Oscar's Cocktails: The Diplo Daiquiri

Oscar's Cocktails: The Diplo Daiquiri

Our second nominee for the Oscar’s Series of Cocktails is the Diplo Daiquiri, featuring Diplomatico Rum. We were super excited to try this one out due to our affinity for Rum products and Diplomatico absolutely impressed. Although typically enjoyed as a sipping rum, this Venezuelan export is a perfect addition to this classic recipe and creates a smooth aftertaste and finish to a worldwide favorite cocktail. This is a perfect recipe to enjoy with company as you watch this year’s nominees at the Academy Awards! You can even make this recipe in larger batches as well…

Oscar's Cocktails: The Benham's Cocktail

Oscar's Cocktails: The Benham's Cocktail

Meet the first nominee in our Academy Awards/Oscar’s Cocktail series; the Benham’s Cocktail. If you haven’t tried Benham’s Sonoma Dry Gin, well then you’re missing out big time. This gin is absolutely one of the most versatile brands we’ve had the privilege of working with. We used Benham’s in this recipe as a take on the classic Vesper cocktail. The Vesper was one of James Bond’s signature cocktails alongside the Martini, so why not choose this classy, elegant, and tasty cocktail to enjoy as you watch the stars of Hollywood descend upon this year’s Academy Awards.

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The Frosé

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The Frosé

Meet the pinnacle of our Valentine’s Day cocktail series. The Frosé is a fun and flavorful cocktail that includes perennial favorite rosé wine and the fruity flavors of fresh watermelon and strawberries. This cocktail is perfect for date night or just keeping cool in the summer heat as well. There’s nothing quite like the combination of sweet watermelon and tart strawberry. We originally used Castello del Poggio’s Sweet Rosé line for this recipe. We highly recommend using fresh fruit and freezing it yourself to guarantee ingredient quality, however the store-bought frozen fruit works just as well. Try our luxurious libation recipe and keep cool in the heat and have fun that can’t be beat.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Rosé Wine to (preference)

  • 1 cup frozen watermelon

  • 1 cup frozen strawberries

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Cocktail Profile

  • Rating:       4.0 Stars

  • Served:      Frozen

  • Strength:   Light

  • Difficulty:  Simple

  • Flavor:       Fruity

Method:

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Add more ice for a thicker consistency. Serve immediately garnished with fresh fruit.

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Castello del Poggio and the Frosé

Castello del Poggio and the Frosé

Here she is folks, the final cocktail in our Castello del Poggio Valentine’s Day Sweet Rose Cocktails (that’s a mouthful). This was our absolute favorite cocktail creation using the new Castello del Poggio Sweet Rosé. Absolutely delectable and delightful, the combination of crisp rosé and mouthwatering watermelon and strawberries creates a truly amazing cocktail. This recipe is perfect if you’re lucky enough to spend your Valentine’s Day somewhere nice and tropical, or if you’re looking for that perfect dessert drink to impress your significant other (or yourself, no shame here). Save this recipe for your summertime cocktail list too, as this cocktail is too good to limit to just one season or holiday.….

Smirnoff Valentine's Day Cocktails You'll Adore

Smirnoff Valentine's Day Cocktails You'll Adore

With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, we just couldn’t finish our cocktail series without adding a few flashbacks from last year. We teamed back up with Smirnoff and their Spiked Sparkling Seltzer Rosé to bring you two more cocktails this year. Whether you’re celebrating with the squad or just having a romantic afternoon with your loved one, these cocktails are light, crisp, and flavorful. We encourage you to try both and see what you like best. From all of us at Empire Mixology, we wish you and your loved ones, dog, cat, yourself, etc. a Happy Valentine’s Day!

The Rosé Lemonade

The Rosé Lemonade

A perfect Valentine’s Day or springtime afternoon cocktail, the Rosé Lemonade is simple, light, and refreshing. The rosé creates a unique twist on the homemade lemonade without adding the punch of a harder spirit. We originally created this cocktail during the Valentine’s Day season with Castello del Poggio and their Sweet Rosé line and it quickly became a major hit. If you don’t feel like going through the motions of making homemade lemonade, store-bought will substitute fine. Try out our relaxing afternoon cocktail creation and let us know what you think!

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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Rosé Wine

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

  • 1 cup cold water

Cocktail Profile

  • Rating:       4.0 Stars

  • Served:      On the Rocks

  • Strength:   Light

  • Difficulty:  Simple

  • Flavor:       Sweet

Method:

To make the lemonade, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let cool. Add the fresh lemon juice and water to the sugar mixture and stir to dissolve. Refrigerate until cold. Before serving, mix the lemonade with the rosé wine. Divide between two glasses and serve.

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The Rosé Lemonade and Castello del Poggio

The Rosé Lemonade and Castello del Poggio

Perfect for a pitcher or just two simple cocktails to enjoy privately, the Rosé Lemonade is everything a relationship should be; simple and damn good! The Rosé Lemonade is remarkably simple to make and is very sweet and refreshing. We’re glad we got to work with a brand like Castello del Poggio this year and their Sweet Rosé line. We highly recommend you and your date (or your damn self!) try this cocktailt o unwind on what should be a fantastic and memorable Valentine’s Day. Stay with us as we reveal our fourth and final cocktail for Valentine’s Day this year later next week!

The Funny Valentine

The Funny Valentine

This light and crisp cocktail is perfect for a Valentine’s Day dinner date, or just a romantic evening with your loved one. This past Valentine’s Day we had a love affair with Rosé; specifically Castello Del Poggio Sweet Rosé, so when they provided us with this recipe we couldn’t help but share it to you. This cocktail has a light flavor to it that also maintain a certain sweetness with a crisp finish. It’s a perfect sipping cocktail and is sure to bring a smile to your personal Valentine.

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Ingredients:

  • 0.5 oz. Gin

  • 2 oz. Rosé Wine

  • 2 dashes simple syrup

  • 0.4 oz. lemon juice

Cocktail Profile

  • Rating:       4.0 Stars

  • Served:      Neat

  • Strength:   Mild

  • Difficulty:  Simple

  • Flavor:       Sweet

Method:

Combine simple syrup, lemon juice, and gin in a shaker with ice. Strain into a glass, then top with rosé.

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Castello del Poggio's The Funny Valentine

Castello del Poggio's The Funny Valentine

Valentine’s Day rapidly approaches and we have just what you need to complement that perfect dinner you’re planning. We continue to sweeten the season by working with Castello del Poggio and their refreshing and seductive Sweet Rosé. You’ll never want their wine to stop flowing, so why not add some of it to this amazingly light and refreshing cocktail creation. We absolutely loved this one and we know you will too….

#CrownYourGameDay Tomorrow with Crown Royal Regal Apple

#CrownYourGameDay Tomorrow with Crown Royal Regal Apple

Tomorrow’s the big game and it’s time to #CrownYourGameDay with Crown Royal. Earlier this week we brought you the Wicked Hot Toddy featuring Crown Royal Vanilla. It’s a wicked awesome cocktail sure to keep you New England fans warm in this mid-winter freeze, however like the rest of the country not living in New England (or New Orleans), we have to highlight the Rams here this year. So today, we bring to you the L.A. Crownberry Apple Cocktail.

Crown Royal wants to make sure your tailgate, viewing party, or just the privacy of your living room is at peak performance for the big game. We’re proud to showcase both cocktails for you an your guests to enjoy.

The Lemon Drop (Shot)

About The Lemon Drop

The simple and classic Lemon Drop Shot. Note, this is not the IBA Official Lemon Drop Cocktail which is made with Triple Sec and Sour Mix as well. This simple one ingredient shot is light and crisp in flavor. We recommend using Lemon Vodka as the primary ingredient, or a perfectly acceptable variation is to use standard vodka and a few drops of lemon juice. Traditionally a sugar coated lemon is sucked afterwards to kill the harsh bite of vodka!

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Ingredients:

  • 1½ oz. Lemon Vodka

  • Lemon Wedge

  • Sugar (optional)

Cocktail Profile

  • Rating:       4.0 Stars

  • Served:      Straight

  • Strength:    Medium

  • Difficulty:    Simple

  • Flavor:        Citrus

Method:

Rub the inside of the shot glass with the lemon wedge. Pour in lemon vodka and shoot back.

Empire Tip: Rim the edge of the glass with granulated sugar to give the shot a lemonade-like feel!

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#CrownYourGameDay with Crown Royal Vanilla

#CrownYourGameDay with Crown Royal Vanilla

Whether hosting a viewing party or a tailgate, #CrownYourGameDay and cheer on the final two teams with the smooth and flavorful taste of Crown Royal this Sunday! We’re happy to work with Crown Royal to make sure you bring your A Game to the showdown this weekend. Whether you’re cheering for the Rams or if you’re a front-running Patriots fan (just kidding, sorta) we want to make sure you and your company have a good time. So we paired up with Crown Royal and using two of their signature products; Crown Royal Regal Apple and Crown Royal Vanilla to add two awesome cocktails to your playbook.

The Cape Codder

About The Cape Codder

The granddaddy of so many famous cocktails like the Seabreeze, Woo Woo, Sex on the Beach, Cosmopolitan, and more; the Cape Codder is a true classic. And before you say it; YES, the Cape Codder is a simple Vodka-Cranberry. Developed in the 1940s by the Ocean Spray company as The Red Devil, the cocktail took on the name Cape Codder in the 1960s. Although it is simple and its name is commonly forgotten in the bar scene today, the Cape Codder is still a fan favorite and a huge base cocktail for many variations. Remember to respect your elder cocktails.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Vodka

  • Fill Cranberry Juice

Cocktail Profile

  • Rating:       4.0 Stars

  • Served:      On the Rocks

  • Strength:   Mild

  • Difficulty:  Simple

  • Flavor:       Cranberry

Method:

Build all ingredients in an ice filled highball glass and stir. garnish with a lime wedge.

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The Gimlet

About The Gimlet

The Gimlet was developed around the time of the Roaring Twenties and is of disputable origin. A simple and light cocktail, the Gimlet is an easy creation that can be altered in a myriad of ways to suit the customer’s taste. The classical recipe calls for a cocktail made with equal parts gin and lime juice, garnished with the such, served neat. We at Empire Mixology enjoy and respect the classic recipe, but we preferred a less intense lime juice addition (around 1 oz. or less), and added lemon-lime soda to create a more highball-esque version.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Gin

  • Lime Juice to taste

  • Lemon-Lime Soda/Club Soda (optional)

Cocktail Profile

  • Rating:       3.5 Stars

  • Served:      Preference

  • Strength:   Strong

  • Difficulty:  Simple

  • Flavor:       Strong

Method:

Pour gin into desired glass; typically a martini glass or wine glass. Ice optional. Add desired lime juice quantity (classically a 1:1 ratio). If desired, add soda to make the cocktail more of a highball.

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The Rum Runner

About The Rum Runner

Ah the Rum Runner. A quintessential tropical cocktail, this concoction hails from Islamorada, Florida circa 1950. Created by a bartender using whatever extra ingredients he had lying around, the Rum Runner became a supremely sweet staple of warm-time weather cocktails. The Rum Runner has dozens of variations and recipes, but always features the combination of two types of rums; in our version we prefer silver and dark rum, however coconut, flavored, or spiced rum can also be used.

 
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Ingredients:

  • 1 oz. Light Rum

  • 1 oz. Dark Rum

  • 1 oz. Blackberry Liqueur

  • 1 oz. Banana Liqueur

  • 2 oz. Orange Juice

  • 2 oz. Pineapple Juice

  • Splash Grenadine

Cocktail Profile

  • Rating:        5 Stars

  • Served:      On the Rocks/Frozen

  • Strength:    Medium

  • Difficulty:    Simple

  • Flavor:        Sweet

Method:

Place all ingredients except grenadine in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a hurricane glass or fishbowl. Add a splash of grenadine. Garnish with cherry and a pineapple wedge.

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Sweeten up Valentine's Day with Sweet Rosé

Sweeten up Valentine's Day with Sweet Rosé

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and life’s about to get a little extra sweeter. Whether you are celebrating with your beau, gal or your damn self, open up a bottle of Castello del Poggio Sweet Rosé to help celebrate the special night. 

Seductive, fruity and crisp, Castello del Poggio’s Sweet Rosé is great before and after dinner. So whether the plan is to open a bottle to impress your girlfriend, sweeten up an anti-Valentine’s day party or pour one out for the swipe lefts and then a generous pour for yourself as you get into the tub -  you’ll never want this wine to stop flowing.  

Best Vacation Deals each Month

As reported by KAYAK and other travel sites, the following cities are some of the best deals to travel to in 2019. We’re absolutely adding some of these to our yearly bucket list and we’ve already starting packing our suitcases. Find that next adventure.

January

Las Vegas, NV (35% Price Drop)

February

Zurich, Switzerland (21% Price Drop)

March

San Diego, CA (16% Price Drop)

April

San Antonio, TX (31% Price Drop)

May

Kaua’i, HI (45% Price Drop)

June

Lyon, France (28% Price Drop)

July

Cancún, Mexico (19% Price Drop)

August

Mykonos, Greece (23% Price Drop)

September

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg (32% Price Drop)

October

Milan, Italy (25% Price Drop)

November

Edinburgh, United Kingdom (22% Price Drop)

December

Barcelona, Spain (27% Price Drop)

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The Kir

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About The Kir

 The Kir is a French cocktail that hails from the 19th century. Formerly known as the Blanc-Cassis, the drink was renamed after Mayor Kir of Dijon, Burgundy who would serve this cocktail at his receptions for visiting delegations after World War II. Part of the reason why this cocktail become so popular was that during World War II, the German military removed a large amount of red wine from the country, leaving large reserves of white wine behind. This cocktail was used as a way to use what was available and in excess.  

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Ingredients:

  • 5 oz. White Wine

  • 1 oz. Crème de Cassis

Cocktail Profile

  • Rating: 3.5 Stars

  • Served: Neat

  • Strength: Medium

  • Difficulty: Simple

  • Flavor: Spirit Forward

Method:

Add the crème de cassis to the bottom of the glass and add the white wine above it.

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The International

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About The International

Meet your new favorite cocktail. Classy yet fun, the International is a personal recipe of our resident Lead Mixologist. This cognac and vodka based cocktail is absolutely packed with flavor and delivers a smooth finish. The triple sec and elderflower liqueur mask the “bite” of the primary spirits, creating a delectable and flavor packed finish to your sip. This is one our signature recipes at Empire Mixology and we hope you enjoy it just as much as we do.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Cognac

  • 1 oz. Triple Sec

  • 1 oz. Elderflower Liqueur

  • ½ oz. Vodka

  • Lime Wedge for Garnish

  • Lemon Wedge for Garnish

Cocktail Profile

  • Rating: 5.0 Stars

  • Served: Neat

  • Strength: Medium

  • Difficulty: Simple

  • Flavor: Sweet

Method:

Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Unlike James Bond, stir this one until well chilled and strain into a martini glass.

Empire Tip: Garnish with a lemon twist or olives to your preference.

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The Frozen Margarita

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About The Frozen Margarita

 The Frozen Margarita is fairly identical to the Official IBA version, with the obvious exception of it now being blended. The frozen version is often more palatable due to its extremely cold temperature and method of creation. The slowly melting ice actually brings out the innate flavors of the tequila, offering a more flavorable finish. Perfect for summer weather and social gatherings, give our recipe a chance and see what you think.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Tequila

  • 1.5 oz. Triple Sec

  • 1 oz. Lime Juice

  • Dash of Simple Syrup

  • Salt (for rim of glass)

  • Lime for garnish

Cocktail Profile

  • Rating: 4.5 Stars

  • Served: Margarita

  • Strength: Medium

  • Difficulty: Simple

  • Flavor: Spirit

Method:

Add tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and simple syrup to blender with ice. Blend until smooth and pour into salt-rimmed margarita glass. Garnish with lime.

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