Good Morning Darlings!

You all know how much I love an awards show. The Oscars are like Christmas to me, so the Emmys must be Thanksgiving! Yippee! And you know I have to have some fabu cocktails to quaff while hollering at the television – don’t fib, you know you do it, too. This year besties John & Holly will be on the red couch with me, critiquing the gowns and hairstyles, so it has got to be good.

My friend, Kate, from NYC, sent me the most delicious ideas. Kate, you think of everything!

With the Emmys just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about how and where you’ll be spending the star-studded evening. Whether you’ll be throwing a Hollywood-worthy bash for your friends or be curled up on the couch, we’ve got the perfect cocktails to compliment your night. Each of the following creations pays homage to some of this year’s newcomers and also the staples; and assures that you’ll have the perfect drink in hand no matter which show gets your vote!

MILDRED PIERCE

The five-part, three-week HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce was packed with great performances pulling in 21 nominations; making it the lead in programming. The best way to celebrate should be obvious: with a classic cocktail made with one of the world’s most awarded rums – Flor de Caña from Nicaragua. Eric refuses to ever drink a Cuba Libre without his Flor de Cana.

Mildred’s Desire

2 oz Flor de Caña 18 Year Old Centenario Rum
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dashes orange bitters
Stir & strain in an A/P coupe.

In the Best Series, Drama category, HBO newcomers “Game of Thrones” and “Boardwalk Empire” enter the running as strong contenders.

BOARDWALK EMPIRE

Despite Prohibition laws, 1920 Atlantic City is as boozy as it gets, thanks to quintessential everyman Nucky Thompson. As any public figure rocked with a sex and corruption scandal knows, there’s nothing like a stiff drink to take the edge off. Enjoy the aromatic CAMUS Cognac in a snifter neat or in a classic cocktail like the Sazerac!

Prohibition Sazerac

2 oz. Camus VSOP Cognac
one white sugar cube
Three-to-four dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
1/4 oz. Lucid Absinthe rinse on glass
Stirred, and served neat. Place white sugar cube in a chilled mixing glass and add bitters to saturate. Gently muddle. Add Cognac, and stir with ice. Strain into a whiskey (or rocks) glass with an Absinthe rinse. Spray (zest) the glass with a lemon peel or twist.

GAME OF THRONES

Described as the most awaited TV series of 2011, Game of Thrones delivered something for every type of viewer—magic and enchantment, violence, and dramatic power struggles. It is only appropriate to provide fans of this convoluted drama an equally mysterious and complex libation. Escape to another world with Lucid, the brand responsible for lifting the 100-year absinthe ban.

The Iron Throne (Death in the Afternoon)

1 oz Lucid Absinthe
Champagne
Pour Lucid Absinthe into a champagne coupe or flute. Add iced champagne until it attains the proper opalescence (don’t you just love that word?).

On the comedy side, fan and critical favorite 30 Rock and Glee are still in the running!

30 ROCK

In true Liz Lemon Style, this is for the lazy drinker. Can’t figure out how to blend and mix complex ingredients, looking for a simple yet serious drink? Well look no further, Russian Standard is here to take your favorite show to a whole new level. Russia’s number one vodka offers a super easy to make cocktail, Even Liz could pull this one off!

Russian Therapy, “Jack Style”

1.5 oz. Russian Standard Vodka
1 lime wedge
5 oz. Regatta ginger beer
Build cocktail over ice in your Russian Standard Copper Mug Add 1.5 oz of Russian Standard Vodka
Squeeze a wedge of lime. Top with 5 oz of Regatta ginger beer

GLEE

A fan favorite, Glee continuously scores nominations due to its high energy musical numbers and campy style. But Gwyneth Paltrow’s nomination as a Guest Actress in a Comedy for her turn as Holly Holiday definitely deserves a toast. This cocktail that embodies Holly’s spunk and sweetness, with Nicaraguan Flor de Caña Rum!

Holly’s Habanero Daiquiri

1.5 oz Flor de Caña 7 Year Rum
0.5 oz Lime juice
0.5 oz Simple syrup
Muddled poblano peppers
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a short rocks glass over ice and garnish with a poblano and jalapeño pepper.

That should set you up for the Emmys. Now, what are we eating?

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Hot Chocolate – Every 1’s a Winner