don’t forget garlic’s vampire-fighting capabilities… just in time for halloween cocktails!

BITE ME NOT
3 oz freshly extracted apple juice (substitute unpasteurized cider if you don’t have)
2 oz garlic-infused gin*
1 1/2 raw simple syrup*
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon juice

GARLIC-INFUSED GIN
chop up 3 cloves garlic and put in 750 ml bottle of gin. allow to sit in dark place for 3 days to 3 weeks. agitate to expedite infusion time. strain and store.

RAW SIMPLE SYRUP
shake in container a mixture of half water and half raw organic sugar until dissolved. store in fridge.

(created by gwen sutherland kaiser)

the bottle in and of itself is quite impressive. boldly embossed silver letters on a sleek black label… the cork and base of the bottle handsomely showcase this stunning bottle… reminiscent of a faceted diamond, of course. this is one bottle i will definitely feel bad about tossing. but really gwen, how many bottles can i reuse? i think this one’s a keeper though.

every step of Maestro Dobel Diamond’s production process is done by hand from harvesting to bottling. and get this: when each bottle is filled, it is also labeled and recorded by hand! and yes, sure enough, when i peered ’round the side my glamorous bottle, scrawled on on the side was this masterpiece’s personal information. (bottle 290, born on june 4, 2008, blended by luis gerenzo r, grown on la copolina ranch. how f’ing cool is that? i love it… now i know my bottle’s a gemini! this my friends, is the new breed of luxury: hand made, limited edition, outstanding quality.

oh but there i go again prattling on about the design without even mentioning the contents. Diamond Tequila is the blend of three differently aged Maestro Dobel tequilas. well suffice it to say that if diamonds had flavor, they might just taste like this Tequila. exceptionally light and remotely citrusy, it was a pleasure to swallow straight. if you’re unsure of the unspoken rules on swallowing, the maestro has kindly posted instructions on his website for your convenience.

suggested retail $75… better tell santa soon so he can start saving his pennies. available in california, illinois,georgia, wisconsin and online.

visit MAESTRO DOBEL DIAMOND TEQUILA

for cool halloween parties only… uber leo, martha stewart, has graciously posted free clip art to paste on your bottles. the downloadable art is HERE.

leave it to libra to invent a cocktail as smooth, tasty and richly colored as this. ahh, to be one of the beautiful people… well, if you didn’t win the biological looks lottery you can still have one of the beautiful one’s cocktails. yes, i’m referring to libra, the zodiacal siren. one sip of this libational masterpiece will make you feel like you’re on a yacht. venus’ overwhelmingly fragrant rose mixes with mar’s overpowering pungent basil just enough to perfectly accent venus’ delectable raspberry… why the knife you ask? because to a capricorn like myself, libra’s a deadly weapon. note to self: no more affairs with libra men.

1 oz fresh lemon juice
2 dashes rose water (health food/gourmet)
2 dozen red raspberries
3 leaves basil
2 oz simple syrup
1 1/2 vodka

i like SOBIESKI, WODKA POLSKA. the brand’s gimmick is that there is no gimmick. this VODKA POLSKA, if you will, is as genuine a vodka as one can hope for. you see, it was not russia, but poland who first fermented the potato into the world’s now favorite spirit. a fact for which SOBIESKI apologizes to russia for on it’s very witty website. (which is excellently designed i might add… with smart, funny copy to match it’s classically streamlined graphics.) hey, i’m an artist, i notice these things! but back to alcohol, SOBIESKI is non obtrusively smooth, and that is what all vodka hopes to be. no wonder the brand has been the #1 selling vodka in poland for eons. it comes of rather royal blood lines–named after poland’s beloved King Jan III Sobieski (1629 - 1696). this valient leader was not only passionate and devoted to his wife (he wrote her a treasure trove of love letters,) but was courageous, strong and smart enough to keep his people safe from the evil Ottoman Empire. this was a cool dude, and this is a good vodka (especially for it’s under $15 price tag). that’s the truth!

did i mention that of course INTOXICATED ZODIAC is overly impressed with the the fact that king sobieski had an actual constellation named after him: SOBIESKI’S SHIELD???!!! woah… that’s HUGE!!!! the name has since been changed to SCUTUM. (how lame is that?! scutum… why not just call it tropic of balls.)

visit VODKA SOBIESKI

basil is an herb of scorpio, who is ruled by mars. it’s feisty bite will add a good dose of flavor to whatever recipe is calling for it. i mean, this cocktail would have been great with just the tomato, but add a tad basil and it’s even better. see, having a scorpio around always adds an element of interest. so don’t forget that when you are planning your next cocktail party. go ahead and invite that quiet scorpio across the hall. because whoever you thought they were, will no doubt be the opposite of who they really are, once you get to know them.

TOMATO BASIL TINI
3 oz tomato water*
1 oz vodka
1/2 oz lemon
2 pinch of sea salt
3 leaves basil
cheesecloth (grocery store)

muddle tomato water, basil, salt. do not over-muddle the basil or things will get bitter fast. add vodka and shake over ice. strain into martini glass and garnish with leo’s cherry tomato and scorpio’s leaf basil. or, if you’re not a vegan, garnish with a ball of sagittarius’ fresh non-rBGH cheese.

TOMATO WATER:
puree ripe tomatoes in food processor. place in cheese cloth for several hours, allowing water to drip through. when the water has all dripped through, squeeze out the remaining liquid into a separate container. (drink that tomato juice alone, or make a bloody mary). the water should be pale yellow in color and crystal clear.