Help me make a cocktail

I have a special evening for Tunawife planned, and I want to make her a/some cocktail(s) to start the night off with some snacks.

I don't exactly have a stocked bar. I have Amaretto I will use with dessert, and, uhh, that's it other than some stout beer she really likes.

What cocktail can I come up with for couch change without 35 ingredients, something girly, but bear in mind this girl likes her beer stout and her wine dry. I have some frozen strawberries and also some grapefruit in the house as well. I've never made a cocktail, although she made me a toasted almond once.

Bonus pints for an interesting name

and... go!

G&T.

Float a shot of amaretto in the beer?

Cocktails that only use amaretto and misc. stuff are pretty rare. Hmm...

Amaretto Sour - 2:1 amaratto to lemon juice, stir with ice

Stone Sour - 2 oz amaretto, 1 oz lemon juice, 1/2 oz simple syrup (or some superfine sugar), one egg white. Shake very thoroughly over ice and pour into martini glass.

Use the amaretto for dessert by mixing it in whipped cream and serving that over the strawberries.

Hmm... I could turn that into a cocktail. Muddle strawberries in the bottom of a lowball glass. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Shake 2 oz amaretto with ice and strain into glass. Pour 1/2 oz heavy cream or half and half over top. Garnish with shortbread cookie.

If you're buying stuff to make drinks, you can't go wrong with a classic martini or manhattan. I'd say Tito's vodka and dry vermouth. My personal favorite cocktail is a sidecar: 2 Brandy (or Cognaz) : 1 orange liqueur (I prefer Contreiu) : 1 lemon juice

It really depends on what you are going to have for snacks. Tell us what that's going to be and maybe we can help you find something to compliment the snacks.

Strong "fall off the boat" margarita:

2oz resposado tequila 2oz Cointreau Splash or two key lime juice Couple squeezes of agave nectar for sweetness Shake and serve over ice

This makes a pretty easy drinking but powerful 'Rita, hence the "fall of the boat".

The agave nectar is available at most liquor stores and some grocers in the mixers section. It has a lot of sweetness so this also doesn't have the calories like a drink made from margarita mix.

Manhattan.

2 parts rye (or Bourbon)
1 part sweet vermouth
dash of angostura bitters
cherry for garnish

Shake with ice, served in a chilled glass.
Easy, tasty, strong

I'll check out some of those excellent suggestions. In the meantime, snacks are just going to be a Mexican dip and some tortilla chips, dinner will be crab legs. Mixed bag, I know, but it's stuff she likes.

tuna55 wrote: I'll check out some of those excellent suggestions. In the meantime, snacks are just going to be a Mexican dip and some tortilla chips, dinner will be crab legs. Mixed bag, I know, but it's stuff she likes.

I'd definitely go with Margaritas. You can make a very tasty frozen Marg. in your blender with simply a good quality sweet and sour tequila, ice, and fresh limes. I know it's not a healthy choice BUT cut a 3/4" slice of lime, cut a slit in it laterally, lightly squeeze it as you run it around the rim, sprinkle salt into a plate and invert the glass to coat the rim. Add the blended ice, s&s, an tequila. You'll have to google for the exact recommended portions of the mix.

I like margaritas. The best I've ever had was made by Fernando, the locker room attendent at the golf club I caddied at. He was also the bartender by night. Don't know what he made it with, but I can guarnatee you the members were subsidizing it.

The next best one? Skinny Girl. Look in the refridgerated wine section. Do I have to hand over my man card?

I would suggest starting off with the Wray and Nephew challenge.

Smood.

It doesn't really matter what you drink after that.

The paloma margarita sounds pretty easy.

You have 2/3rds of the ingredients for flaming dr pepper shots! Just need a bottle of 151 and a lighter!

I'd say Margarita as well considering the food.

However, SKIP the frozen versions, and go for "on the rocks."

IBA recipe:
7 parts tequila (go for a good blanco here)
4 parts Cointreau
3 parts lime juice (can't emphasize fresh squeezed here enough)

Shake with ice, serve in chilled glass, with or without a salted rim. Something I've seen some places do with the rim is half-salt, half-sugar.

Beer Baron wrote: Hmm... I could turn that into a cocktail. Muddle strawberries in the bottom of a lowball glass. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Shake 2 oz amaretto with ice and strain into glass. Pour 1/2 oz heavy cream or half and half over top. Garnish with shortbread cookie.

Dude, I am making this, too.

Side car. cognac, orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier,Grand Gala or another triple sec), and lemon juice.

Beer Baron wrote: Float a shot of amaretto in the beer? Cocktails that only use amaretto and misc. stuff are pretty rare. Hmm... Amaretto Sour - 2:1 amaratto to lemon juice, stir with ice Stone Sour - 2 oz amaretto, 1 oz lemon juice, 1/2 oz simple syrup (or some superfine sugar), one egg white. Shake *very* thoroughly over ice and pour into martini glass.

The alternative build for a amaretto sour is 1:2 amaretto:sweet and sour.

This is very good and my wife's go to cocktail when we are out of rum and cannot make dark and stormies, or vodka for mules.

Pour 2oz jameson 18 into glass. Sip. Repeat.

Cosmopolitan. Women can't resist 'em.

1 1/2 ounces vodka
3/4 ounce cranberry juice
1/2 ounce Cointreau or triple sec
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Ice
Lime slice, for garnish

My wife likes hers with a touch more cranberry, so feel free to tinker with the proportions.

Whiskey sour, Mango Sunrise, and Martini, are good drinks.

Three simple ingredients, you will thank me,

Caucasian: 1p vodka, 1p Kahlua, 2p Baileys (actually supposed to be half and half or cream, but this is my version). Shake and pour over ice. . .

Then stumble around and mumble, "Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!"

Oh, forgot. . . my favorite, easiest to make cocktail: 1 part Villa Massa limonchello. . . that's it, just limonchello. . .

The key to making great mixed drinks is using high quality ingredients. No rotgut.

Margaritas are an excellent suggestion. Cointreau, tequila, lime juice, ice. For best results, juice the limes yourself. It makes a huge difference. You can find glass jars with readers that screw on the top for about $5 from walmart and grocery stores. You will also need a shaker. The proportions above look pretty solid, though i adjust depending on individual tastes.

There's a cocktail called the Godfather that is basically a scotch and amaretto on the rocks. Can't recall the exact proportions, though.

mndsm wrote: Pour 2oz jameson 18 into glass. Sip. Repeat.

Quicker than the Paloma margarita is the Palomita. Squirt and tequila, ratio dependent on the evenings goal. I've seen confirmed tequila haters rave over the drink.