Enjoy the U.S. Doubles Matches with a double shot

I love the U.S. Open Doubles.

In fact, I love everything about Doubles.  I love watching the U.S. Open Doubles, playing doubles, and drinking doubles shots.

And what better way to enjoy watching the U.S. Open Doubles, then getting together with your doubles partner and enjoying this special U.S. Open Doubles Cocktail that I created just for this event.

U.S. Open Doubles Cocktail

• 1 shot Limoncello
• 1 shot Blue Curacao

Pour Limoncello and Blue Curacao into ice filled cocktail shaker.  Shake, pour into two shot glasses and drink with your favorite doubles partner.

How great are the U.S. Open Doubles matches this season?

Too bad the always entertaining Nestor and Zimonjic are out already, and of course Serena and Venus are missing from the doubles lineup this year due to Serena’s injury (kind of good for Venus since her knee is bothering her and she gets to focus her energies on her singles).  And I cannot believe that  the doubles team Bhupathi/Mirnyi have lost already too.
But there are still plenty of good reasons to watch the doubles matches.

Mardy Fish and Mark Knowles are still in the mix (not to mention Fish is going super strong in the singles) yeah!  Too bad his good buddy Andy Roddick lost his singles match – where was Andy’s fire power?  The only bad thing is Fish/Knowles are next playing against my favs, the Bryan brothers.  I do predict that the Bryan brothers will win, and it should be a great match.

Oh, and we’ve got Pennetta/Dulco vs. Peer/Niculescu on the women’s side to look forward to.  Oooh – it’s on as I speak.

So, grab your U.S. Open Doubles Shots cocktails and get ready for a great night of tennis. So, did I LUSH IT, LUSH IT A LOT, or LEAVE IT?  Oh, yes, the U.S.Open Doubles Shots gets a Semi-HomeTested rating of LUSH IT A LOT.

Salude!

T-Cee

Blue Lagoon Cocktail

The Blue Lagoon cocktail (pg. 122 Sandra Lee semi-homemade Cocktail Time) is another summer mix drink made with blue curacao. This BLUE LAGOON however is also made with gin which is not a particularly favorite cocktail ingredient of mine.

It is interesting however, that I made the BLUE LAGOON on the same day that I was surrounded by a ‘sea of blue’ – I’ll explain that later, but first, here’s the mix drink recipe, courtesy of Ms. Sandra Lee.

Blue Lagoon cocktail drink

• Superfine sugar (I used regular sugar)
• 3/4 oz gin (I used Seagram’s)
• 1/4 oz. vodka
• 1/4 oz. blue curacao
• 1 splash lime juice (I used Rose’s)

Wet the rim of a (tall shot) glass with water.  Dip rim in sugar.  In a cocktail shaker, combine remaining ingredients, add ice cubes.  cover and shake.  Strain into glass.

Note:  Use a tall shot glass for this – the small quantity gets lost in a cocktail glass unless you fill it with ice first.

OK, now you’ve got the recipe, go ahead and make one and enjoy my ‘sea of blue‘ story .  Actually, it’s not a long story.  I was simply taking my son to practice at the school which is being renovated. Not only is the school campus a mess, the streets surrounding it are also a mess – some streets are blocked off entirely and entrances and exits to various parts of the campus have been changed.

So, I decide to follow the two cars in front of me that are going down a street next to the school. They appear to be driving with no hesitation, so I figured they knew where they were going. Zip, Zip, around the corner – no problem. Zip, Zip, into a parking lot which I assumed they must know is a back way through the construction.

WRONG. Those two parked their cars and the officers in each of the cars got out and made a bee line for the building – apparently they were late for work and the parking lot was the precinct back lot. And of course the split second I realized this, an iron gate slammed behind me locking me in the parking lot. Now I look around and realize I am surrounded by a ‘Sea of Blue‘, so I burn rubber racing around the parking lot to catch up with the last officer entering the building, roll down my window,and yell “hey, do you know how I can get out of here?” She looks at me like I’m from mars and says “how’d you get in here?” I indignantly reply “I followed you”. (I’m thinking, I’m a taxpayer and what the hell kind of security is this? – but I wisely keep this thought to myself). So, the officer has to get on her talky thingee and get some guy to remotely open the gate, and I make my escape. Not bad for 7AM! I wonder what else I’ll do today.

T-Cee reviews Sandra Lee cocktails

I really didn’t get into any other trouble that day, but that evening, I did make the BLUE LAGOON cocktail in honor of my Blue Sea adventure.

So does the BLUE LAGOON cocktail get a Semi-HomeTested rating of LUSH IT, LUSH IT A LOT, or LEAVE IT? The BLUE LAGOON cocktail drink was not particularly tasty – even a bit bitter. Although the BLUE LAGOON cocktail was a tad better when I threw it in a glass of ice, I have to give it a Semi-HomeTested rating of LEAVE IT. Sorry Ms. Sandra Lee.

Salude!

The Ciroc Blue Ocean cocktail (pg.122 Sandra Lee semi-homemade Cocktail Time) is a delightfully fresh summer drink. And it gave me an excuse to use some of my favorite liquor glasses. You’ll see when you make this blue curacao inspired drink, that it makes a very small quantity. So although in her recipe, Sandra Lee just specifies to ‘strain into a glass’, I found that the quantity just gets lost in a regular 6oz. cocktail glass. So when you make the Ciroc Blue Ocean cocktail, dig out your tiny 3 oz. glasses. And although this cocktail is more a shot size drink, you won’t want to down it like a shot, you’ll want to sip this one and savor the flavors.

Ciroc Blue Ocean (cocktail)

• 1 oz. vodka (I used Smirnoff)
• 1/2 oz. blue curacao
• 1/4 oz. grapefruit juice
• 1 splash sugar syrup
• Thin lemon or lime slice

Fill a cocktail shaker with crushed ice.  Add vodka, blue curacao, grapefruit juice, and sugar syrup.  Cover and shake vigorously.  Strain into a glass.   Garnish with lemon or orange slice.

T-Cee review of Sandra Lee cocktails

OK, time to rate this cocktail. Do I give the Ciroc Blue Ocean cocktail a Semi-HomeTested rating of LUSH IT, LUSH IT A LOT, or LEAVE IT?
This is a tiny but beautiful summer cocktail and gets a Semi-HomeTested rating of LUSH IT.

So, if you can’t go to the ocean, kick off your shoes and enjoy the Ciroc Blue Ocean cocktail. Leave your comments below to tell me what you think of this blue curacao inspired cocktail. (don’t forget to click on ‘submit comment’) Or tell me about your favorite blue curacao cocktail.

Salude!

T-Cee

I was really looking forward to this Cuervo Caribbean Mist cocktail ( pg. 88 Sandra Lee semi-homemade Cocktail Time book). The picture looked so beautiful – a clear emerald green – I thought it would be so refreshing.

I had the fruit juices on hand and, of course, the Jose Cuervo. But no blue curacao. Not that I dislike blue curacao. It’s just that I never tried it before. Well, that might have been what was in our cocktails eons ago at a bachelorette party. … In Dallas. … But that’s a different story.

Anyway, off I go to get the Blue Curacao. OK – I hit every red light. And cr*p… its the end of the school day and there’s no way for me to turn around and get out of that traffic. So, I search for some decent music on the radio – where’s my ipod when I need it? – and fagheddaboudit – nothing but commercials!!.

But, I persevere. I get to the liquor store, get the blue curacao, have a pleasant chat with the lady at the counter. Then back in traffic. And home again.

Get dinner made. Everyone’s happy. No one needs a ride anywhere. Sooooo…. out comes my Sandra Lee semi-homemade Cocktail Time book. In goes the ice, the juices, the tequila. And the Blue Curacao. Shake it up. Pour it out. And…. what???? I notice it’s not quite the same clear emerald green. But it’s pretty nevertheless.

But taste? Not so much. Out of LUSH IT, LUSH IT A LOT, or LEAVE IT, I am sorry to say Ms. Sandra Lee – I have to give the Cuervo Caribbean Mist a Semi-HomeTested rating of LEAVE IT.

Salude!