How to Make Grenadine

Grenadine is a classic pomegranate-based sweetener found in many drinks, and often an integral flavor agent in popular cocktails. So it's a shame that such an essential ingredient is sold commercially as a cheap, chemically sweet substance often lacking real pomegranate juice. Today's grenadine is rife with high-fructose corn syrup and food coloring, a far cry from the preservative-free original.

Fortunately for home bartenders, it's quite easy to make your own grenadine. There are two popular methods to making grenadine, one that involves cooking on the stove and one that doesn't. For the latter, grab a bottle of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, a bag of sugar and a jar.

Add one cup of POM pomegranate juice and one cup of granulated sugar into a jar. Shake vigorously until the sugar is dissolved. Add another ounce of sugar and once again shake with gusto. The end result is a bright, fresh grenadine readily able to sweeten up your drink without the artificial cloying flavor of commercial grenadines. And depending on your personal tastes, you can add more or less sugar to achieve your desired sweetness.

The other method of making grenadine is to cook it on the stove. Simply add two cups of POM pomegranate juice to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the liquid has been reduced by half. Add one cup of sugar, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. The result is a rich, red grenadine with a slightly different flavor than grenadine created using the "cold process" detailed above. An optional step for either method is to add an ounce of high proof vodka or grain alcohol to act as a preservative.

Layering

Nothing makes a drink look more attractive and temptingly delicious than when you layer it. Layering drinks is combining combinations of liqueurs which blend together create fresh and vibrant colors or stay seperated to make colurful designs. Indeed, layering drinks is like a bartender's artwork on his beverage canvas and it all comes together with the use of creativity and science.

There are many ways that bartenders choose to layer drinks. But it really all boils down to science. When layering drinks, the mixer must keep the alcohol's density in mind to combine the right liquids. Each alcoholic beverage has its own specific gravity.

Higher density alcohols are said to sink below those that are of lighter densities. Of course there would be times when two ingredients are of the same density level. In this case, the drinks are to be mixed with great precision in order to result in successful layering.

Most of the times, bartenders and drink mixers would use a plastic syringe to be able to get the right amount in the glass and at a slower pace. Experts would tell you that the slower process you try to mix these drinks together, the better the outcome. Even if a syringe is not handy you can also slowly pour the liquor by using the back of your spoon to create a trickle effect instead of a direct pouring of the liquor.

Techniques

One of the more difficult techniques in bartending is layering or floating liqueurs. Although this seems like a challenge, there is a very simple method that you can use. Each liqueur weighs differently and either floats or sinks when added to another. Most recipes are written with the heaviest liqueurs printed first. If all else fails, experiment and get used to the liqueurs that you most often use.

To pour the liqueurs into the glass, simply use the rounded or back part of a spoon and rest it against the inside of the glass. Slowly pour down the spoon and into the glass. The liqueur should run down the inside of the glass and smoothly layer. This technique takes practise, but can be mastered by anyone. Make sure that the liqueurs are poured in order of their weight, starting with the heaviest first.

The Voodoo Priestess Cocktail drink Recipe.

Will you fall under her spell?
This is a slight variation of the original recipe, but just as good.
A little bit of prep goes into this exotic potion, but well worth the effort.
Voodoo Priestess Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces dark rum (Captain morgan, Cruzan black strap, Whalers, Myers, etc.)
• 1 1/2 ounces spiced rum (VooDoo Spiced Rum)
• 1/2 ounce brandy (your choice)
• 2 ounces orange juice
• 1 ounce lime juice
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• 2 ounces Voodoo Priestess Spice Syrup
• 1 dash orange bitters

Mixing Instructions:

Shake in cocktail shaker and shake.
Pour into a glass filled with ice.
Garnish with a exotic flower.

How to make Vodka Gummy Bears, a cocktail treat thats far from normal.

How to make Vodka Gummi Bears.

Here is a nice treat that is a bit different than the normal cocktail.

It's basically candy gummy bears infused with vodka. I gotta admit, i am a fan of gummy bears, so i decided to give this one a go. I was happy with the results. It was very easy to make and interesting as the little gummy bears puffed up as they absorbed the alcohol. We tried using gummy worms, and they got a lot bigger as the soaked up the vodka. It's just plan fun to make this unique cocktail creation.

I wonder if this is the new jello shot.

How to make Vodka Gummy Bears:

Ingredients

• 1 Bottle of Vodka (Any kind is fine, i do not recommend premium for this one)
• 1-2 Bags of Gummy Bears (Regular or sugar free)
Optional: Gummy Worms

Procedure: (How to make Gummy Bear Vodka)
Basically you just soak the gummy bears in the vodka.
Get a large glass container, do not use plastic, it will add a bad flavor to the vodka.
Pour the vodka over the worms and let sit for a few hours.

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Building

There are so many techniques that can be used when creating a cocktail, it can make your head spin. One technique that you definitely need to know is building. Considered to be the oldest preparation technique, it is most often used for drinks containing carbonated ingredients that would taste best if not shaken.

The basic instructions are as follows: Start by adding ice to the serving glass, then add in any seasoning. The alcohol comes next, followed up with the mixer (if any) and the garnish.

Building a drink sounds simple... it's just putting the ingredients together, right? Wrong! There are actually some things you need to learn to master this skill and become the perfect bartender.

When it comes to building a cocktail, the ingredients are added to a glass, usually the one in which it will be served. The ingredients can either be floated on each other or poured together. On occasion, depending on the recipe, a straw or swizzle stick is also added to allow the drinker to stir the drink at his or her leisure.

The way a built drink is stirred can be the key to its taste. In order to bring out its best flavor, the straw or swizzle stick should be used to stir it in a complete circle a minimum of six times.

Shake/Blend

This method is common with drinks containing fruit juices, cream or eggs. In today's time, a blender is most often used to blend drinks, but the old fashioned shake method is outlined below.

Mixing a drink by shaking it is a well known technique that became popularized during the 1930s. This technique is often used when creating a drink that includes hard to blend ingredients, such as eggs, fruit juices, or cream. Shaking a drink not only blends the ingredients together, it also works to chill the drink to icy perfection.

When shaking a drink, a shaker specifically designed for the job is usually used. There are two types of shakers to consider, both of which are often found made of stainless steel. A traditional model comes in three parts, one of which is a strainer that is built right in. A more modern model has only two parts. One is the shaker itself, while the other is usually a smaller shaker or a mixing glass. If you choose to use a two-part model to shake your drinks, you will need to have a separate strainer on hand.

It is best that you never use a shaker that you have made yourself, such as using two glasses that are placed rim to rim. Not only can a makeshift shaker such as this leak, the glasses can break or chip, which can lead to glass shards dropping into your drink.

Shaking is sometimes referred to as blending. However, although some may think that blending and shaking are the same, they are actually both very different ways to mix a drink. With both techniques, the ingredients will become mixed, but the procedure and tools used are quite different. The blending technique is used when the drink's ingredients, such as fruit, cannot easily be broken down during the shaking process. An electric blender works well for blending drinks.

How to make the "Red Night Passion" exotic Cocktail.

This Has to be one hell of a drink!!;)

"Red Night Passion" Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 shot of Vanilla Vodka
• 1 shot of Apple Sourz
• Can of Sprite to top
• Dash of grenadine
Mixing Instructions:

Mix cocktail over ice in a martini or highball bar glass. Then add a few drops of grenadine and sink it to the bottom of the glass.