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AUSTIN CITY GUIDE TO MOSCOW MULES

2/28/2017

I love me a good mule! The crisp ginger beer, refreshing lime and of course, that ice cold copper mug. The original moscow mule was made with Smirnoff Vodka, Ginger beer, and a little lime juice. These days, there are many variations of the mule and some are made with other spirits instead of the traditional vodka.

Austin has a great cocktail culture and a twist to the classic is abundant around town. In partnership with the Austin Food Blogger Alliance, here’s a city guide to a few of the coolest places in which to enjoy one of my favorite libations.

1. Cover 3, 2700 Anderson Lane, #202, Austin, Texas 78757
Simple, original cocktail with plenty of punch. It's a perfect mule.

2. CU29 Cocktail Bar, 720 Brazos Street, Austin, Texas 78701
If you like a creative cocktails, then this is the place for you! Try the ghost pepper infused vodka in your mule.

3. Seersucker, 415 Colorado Street, Austin, Texas 78701
The Skinny Jenny: citrus infused vodka, lime, lavender syrup and ginger beer.

4. Stella San Jac, 310 E. 5th St, Austin, Texas 78701
Try the Austin Mule made with Mezcal, Lime, Basil, and House Made Ginger Beer

5. Jacoby’s Restaurant & Merchantile, 3235 E Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, Texas 78702
This spicy version is sure to knock your socks off! The Melvin Mule is quite tasty made and with Ancho Reyes, lime juice and ginger beer.

6. The Boiler Room at Boiler Nine, 800 W Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, Texas 78701
“Your beauty is beyond compare, with flaming locks of auburn hair, with ivory skin and eyes of emerald green” –Dolly Parton. Must have the Jolene: Vodka, Pickled Peach, Ginger Beer, Sun Tea Bitters, and Mint .... and don't blame me if you start singing.

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REMEMBERING THE TOP SIPS OF SACC

2/27/2017

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It’s been a month since the San Antonio Cocktail Conference and I’m finally getting a chance to write about my favorites libations. With so many events that went on, it’s hard to pick just a few, but I’ve narrowed it down for you.

THE HIGH JINX
This cocktail is the 2017 SACC Signature drink and will be featured at various events held throughout the year benefiting the Houston Street Charities. It features Monkey Shoulder, the 100 percent malt Scotch whisky owned by William Grant & Sons, who recently announced Sebastien Derbomez as the brand’s new U.S. Ambassador. In this role, Seb is responsible for bringing Monkey Shoulder’s brand story and mischievous attitude to life. Through education and activations for trade and consumers, Seb showcases the marriage of select single malts that make Monkey Shoulder perfect for mixing in cocktails. Prior to working with William Grant & Sons, Seb was based in London where he cultivated his bartending and hospitality skills at Nobu restaurant and private, members-only clubs including The Century and The Burlington Club. A celebrated bartender, Seb has won several awards for outstanding cocktails, service and leadership including two Australian Bar Awards and a Queensland Lifestyle Award.

“Seb is a talented mixologist and advocate for both Monkey Shoulder and the industry as a whole,” said RJ Whittington, Monkey Shoulder Brand Manager. “His expertise, commitment to his craft and fun-loving personality make him a perfect fit for this role. We’re thrilled to have him on the team.”

We asked Seb about this year’s cocktail and he told us “Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whisky a combination of three select single malt whiskys from Speyside’s finest distilleries. The High Jinx cocktail is a great way to showcase the spirit’s versatility and highlights the fruity flavors without being overly sweet, resulting in a balanced and approachable drink.”

We enjoyed this cocktail at every event due to it’s mellow, smooth flavor of citrus and bubbles. If you would like to enjoy this all year long and beyond, we’ve included the recipe so you can make it at home.
1 ½ parts Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whiskey
½ part Solerno
¾ part lemon juice
¾ part Grenadine or Orgeat
Stir together and pour over ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with orange.

One of the official events of the SACC was Women Shaking It Up: Cocktails and Cookies held at La Villita. That would be Girl Scout Cookies! An evening outdoors under the San Antonio sky was a perfect backdrop for sampling sips and bites from award-winning chefs and restaurants. While there were many crowd pleasers, two stood out for me (and surprisingly one contained vodka!).

THE CENTENNIAL
Chila Orchata
Buffalo Trace
Honey Syrup
Rice Milk
Paired with the new S'mores Girl Scout Cookies flavor - made to commemorate the 100 Yr Anniversary of cookie sales.

(photo by Erin Winch)

CULLODEN CAFE
Drambuie
Reyka Vodka
Pulp Caramel Chameleon Cold Brew Coffee
Lemon Juice
Spiced Apple Cider
Garnished with mint and dusted nutmeg

My favorite Peanut Butter Patties were paired with a cocktail that made your mouth water and featured two of my favorites - Reyka Vodka and Drambuie. I discovered this Buie tasty treat last November when they came through Austin for the Drambuie Modern Classic.

This premium Scotch liqueur is made with aged Highland whisky, heather honey, herbs and spices, though the exact recipe remains a closely guarded secret as it has since 1745. Drambuie’s rich history and longevity is a testament to the liquid in every bottle and to the unique flavor Drambuie adds to cocktails.

Reyna Vodka is a small batch vodka made in Iceland, hand crafted using lava rock filtration, arctic spring water & geo-thermal energy and as some of you may know, one of my favorite vodkas.
(photo by Vance Henderson)

ANCHO REYES VERDE
While I am not a fan of spicy cocktails, I was blown away by this limited edition expression from the award-winning and trailblazing original spicy chile liqueur, Ancho Reyes. Originally launching last fall in New York, this tasty spirit will be available in Texas this week!

Spirits industry visionaries Daniel Schneeweiss and Moises Guindi, of Milagro Tequila and Montelobos Mezcal, brought this historic recipe into the modern day to create an award-winning spirit, and now evolve that recipe further with Ancho Reyes Verde. While both Original and Verde are made from the same poblano chile, a couple of key differences in the production process yield unique characteristics:

The chiles used to create Verde are harvested earlier in the maturation process, while still green, and then fire roasted; those in Original are late harvested and sun dried, turning them to ancho chiles
While Original uses the hand-scissoring maceration process, Verde is mashed
Finally, Original uses only mesh press filtration while Verde uses both mesh and paper

These characteristics open new opportunities for cocktail creations. The herbal, brightness of Verde provides an authentic and natural boost of flavor and can be a versatile tool for mixologists and at-home cocktail enthusiasts. Where Original is an excellent companion to dark spirit cocktails, Verde works perfectly with cocktails such as margaritas, gimlets and daiquiris.

The result is a light, but crisp flavor that is surprisingly easy to drink.

OVERNIGHT SENSATION
While enjoying a break between sessions, we had a nice lunch at the Pearl District and explored some bars in the area. One of which was the Sternewirth, located in the Hotel Emma. Made with Reyka Vodka, Madagascar vanilla, egg white, lime and garnished with fresh raspberry, this truly was a sensation in every sense of the word!

ABSINTHE FRAPPE
One of the most anticipated classes for me at this year’s conference was the History of Absinthe session. We were greeted with a Bloody Fairy (made with absinthe instead of vodka) and sampled various brands of absinthe while learning about the myths and merriment thoughtout the years. After class, we were invited to The Green Hour by the ‘Absinthe Alchemist”, Milo Rodriguez. I had never had a Absinthe Frappe and was pleasantly delighted with it. So much so, that I had two!

(photo by Erin Winch)

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MEN OF VODKA: FEBRUARY-MARIO FREIXAS, DOUBLE CROSS VODKA

2/10/2017

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If you’re looking for a new vodka to try, consider Double Cross Vodka. You’ll first notice the beautiful bottle - rectangular with a double cross on the front, etched with poetry on the back, each numbered by batch, and let’s not forget the engravable cap for a more personal touch.

But once, you taste it, you can’t help but notice the bold taste of this estate grown winter wheat vodka, distilled with pristine, crisp Svakia water. “Cool packaging with quality vodka, 2nd to none, and a score of 95 from Wine Enthusiast” boasts Florida General Manager, Mario Freixas. It’s also received Two gold medals at the World Spirits Competition and is the only vodka ever to win gold for both taste and package design in the history of the competition.

Since February is the month of love, I feel the Double Cross Vodka bottle totally resonates romance, so I decided to celebrate it and Mr. Freixas as my February edition of the Men of Vodka series. He joined Double Cross at the end of August 2016 after being gone a year and working with a whiskey brand. His role includes introducing the vodka to a primarily Latin-base, as he is based in Miami and says it’s a multicultural, family-type company. “I’m passionate about people discovering the best, instead of drinking what others tell them to be the most popular (vodka)” Mario worked with this vodka brand 2 year prior and “loved the product so much, I had to come back.”

I met Mario on my last day of Tales of the Cocktail, which also happened to be my birthday. We hit it off immediately and spent the afternoon talking about cool bars. Needless to say there was cocktails involved. His passion for spreading the vodka love is clear and evident by his involvement in the industry and to the public. Double Cross Vodka are members of USBG, attend and participate in cocktail conferences around the nation, Food & Wine events, compete in and host cocktail competitions and each market has specific charities they support and participate with.

He’s a huge Miami Dolphins fan and in his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, crossfit and single malt scotch. When asked how do you drink Double Cross Vodka, he answer was plain and simple - chilled, straight up with an olive. As it should be Mr Freixas, as it should be.

For recipes, visit http://doublecrossvodka.com/cocktails/

Follow Mario and Double Cross Vodka
on Instagram at @drinklikemario and @doublecrossvodka

Follow me at @VodkaGirlATX for updates on
Double Cross Vodka all month long.

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WHAT'S NEW FOR 2017

2/3/2017

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Hey Vodka Lovers! Hope your first month of 2017 was fan-tab-u-lous! I've been working on lots of new things and wanted to share them with you.

1. #WhatImDrinking
I've been sharing cocktails with you through my social sites, but now I'll be sure to tag them with #WhatImDrinking so you can search by hashtag if you like. If you want to be featured on my Instagram, tag @vodkagirlatx and use the hashtag #WhatImDrinking to be picked up and reposted.

2. #WhereImDrinking
Who doesn't love exploring new places to try drinks? I'll be adding this tag when I'm at new venues or places where we are cocktailing.

3. Men Of Vodka
This is one I am REALLY looking forward to! I'm blessed to work with some of the best looking men in the vodka world. Lucky Me!! Each month, starting next week, I'll feature one of my guys. The write-up will include some personal info about them, their social links, the vodka brand they work with, a recipe and of course - photos! Yeah!! You're welcome :) #MenofVodka

4. Vodka Vixens
Women love networking, chatting and sharing cocktails together so I've created Vodka Vixens. Join our Facebook Group here. Our first meet up is set for Wed, April 5th.

5. Giveaways
This year I'm doing MORE giveaways! Event passes, bottles of Vodka, Vodka Swag, etc. YAY!

Of course, we are also working on some great vodka events for you, so stay in touch through my social sites. Follow me if you aren't already connected. You don't want to miss out on them.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vodkagirlatx/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VodkaGirlATX/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VodkaGirlATX
Periscope: https://www.periscope.tv/VodkaGirlATX
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/VodkaGirlATX/

I look forward to sharing some vodka with you soon!
Nicole aka VodkaGirlATX

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AUSTIN CITY GUIDE TO MOSCOW MULES

REMEMBERING THE TOP SIPS OF SACC

MEN OF VODKA: FEBRUARY-MARIO FREIXAS, DOUBLE CROSS VODKA

WHAT'S NEW FOR 2017

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AUSTIN CITY GUIDE TO MOSCOW MULES

REMEMBERING THE TOP SIPS OF SACC

MEN OF VODKA: FEBRUARY-MARIO FREIXAS, DOUBLE CROSS VODKA

WHAT'S NEW FOR 2017

​AUTHOR

Archives

Categories

AUTHOR