Beers, Bands, and Buds

A lot of the time people go into the liquor store and aren’t sure exactly what they can buy to make drinks that actually TASTE good. I have a few recommendations, or “must haves” for people who want to make drinks that will actually please your taste buds!

1. Triple Sec

Triple Sec is a liquor that is really common in mixed drinks and mixed shots, but people don’t ever think to get it. It’ll take some of the bite away from the hard liquor in your drink and make the nonalcoholic ingredient you are mixing with blend together better. It has a slight orange-y taste to it, which will be stronger or weaker depending on which brand you get. But it is good to mix with almost anything! I try and incorporate Triple Sec into mixed drinks or shots I make all of the time.

2. PICK a SCHNAPPS!

Adding a flavored schnapps into your drink will make it taste SO much better! I highly recommend picking a schnapps that you like and grabbing a bottle of it! You can buy a big bottle for $10 at the liquor store and it will last you a while. I add schnapps to almost every shot that I make and whenever I am making a mixed drink for myself I always, always incorporate schnapps. My favorite is Peach Schnapps. I think it is the most popular and goes well with any drink you want. I would definitely take a couple of minutes go check out this section of the liquor store and find a flavor that you think you would like and get into the habit of adding some into any mixed drink you make. Trust me, it’ll make it taste better!

3. Sweet & Sour Mix

This is a non-alcoholic mix that you can buy premade at any grocery or liquor store. It is a must have for anyone who makes mixed drinks for themselves. I always add it to drinks to take away the taste of alcohol. Even if you don’t want a full sour mix/liquor drink, this is delicious when mixed with another beverage like sprite or club soda. The sour mix takes from the strong liquor taste in every drink. This is in almost every mixed shot that I make. Definitely invest in a bottle of this!

PHOTOS:

1.http://www.wegmans.com/prodimg/204/200/080686381204.jpg

2.http://blog.bestamericanpoetry.com/.a/6a00e54fe4158b88330168e70411a6970c-320wi

3.http://www.liquormart.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/600x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/1/21810_6.jpg

A green tea shot has recently been really popular. Surprisingly, I’ve had more guys order this then females. It actually does taste like green tea! Which makes it delicious. It isn’t too sugary or sweet so I think it attracts people with all different tastes. You could easily turn this one into a drink, too. In order to make this shot, you’ll need:

Jameson Irish Whiskey (1/2 oz per shot) (1 oz per drink)

Peach Schnapps (1/2 oz per shot) (1.5 oz per drink)

Sprite (Splash per shot) (3.5 oz per drink)

Sour Mix (Splash per shot) (3 oz per drink)

Grab the shaker or pint glass and fill it with ice. Add all of the ingredients, cover, and shake. Strain into shot glasses, or pour into a pint glass (with ice) if you want to serve it as a drink. It tastes very good, definite crowd pleaser! I highly recommend this shot to everyone!

I recently discovered a new shot that I LOVE! It is called a “Firecracker”, and is meant to taste like the red, white, and blue firecracker popsicle. It is really sweet, so for people who don’t like sugary tasting shots – this might not be for you. This is a fun idea for events like a 4th of July party. The ingredients make it hard to taste any liquor in it, so for people who generally aren’t good at taking shots: give this a try! To make this shot, you’ll need:

-Black Haus liquor (1/2 oz per shot)

-Blue Curacoa Liquor (1/2 oz per shot)

-Sour Mix (splash)

-Sprite (splash)

-Grenadine (1 drop)

First, grab a shaker or a pint glass and fill it up with ice. Then add the black haus, blue curacoa, sour mix, and sprite. Cover the shaker/glass and shake to mix all of the ingredients together. The shot should look bright blue. Grab a strainer and pour into the shot glass. Then, add a drop of grenadine. The shot will end up blue on top with a little bit of red on the bottom. Serve and enjoy!

** This shot is really neat looking, so I will add a picture of one after I work this weekend!

PHOTO: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CeRe2AGdiyY/S9kHrqXKb6I/AAAAAAAAARY/DagjAOdR1yc/s400/firecracker.jpg