Cocktails for Happy Days: This drink is on fire!

This might be the best blog post I have ever written. Now that I have built it up, I hope I don’t let you down.

I have some really great friends. Maybe a few too many that say, “Shouldn’t we…..” and I say “yes” before they can even finish their sentence. Sometimes it doesn’t end so great, but usually it’s a good idea.

A few weeks back my friend Darcie asked a few of us if we wanted to participate in a Pinterest-inspired Halloween party. Um, of course I did…and that was before I found out I got to bring a cocktail. The rules (well, they weren’t really rules) were bring enough for eight and make it crafty/fun/delicious.

The stakes were high. Seven other awesome ladies that love to craft…I had to come up with something awesome. Now, at this point, I would like to say I made up what I brought…but if you know me very well, you would know I would have way too much guilt if I didn’t tell the truth.

Quite some time ago, while at one of Millie’s (my awesome mother-in-law, her name is really Bev) department holiday party I was talking with one of her co-workers about delicious cocktails and my love of making up new ones. She gave me a drink recipe that I was never brave enough to try until I needed a show-stopping, Pinterest-inspired, generally over-the-top cocktail. She likes her cocktails a bit stronger than I seem to be able to take them, so I will share both recipes. I made up the “spell” that goes with it…needed a story to go with the cocktail for the party. She called hers a Spanishtini, I called it Positive Power

The prep: rim a thick rimmed martini glass with a lime (Jeannine’s version) or an orange (my version, and also what I had at the house), then roll in sugar (we both recommend raw, but granulated will work just fine). Allow to dry. Please make sure your martini glasses have thick rims…very important as you will see shortly.

Whip some whipping cream with some Kahlua (Jeannine recommends 1 pint of heavy whipping cream and 1 oz. Kahlua…you know I don’t measure anything, so I just pour)

Ok, this is where it gets good….

Grab some cinnamon (I put mine on a small plate, Jeannine uses a shaker. She also recommends nutmeg, but I don’t like it, so I didn’t use it).

If you have a group, it’s a lot more fun if you have a story, so I will tell you mine.

Pour ¼ to ½ oz of 151 rum into your martini glass. Light it on fire…yes, you read that right. We recommend those stick lighters you use on the BBQ, but if you are brave, matches will work.

The story: This cocktail is meant to remove any negative energy you might have, and bring positive energy to your life. You will have to concentrate (let’s be honest, this is to avoid catching your hair on fire). As we start, let’s put the positive powder into the glass to get things started.

At this point take a pinch (or shake) of cinnamon and toss it into the glass. Get ready, this is impressive! It lights up like a sparkler when you were a little kid. It is pretty awesome and certainly gets the attention of anyone around you.

When I did this at the party, I made the first one, and had the girls make their own…you should do what makes you happy.

Next, holding the stem, turn the glass to caramelize the sugar.

The story: Envision all the negative energy leaving your body through your glass. Invite all the positive energy in (ok, yes, a cheesy story…but no one will really remember it because they will be so mesmerized by the fire). When you feel there is nothing but positive energy remaining, set your glass down, and clap just above your glass. If only positive remains, the flame will extinguish.

Ok, as long as you clap with enough air, the flame will go out. If not, clap a few more times…it will work. You could also blow the flame out, but 1. That is boring, and 2. Who wants someone’s breath on their drink? Ok, another big tip here: let the glass cool. Remember earlier when I told you to use thick martini glasses? You run the risk of shattering it if you use thin ones, and not letting the glass cool before moving on increases the risk substantially.

Based on how many drinks you are making, you can mix in a shaker with ice, or make a pitcher full if you are making them for a group and you’d like everyone to have their cocktail at the same time (store in the freezer to keep it cold).

Jeannine’s mix:2 oz. Kahlua
¾ oz. Cream de Cacao (white or dark)
¾ oz. Cointreu
2 ½ oz. strong black coffee

My version:2 oz. Kahlua
½ oz. Godiva liqueur
½ oz. Patron orange liqueur
2 oz. strong black coffee
2 oz. vanilla crème soda (add this after you shake if you are using a shaker)

Pour into cooled martini glass. Add whipped cream to top off. I decorate with two circles of chocolate syrup, and draw a toothpick from the center out to create a spider web. Jeanine uses cinnamon and creates a heart or spider web with a toothpick. Try both, at one time or make a few and see what you like.

Jeannine, thank you for this recipe. It was so much fun to make, and delicious to drink.

Here are pictures of the very creative and exceptionally delicious things the other ladies brought. They were just as beautiful (or disgusting) as they were tasty. It was a great night, I highly recommend you schedule a night with your friends and do something similar.