Cucumber Limeade

Find fresh cucumber juice at juice bars or health food stores. A juicer is a smart investment for preparing healthful fresh juices at home; one of the best is the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice extractor. • 1 (12-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate  • 3-1/4 cups fresh cucumber juice (from two large, peeled and chopped cucumbers)  • 3-1/4 cups club soda  • Ice  • Cucumber slices  • Vodka (optional)

In pitcher combine limeade concentrate with fresh cucumber juice and club soda. Fill shaker with ice; add 1 cup limeade mixture. Shake; serve over ice in tall glass; garnish with cucumber slice.

For one adult cocktail, add 3/4 cup limeade mixture and 1 to 2 tablespoons vodka to shaker. Shake; serve in a martini glass. Makes 10 cocktails.

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St. Patrick's Day Libation

Happy St. Patrick's Day! A day dedicated to sneaking a few sneekys is my kind of day. This is my favorite green libation for March 17th. Remember, it's 5 o'clock somewhere. Enjoy the day friends!

Fill the blender halfway with ice and add one 12-ounce can limeade. Using the now empty 12-ounce can, fill 1 can worth of gin or vodka into the blender along with 3 baby persian cucumbers and 1 can fresh mint leaves and blend until slushy. Add 1 can soda or ginger ale if you need to stretch it. Serve it in any glass you want!

2013 Oscar Inspired Sneekys

For those of you who are always looking to try a new sneeky, the Oscars are the perfect excuse. Attendees may not be able to drink during the show but you sure can while watching from the comfort of your own home! I LOVE these cocktails that are inspired by this year's Best Picture Nominees. I don't know about you guys but the Grey Goose Le Blanc inspired by Les Miserables is right up my alley! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! (Photos and recipes courtesy of Hello Magazine)

True Story Cocktail inspired by Argo

Mixing Hollywood and politics, a seriously sophisticated cocktail with fresh citrus, cherry notes and a splash of glamour.

Ingredients: 2 parts Grey Goose L'Orange 1 part Maraschino liqueur 2½ parts Freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice 1 dash Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters™

Method: Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with pink grapefruit peel.

Coco Django inspired by Django Unchained

The Oscar-nominated film's snow-covered mountains and a lead character's love of a quirky coconut drink are the inspiration for an exotic Grey Goose cocktail with a hint of spice and a fresh mint garnish.

Ingredients: 2 parts Grey Goose Le Citron 2 parts Coconut purée 1 part Falernum liqueur ½ part Freshly squeezed lime juice Splash of tonic water

Method: Build in a highball filled with crushed ice. Swizzle and top with a splash of tonic water. Garnish with a sprig of mint, clapping it first between your hands to release flavour.

Grey Goose Le Blanc inspired by Les Miserables

A fizzy aperitif cocktail with two French classics at its heart: Grey Goose vodka and Noilly Prat vermouth, which this year celebrates its 200th anniversary.

Ingredients: Two parts Grey Goose vodka One part Noilly Prat Dry vermouth One wedge of freshly squeezed lemon juice Splash of ginger ale

Method: Measure two parts of Grey Goose vodka and pour over ice in a wine glass Add one part Noilly Prat which adds a touch of spice Pour in a splash of Ginger Ale Squeeze the juice of a wedge of lemon directly into the drink, using a pick Stir and serve

Monsieur Le President inspired by Lincoln 

To celebrate an iconic American with a love of apples, a long, tall cocktail mixing Grey Goose with two American favourites: apple and cinnamon.

Ingredients: 1½ parts Grey Goose vodka ½ part Applejack ½ part Freshly squeezed lime juice ½ part Cinnamon syrup 3 parts Cloudy apple juice

Method: Build in a highball filled with cubed ice. Garnish with a long, elegant cinnamon stick.

The First Lady Cocktail

"The Michelle"

This drink is in honor of Mrs. Obama and her overall fabulousness. Cheers to you Michelle,  amazing wife, mother, and philanthropist. 

• 4 ounces patron silver
• 2 ounces each fresh lime and clementine juice.
• 2 oz patron citronage
• A piece of jalapeño muddled with 1/8 cup cilantro leaves.

Put all ingredients into a shaker and shake shake shake.

2013 Presidential Inauguration

Let's raise a glass for the 44th President of the United States! We're all so thrilled for him! Here are two sneekys inspired by him and his right hand woman, The First Lady, Michelle Obama. Cheers!  

"The Obama"

I made this drink specially for the Commander-in-chief at a party in his honor. 

• 2 oz vodka 2 oz champagne
• 2 oz grapefruit
• Splash st Germaine

Put all ingredients in a shaker and shake shake shake!

Happy Hour Handbook

Autumn is officially upon us and the holidays are right behind, so I'm in full-on entertaining mode. Festive fall fetes and glamorous wintertime gatherings call for a cocktail spread that's in ship shape. Stock up on my essentials for a season's worth of happy hours, from sleek decanters and colored glassware, to my secret for hosting in small spaces (hint: it's all about the collapsable table!). You can find all of my favorites for holiday hosting and sneeky necessities on my Open Sky page.

Below you can find a few of my favorite holiday sneaky recipes!

Apple Cinnamon Sangria

When I think of Sangria It brings me way back to working for my mom (patty Powers) in her catering business in Weston, Ct.  When I was a kid we were taught how to do everything from opening a bottle of wine, to setting the table to even lighting my dad his daily cigar. Not quite of age yet I learned how to make a tasty batch of sangria.

2 bottles of one white wine and one of red (Don’t pick something too good because it will be getting mixed with all of the items below)

2 Granny Smith apples

2 mangoes

2 peaches

3 lemons

3 limes

2 cups apricot brandy

½ cup brown sugar

1 T cinnamon

Slice fruit and put in bowl or 2 gallon Ziploc bag with brandy, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Soak overnight.

Frostbite Spritz

3 oz champagne 1/2 oz Aperol 1/2 oz St. Germaine 1/2 oz Meletti amaro 1/2 lime squeezed

Pour champagne over ice. Add Aperol, St. Germaine, Meletti and lime.

Top off with: Frozen cranberries, a homemade ice cube, frozen grapes or a small candy cane

Lulu's Kir Royale

My clients love this festive and flirty drink. Garnish it with a few pomegranate seeds.

Serves 1 

1 tablespoon Chambord

6 ounces Champagne or sparkling wine, well-chilled

Pour the Chambord into a Champagne flute and add the Champagne.

Lulu’s Tip: I like to garnish this drink with a dressed-up ice cube. I use long ice cube trays that I find at IKEA. I fill them with filtered water, add pomegranate seeds and sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary, and freeze. They look beautiful floating in the drink. Another fun garnish is a sugared rim: simply moisten the rim of the Champagne flute with water, turn it upside down, and dip it in a bowl of superfine sugar.

Happy Holidays friends and remember, drink responsibly!

Thanksgiving Countdown

Thanksgiving is the one meal each year than never fails to induce drama, anxiety and other seasonal stressors.

Relax!

Stock up on my essentials for festive table decor that will put your mind at ease and smiles on your guests faces at my  Open Sky page. And let this checklist be your guide to a stress free and thankful holiday. The key is to prepare ahead of time. The more you get done before the big day, the more time you'll be able to spend with your guests the day of. 

National Lemonade Day

In honor of National Lemonade Day, I'm serving up the chicest and simplest of recipes, Lavender Lemonade! I first tried this refreshing drink at the Ocean Edge Resort in Cape Cod and thought it was divine. This recipe is non alcoholic and is therefore perfect for everyone during the summer, but feel free to liven it up with your favorite spirit as needed! Here is my adaptation of the drink from Ocean Edge Resort:

Image courtesy of Munchin with Munchkin

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup dried lavender

      2 cups sugar

      fresh lemon juice

      water

PREPARATION:

To make the Lavender Syrup, boil 1/2 cup dried lavender with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Strain and save in a squeeze bottle.

Next, boil equal amounts of sugar and water (i.e., 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water) to create a simple syrup.

To make Fresh Ocean Edge "Signature" Lemonade, combine one part simple syrup, one part fresh lemon juice and four parts water. Stir thoroughly.

Fill a 12-oz. glass with cracked ice, then coat ice with about 1 Tablespoon of Lavender Syrup.

Top with fresh squeezed lemonade.

Sneeky of the Day

• 3 ounces of sparkling wine
• splash of Aperol
• a few slices of clementines, limes, whatever you have
• 1 sprig of rosemary

Shake shake shake!

Apricot Sparkling Wine Floats

A grown up interpretation of Fine Cooking's recipe. Elegant, yet playful, and a great way to take advantage of stone fruit season.

Serves 6

• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
• 1 lb ripe apricots, pitted and cut into pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream
•  750 ml bottle of Cristalino or off-dry sparkling wine chilled

In a 3-quart saucepan, add apricots, sugar, lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 tbs water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and sal. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apricots are very tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a large metal bowl with a few inches of ice and water. Have ready a second metal bowl that will fit into the ice bath.

Transfer the apricot mixture to the second bowl and put the bowl in the ice bath. Stir occasionally until cool, about 5 minutes. Puree the apricot mixture in a food processor.

Put two small scoops of the ice cream in each of 6 tall, narrow glasses. Top each with about 2 TBS of the apricot sauce. Repeat with another layer of ice cream and sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of sparkling wine to each glass. Serve immediately with straws and spoons.