Favorite Cocktails: Lonnie's Passion Flower Martini

This one comes from my wife. It's a very girly martini. She says if she had to describe what a flower tasted like, it would be this drink.  I tend to agree.

Ingredients

2 oz Premium Vodka (Grey Goose, Kettle One, Effen)
3 oz X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
1 oz Grand Marnier
1 small lemon peel garnish
1/2 cup of ice


Method

Chill your martini glass with ice water or put your glass in the freezer 30 minutes ahead of time.  Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, vodka, X-Rated and Grand Marnier.  Shake gently until the shaker starts to frost (15-20 seconds). Pour the ice water out of the martini glass. Strain the contents of the shaker into the glass. Garnish with the lemon peel.

Favorite Cocktails: Margarita

It's one of the most popular cocktails around but most people just drink whatever the house tequila is. I've gotten to be way too much of a tequila snob for this and I always, always, always call my tequila. If they don't have any decent (by my standards) tequila behind the bar then I just order something else.  I won't get into the tequila rant. Maybe some other time. Lets just get to the drink:

Ingredients

2.5 oz 100% Blue Agave (Reposado or Blanco/Silver) Tequila
2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
1 oz Grand Marnier or Cointreau
.75 oz Agave Nectar
1/3 cup of Ice
Kosher Salt
Large martini style glass,  margarita glass or rocks glass
(My opinion: Never serve a man a margarita in a martini glass)

Method

Add all liquid contents plus ice to a shaker. Shake on its side until the shaker is frosty (30 seconds or so).

Rocks glass:
Rim the glass with lime wedge and dip in the kosher salt. Pour contents of the shaker (ice and all) into the glass.

Martini style glass:
Chill the glass first with ice water. Pour out the water. Rim the glass with a lime wedge and dip in kosher salt.  Strain the contents of the shaker into glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Repeat as necessary.

Favorite Cocktails: La Paloma ("The Dove")

I got hooked on these after a cooking class with Grady Spears. This was the featured cocktail and I lost count on how many of them I had. Not quite as acidic as a margarita but just as refreshing. I've looked at many recipes for this one and this is how I like to make it.


Ingredients

4 oz Jarritos Grapefruit Soda
2.5 oz 100% Agave Silver/Blanco Tequila (Herradura, Cabo, Partida)
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz Agave Nectar
Ice


Method

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.  Stir the mixture with a spoon or cover and shake gently a couple of times.  Be careful shaking. The Jarritos is carbonated and will blow the top off the shaker if you push it to far.  Salt the rim of a tall cocktail glass. Fill with ice, strain the contents of the shaker into the glass. Garnish with a lime wedge or thin lime slice.


UPDATE:

For an alternate version I have been making a Pink Paloma.  Here is how its done:

2 oz 100% Agave Reposado Tequila
2 oz Tex-Sun Pink Grapefruit Juice
2 oz Grapefruit Soda
1 oz Agave Nectar
Juice of 1 large lime.

Fill a tall glass with ice. 
Add the Tequila, Grapfruit Juice and Agave nectar to a shaker with ice. 
Shake vigorously.
Strain the contents of the shaker into the glass, while at the same time pouring the grapefruit soda into the glass.
Garnish with a few paper thin slices of lime on top. 

You can salt the rim first but thats just a personal choice.