New Year... New Recipes!!!

A new year has come and my wish is that everyone can achieve their goals and enjoy life the best way they can with a cocktail on hand.

To Start the year in a good way i gathered a few recipes to help you cheer up and start 2009 with the right foot.

But first and because we now are a global village here are some toasts from arround the world.

Austrian: Prosit
Portuguese : Saude. Viva
Chinese : Gom Bay
Danish : Skol
Dutch : Proost
Finnish: Kippis
French : Sante
German : Prosit
Hawaiian : Okole Maluna, Hauoul Maoul oe, Meul Kaulkama
Irish : Slainte
Italian : A la tu Salute
Japanese : Kam Pai
Mexican : Salud
Norwegian : Skol
Russian : Na Zdorovia
Spanish : Salud
Swedish : Skol
Zulu : Oogy Wawaa

Heirloom Martini
1/4 piece heirloom tomato
Small sprig fresh basil plus more leaves, for garnish
Ice
2 ounces premium gin
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2-ounce orange flavored liqueur
Lords Of Salt Hazelnut Salt
Rub a cut lemon around the rim of a chilled martini glass. Dip the glass, upside down, in the Hazelnut salt. You might need to crush the salt to make it small enough to stick to the rim. In a pint glass or a Boston shaker, muddle the tomato and basil. Add ice, the gin, lemon juice and orange liqueur. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a basil leaf.

pumpkin nog
1 fifth Southern Comfort
12 jumbo eggs
5 cups of whole milk
½ lb. superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup pumpkin puree*

"Christmas is not properly observed unless you brew nog for all comers; everybody calls on everybody else; and each call is celebrated by a solemn egg-nogging…"
— An English visitor 1866

Homemade Rock & Rye
Rye Whiskey, 1/5 gallon, not a full quart
Jamaica Rum, jigger
Rock candy, ½ cup, leave in large lumps
Whole cloves, 1 doz.
Quartered small orange, peel left on
Quartered seedless lemon, peel left on
Stick of cinnamon, or two
Put ingredients in a jar, cover with Rye, and stand for a fortnight. Strain out spices through fine cloth or filter paper. Put back on fruit until needed.

"Rock & Rye can be served hot with excellent effect to fight off colds, influenza’s, miasmas, megrims, swamp mists, and blackwater fevers. In fact any sort of excuse seems to work."
- Charles H. Baker, Jr. The Gentleman’s Companion, 1946

Pandora's Cure

created by Mirjana Kucan

2 oz. Hendrick's Gin

¾ oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

1 oz. Brut Champagne or Sparkling Wine

2 Rose Petals

1 Cucumber Slice

2 drops Rose Flower Water
Directions:In a mixing glass, muddle 1 rose petal and the cucumber slice. Add ice, Hendrick's Gin and PAMA. Stir well. Line chilled coupe glass with rose flower water and discard remaining liquid. Strain through tea or julep strainer into coupe glass. Float Brut Champagne or sparkling wine.
Garnish:Garnish with a rose petal, floating in the liquid like an upright bowl, filled with Argento Fino.