Christmas In July - Twice The Joy!

Strawberry DaiquiriJust about every club and bar in the Caribbean has strawberry daiquiri on their list of cocktails. That said, it did not originate from there.It was created by an American mining engineer who found himself in Cuba at the time. He ran out of ingredients and came up with a mixture which he called daiquiri. Also, the name of the local beach. The rest is history.It first appeared in New York clubs around 1902. The Classic Daquiri has changed since then into the very popular Strawberry Daiquiri.The Classic Daiquiri45 ml (1.5 oz.) White Rum30 ml (1 oz.) Simple syrup (I prefer a 1:1)23 ml (0.75 oz.) Lime juice OR 30 ml (1 oz.) of lemon juicePour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice and shake gently. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy. Blue LagoonAn American bartender, Andy MakElhon, made good use of the Blue Curacao liqueur which flooded the European market in the 1960s.There’s also a movie of the same name.Blue Lagoon Island (Comino), MaltaYou will also find the Blue Lagoon Island in Malta. To get to the island, take a ferry from Cirkewwa in the North of Malta, or go on a boat cruise that berths at the Blue Lagoon Island for a few hours. Alternatively, explore on your own from Sliema/Buġibba. Blue Lagoon IslandBahama MamaThere are three theories about the origin of this cocktail.One is that it was named after Dottie Lee Anderson. Dottie, a Caribbean dancer in the 1930s, went by her stage name “Bahama Mama”. Secondly, legend has it that during Prohibition, when the Bahamas were used as a smuggling base, the drink became popular.Lastly, the author of the book One More Cocktail claims recognition for its origin. Oswald “Slade” Greenslade, who worked as a Bahamian bartender, claims the invention was a result of a few homegrown recipes codified into one drink.BahamasThe Bahamas consist of 700 islands across 100,000 square miles of ocean. The archipelago is an ecological oasis.The Bahamas is known to have the clearest water on the planet. Therefore, it is a popular destination as part of a boat cruise package.It will take you about 2,5 hours from Florida, Miami to the Bahamas by boat. Thus, a perfect one-day trip.The official language is English, and the currency is the Bahamian Dollar. Blue HawaiiIn 1957 a sales representative of Dutch distiller Bols asked Harry Yee (a legendary bartender in Waikiki) to design a drink that featured their blue color of Curaçao liqueur. And so, Blue Hawaii was invented.HawaiiIt’s the only USA state with two official languages, namely English and Hawaii.The main capital is Honolulu.They use the USD currency. April, May, September, and October are the best months for a Hawaii holiday.Hawaii is officially in the Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone, which is 10 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-10).Because of the time zone, you may experience some jet lag, depending on where your journey begins.  Therefore, I’d say about 10 days, including recovering from jet lag and getting acclimatized, should do the trick for a Hawaii vacation.A perfect day-trip from FloridaLong Island Iced TeaRobert “Rosebud” Butt worked at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York. He claims to have invented the Long Island iced tea as an entry in a 1972 contest to create a cocktail with Triple Sec.Long IslandIt’s is an expanding island in southeastern New York State, east of New York City. They speak English and use the USD currency.Long Island is known for:award-winning vineyards,boutique shopping,charming downtowns.eclectic dining,the famed beaches of the Hamptons,Fire Island,historic Gold Coast Mansions, andJones Beach.Pina ColadaThe piña colada hails from San Juan, Puerto Rico where it was created by bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero at the Caribe Hilton in 1954. He mixed up a fruity blend of rum, coconut cream, and pineapple juice, and boom. Everyone’s favorite summer treat was created. – ForbesRupert Holmes’, Escape (The Pina Colada Song) was used in many movies, and is an old-time classic!Blue TahoeThe cocktail recipe has changed over the years, but the real thing is to use Tahoe Blue Vodka. The spectacular Tahoe Lake in California was the inspiration behind Blue Tahoe Vodka. Lake Tahoe’s pristine water makes a world-class vodka.Support Lake Tahoe. Use Tahoe Blue Vodka, and give back to the environment. Tahoe Blue Vodka donates a portion of its proceeds to help preserve both the lake itself and the diverse environment surrounding it.Founders Favorite CocktailIngredients:1.50 oz Tahoe Blue VodkaSoda Water1 Orange SliceDirections: Pour Tahoe Blue Vodka over ice. Top with soda water and give a quick stir. Garnish with an orange slice.Lake TahoeWith a maximum depth of over 1600 feet, the lake is one of the world’s top-ten deepest lakes.With snow skiing in winter and pure summer fun around the lake in summer, Lake Tahoe is an all-year holiday destination. It certainly is a must-go for snow skiers, with plenty of ski villages right on your doorstep. That is, besides the scenic and majestic Heavenly mountains in Tahoe.Dirty MartiniWhen I hear the word Martini I find myself smiling with a picture of Jane Fonda sipping on a dry Martini in the Netflix series, Grace and Frankie!Truth to be told, no one really knows the history of the Martini cocktail. That said, the residents of Martinez are convinced it’s named after a bartender who invented the cocktail in their town. We’ll stick to that. It sounds authentic enough! Besides, I don’t think Grace is particularly worried about where her Martini originates from!Last but not least, of course, James Bond. A Telegraph article put it like this: He drinks a martini that is six parts vodka, one part vermouth, and served – on this occasion by Solitaire – from a cocktail shaker. Four years later, in the Dr. No novel, Bond orders “a medium Vodka dry Martini – with a slice of lemon peel. Shaken and not stirred, please. I would prefer Russian or Polish vodka.”CosmopolitanBartender Neal Murray says he created the cosmopolitan in 1975 at the Cork & Cleaver steak house in Minneapolis. According to Murray, he added a splash of cranberry juice to a Kamikaze and the first taster declared, “How cosmopolitan.” This event supposedly led to the naming of the new beverage. – WikipediaMinneapolis: Did you know?The state of Minneapolis is known for its skyscraper buildings and vibrant nightlife. St. Paul has a historic feel with a focus on classic architecture, neighborhoods, and traditions.Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comics, was born in Minneapolis and grew up in St. Paul.We’ve all either used the phrase or heard it… “holy cow!”. The phrase was coined by a Minneapolis sports announcer Halsey Hall.  came from? He said “holy cowl!” in response to a home run on a radio broadcast. St. Paul, the capital of Minneapolis, Minnesota.ScrewdriverAnd so the “screwdriver cocktail” got its name!Many, many decades ago, American oil workers in the Persian Gulf could find themselves in a bit of a pickle if caught! They used to add vodka to their orange juice! In order to get away with it, they very discreetly used a screwdriver to stir it.