Happy Cindo de Mayo! Cinco de Mayo doesn’t mean you just have to drink beer and margaritas all day. Drink out of the box and try our Bare Red Chili Martini. It’s flavorful, delicious, and refreshing with a little kick at the end of every sip. Even better, its a low-calorie cocktail for those who are watching their figure for the summer season; Bare is ONLY 17 calories per oz. Check out the simple recipe below!

Ingredients:

• Cayenne Salt for the Rim (blend 3 tablespoon of margarita or kosher salt with Cayenne to taste; I added ½ tsp)
• 5 oz of Tequila
• 2 oz of Bare Margarita Mixer
• Splash of Mango Juice
• Chili Powder

Instructions:

1. Rim glass with lime juice and dip in the cayenne salt
2. Chill glass in freezer
3. Put all ingredients into shaker; shake and strain into chilled martini glass
4. Garnish with small red chili

Bare Mixers are a natural, low-calorie cocktail mixer used for margaritas, martinis, and so much more made with only the simplest and freshest ingredients including 100% real fruit juices, purified water, and organic agave syrup. Bare comes in a variety of mixers such as margarita, lemon drop and pomegranate cranberry cosmo that blend well with nearly any liquor or spirit or can also be enjoyed straight up on the rocks. Bare Mixers are free of artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, and empty calories. Each mixer is only 17 calories per ounce and 51 per serving, making Bare Mixers a much healthier option than other mixers on the market. Check out BareMixers.com for more great recipes!

Sunday night is the biggest night in entertainment - the 87th Annual Academy Awards. If you watch as many movies as we do, you know there is some tough competition that will be going down. Pinnacle Vodka has some tasty Oscar themed cocktails to sip while watching this coveted event!

Red Carpet Dazzle

2 parts Pinnacle® Whipped® Vodka

4 parts Cranberry Juice

Mix in a glass filled with ice and garnish with a lime wedge and an updo.

Glam Squad

1 part Pinnacle® Cinnabon® Vodka

2 parts Champagne

1 part Orange Juice

Build in order over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a cherry dropped in.

Pinnacle® Best Picture

1½ parts Pinnacle® Raspberry Vodka

1 part DeKuyper® Creme de Cocoa White Liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Place chocolate chips in raspberries and float in martini.​

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Pinnacle Vodka offers 40 distinct flavors, from fresh and fruity Tropical Punch and Raspberry, to indulgent Whipped, Cake, and Cinnabon, making Pinnacle Vodka endlessly mixable for a new, exciting experience every time. No matter what the mood or occasion, whether it’s drinks on the patio or an epic night out, Pinnacle Vodka is an invitation to celebrate the things that inspire you. Be playful, be inventive. No matter how you choose to express yourself, we have a vodka for that.

Back in December I had the opportunity to review Blue Chair Bay Rum, a fantastically smooth run from Kenny Chesney. It made the perfect Puerto Rican Coquito ever.  With Valentine's Day this weekend, it is the perfect opportunity to pick up a bottle of Blue Chair Bay Rum to share with your sweetie. Here are two delicious recipes to try out.

Island Mimosa

Ingredients:

+     1 ½ oz. Blue Chair Bay® Banana Rum

+     2 oz. Sparkling wine

+     1 strawberry, chopped

+     1 lemon wedge

Method: Muddle strawberry and lemon in a mixing glass. Add Blue Chair Bay Banana Rum and ice and shake well. Strain into champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a strawberry slice.

Sailor’s Soul

Ingredients:

+        1 ½ oz. Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Rum

+        1 strawberry, cut and muddled

+        1 lemon wedge

+        1 tsp. agave nectar

+        2 dashes Angostura® bitters

Method: Muddle the strawberry and lemon wedge in the agave. Add Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Rum, bitters, and ice. Shake like crazy. Strain over ice into a rocks glass. Add a strawberry slice and lemon wheel.

So since becoming an owner of a coffee shop, I have really fallen in love with espresso. Mike says I am well on my way to becoming a total coffee snob, but I am ok with that. Few things make me happier than the strong bitterness of a hot cup of espresso. But while I like it black most of the time, we do have flavors at Java Hut, so when I was offered the opportunity to work with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur, I knew just exactly what I would have to make.

Irish Cream Espressotini

• 1 oz Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur
• 1 oz Espresso flavored vodka
• whipped cream

Shake Kerrygold and vodka over ice to chill and strain into glass. Top with whipped cream. Optional: sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.

Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur is made with grass fed cows milk that all Kerrygold products are known for. Their Irish Cream Liqueur is smooth and creamy and can be sipped alone or paired with your favorite liquors for a one of a kind treat. Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur offers the finest blend of natural Irish cream, aged Irish whiskey and luxurious chocolate for a flavor that is unmatched.

Irish Cream is one of those flavors you simply can not get enough of. Paired with espresso it makes the perfect cocktail for the coffee lover in your life.

~Lynsey

Hosting a Halloween Party this year? These Van Gogh Candy Corn Shooters are the perfect addition to your spooky soirée. Made with premium Van Gogh Flavored Vodka, these sweet, smooth shooters will be a crowd pleaser for sure!

Van Gogh Candy Corn Shooter

2 oz. Van Gogh Classic 80 Proof Vodka

2 oz. Banana liqueur

2 oz. Coconut rum

2 oz. Orange curacao

2 oz. Cream

Grenadine

Combine Van Gogh Classic 80 Proof Vodka and Banana Liqueur into a mixer with ice. Shake and pour into the bottom of the shot glass. Then combine Coconut Rum, Orange Curacao, Cream and a dash of Grenadine (for color). Shake in shaker with ice and gently layer on top using a spoon. Top with whipped cream.

For more Halloween inspired cocktails, visit www.VanGoghVodka.com.

Are you having a Halloween Party this year?

So tomorrow is National Chocolate Chip Day. Now, there are some really silly "National" holidays - but this one I can get on board with. Especially when we are talking about mixing up chocolate chip flavored cocktails. (Those have less calories... right?!) If you have never tried Pinnacle Vodka - this is a great excuse to do just that. Here are some awesome recipes for some awesome National Chocolate Chip Day inspired cocktails using their signature Pinnacle Cookie Dough flavored vodka!

#1 - Chocolate Chunk

• 1 part Pinnacle® Cookie Dough Vodka
• 1 part JDK & Sons™ Crave Chocolate Mint Liqueur
• Shake with ice and strain into a shot glass.

#2 - Choc-o-tini

• 1 part Pinnacle® Cookie Dough Vodka
• Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass rimmed with cocoa powder.

#3 - Mocha Chip Delight

• 2 parts Pinnacle® Cookie Dough Vodka
• 1 part Kamora® Coffee Liqueur
• 1 part Chocolate Milk
• Rim martini glass with shaved chocolate. Shake with ice, strain into prepared martini glass, and top with whipped cream.

#4 - Coca-Cookies

• 2 parts Pinnacle® Cookie Dough Vodka
• 4 parts Cola
• Mix in a glass with ice and garnish with a cherry.

By now everyone is starting to lose all sense of humor about Winter.  This morning tens of thousands of people woke up to inches of snow, widespread power outages, and ice covered roads. Even those of us here in Florida are sick of the cold - some kids having to go to school today to make up for the insanity that was our ice storm just two weeks ago.  We get it Mother Nature. Enough is enough.

Ketel One Vodka has come up with a few tasty cocktails to help ease the frustration of "Midnight Snowstorms" and the abundance of "Snowflakes" and hopefully bring will in some warmer weather... for a "Melted Snowman."  Enjoy!

Snowflake

2 oz Ketel One® Citroen
2 oz Godiva® White Chocolate Liqueur

Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with cocoa powder.

Midnight Snowstorm
1 oz. Ketel One® Citroen
¼ oz. crème de violette liqueur
¼ oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 bar spoons berry jam
Champagne

Add Ketel One Citroen, crème de violette, lemon juice and jam into a cocktail shaker. Vigorously shake with ice. Strain into a flute glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with berries floating on top.

The Melted Snowman

1 oz Ketel One® Vodka
¼ oz peppermint schnapps
3 coffee beans
carrot sliver

Place three coffee beans and carrot sliver in the bottom of a chilled martini glass. Shake other ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into martini glass.