Category Archives: Cocktails 101

when the cookie crumbles…into your alcoholic milkshake

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Guys. I am extremely excited for today’s Cocktail U session. Many of you return dutifully week after week (and thank you for that!) to sample from Great-aunt Helen’s recipe box, then enjoy adult beverages that match up with these recipes. This … Continue reading →

gin, bubbly, and WWI? vive la france!

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Bounjour mes amis et mercie d’etre ici aujourd’hui. Now that my high school French has been exhausted, I will return to the English language as we embark on yet another session of Cocktail U. To match the French-ness of last … Continue reading →

red rob roy

red rob roy

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Hello all and welcome to Cocktail U. Today’s lesson not only names an adult beverage to serve with last week’s Ham Hock Soup, but also asks what makes a classic cocktail classic and how far you can stray from the … Continue reading →

boulevardier, shall we?

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As much as I love food and drink, it was with some embarrassment that I never knew what to order in a bar. Cocktails and mixed drinks (the same thing? even experts can’t agree) always intrigued, but aside from asking the … Continue reading →

cachaça in the caipirinha

cachaça in the caipirinha

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Last week’s Brazilian Rice could only be followed by a Brazilian cocktail, am I right? And what better drink than a caipirinha? (Repeat after me: kype’-ah-reen-ya.) As a Midwesterner, I was unaware of this lovely drink until five or so … Continue reading →

pressed

pressed

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Welcome to all and thank you for stopping by food for fun’s lucky 13th installment of Cocktail U. Accompanying last week’s Blatburg Breakfast Bars (you’ll have to clink on the link to learn more about that wonky title) with an … Continue reading →

the bite of the british snake?

the bite of the british snake?

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Despite my promise to return one week later with a drink to accompany Great-aunt Helen’s Chicken Wings, it’s now been two weeks since reporting in. I’ll play the Mom Card and say it’s been another bunch of crazy weeks with … Continue reading →

a spirited frap

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Just two weeks ago we enjoyed a pan of Great-aunt Helen’s Toffee Squares. A promise was made to return with a suitable beverage pairing and though having kids out on summer break has derailed me, a promise is a promise … Continue reading →

getting our (whiskey) fix

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Last week’s rhubarb pie went over so well that there is none left to enjoy with this week’s cocktail. I’d wanted to make another, but haven’t gotten around to it. So we’ll just imagine a slice of thisas we sip … Continue reading →

old-fashioned southern comfort

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Cocktail U is once again in session. Thank you for coming to class this week. If you’ll please take your seats, I’ll first pass platters of Great-aunt Helen’s Grits. Our assignment this week was to find a cocktail to accompany … Continue reading →

Kentucky cocktail, cake optional

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wpid-kentucky-mule_01.jpg.jpegwpid-buttermilk-cake-slice_02.jpg.jpegLast post’s Buttermilk Cake was a sweet tribute to my late Great-aunt Helen. And as we do with all of these sweet tributes, it’s time to find an adult beverage pairing.

Because I’ve been enjoying classic Moscow Mules (a.k.a. Vodka Bucks) lately, I considered suggesting that this vodka-lime cocktail accompany the cake. But somehow the flavors of the cake and cocktail didn’t seem to mesh.

My thoughts next turned to bourbon, as they often do, and I remembered a Mule variation I also enjoy: The Kentucky Mule.wpid-kentucky-mule.jpg.jpegSadly, none of my cocktail cookbooks carried this recipe, so I googled and found this beauty. Three ingredients were mixed and I soon had a Kentucky Mule in hand.

Some recipes I’d found also contained mint, hinting at another bourbon favorite–the Mint Julep. But I stuck with the simplicity of bourbon, ginger beer, lime juice and was richly rewarded. More tart than sweet, it could have used an extra pour of ginger beer, but overall it was refreshing and lovely.

Opportunity to pair it with the cake was missed as the cake didn’t last long enough to meet the Mule. The Kentucky Mule doesn’t need a cake partner, though, and I’ll happily toast food for fun readers with a glass. Thanks for being here!wpid-bourbon-mule.jpg.jpeg