It’s LITT (Long Island Ice Tea)

Sometimes in life you just have to grab random bottles of alcohol and start pouring them into the same glass. After that you add a little splash of cola to top with a lemon wheel. You then refer to this drink as an “Iced Tea”. Anyone who drinks this “Iced Tea” will blast off on a fast track to inebriation, also referred to as “Lit”.

Ingredients: 3/4 oz rum, 3/4 oz vodka, 3/4 oz gin, 3/4 oz tequila, 3/4 oz triple sec, 3/4 oz lemon juice, cola

1. Build various spirits one by one
2. Top with cola
3. Garnish with lemon wheel if desired
4. Cheers!

 

 

Mezcal and Apple Juice?? (Nuena Tardes)

First things first, I don’t think Nuena Tardes is the best name for this drink. Not a huuuge deal, just saying I would have given this smooth easy drinking cocktail a better name! I first came across the recipe in “ The Book of Dangerous Cocktails” by Dylan March and Jennifer Boudinot. I have experimented with the recipe since then to add my own spin, however this recipe is for the original.

What to Expect

The Nuena Tardes is a fairly simple recipe. It uses only one type of spirit (mezcal), with fresh lemon juice and apple juice or cider. When made correctly it will taste like a smooth slightly tart apple juice for adults. This cocktail is VERY easy to drink in my opinion! With that being said let’s dive into the recipe.

Ingredients: Fresh Squeezed lemon juice, apple juice or cider, mezcal 1. Produce 1 oz fresh lemon juice

2. Fill shaker about halfway with ice

3. Add 1 and 1/2 oz of mezcal to shaker along with 5 oz apple juice and 1 oz lemon juice

4. Shake until well chilled and blended

5. Strain into ice filled glass and garnish with lemon wheel if desired

6. Enjoy!

Video #1 Update

Exotic Splash will be dropping our first video soon!  It was scheduled to be released over a week ago, but due to some production errors we will be re-shooting. The quality of video is extremely important to us and will be shot in 4k.  We will also be creating a YouTube channel to feature our videos as well. Link will drop with video, thanks for your support!

Spirit Highlight: Akvavit

Spirit knowledge is a key component when experimenting with new cocktails. Often times the addition of uncommon ingredients can be the difference in taking a cocktail from, good to great. For this reason I decided to write a quick highlight on the culture and flavor profile of this spirit.

History and Culture

Akvavit pronounced Aqua-veet, is a Scandinavian spirit that can be traced back to the mid 1500’s. Akvavit translates roughly to “water of life” in Latin and is an important part of Scandinavian history and culture. Usually drank during celebratory or festive events, akvavit can range in color from clear to light brown depending on country of origin. From my understanding, traditionally akvavit is served at room temperature in a shotglass or sipped straight accompanied by a dark beer.

Flavor Profile

Akvavit is made from distilled grain or potatoes along with botanical distillates and spices. Denmark and Sweden prefer a clear version of akvavit with strong caraway or dill flavors. Norway differs however, by favoring a darker caramel colored version of akvavit that is aged in sherry oak cask to provide a richer more full-bodied flavor with notes of vanilla.

I will be highlighting some interesting cocktails with akvavit soon so stay posted. As always feel free to comment or contact I’d love to hear from you!

 

Pint O’ Plain and A Baby Guinness

Happy St. Patrick’s day! By FAR one of my favorite holidays. Who doesn’t love a drinking mans holiday? St. Paddy’s day also happens to shine a big bright spotlight on my favorite drinks. A nice stout (such as Guinness) and a nice smooth shot of Irish whiskey. I’m a big fan of Kilbeggan’s Irish whiskey and Tullamore Dew.

I also happen to be a big fan of Baby Guinness shooters! They are both simple and delicious. They don’t however, actually contain any Guinness. Instead you will need Irish Cream of your choice and coffee flavored liqueur. I hope this simple shot will spice up your St. Paddy’s day just please… don’t order an Irish Carbomb from an Irish bar.      ; )

1. Pour about 1.5 oz coffee liqueur into shot glass to start
2. Float an oz of Irish Cream on top
3. Shoot and enjoy!

 

Camber Sands English Iced Tea

The Camber Sands Iced Tea is the Long Island Ice Tea’s classier cousin. How classy? well that depends on what kind of lemon vodka you decide to use. I mean there is no need to break the bank on it in my opinion but, it is an interesting to drink to keep up your sleeve. Most people I know don’t usually put tea in their cocktails, that’s exactly why I decided to feature this somewhat simple drink today. So, lets dive in..

Glass: usually highball

Method: shake and strain

 

Ingredients: 4 oz lemon vodka, Earl Grey tea, 3 tbs cranberry juice, mint leaves, sugar syrup, lemon juice, plenty of ice

1. Muddle generous amount of mint leaves to taste
2. Add 4 oz of lemon vodka of choice to shaker with 3/4 cup of Earl Grey tea, 3 tbs of cranberry juice, dash of sugar syrup and lemon juice
3. Shake until well chilled
4. Strain into highball glass filled with ice
5. Garnish with lemon slice and/or mint leaves

 

 

3 Techniques to Elevate Drink Presentation

Cocktail presentation is key to making an amazing drink. It can range from a very simple garnish, to mind blowing artistic expression. This post will focus on 3 fairly simple and easy techniques to instantly elevate drink presentation.

1. Torching/Flaminig –

Torching or flaming fruit slices or peels can add new flavor profiles while enhancing existing flavors. The sky is the limit when it comes to this technique as you can apply this to many garnishes. Often times a torch is used. However I have heard of many bartenders using matches for a slower, classy showing.

 

2.  Peeling –

As long as you have access to a peeler you can perfect this simple and endless technique. Try some thin peel shaving, twist or even shape or design ( Such as slithering snake orange peel)

3. Garnish Combos – Simply combing a couple garnishes can bring your drinks to the next level. A couple noteworthy garnishes include, mint sprig and dendrobium flower or this easy to make orange peel and mint sprig rose. 

Just like the other techniques there is so much room for innovation with these garnish combinations. The only limit is what you choose to do with it.

 

As always feel free to submit your drinks to Exotic Splash to be featured,all credit will be given to you !

 

 

Sapphire Martini

This is one of those drinks that is a must know in my opinion. The Sapphire martini taste great, and like most blue cocktails is also pretty cool to show off. Another plus to this martini is the simplicity. It is gin based which adds a slight complexity to the flavor without adding too many ingredients!

Glass: Martini

Method: Shake and strain

Ingredients: 2 shots gin of choice, 1 shot blue curaçao (red or blue cocktail cherries to garnish)

1. Add gin and curaçao to shaker and shake until chilled

2. Strain into chilled martini glass

3. Gently drop cherry into bottom of glass and enjoy!

Exotic Splash and Ocean Conservation

Exotic Splash is a Pacific Northwest based movement. We are passionate about making a splash by both introducing YOU to the best cocktails, as well as ocean conservation. A percentage of all income generated by Exotic Splash will be donated to Ocean Conservation. Help us help the future generations. Cheers!

The Elephants Fury

I discovered The Elephants Fury in a Sunset Kitchen article. Its birthplace is Oakland California and it is still served by Navi Kitchen in Emeryville, CA. This is a sophisticated recipe that serves 8 and will take a little time but creates a spicy,complex and delicious cocktail sure to impress in any small gathering.

Glass: Any

Method: Blend and strain

 

Ingredients: 1/4 cup fresh chopped turmeric or turmeric powder, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 dried arbol chilies, 1 cup fresh lime juice divided, 1 tbs kosher salt, 1 tbs Indian chili powder or cayenne, 2 limes sliced into thin rounds, 8 oz mescal, 8 oz tequila.

 

1. Puree turmeric and 1/4 cup water in blender. Then pour into small saucepan with 3/4 cup more water and the sugar.
2. Bring to a boil while stirring, remove from heat and let steep for 2 hours
3. Soak chilies in 1/3 cup warm water until softened ( about 10 min)
4. Strain turmeric syrup into a container while discarding solids
5. Drain chilies, then puree with 1/4 cup lime juice and strain into syrup
6. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup lime juice and chill until cold( approx. 1 hr)
7. combine salt and chili powder on a small plate
8. Rub lime slice around rim of each glass and dip into salt mix
9. Make 1 cocktail at a time by shaking 1 oz mezcal and 1 oz tequila, 2 oz turmeric syrup and a handful of  ice cubes until well chilled
10. strain into chili rimmed glass and float lime slice on top!