cosmic cocktails

Cosmic Cocktails | Pisces | Sleeps With the Fishes

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And here we are, at the end of our jaunt among the cosmos, with our final sign in the zodiac: Pisces.

Sleeps with the Fishes, Pisces cocktail

I’ve dated to astrological fish in my time and, with a little reflection, I see that they are each on totally opposite ends of the Piscean spectrum.

The high school Pisces definitely had that little-white-lie habit down, along with the straying eye. The creative version of the truth may have made things nice and rosy for a while, but a tissue of lies is pretty flimsy, and eventually fell apart. But boy did he have charm.

The fiance Pisces, on the other hand, uses his creativity for good, not evil, but doesn’t have a lot else in common with his sun-sign generalities (which tells me that there’s gotta be some super-strong influence elsewhere in his chart, to reflect the better qualities he exhibits).

What things are common to many a Pisces that are totally lacking in Todd?

Well, money flows through fish-fingers like water, but my atypical Pisces is an accountant–managing other people’s money as well as his own–and is amazing at sticking to a savings plan. Our fishy friends are not the best student, often day-dreaming during class but excel in socializing. He is sometimes shy and reserved, but is pretty good about making decisions (though professes to have gone through that in the past).

But lets leave the personal comparisons aside for now and move on to larger Piscean virtues.

They are compassionate, forgiving, and often in touch with the concepts of past lives, future potential, and the multiverse. Their charm can cross the line into smarm and once they decide they love someone, all faults are ignored and nothing can possibly go wrong. Which might sound like a good thing at first glance but seldom holds true for long. They also like to change ideals mid-stream, it’s that whole mutable sign thing.

Swims With the Fishes

1 oz Vanilla Vodka
1 oz Mango Nectar
3/8 oz Melon Liqueur
1/4 oz Lime Juice

Combine over ice and shake until the mixture is as icy cold as the streams salmon swim in. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a Sweedish Fish candy.

Snipping the candy with some kitchen shears to make a notch will help perch the candy on the edge of the glass rather than leaving it to drown in the melony depths.

And our resident Pisces approves.

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This series has dealt with a lot of personality generalities. If you’re interested in a cocktail made just for you, check out my Character Cocktail service.

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To finish out the month of July I’m going to be sharing cocktail recipes from other sources (aka, not my recipes, but ones that have been sent to me to share), starting with a fun round-up of Olympic-inspired drinks next week. In August we’ll be doing another Meet the… wine series before starting our new cocktail series in September.

Cheers!

Cosmic Cocktails | Aquarius | The Bleeding Heart

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As we wind down our trip through the cocktail cosmos, we come to our next-t0-last sign: Aquarius.

The Bleeding Heart, Aquarian Cocktail

Symbolized by the water-bearer, Aquarians often find themselves happiest when helping others–both in face-to-face, person-to-person encounters as well as large-scale humanitarian efforts that benefit many. They also tend to be incredibly idealistic, but with follow-through: eschewing businesses that employ third-world factory labor, for instance, or even those without corporate recycling programs. With this idealism can come a rigidity, though, that we wouldn’t normally expect in an air sign.

What is in line with their air-sign brethren is the propensity to do their own thing, society be damned. Often ahead of the curve, if you find an Aquarian you click with on something, watch them! They will spot trends and spout truths yet to be proven and be off on the next thing by the time it catches on. But you have to be quick, our Aqua slips down that stream of consciousness and keeps moving right along.

Loyal friends, once you’re in sync with an Aqua you can count on them for life. They are often strikingly handsome, though not always in a conventional sense, and often so likable, even if you don’t agree with anything they say. “New Age” medicine is much more their speed, when ill, than the more Westernized “there’s a pill for that” theory, even to following not-exactly-legal sorts or regimens.

Now, if you happen to be born between January 21st and February 18th and do not recognize yourself in the above, have no fear. Probably the most over-riding feature of Aquarius is their different-ness. Not just from all the other signs, but within the sign, from member to member. It’s not even a matter of being outwardly quirky, sometimes the individuality is more subtle, in a can’t-quite-put-my-finger-on-it way.

The Bleeding Heart

2 oz Vodka
1 1/4 oz Banana Liqueur (like 99 Bananas)
1/4 oz Creme de Menthe (clear)
2 oz Club Soda
1/8 oz Grenadine

Combine vodka and the liqueurs in a mixing glass over ice and shake until icy. Stir in the club soda, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Pour the grenadine (preferably homemade or locally-sourced) over the back of a bar spoon or add with an eye-dropper. Swirl just before ready to drink.

I mean bleeding heart in the best possible sense, of course, but you probably already figured that out.

Making your own grenadine is not tough at all (equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar, cook until sugar dissolves and the mixture reduces by half–simmer slow or you’ll end up with more of a brown mixture–and a splash of orange flower water to finish) and worth it, especially if you like Shirley Temples and other non-cocktails.

This drink might sound a little bananas, but it’s bracing, gets straight to the point, and is definitely ahead of it’s time. Strong-willed, too.

Cheers!

Cosmic Cocktails | Capricorn | The Social Climber

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I’m sure you’ve heard the following phrase:

Behind every successful man, there’s a woman.

That woman in question was probably a Capricorn.

Social Climber Cocktail, part of the Cosmic Cocktails series at SipsandShots.com

Our tenth sign of the zodiac, Capricorn is the sign of ambition and drive and supreme focus. They are great in the board room not only because they thrive on power and position, but also because they have the amazing talent of remaining calm in a crisis.

They are posh, polished, and probably  planned it all that way–mental, emotional, or physical makeovers are just their style.

For a sign so focused on precision I kept coming back to the classics, The Manhattan, the Gin Martini, drinks that has an air of something elegant and timeless about them.

But then what would I do with my evening?

Instead, let’s slum a little with the up-and-coming Capricorn and see what sort of drink they inspire.

Oh, definitely something that speaks of yearning for the best in life, that just-barely-contained lust for power, and the willingness to do whatever. it. takes. to get there. To a Capricorn on the rise, the ends certainly justify the means. Some might suspect our sea-goat is a little over-eager but they’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint why they suspect it, because the Capricorn exudes an “I know” vibe that can leave the rest of us second-guessing.

Cap is shrewd, secretive when he thinks he’s got the inside track, but willing to coddle a former friend whose just made it big if they think they might be able to use them some how.

Yes, I do believe this side of Capricorn makes for a most interesting cocktail.

The Social Climber

2 oz Cognac
1 1/4 oz Peach Schnapps
1/2 oz Kahlua

Combine the three spirits in a mixing glass over ice and stir for precisely 15 seconds to sufficiently chill the alcohol without diluting it more than necessary. Strain into a chilled glass of ample volume and do not sully the drink with any thing even remotely resembling a maraschino cherry.

In my mind, our Capricorn-on-the-make will use the best  he can afford, even if he’s still acclimating to the taste. To help blend in he adds the schnapps, but even after a round with his new boss there’s still that bitter aftertaste of the 12 shots of espresso he downed that afternoon to make it through that last big project that he hopes will get him the promotion.

Reaching. Cloying. Desperate.

I think that says it all.

Cheers!

Cosmic Cocktails | Sagittarius | The Great Hunt

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The Great Hunt, Sagittarian cocktail

Starting off the final four in our zodiacal bacchanal is Sagittarius, the Archer.

It’s no great stretch of the imagination to believe that the Sagittarian is always on the hunt for one thing or another, that it truly is the chase that drives them. Consequently, once one trial is done, the next one must come quick on it’s heals or our Sagittarian may become morose and unruly.

Because of their must-keep-hunting nature, sales is a fantastic job with someone in the sun sign of Sagittarius. Sales, consulting, and other jet-setting fields also give them a great sense of freedom–the other watch-word for this sign. The only thing they could use, though, in a job like sales is a little more tact, decorum, or some sort of filter but, then, everone has their flaws. Lucky for Saggos, though, they’re usually just ribald and rowdy enough to stay charming; for the most part.

Sagittarius is a mutable sign, which means it falls on the change from one season to another (in this case, fall to winter) and suggests a character that is spontaneous, if sometimes neglectful of duty. Routine is not a friend to this sign, with boredom and restlessness setting in quickly if they feel confined to the same-old, same-old.

On the hunt for this week’s cocktail, I was continually drawn to the flavor of darker spirits–whiskey–but also a bright, exuberant flavor.

The Great Hunt

2 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice
1 1/2 oz Honey Bourbon
1/2 oz Raspberry Liqueur
1 splash Angostura Bitters

Combine everything in a mixing glass over ice and shake like the hounds are nipping at your heels. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy.

Raspberry liqueur is one of those spirits that can easily overpower a drink with its sweet, syrupy, cloying-ness–just like the sometimes-soporific Sagg–but the bourbon and grapefruit are able to keep it on an even keel. This is the first drink using raspberry that I’ve actually had to add MORE to it to balance out the stronger ingredients.

Cheers!

Cosmic Cocktails | Scorpio | What A Tail

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What a Tail Scorpio-inspired astrological cocktailApologies for the lack of update last Friday: preparations for the book launch took more time than I expected them to. Isn’t it always the way?

But now we’re back! From outer space, we just walked in–

No, no, no, we’re not channeling Gloria Gaynor, here, not the least because she was a Virgo, not a Scorpio, though the done-with-you attitude of the song would fit a scorned Scorp just fine (if you could manage to get rid of one in the first place, that is).

Maybe I’m getting a bit ahead of myself, though.

This week we’re utterly fascinated by the inscrutable Scorpio–mysterious, private, maybe a little brooding and withdrawn. Very physical, someone with their sun-sign in Scorpio is likely to need a lot of physical outlets for their energy, be it sports or exercise of a non-competitive nature (yes, that too, Scorpio is often considered the most highly-sexed sign of the zodiac). Sitting still is not something they like to do very often, preferring to be on the move.

Excellent in business, they learn quickly, take easy command of a situation, and have excellent instincts about finance. The Scorpio mind is like a steel strap, once something goes in it’s in for good, just waiting for it’s opportunity to pop out.

That said, you’re average Scorpio is not one to show their cards, wear their heart on their sleeve, or otherwise give away what’s going on behind the sometimes-moody eyes. This is probably why they make excellent confidants–until you piss them off, that is, and it’s time to get revenge. Remember there’s a stinger on the end of that magnificent tail.

In cocktail parlance, a Scorpion bowl is a rather loaded communal drink, often served in a volcano bowl featuring flames or dry ice for that extra special touch. The classic Scoripion cocktail–different from the bowl–is a little more reasonable for single drinking, but no less powerful. Meanwhile, we’ve got the Stinger, a popular after-dinner drink of brandy and creme de menthe that one of the Vanderbilt’s made acceptable for pre-dinner drinks back in the 1920s (per Esquire).

Not wanting to ignore those cocktail giants which would seem to lend themselves oh-so-well to this week’s cocktail, and knowing that strong flavors are associated with Scorpios in general, I present this cocktail in their honor.

What a Tail

Juice of 1/2 an orange
1 oz Spiced Rum
3/4 oz Brandy
1/4 oz Amaretto

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled, thinking secret thoughts. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry or two.

To make the nifty s-flag garnish I started with a slice of orange, cut from the center out in one place and threaded it onto the cocktail pick (from Trader Vic’s, in honor of the tiki-ness of today’s drink) in this order: one part of the cut side, a cherry, the uncut side in the middle, another cherry and twisting the other half of the cut side onto the end.

Cheers!

No, really, brooding Scorpio, cheer up a bit: it’s Friday!