Lime Juice 

1/2 Part Cranberry Juice

Directions:

Pour SVEDKA Strawberry Colada, triple sec, fresh lime juice and cranberry juice into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a skewer of fresh strawberries. 

Killer in Red

Ingredients:
3/4 oz. Campari
3/4 oz. Cinzano 1757 Bianco
1/2 oz.  Grand Marnier
3/4 oz.  Chamomile Gin
Drop of Rose Essence
 

Directions:

Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice and stir with a bar spoon. Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe. Finish with a drop of rose essential oil and serve.

Love of a Lifethyme

Ingredients:

1 oz Patrón Silver

   ½ oz lemon

 ¼ oz pomegranate syrup

  ¼ oz honey

   Fresh thyme

 2 dashes peychauds bitters

Directions:

Shake ingredients with ice. Double strain champagne, absinthe spritz, or prosecco float into a coupe or champagne glass. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Tickled Pink

Created by Ashtin Berry, Bartender at Ace Hotel Nola, New Orleans

Ingredients:

¾ part elit Vodka
½ part cranberry syrup
¼ part lemon
2 dashes orange bitters

Directions:

Shake with ice and strain into coupe or flute, top with bubbles and add an orange twist.

Love Potion

Ingredients:

2 parts SVEDKA Vanilla

½ part granulated sugar

Dash Angostura bitters

Dash chocolate bitters

Directions:

Build ingredients in a cocktail shaker, stir and strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a white chocolate-dipped cherry.

Heart Throb

Ingredients: 

2 Parts Ruffino Sparkling Rosé 

1 Part Vodka 

3/4 Part Lemon Juice 

3/4 Part Pear Nectar 

1/2 Part Simple Syrup

Directions: 

In a shaker, place all ingredients except for the Ruffino Sparkling Rosé. Shake and strain into a highball glass with some ice. Top with the Ruffino Sparkling Rosé and garnish with sprigs of thyme. 

Embrace the Winter Chill with elit Vodka's Frozen Terrain

Winter is in full swing and we are well into the chilly months. You may have a countdown going until the first day of spring, but I'm a firm believer that the days go by faster if you simply embrace the cold. What's the easiest way to do so? With an icy winter cocktail, of course!

I'm loving the Frozen Terrain cocktail created by Whitney Morrow of Chicago's Drumbar with elit by Stolichnaya. Complete with a cinnamon stick-infused ice cube, the Frozen Terrain is as visually pleasing as it is delicious. With the freezing temperatures outside, the infused ice cubes are the perfect means to ‘freeze’ your cocktail while adding additional flavors in a luxurious and sophisticated way.

Embrace this winter in style with the Frozen Terrain!

Frozen Terrain

Created by Whitney Morrow, Beverage Director at Drumbar, Chicago

Ingredients:

1 part elit Vodka

½ part St. George Terroir Gin

¾ part Lillet Blanc

¼ part pear liqueur

1 cinnamon ice cube**

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir. Strain into a rocks glass over a 2” x 2” cinnamon ice cube.

**Cinnamon Ice Cube: place 7 sticks of cinnamon into 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Place into large format ice tray with one sprig of rosemary and a thinly sliced piece of pear. Freeze.

Ring in Award Season with Belvedere Cocktails

With award season upon us, it's like the holidays all over again! It started with The Golden Globes and we've got plenty more to look forward to in the coming months. As much as we'd all love to be on the red carpet with our favorite stars, realistically we will most likely be watching them with friends at viewing parties. The one thing you have over those golden hardware loving celebs? You're able to celebrate with red carpet approved cocktails the moment you turn on the TV watching pre-show coverage! What's better than hearing that? Oh yeah, if they're glamorous Belvedere cocktails!

Whether you're hosting a black tie viewing party or are just lounging on the couch with friends, here's two Belvedere cocktails fit for either occasion that any guest will love!

Pear & Rosemary Martini

Ingredients:

50ml/1.5 oz. Belvedere Vodka

25ml Pear Puree

10ml/ 1/4 oz. Simple Syrup

10ml/ 1/4 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

Directions:

Gently muddle rosemary in the base of the shaker. Add remaining ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Polish Mule

Ingredients: 

50ml/1.5 oz. Belvedere Intense

1/2 Fresh Lime

Dash Elderflower Syrup

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Fever-Tree Ginger Beer 

Directions:

Shake all ingredients except for ginger beer. Fine strain over cubed ice into a highball glass. Top with Fever Tree and garnish with a wedge of lime.