Want something different than your Bloody Mary or the one made with Clamato, try this...

Bloody Bull

A marriage of the Bloody Mary and the Bullshot, this drink is ideal for brunch or any daytime party.

Ingredients:

2 fl. oz. vodka

2 fl. oz. tomato juice

2 fl. oz. beef bouillon

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Ice cubes

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Pinch of celery salt

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Directions:

Pour the vodka, tomato juice, beef bouillon and lemon juice into a shaker two-thirds full of ice cubes. Add the pepper, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. .

Serves 1.

The Secret Ingredient (Key Lime)…

Key Lime Shrimp Taco

A few weeks back I published a recipe to make Limoncello, well here's a twist on that used by a friend to make a version using Key Limes and 151 proof rum.

It's fairly easy just substituting Key Limes and rum in the original recipe, she also made her simple syrup using turbino sugar. I had some this weekend mixed in equal portions with real Ginger Beer. It was outstanding.

Here in Gainesville you can get all the ingredients for this and the following recipes at Wards Market with a quick step across the street to the ABC for the rum.

Margaritaville eat your heart out…

Speaking of Key Limes… Here's some super recipes from Serious Eats, read the whole article here and here…

Key Lime Shrimp Tacos

-Serves 4-

Taco Ingredients

12 jumbo shrimp, cut in half lengthwise

2 clove garlic, grated

2 tablespoon key lime juice (from 6 key limes)

4 teaspoons light olive oil

8 small corn tortillas, warmed

shredded green cabbage to taste

Taco Procedure

1. Preheat a grill pan on high, and the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Toss the shrimp with the garlic, lime juice, and light olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Set aside.

3. Wrap the tortillas in foil, and warm in the oven.

4. Meanwhile, make the salsa and crema (recipes follow). Then, to assemble, lay the cabbage in the center of each small warm corn tortilla. Top with shrimp, then salsa, then crema. Serve with key lime wedges.

Key Lime, Avocado, and Mango Salsa Ingredients

2 tablespoon key lime juice (6 key limes)

1/2 jalapeno, finely diced

2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 scallion, finely sliced

1 avocado, finely diced

1/2 mango, finely diced

salt to taste

Key Lime, Avocado, and Mango Salsa Procedure

Combine all the salsa ingredients, and allow to sit for a few minutes while you make the crema.

Key Lime Crema Ingredients

Juice of 6 key limes (2 tablespoons)

Zest of 6 key limes

6 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature

Key Lime Crema Procedure

Whisk together all the crema ingredients.

Key Lime Scallop Ceviche

-Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tablespoons key lime juice (from 6 key limes)

1/2 scallion, thinly sliced

1/8 jalapeño, finely sliced

1/4 teaspoon sugar

pinch salt

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 clove garlic, grated

2 sea scallops (about 1/4 pound), diced into 1/4-inch cubes (or use Bay Scallops, no dicing)

1 plantain, sliced lengthwise 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick

vegetable oil for frying

Procedure

1. In a bowl, mix together the key lime juice, scallion, jalapeno, sugar, salt, cilantro, and garlic.

2. Add the diced scallops, and toss. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

3. Take the ceviche out of the fridge to take the chill off.

4. Meanwhile, fill a cast iron skillet halfway with vegetable oil, and heat to 350 degrees F.

5. Fry the plantains 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and crisp. Drain on a paper towel, and season with salt while still hot.

6. Serve the scallop ceviche with the hot, fresh plantain chips.

Finally my own Key Lime Pie Recipe…

Key Lime Pie

-Serves 6-8

Crust

16 graham crackers, crushed

3 tablespoons sugar

1 cube (1/4 LB) butter

Pie

4 large or extra large egg yolks

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh Key Lime juice (approximately 12 Key limes)

2 teaspoons grated lime peel, yellow-green portion only

Meringue topping

Egg whites from above

4 tablespoons confectioner sugar

1teaspoon Cream of tartar

Crust:

Mix the ingredients and press them into a 9" pie plate. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 10 - 12 minutes until lightly browned. Place on a rack to cool.

Pie Filling

Use an electric mixer and beat the egg yolks until they are thick and turn to a light yellow, don't over mix. Turn the mixer off and add the sweetened condensed milk. Turn speed to low and mix in half of the lime juice. Once the juice is incorporated add the other half of the juice and the zest; continue to mix until blended (just a few seconds).

For the meringue whip egg whites while adding the sugar and cream of tartar until stiff and fluffy.

Pour the mixture into the pie shell top with meringue and bake at 350F for 12 minutes to set the yolks and kill any salmonella in the eggs.

Enjoy...

Sangria...

A summer favorite…

1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja reds, Zinfandel, Shiraz)

1 Lemon cut into wedges

1 Orange cut into wedges

2 Tbsp. sugar or Splenda

1 Shot brandy

2 Cups club soda (optional)

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon and orange into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar and brandy. Chill overnight for best flavor. Add club soda and a block of ice just before serving.

Artillery Punch...

Here's an old recipe that’s lives up to its name…

2 pint strong black tea

2 pint rye whiskey

1/2 bottle red wine

1/2 pint Jamaican dark rum

1/2 pint brandy

1 jigger Benedictine herbal liqueur

1 pint orange juice

1/2 pint lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients in a couple pitchers with a block of ice. If found too dry, sugar syrup may be added. Decorate with twists of lemon and lime peel.

I've also seen this recipe with Irish Whisky instead of Rye.

How to Make Pitcher Drinks Tastier, Less Diluted...

Now that spring has made itself comfortable and Memorial Day is only a couple of steps away on the calendar, the season of outdoor entertaining is pretty much upon us. During the indoor months, preparing drinks for your guests can be as simple as splashing some whisky over a few cubes of ice. Or as complex as knocking together a number of well-considered cocktails.

But when everyone's hanging out on the deck with the smoke from the grill rising above the yard, you want liquid refreshments a bit more in tune with the season.

In today's Washington Post, Jason Wilson tackles the sometimes sticky topic of pitcher drinks. Pitcher drinks have a lot of appeal during the warmer time of year: you can ideally prepare them before guests arrive, then simply add ice and place the pitcher on a table with some glasses and encourage guests to help themselves.

But pitcher drinks are also often flaccid, with many recipes too reliant on fruit juices that quickly go watery, fizzy mixtures that rapidly go flat, or bottled mixers that are about as culinary appropriate as using cream of mushroom soup in your party casserole.

But there's hope out there for those seeking to prepare drinks for a crowd, without spending the whole party stuck inside with a cocktail shaker. As Wilson notes, one way to give a rum-based drink recipe a little vavoom is to replace the white rum with cachaca, a Brazilian sugarcane spirit that's in many ways similar to the more familiar rum but has a bit more rugged character that holds up well when mixed with strong flavors and served with a good slug of ice.

In addition, vintage punch recipes have caught on in a major way among the craft-cocktail crowd, and many older recipes, think pre-1950s recipes, before 7-Up and orange sherbet came to be considered appropriate punch ingredients—are made with flavor (and alcohol) potency that may be overwhelming if the mixture were to be served as a cocktail. But after sitting for a few minutes with a good dose of ice, they're as tasty and engaging as you might hope.

A couple of other points on mixing pitcher drinks:

Don't overdo it with the ingredients. There's a temptation to take the "more is better" approach, putting every juice and fizzy mixture at hand into the pitcher. Avoid it, as this almost invariably leads to murky drinks with unidentifiable flavors.

Also, think about your ice: in general, the smaller the ice pieces, the more rapidly they'll dilute the drink. Some dilution is desired, of course, but it's a fine line between "just right" and "too much."

Try preparing a large block of ice that fits right into the pitcher, using perhaps a plastic mold or a container that once held orange-juice concentrate, fill it with water, then leave it in the freezer overnight. This will melt slower than typical ice, extending the life span of that pitcher drink on the table.

These are just a few tips on preparing pitcher drinks. What are your suggestions on preparing warm-weather drinks that are suitable for a crowd? And do you have favorite pitcher drinks?

About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.

Read more: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/how-to-make-pitcher-drinks-summer-cocktails-recipes.html#ixzz0oCMCoqyL

LIMONCELLO...

Speaking of Vodka, one thing you can do is make infusions with the stuff, here's one of the more popular one…

LIMONCELLO

Makes about 3 1/4 quarts

Those who are lucky enough to receive this homemade lemon liqueur should keep it in the freezer, where it turns a milky white after 8 to 9 hours. It can be sipped straight up, mixed with tonic or dashed into champagne.

17 large lemons

Two 750-milliliter bottles vodka

5 1/2 cups water

6 cups sugar

Wash and dry the lemons. With a paring knife, remove the ends. With a vegetable peeler, remove only the yellow rind (save zest), leaving the pith intact. (Squeeze juice from the lemons and reserve for another use.)

Place the lemon peel in a 4-quart Mason jar with a rubber-seal lid. Add the vodka, making sure the lemon peel is completely covered. Store in a cool, dark place, shaking the jar once each day to agitate the lemon peel.

On the 13th day, bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the sugar and remove from the heat, stirring until it is dissolved. Cover and let cool to room temperature.

Place a colander on top of the saucepan and strain in the contents of the Mason jar. Discard the lemon peel. Stir to combine the liquids, about 1 minute. Transfer back to the Mason jar. Store for 3 weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking to agitate the liquid twice a day.

After 3 weeks, transfer the limoncello to smaller bottles that can be sealed with rubber stoppers. Store bottles in freezer. Serve directly from the freezer.

This can also be made with grain alcohol (Everclear) for as the man say's "kick it up a notch"….

Another Bloody Mary...

My former neighbor reminded me of this Bloody Mary we drank during the Hurricanes 0f 2004 (or Inland Tropical Storms) on her carport. After a few of these we didn't much care which way the Sycamore tree fell (it didn't). Some Hurricane trivia: how many Vienna Sausage are in a standard can?

1 Jigger Vodka

1 can V-8 (cocktail size)

1 shot pickle brine

Dill Pickle Spear

Lea & Perrin's

Tabasco Sauce (this one calls for the Habenaro Blend)

Ground Horseradish (not creamed)

Mix the Vodka, V-8 and pickle brine. Add a teaspoon of Lea & Perrins, Tabasco and 1/8 teaspoon of Horseradish and mix. Serve over ice with a pickle spear for garnish.

Enjoy… Oh, the answer is 7.

Bloody Mary...

A Bloody Mary is a popular cocktail and supposed hang-over cure containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other flavorings such as Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, horseradish, celery salt, black pepper and lemon juice.

The IBA Bartender Guide say's….

On the rocks; poured over ice

Standard garnish: Celery stalk or dill pickle spear

Standard drink ware: Highball glass

IBA specified ingredients

4.5 cl (3 parts) Vodka

9.0 cl (6 parts) Tomato juice

1.5 cl (1 part) Lemon juice

Preparation Add dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper into highball glass, then pour all ingredients into highball with ice cubes. Stir gently. Garnish with Celery Salt and lemon wedge.

There are many variations Use gin and you have a Rudy Mary, tequila and it becomes a Bloody Maria, the variations are almost limitless…

Based on years of extensive research on my part, here is Ric's way:

First make a Vodka pepper infusion. Simply add a handful of black pepper corns to a pint of vodka and let it set a week.

Then mix a jigger of this vodka with a cocktail size can of V-8 juice and squeeze of a lime. Then add a teaspoon of Lea & Perrins, Tabasco and 1/8 teaspoon of wabasi. Mix pour over ice, sprinkle some celery salt and garnish a celery stick.

A tasty variation of the above is to use Clamato instead of V-8.

Enjoy!

A Cinco de Mayo Favorite...

OK you don't need no stinkin holiday to enjoy this...

The Margarita comes in many colors and tastes. Probably the most common today is the frozen Margarita, but this is not the true Margarita.

The legend is a Barman "Willie" from Mexico City, 1934 in the employ of the Melguizo Family Marguerite Hemery lived in the Rio Grande Valley since the 1930s and went to a restaurant in Matamoros called Los Dos Republicas. She was friends with the owner and, as the story goes, his bartender composed a special drink for her. The recipe is 2:1:1 = (50% tequila, 25% Triple Sec, 25% fresh lime or lemon juice)

Margarita

1 ounce tequila

Dash of Triple Sec

Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon

Pour over crushed ice, stir. Rub the rim of a stem glass with rind of lemon or lime, spin in salt—pour, and sip.

Fresh squeezed lime juice is the key ingredient. The most common lime in the U.S. is the thick-skinned Persian lime. However, margaritas in Mexico are generally made with Mexican limes (Key limes). These are small, thin skinned limes and have a more tart and an often bitter flavor compared to Persian limes.

Derby Day Mint Julep...

Today is Kentucky Derby Day, which means that across the country, celebratory sippers will be nipping at their Mint Juleps, and more than 80,000 of the drinks are expected to be served over derby weekend at Churchill Downs.

Mint Julep

2 to 3 ounces bourbon, to taste

1-tsp. sugar, to taste, dissolved in 1-tsp. water (or use 2-tsp. simple syrup)

8 leaves fresh mint

Mint sprigs, for garnish

Crushed ice

Place the sugar and water at the bottom of a julep cup or tall glass and stir until sugar is dissolved (or speed the process by using simple syrup). Add the mint leaves and gently bruise with a wooden spoon. Take care not to overwork the mint, but swab the sides of the glass with the mint's aromatic oils. Half-fill the glass with crushed ice and add the bourbon, stirring to combine. Fill the glass with crushed ice and stir until the outside of the glass frosts. Add more crushed ice if needed to fill, and adorn the drink with a sprig of fresh mint.

Hints from Serious Eats dot com…

Take the term "bruise" to heart when approaching the mint. Smashing it vigorously with a muddler or wooden spoon will not only create a messy julep that will leave bits of mint stuck in your teeth, but will release the bitter flavors in the mint leaf; instead, gently tap at the mint to release the aromatic oils, and swab the sides of the glass with the mint leaves to better disperse the flavor.

The quality of your ice matters. You want the ice to be finely crushed to almost powder, but with some larger pebble-sized pieces in the mix. You can use a kitchen ice crusher to get there, but you can also fold several ice cubes in a clean kitchen towel and whale away at it with a mallet or rolling pin until the ice is pulverized. And keep the ice as cold as you can—a slushy julep is a sad julep.