Killer Cocktail Contest

I love holidays – the bigger the spectacle the better. With Sacramento temps hovering at 110 degrees or more this summer, there’s nothing like a cool, refreshing libation to kickstart the party spirit.

Killer Cocktail Contest


Speaking of cool cocktails and hot celebrations, did you know that July 19th is National Daiquiri Day? I discovered this amazing tidbit during Christmas vacation with my kids. Surprisingly enough (or not), my thirty-year-old son informed me that he’d thrown National Daiquiri parties for the past four years.

How odd my invitation failed to arrive – four years in a row!

For a brief moment in time, I thought of releasing Dying for a Daiquiri on National Daiquiri Day. Then my inner editor kicked in and told me to get real. But there is absolutely no reason why all of you shouldn’t start celebrating in advance of the official October 1st launch.


• • • • • CONTEST ALERT! • • • • •

Dying for a Daiquiri – Final CoverAs far as I’m concerned, Dying for a Daiquiri wouldn’t be complete without a few great recipes tucked into the back of the book, but I definitely need your mixological help.

There are four different categories:
1. Best daiquiri (flavored is fine)
2. Best tropical drink (feel free to go wild and crazy with the ingredients and the title)
3. Best drink that involves Kahlua or any chocolaty liqueur (Laurel insists)
4. Best virgin summertime cooler



The winners of each category will have their recipe and name featured in the book, plus they’ll receive a Hawaiian collectible (of my choice)!

Submit your entries by midnight July 18th so I have plenty of time to “test” the results. This is a very scientific process and may require significant re-testing.

Enjoy!



43 Comments

  1. Theresa Garrido on July 9, 2013 at 1:30 pm

    My recipe 🙂

    One can frozen lime concentrate
    Fresh raspberries (a handful??)
    Rum (your choice)

    Mix in blender with a handful of crushed ice and enjoy. Well, sure helps me on a hot summer afternoon 🙂

    • Cindy Sample on July 9, 2013 at 2:07 pm

      The easier the better as far as I’m concerned. I think that will be my reward tonight after I finish the next 50 pages of editing:-)

  2. Norma Thornton on July 9, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    Get ready for Big Bottom Girls Bamboo Sling

    1 1/2 oz. rum, 2 oz. sweet n’ sour, 1 oz. lemon sour, 1 oz. orange juice, l oz. Hawaiian punch, 1 oz. pineapple juice, crushed ice, strawberries & banana are optional but highly recommended. Blend all ingredients until smooth then add 1/2 oz. sloe gin to “float.”

    • Cindy Sample on July 9, 2013 at 2:25 pm

      Wow. That’s quite a drink you’ve concocted. Sounds like it has a real kick to it!

  3. Heather Haven on July 9, 2013 at 2:35 pm

    I admire Ernest Hemingway for a lot of reasons, and second to none is his love for the cocktail. Here is the Hemingway Daiquiri, which I have modified somewhat:

    1 1/2 oz light rum
    1/2 oz maraschino liqueur
    1/2 oz grapefruit juice
    3/4 oz fresh lime juice
    1/2 oz simple syrup*
    2 dashes grapefruit bitters*
    *optional

    Add to ice in a shaker and shake that kitten until it purrs. Pour into a martini glass and add a toothpick with a grapefruit section and a maraschino cherry on it. Yummy!

    • Cindy Sample on July 9, 2013 at 2:48 pm

      Yum yum. If anyone knows how to blend a cocktail it’s Mr. Hemingway, with a little editing from you!

  4. Cordelia Smythe on July 9, 2013 at 4:12 pm

    This is the rum punch recipe from my “Hibiscus & Homicide” Murder Mystery Game.
    Make twice what you think you’ll need – it goes fast!

    Calypso Punch
    Serves 10-12

    1 (64 oz) can pineapple juice
    1 1/2 cup coconut rum (1 8oz can coconut cream may be substituted for the alcohol)
    Cranberry juice at a ratio of 1:4
    1 (2 liter) bottle 7-UP

    Combine all ingredients up to the 7-UP in a large pitcher. Chill at least one hour.
    When ready to serve, transfer to a punch bowl and add 7-UP.

    Top with an ice ring made of pineapple juice, pineapple chunks and maraschino cherries.

    • Cindy Sample on July 9, 2013 at 5:54 pm

      I love the name of your murder mystery game and the name of this punch. We may have to serve this at the launch.

  5. Dee Brice on July 9, 2013 at 5:56 pm

    I only drink Manhattans–but here’s the basic recipe: Bourbon (2 parts); sweet vermouth (1 part); a dash or two of bitters. You can build the drink in a highball glass or a shaker. Place maraschino cherries in a glass and add the liquor. May be served over ice or “up” in a martini glass without ice.

    I’m more than willing to join you for a drink–done with edits or not

    • Cindy Sample on July 9, 2013 at 5:58 pm

      Thanks for the recipe. My mother loves Manhattans and so do I. You’re on for that drink!

  6. Darlene Neeley on July 9, 2013 at 5:57 pm

    LEMON DROP MARTINI

    2 OZ ABSOLUTE CITRUS VODKA (chill bottle ahead of time)
    3/4 OZ COINTREAU
    2 TBS LEMONADE CONCENTRATE

    FILL SHAKER WITH ICE AND SHAKE IT LIKE CRAZY. (NOT YOU; WELL MAYBE)
    RUB CUT LEMON ALONG RIM OF COCKTAIL GLASS AND DIP IN A SAUCER OF SUGAR
    FILL GLASS AND ENJOY!

    • Cindy Sample on July 9, 2013 at 5:59 pm

      We used to have Lemon Drop parties in the mortgage biz. I think I need to reinstitute that tradition. Thanks, Darlene.

  7. Barb Beacham on July 9, 2013 at 6:11 pm

    Here is one that does not fit in any category but is still an amazing drink. This is a “Twisted Cosmo!”

    2 oz vodka, we like Skyy
    2 oz Limoncello
    2 oz cranberry juice

    Fill a shaker full of ice, add the ingredients and shake! Pour into a martini glass and twist a piece of lemon peel over the drink, and then swipe the edge of the glass with the peel. Drop the peel into the glass and serve!

    • Cindy Sample on July 9, 2013 at 6:20 pm

      With a name like TWISTED COSMO I’ll make it fit in category two. Love it!

  8. Linda Lohman on July 9, 2013 at 8:21 pm

    Peach fuzz

    Into a blender:
    1 6oz can frozen lemonade
    a cup or two of ice
    sliced Fresh peaches (to the top of the blender)
    1 6oz can Captain Morgan’s Spicy Run

    Pour over ice in a chilled glass. Don’t forget the little umbrella.

    • Linda Lohman on July 9, 2013 at 8:22 pm

      That’s RUM! Not run. LOL. Think I drank too many?

    • Cindy Sample on July 9, 2013 at 8:49 pm

      Yum Yum Yum. Of course it’s rum. And I promise not to forget the umbrellas.

  9. Mary Beth Magee on July 9, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    Here’s one my friend Trudy calls Lemolade, in honor of the grandchildren mispronouncing lemonade:
    The Lemonade part:
    Squeeze four fresh lemons (we prefer Meyer lemons).
    Place the juice (at least one cup – use more lemons if necessary to reach one cup) and one cup of sugar in a half-gallon container.
    Add one cup warm water and stir to dissolve the sugar.
    Add ice cubes and cold water to fill the container.

    For each serving:
    1-2 jiggers Amaretto di Saronno
    Fresh Lemonade
    Ice, if desired

    Mix in a tall glass. Garnish with a stemmed cherry, if desired.

    Sort of reminds me of you, Cindy: Tall, cool and blonde!

    Of course, anyone can substitute commercial lemonade or some other amaretto, but it won’t be true Lemolade!

    • Cindy Sample on July 9, 2013 at 9:47 pm

      Hi Mary Beth. I knew you’d come up with a great southern drink for us. I love the name and the ingredients. Wish you were here to sample a batch with me!

  10. Kathy Downs on July 10, 2013 at 6:29 am

    My current fave – not a daiquiri I fear – is a French 75.
    1 1/2 oz St Germaine Elderflower liquer
    1 oz fresh lemon juice
    combine in shaker with ice, and give it a shake
    Strain into a drinking glass of some interesting shape. Fill with champagne.

    You may want more than one.

    Kathy

    • Cindy Sample on July 10, 2013 at 8:38 am

      Aloha, Kathy. That still qualifies for a tropical drink as far as I’m concerned. I have to check out that Elderflower liquer!

  11. Elke on July 10, 2013 at 7:55 am

    TAKE NO PRISONERS daiquiri cocktail! as served at Enchanted April Inn.

    1-1/2 oz light rum
    1 oz lime joice
    1/2 oz absinthe (now legal in the U.S.)
    1 tsp powdered sugar
    Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.

    Beware – powerful hallucinations may result from drinking this concoction!

    • Cindy Sample on July 10, 2013 at 8:41 am

      I love the title. Wasn’t absinthe Oscar Wilde’s favorite alcoholic choice?

      • Linda Griffiths on July 10, 2013 at 10:39 am

        Yes, as well as Hemmingway’s and the Fitzgeralds. Explains a bit about that era of literature…

        • Cindy Sample on July 10, 2013 at 10:50 am

          I can’t imagine what would happen if I added absinthe to my daily diet. My brain never lacks for creativity as it is!

  12. Linda Griffiths on July 10, 2013 at 12:34 pm

    I forgot about this one! I have it posted on my Cordelia Smythe Mysteries Blog for Halloween. I liked it just because of the name!

    Dark and Stormy Death Punch
    Servings: 1 punchbowl

    1 – 20 oz can lychee nuts in heavy syrup
    Brandied cherries – approx. 16

    1/4 cup thinly sliced ginger
    1/4 cup superfine sugar
    1/2 cup fresh lime juice
    12 oz dark rum
    3 – 12 oz bottles ginger beer (NOT ginger ale!)

    In a small saucepan, bring the lychee syrup and ginger to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 30 mins.

    In a pitcher, stir the sugar into the lime juice until dissolved. Add the rum and refrigerate until well chilled, at least one hour.

    While syrup is cooling, stuff lychees with brandied cherries to make “eye balls.” Place each stuffed lychee in the well of a mini muffin pan or ice cube tray, strain lychee-ginger syrup and pour over each lychee. Freeze until firm (about 4 hours.)

    To Serve: Unmold lychee ice cubes (eyeballs) and place into punch bowl. Pour in the lime-rum mixture. Just before serving, add the ginger beer and stir gently.

    • Cindy Sample on July 10, 2013 at 2:19 pm

      You come up with the best recipes and titles although I don’t know about slaving over a stove to make a cocktail. But I love the eyeballs!

  13. Peggy on July 10, 2013 at 2:35 pm

    THE DAIQUIRI TO DIE FOR

    One bottle of Barcardi’s Rum (light or dark)
    1 lime
    2 shot glasses or just a straw
    1 Tropical Beach in Hawaii or the Carribean
    1 Very handsome and young man with six pack abs

    Put them all together and enjoy! ;O)

    • Cindy Sample on July 10, 2013 at 2:41 pm

      You win! I can’t stop laughing. Only you could come up with the perfect recipe-)

  14. Christine Hyde on July 11, 2013 at 10:57 am

    The “Christopher Robin”, created and submitted by me and Robin Ylitalo:

    In a champagne flute, fill halfway with your favorite champagne, add one shot Malibu Rum, add orange juice just below rim of glass and top with grenadine. Gently stir (you don’t want to pop those bubbles!) Enjoy!

    • Cindy Sample on July 11, 2013 at 1:30 pm

      Talk about a killer cocktail. That drink has some serious alcohol in it! Mahalo.

      • Linda Griffiths on July 11, 2013 at 5:55 pm

        I have come to realize with all of the recipes coming in for this contest, I don’t drink near enough!

        • Cindy Sample on July 11, 2013 at 7:19 pm

          I’m a lightweight when it comes to these tropical concoctions, hence the contest. One glass of wine usually does it for me!

  15. Sherry Joyce on July 11, 2013 at 6:13 pm

    Authors need drinks…and lots of beach time. Here’s mine.
    PAMA-TIKI
    1-1/2 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
    1 oz. white run agricole (it’s just pure cane rum)
    2 oz. pineapple juice (considered your fruit for the day)
    1-1/2 oz. sweetened coconut milk (good for your bones, not your waistline)
    Pineapple wedge for garnish
    Assemble in a cocktail shaker; blend crushed ice in a blender; add ice to a tall
    glass and pour in cocktail mixture. Turn on music from Mark Knofler and Emmy Lou Harris called Beach Music, lay on the floor (you’ll end up there anyway), close eyes and slip with a long straw and pretend to be on the beach 🙂 Enjoy

    • Cindy Sample on July 11, 2013 at 7:20 pm

      Ha ha! I love some of the descriptions that are coming with the recipes! There is no way I’m trying these out by myself. Ladies, we must plan a party!

      • Linda Griffiths on July 12, 2013 at 9:11 am

        With the amount of “sampling” that is available through this string, it better be a sleep over party!

  16. Cynthia Farrell on July 12, 2013 at 11:29 am

    A little twist on a French Favorite panaché (pan nah SHAY) I just discovered and that is so refreshing – I am hooked on my modification

    Glass of Crushed Ice
    1 part Blond Beer or your favorite light beer (pour slowly to avoid foaming)
    3 parts Gingerale (I prefer home-made, yet to quench thirst fast store bought will do)..
    Add a lemon, lime or orange wedge…
    Very refreshing…Enjoy 🙂

    Homemade Gingerale recipe (non alcoholic to use with alcohol):
    1 cup (200 g) peeled, finely chopped ginger
    2 cups (450 ml) water
    1 cup (225 g) sugar
    1 cup (225 ml) water
    1/2 cup (115 ml) club soda (per glass)
    A few drops of lime juice
    Lime wedges (for garnish)

    • Cindy Sample on July 12, 2013 at 12:06 pm

      Cynthia, I had no idea you could make homemade ginger ale. You are quite the chef/bartender! Mahalo.

  17. Priscilla Caporaletti-Bean on July 17, 2013 at 5:37 pm

    When I turned legal age to tend bar, I was suddenly placed behind the bar of the local bowling alley where I worked at the time. I had a steep learning curve, but over all, it wasn’t too bad because everyone drank beer. And, the mixed drinks weren’t too hard to make. But, there was always one situation that I dreaded…. the customer who used to say to me, “I don’t know what I want. I think I want something different.” What was I supposed to make them???? So, finally this is what I came up with:
    THE SOMETHING DIFFERENT:
    Everything in equal parts:
    Vodka, Peach Schnapps, amaretto
    Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice and Cranberry Juice

    Also, the nice thing about this drink is that it is easy to adjust for individual tastes as they might prefer one juice more than another.
    The drink also has a nice sunrise or sunset look to it, depending on how it is made.
    ENJOY & SALUD

    • Cindy Sample on July 17, 2013 at 6:15 pm

      I can see you were creative at an early age. I love both amaretto & peach schnapps. I can just imagine how gorgeous this drink will look. I see a photo op coming on:-) Thanks, Priscilla.

      • Priscilla Caporaletti-Bean on July 19, 2013 at 4:12 pm

        Thanks Cindy =) I’m sure you’ll be enjoying all your taste testing!

  18. Cindy Sample on September 12, 2013 at 7:17 pm

    The winners have been notified and you’ll all have to buy a copy of DYING FOR A DAIQUIRI to try these terrific recipes. It was alot of work to try them all out and the cocktail committee thanks you!

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