Archive for the ‘Cocktails’ Category
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
Written by William Morse – special to The Pensacola News Journal.
 Chocolate raspberry truffle martini from William Morse at the Fish House. (Tony Giberson/GoPensacola.com) With the vast array of liqueurs and flavor-infused liquors available today, one can create an unlimited assortment of savory cocktails. Long gone are the days of the simple gin and tonic, bourbon and water and Scotch and soda.
If you can think of a flavor, then I can almost guarantee there is a liquor or liqueur produced that portrays that same profile.
It is with this limitless range of products that your favorite bartender can so effectively combine two, three, even four or more ingredients to ultimately offer you a drink that tastes like a peppermint patty, a pineapple upside down cake or even a caramel-coated apple.
Here at The Fish House, we have taken advantage of this assortment of ingredients to create a tempting dessert drink menu (among others). On this menu you’ll find drinks such as a tiramisu martini, a white chocolate-blueberry martini and my favorite, the chocolate raspberry truffle, which combines a coffee and chocolate liqueur and a black raspberry liqueur as the main flavor-imparting ingredients.
CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TRUFFLE
Tall glass of ice
1 ounce Stolichnaya vodka
.75 ounce Kahlua
.75 ounce Chambord
Cream or whole milk, to fill glass
Combine all ingredients and shake to thoroughly mix. Top off with a bit of whipped cream.
If you are inclined to try a cocktail with some more exotic and truly unique liqueurs, come down to The Fish House or Atlas Oyster House and ask for our full drink menu. I’m sure you’ll find something to suit your taste.
The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003, or visit www.goodgrits.com.
Tags: chocolate drinks, Chocolate martini, Cocktail recipes, Happy Hour, local restaurants, Pensacola, Raspberry martini, Recipes, The pensacola Fish House
Posted in Cocktails, Recipes, Uncategorized, party planning | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
Written by Lindsey Voorhees
Boys & Girls you are going to want to hang up that tired, old Cosmopolitan and give this drink a shot. Nothing says summer
 The watermelon gimlet available daily at The Fish House. like an ice cold watermelon and nothing is more quenching and refreshing than a good squeeze of lime, so this drink is perfect for those hot, sultry summer nights.
There are a couple versions for this drink, just depends how fancy you want to be…we’ll start with the simple method:
In a rocks glass filled with ice pour 1 1/2 oz watermelon vodka (I like Three Olives), about 1/4 oz of lime juice and top with soda water. Give it a stir and garnish with a lime wedge. Easy Peasy
For a little fancier…
in a shaker can, muddle 4 lime wedges. Add 2oz watermelon vodka and top with ice. Give it a shake and either strain into a martini glass or pour over fresh ice into a rocks glass. Top with soda water and garnish with a lime.
For your socialite garden party…
Buy a watermelon and cut in half. Use a very small melon-baller and ball out about 25-30 small watermelon balls. Put in a dish in a single layer and freeze. In a large pitcher, muddle a bunch of limes, maybe 3 limes, cut up and add your watermelon vodka; hold in the fridge until party-goers arrive. Strain just before service. When it’s time to serve, set out your martini glasses and put 4 or 5 frozen watermelon balls in each glass. Pour your gimlet into each glass and garnish with a lime, in this case, a twist might look better.
ENJOY!
Lindsey Voorhees is a manager of The Great Southern Restaurant Group. She writes for her blog “whatcha drinkin’?” Random posts about different wines she is drinking, trying, enjoying, etc…and hopefully a chance to learn about what you’re drinking. To visit Lindsey’s blog click here!
 Three Olives Watermelon Gimlet presented on the rocks or straight up!
Tags: Fish House, Happy Hour, party planning, Recipes, Vodka, watermelon gimlet, Whatcha Drinkin'? by Lindsey Voorhees
Posted in Atlas Oyster House, Cocktails, The Deck Bar, The Fish House, Whatcha Drinkin'? | 2 Comments »
Thursday, July 7th, 2011
 The Basilico - Photo by Blackie Written by William Morse – Special to the News Journal
It’s finally summertime! And ever since I was a child, I associated summertime with my personal favorite activity, the roadside lemonade stand. Of course, I also associated this time of year with weekend trips to the lake for skiing, wakeboarding and such — on two of the best lakes near where I grew up in Alabama, Lake Jordan and Lake Martin (as I didn’t have the luxury of growing up in Pensacola).
It seems that the heat of summer draws us all to certain things. Water activities (like going to the beach, tanning, skiing, surfing, etc.) helps satisfy our physical draw to this time of year, but then there’s also the need to satisfy one’s own hunger and thirst that seems to thrive during the “dog days of summer.” (more…)
Tags: America, Cocktails, Fish House, Happy Hour, Vodka
Posted in Cocktails, Recipes | No Comments »
Friday, June 24th, 2011
Special to The Pensacola News Journal
 The Hummer / John Blackie/jblackie@pnj.com Take a glass of Champagne, any Champagne, add 2 ounces of orange juice and garnish with a slice of orange and you have a mimosa. Add 1 1/2 ounces of crème de cassis to a glass of wine and you have a kir. Add the same crème de cassis to a glass of Champagne and you have a kir royale. Pour 1 1/2 ounces of Chambord (a French liqueur) into a glass of Champagne, garnish with raspberries, and you have a great kir royale.
What?
You’ve been there, done that — in the ’80s.
In that case, I’ve got a new twist. An American liqueur called Hum — made from rum infused with hibiscus, fresh ginger, green cardamom and kaffir lime — added to a crackling cold glass of sparkling Rosé is called a hummer, and is the summer kir for the new age. Pop a cork and give it a try.
The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003, or visit www.goodgrits.com.
Visit Jim in seaside at our sister restaurant The Great Southern Cafe, www.thegreatsoutherncafe.com
Tags: America, Atlas Oyster House, Chef Jim Shirley, Cocktails, Fish House, Happy Hour, local restaurants, Recipes, Seaside Florida, Shelley Yates, The Great Southern Cafe, Things to do
Posted in Chef Jim Shirley, Cocktails, Fun, Pensacola, Recipes, The Deck Bar, Uncategorized, wine | 1 Comment »
Thursday, May 12th, 2011
 Left to right: Shannon Reeves, Melissa Martin and Ashley Warren help pick out wines. Photo by Katie King Written by -Melissa Martin - Special to the News Journal
This is the first time since I have been engaged that the wedding details are causing insomnia. I want to take the time this week to talk about tonight’s — I mean, this morning’s — reason for sleeplessness.
The wedding rehearsal dinner is an opportunity for the bride’s and groom’s parents to meet and have a good time. This sounds simple enough, but if you have a large wedding party and a lot of people coming from out of town, it might be hard to find a venue that fits your budget and the number of guests attending.
We have more than 65 guests attending our rehearsal dinner, and they are coming from all over. Even though the rehearsal dinner is traditionally planned by the groom, since I am an event planner and a bit of a control freak, I agreed to knock it out myself. Even though I do this for a living, there are a lot of details involved, especially if you are renting a venue and hiring an outside caterer. Hopefully this week I can leave you with a few tips that will make planning your own rehearsal dinner much more stress free.
Downtown Pensacola has many beautiful restaurants and venues perfect for hosting a rehearsal dinner. No matter where you book, these tips that I’m offering hold true. My fiancé and I have kept all our venues for our wedding weekend local to downtown because of its romantic charm. Due to the number of guests attending, we have rented a large venue on Palafox Street and we’re having the dinner catered by the same local restaurant that is catering our reception. (more…)
Tags: America, Cooking Tips, Event Planning, Fish House, Melissa Martin, party planning, Things to do, Wedding
Posted in Cocktails, Cooking Tips, Employees, Entertainment, Event Planning, Fun, The Fish House, Weddings, wine | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
Written by • Melissa Martin • Special to the News Journal
 Shannon Reeves gets a pre-party makeup session with makeup artist John Dye at the Atlas Oyster House. / Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com
Every other Wednesday night is ladies’ night for me and my girlfriends. We shoo the boys off to the sports pubs so that we can catch up with each other’s lives and current events. Most ladies’ nights we stay in and indulge in great food and wine — unless, of course, it’s Mexican night (I’m a sucker for a theme!). Then Jose is invited over to mix up some top-shelf margaritas.
But last Wednesday, we wanted to get out of the house and light up the town, so I decided to host a pre-game makeup party with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to become friends with a local makeup artist named John Dye during a project we worked on for ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Several months later, while driving to Volume One Salon to get dolled up for the Hip Huggers Ball with friends, I walked in and was pleasantly surprised to find that the girls had hired him to do our makeup for the event. I was so excited because I had seen how amazing he was on the set with cast members from “Extreme Makeover.” I found out later that he has also done makeup for artists such as Taylor Swift and has been featured on MTV and in music videos, commercials and the globally distributed Star Magazine. John’s philosophy is that “makeup is color, and color is color! So it’s not the product you use, or how much you spent on it … its how you apply it.”
To host a successful makeup party, you need three key ingredients: Cosmo cocktails, flirty treats and John Dye. We were all taught by the older women in our families to apply the basics in order to walk out of the house and not look like a hot mess; however, the nighttime scene is ever-changing and is full of different makeup styles that grandma knows nothing about.
Hosting a makeup event will unlock the secrets to the smoky eye and teach you how to pull off a pouty red lip. Of course, smoky eyes aren’t for the office, but when it comes to hitting the dance floor, nothing will make you feel more like a diva. Hiring Dye to host your makeup party depends upon availability, and pricing depends upon the number of girls at the party. For more information, check him out on Facebook at John Dye Makeup Artist.
Before Dye and the girls arrived, I set up a presentable display of savory, homemade mini quiches and salmon crisps along with various cheeses and fruits. I wanted to keep the menu light and bite-sized so not to smear our fresh, pouty lipstick. As far as cocktails are concerned, instead of serving a traditional Cosmo, I decided to make White Cosmopolitans. White Cosmos are simple and delicious. Made with white cranberry juice instead of red, this cocktail is sure to delight your taste buds and keep your whites bright and your smile showstopping.
Once the girls arrived, Dye did a short tutorial on different makeup techniques and then got started on the individual makeovers. On top of being a great makeup artist, Dye is a comedian with a blush brush. You will never laugh so hard in your life, but don’t crack a smile when it’s eyeliner time unless you’re looking for that Catwoman effect.
Plan your party to allow enough time to ensure that all the girls get their makeup done. The average amount of time per girl is 15 minutes, so starting around 6 p.m. will put you on the dance floor by 9 p.m. if you have no more than 10 girls.
Once our hair was fluffed and our makeup was flawless, we felt more than confident, so we hit up downtown scene.
Whether you’re a full-time career woman or full-time mom — and especially if you’re both — it is always important to find some time for yourself and the girls to recharge the diva batteries. A week of laundry and deadlines can weigh you down, but it is nothing a little blush and a Cosmo can’t fix.
Melissa Martin is an event planner for The Great Southern Restaurant Group, call her to plan a party for you – 433-9450, or visit www.goodgrits.com.
To learn more about John Dye check him out on Facebook by clicking here!
Tags: Fish House, Melissa Martin, Things to do
Posted in Cocktails, Entertainment, Fun, Pensacola | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
 Strawberry margarita made by Erin Moore of The Fish House. / Tony giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com With spring upon us, it is now time to lock away the whiskey and allow your taste buds to blossom. Tequila, with its range of classifications and varieties, not only lends itself to endless mixed drink combinations, but countless memories of “fun in the sun.” Tequila was North America’s first distilled drink and its first alcohol produced commercially. It was initially called mezcal wine after the conquest that brought the Spaniards to the New World in 1521. After several monikers, tequila arrived at its name from Tequila, a small town in a valley in Jalisco, Mexico. The word tequila is said to mean “the place of harvesting plants.”
The meaning of tequila is fitting since after the American Revolution, Prohibition and World War II, tequila’s popularity grew so fervently that regulatory agencies were put in place for the spirit. (more…)
Tags: Atlas Oyster House, Cocktails, Fish House, Happy Hour, local restaurants, Pensacola, Recipes, Things to do
Posted in Atlas Oyster House, Cocktails, Cooking Tips, Entertainment, Fun, Recipes, The Deck Bar, The Fish House | 1 Comment »
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