I stumbled upon this lip-smackin good recipe while researching blackcurrants yesturday and bookmarked it for future use. Ironically, my mom brought over a pint of fresh blackberries, or brambles as she calls them, that she had picked earlier that day. Yes, BLOG LOVE query solved!!! We yankees refer to them as blackberries, but they’re the same oversized, tart fruit that the Brits call bramble. Totally delic in an apple and bramble pie, I might add too. And as with the blackcurrant, it must be said that Culpeper lists this fruit under Venus. But I am giving it dominion under Saturn, due again to it’s grimacing flavour and darker-than-a-moonless-night color. So forward march up Capricorn’s steep, dark and barren hill. Onto the BLOG LOVE cocktail at hand, the Blackberry Noir. Thanks much, WORLD ON A PLATE, for bringing us a lil’ piece o’ blackberry bliss.

BLACKBERRY NOIR

Yield: 2 + martinis.

*1 tsp simple sugar
*1/2 cup blackberries
*2 lemon wedges
*1/2 cup vodka (or gin) (adjust to your liking!)
*1 tablespoon Cointreau (or o.j.)
*1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

In a small food processor, puree the berries and lemon juice.

Prepare two martini glasses: rub the rims with lemons, then pour a layer of superfine sugar on a plate and twirl the glasses in it. Place them in the freezer.

Fill a martini shaker with ice, then add the vodka (or gin), Cointreau. Add 1 tablespoons of the culled simple syrup and a bit of the berry puree–a little goes a long way. There will be more for later. Shake well for about 10 seconds and strain into the glasses. Serve.

NOTE:
Turns out, I’m a cocktal wuss. Who knew?! And… I replaced (and increased) the simple syrup with maple syrup. Also, changed the garnish. Find my twist on the Blackberry Noir below:

GWEN’S BLACKBERRY NOIR :

* 1/2 c gin
* 6 tbs blackberry puree
* 4 tbs maple syrup
* 1 tbs Cointreau
* garnish with repurposed plastic cocktail sword loaded with berries.

*** Shake it baby, for like a minute. That was a mad strong drink that needed calming down. Shake it for a minute and let it sit for a minute.

THANKS TO THE COCKTAIL CHRONICLES FOR HOSTING THIS MONTH’S MIXOLOGY MONDAY!

Blackcurrants are now legal in the US, after the ban on growing it was lifted a few years ago. Their juice is delicious, and full of all that healthy stuff like flavinoids, vitamin C and antioxidants. And even better, it’s grown domestically (the brands I’ve seen are all here in the Northeast). Less food miles = better for the environment? All though Culpeper does assign rulership of all currants to Venus, I’m going to reassign it to Saturn due to it’s not-so-sweet flavor, and near black color.

I used to live for Snakebites during my summers spent in Scotland. The drinking age started at 16 back then and in US would have me wait five more years before I could legally drink. So, my sister and I, and our British bud, Duart, would get snockered on Snakebites until the wee hours in Edinburgh. And by wee hours I mean 1am. Yup. Last call was at 12:45am. For all the talk of those Scots being able to drink, they sure did’t know how to run a pub. I was later told that serving Snakebites had been outlawed due to it’s aggressively drunken effects leading to one too many pub fights. I must admit that the combination of hard cider and lager goes straight to one’s head. The added shot of blackcurrant helps the pints slide down even easier. Maybe that’s where the name came from… the innebriation kind of creeps up on you, like a slithering snake. The shot of blackcurrant was provided by the famous concentrated blackcurrant juice, RIBENA, which was not sold here in the States. Another item we’d schlep back with us, along with the haggis, blood pudding and spotted dick. Of course I jest, the British Isles weren’t exactly a vegetarian paradise.

One of my all time favorite cities, Edinburgh is built around an ancient stone fortress and it’s streets are packed with fashion, art, culture and fish -n- chips!

SNAKEBITE
* pale lager OR dark stout
* hard cider
* blackcurrant syrup***

Pour glass full of equal amounts lager and cider. Add a shot of blackcurrant syrup and stir.

(if you do not have blackcurrant syrup, RIBENA, or CREME DE CASSIS can be used as a replacement).

***BLACKCURRANT SYRUP:
In saucepot, combine 1 cup blackcurrants, 1/2 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add shot of vodka and a couple drops of lemon oil to preserve (if you have, great).
***if you don’t have actual berries, make with one cup sugar and two cups blackcurrant juice instead.

HOW HILARIOUS IS THIS LABEL ON THE RIBENA BOTTLE?

So while we pack up our things, please forgive any technical difficulites that might occur. We’re moving from one domain hosting company (BLUEHOST) to another (DREAMHOST). I’ll miss the awesome phone support with BLUEHOST, but onto greener pastures…

Going forward, Intoxicated Zodiac will be a CARBON NEUTRAL blog! Thanks to the treehuggers over at DREAMHOST, who have recently taken steps to make themself an eco-friendly company.

Not only that, but if we’re feeling generous here at I.Z., DREAMHOST will match any donations we make to the charities listed on their site. Every few months, they list a new charity. They are currently listing PUBLIC COUNCIL, APRAXIA-KIDS & CAMP LAUREL.

And last but not least, Intoxicated Zodiac will be eligible to win DREAMHOST SITE OF THE MONTH chosen by DREAMHOST’S members themselves. What more could a blog want? Other than phone support.

I’ve often felt, that within each martini, lies a pearl of wisdom. Think about those late nights spent conversing over cocktails, where so often one’s deepest thoughts are brought to light. The trendy eco-eatery, Abode takes it to another level. Literally and figuratively, the enlightened imbiber receives a genuine black pearl and good karma to boot, when they order the house eco martini. All for a mere $300. We’re talking Santa Monica here, so it really is mere. Proceeds go to Heal the Bay.

via FASHIONTRIBES, via RADAR

I like to think of myself as a helpful person. Like, if someone needs to borrow a pen on the bank line, and i have one in my purse, i might let them borrow it. Depending on what type of mood i’m in and how deep i feel like burrowing through my overstuffed bag to get it. And if the bartender doesn’t know how to mix my drink, i’ll helpfully instruct them on how to make it. And if they happen to not have all the ingredients, i’ll helpfully recommend they purchase them for future use. And… hmmnn… now that i’m giving this some thought, maybe i’m not that helpful a human. Maybe i need some good help karma…Yes, that should turn things around. In fact, that must explain my whole life. I need to help more people. Let me get started on that right away:

Attention Blogoshere, i feel obliged to bring your attention to a cocktaiil comrade who desperately need our support. His name is Joe Bartender and his blog is ugly. He needs a makeover and you can help him get one. VOTE FOR JOE BARTENDER today and spare yourself the agony of gazing upon that hideous page ever again.

But do let me remind you that beauty, of course, is on the inside. and Joe’s content is quite good. Actually, what might prevent Joe from winning, is Joe himself. If that’s him in the blog header, shakin and smilin and tellin peeps to fix their own damn drink… cute & catchy. Good luck Joe, you’ll need it.

Thanks to JOE BARTENDER I realized that I hadn’t wished happy 21st! birthday to the biggest ex-imbiber crab of them all: Lindsey Lohan. Known for her alcoholic antics as much as her acting, criminal chic is hot…Did Kate’s ski trip not send her skiing all the way to the bank? Would you really be surprised if Paris was awarded the purple heart at her “Get out of jail party?” Nicole Ritchie… not the biggest thug of the bunch, but still pretty chic in the way of celebrity criminals. And Britney… well according to her Jupiter is in Sagittarius chart, she’s far from over providing us with endless gossip fodder. But back to our birthday girl, Lindsay… HAPPY 21ST TO ANOTHER COCKTAIL-LOVIN CRAB! I think THE LIQUID MUSE is onto something with her VIRGIN POP PRINCESS ON PAROLE LIBATION. Little time on the wagon, Lindsay, does a Cancer body good.

(photo credit Crystal Air)

All though Culpeper classified the Redcurrant as a fruit of Venus, Intoxicated Zodiac is taking some astrological creative cocktail license here. The redcurrant is now hereby proclaimed the fall under the dominion of Mars. Red planet… red berry. But c’mon now… It’s not that simple! There’s also the matter of taste, and the redcurrant’s sour-induced wince will have you reaching for the sugar before you can say mercy. However, it must be noted that redcurrants do possess the capacity of tasting sweet. But in my North American climate they never ripen to anything more than pleasantly tart.

REDCURRANT RIESLING

2 handfuls of redcurrants
1 oz sugar (hopefully organic)
2 drops bitters
Chilled Riesling

Into goblet add redcurrants, sugar and bitters. Muddle and top with Riesling. (Recipe created by Gwen Sutherland Kaiser)

I know this is pushing it, but I’m going to do it anyway. After all, it’s my blog and i can do what i want. I can write what i want, say what i want, do what i want! So with that said… Pussy Galore is like the hottest pilot to ever grace a cockpit in the said titled Bond flick. I know you’re like WTF where’s the connection? But here it is:: James Bond was addicted to both pussy and martinis. The latter being shaken, not stirred, of course. Which brings me to the point of this post: there is some serious Pussy Galore action happening right now. And I don’t mean 6 ft, blonde, leggy and scrumptious. No, more like 4 ft, hairy, short and really cute… kittens! CODE RED!!!!! CALL FOR BACKUP!!!! SOS!!!! HELP!!!! I have been dabbling in pussy cat rescue for years. Never, ever, have I witnessed a “kitten season” like this. There must have been some serious Jupiter action in Cancer early this spring when the felines got frisky. Because the maternity ward is full. Actually, it’s overfull and that’s the problem. I implore you to entertain the thought of bringing a little bundle of love into your life… yes, a kitten. The shelter that I am affiliated with actually had to unbelievably euthanize three litters of kittens
yesterday along with their moms. I am hearing the same stories everywhere. We are facing a dire problem: find homes or kill kittens. So please, if you’ve been toying with the idea of adoption, NOW IS THE TIME. Think about it… unconditional love, companionship, and emotional support… 24/7. Me personally, I’ll NEVER live without a cat, or cats, in my life. They really do make things that much more endurable. So, hell, adopt two! Everything is better in pairs. One martini or two? You’re going with two. Below is one of my favorite pieces of ephemera. Our cat-loving family friend Nancy gave it to my sister and since I turned out to be the cat lover in the family, I inherited it. Reminds me of another family friend I used to know, Vic. Like Nancy, he was a character. One of his many unique antics included teaching our cats how to swim. In case you don’t know, cats can swim if their lives depend on it, but really HATE water. What Vic was calling swimming lessons, was actually throwing each cat (we had like ten) into the pool and making sure they didn’t drown. Funny story, but really, not so funny. So should you (please!) decide to take my advice and adopt a kitten, keep it dry : )

Adopt a Cat Month

Get a Peticure

Photo credit: Mary Claire Miraldi & Millie

I had completely forgotten that the United States of America is a Cancer! Thankfully, Molly Nagy of About.com: Astrology, reminded me of this in her weekly newsletter. Think about it… the Declaration of Independence was signed on… duh… July 4th. The birth of a nation is the same as the birth of a person or anything else for that matter. From bars to pets to plants, we all have an astrological chart and zodiac sun sign. Interestingly, the current President of the USA also happens to be a Cancer. That’s right, as if you couldn’t guess from George W. Bush’s hard-core party days, he is a Cancer. And for the most part, I’ve found that Cancer’s can drink. Hard. For a more complete description of the States’ Cancerian traits, read Molly’s post.

NATAL CHART OF THE UNITED STATES:

(Image credit: Astrodienst)

In honor of our liquor-lovin, crabby friends, UV VODKA has sent me some free (as in born free or die mofo) infused vodkas and cocktail recipes…

BLUE BOMBSICLE
1 part UV Blue
3 parts lemonade
Serve over ice in a lowball glass.

CHERRY FIRECRACKER
1 part UV Cherry
2 parts cranberry juice
A squeeze of fresh lime
Shake with ice, strain into high ball glass with ice and garnish with a lime.

Now don’t go blowing any fingers off with those roman candles. DRINK SAFE or stick to the sparklers : ) Not naming any names, Steve.

As you might remember from a few post earlier, the Mulberry is ruled by the planet Mercury. So says Nicholas Culpeper, renowned astro-physician. This guy was so into his work that he was quoted as saying he had two mistresses, astrology and physick. That is the intensity with which he loved his work. And as Culpeper was a Scorpio, he was all about intensity. Here in the States, it’s mulberry season, and I didn’t want Dr. Bamboo to miss out on this easy-to-make concoction! I found this tasty recipe in, believe it or not, an astrological cookbook. Not just any astrological cookbook, of which I have five, but the only one that is based upon the teachings of Nicholas Culpeper. The Zodiac Cookbook written by Rose Elliot is a must read if you are interested in either astrology or cooking. It is within the pages of this creative and unique book that I found this recipe for Mulberry Gin. Pairing mulberries with almonds, The Mulberry Madame is fitting for a pair of twins!

MULBERRY MADAME

8 oz mulberries
2 oz organic or raw sugar
6 blanched almonds (boil in water for a few minutes until skin slips off easily)
1 pint gin (can be more)

Place mulberries, sugar, almonds and gin in leak-proof container, shaking periodically to mix flavours. All though Ms. Elliot instructs the reader to leave concoction for anywhere from three months to one year, I think that might be a bit extreme. If you really can’t wait, it tastes pretty good after a few weeks. I can attest to that. Drink neat, on rocks, or in a funked up G & T.