the vegan holiday lush

it is snowing today in pennsylvania! woohoo! 
 it may be autumn now, but winter is already creeping up...
and its getting closer to the holidays...

ah! those holiday family get-togethers...

as your relatives are "being merry" with their mixed drinks 
and stuffing themselves stupid on roasted meat,

do you find yourself nibbling on carrot sticks  
and drinking a shirley temple?

not anymore!

now you can act the fool with the rest of those party animals! awhh yeh... 

breakdance with grandma! talk politics with drunk uncle larry! 
build a kayak out of those carrot sticks!

( i am not telling you to get drunk, i am saying you COULD haha)

for a list of some of the BRANDS of liquor are vegan, check out http://www.barnivore.com ! 
the website is a work-in-progress.

p.s. best news ever-- pinnacle flavored vodka is vegan.  hellls yeahhhhh.

p.p.s. i am not gonna tell you what kinda glass this stuff goes in-- 
frankly, once the relatives get together,  the red plastic cups come out and the glasses go away!

p.p.p.s. all of these autumn / winter holiday recipes are

piña colada
believe it or not, MOST recipes for this drink are vegan already.
if you have a crazy aunt that likes to "thin it down a little" with milk, 
she is just wasting ingredients as far as i am concerned.

1 1/2 oz rum 
2 oz cream of coconut
2 oz pineapple juice
1 cup crushed ice

blend. garnish with a slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry or twelve.



o-r-e-o speedwagon

you should've seen by the look in my eyes, baby...

2 oz kahlúa 

2 scoops vegan vanilla ice cream

2 - 3 oreo cookies, crushed

pour kahlúa into a blender. throw in the cookies and ice cream. blend until smooth.
serve. don't fight the feelin anymore.



irish cream

got this recipe from a friend who got it off a friend 

they met on the internet. say that three times fast. 

1 can coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
2 tbsp sweetener (brown sugar is what they recommend)
1/4 cup silk french vanilla soy creamer
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/3 cup coffee or espresso
1/4 - 1 cup whiskey (how strong do you take it?)

optional dollop of chocolate syrup

blend. serve. be merry.

santa claus came at 4am mimosa

this is also great for holiday parties when you have to be up early to cook!

1/4 cup grand marnier

2 tablespoons sugar (to rim the glasses)

1 cup orange juice (pulp content up to you)

750 ml bottle of champagne

put the sugar onto a plate. pour the grand marnier in a bowl. dip the rims of your glasses (about 5) in the grand marnier and then dip them in the sugar. take the remaining grand marnier and mix it with the orange juice. pour into glasses and top with as much champagne as you like. drink while the kids fight over their presents.

peppermint pattie shots

whoooosh... get the VEGAN sensation! 

2 oz peppermint schnapps
chocolate syrup to taste
vegan whipped topping
optional holiday-colored jimmies

mix in a shot glass. top with some vegan whipped cream like soyatoo or you can make your own. sprinkle with jimmies. down the hatch.



hot buttered pumpkin rum
a tasty spin on a classic drink minus the animal ingredients.
p.s. this makes a lot of drinkage.

1/2 stick of earth balance vegan margarine
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup trader joe's pumpkin butter
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
pinch of sea salt
2 oz of rum per mug
hot water
vegan whipped topping
optional cinnamon stick

cream together the earth balance, brown sugar, pumpkin butter, pumpkin pie spice with a hand mixer. add approximately 2 tablespoons of butter mixture to the bottom of a mug. add 2 ounces of rum, and fill the mug the rest of the way with hot water. mix. top with vegan whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. throw in a stick of cinnamon to be fancy. bottoms up!



pineapple upside-down cake martini

a few of these and you will be upside and down all right...

2/3 cup chilled pineapple juice 
1/3 cup whipped or vanilla pinnacle vodka
dash grenadine
pineapple wedges and maraschino cherries for garnish.

mix together. pour. garnish. drink in the deliciousness. mmm liquid cake.



white russian

На здоровье! cheers!

1 cup vodka
1 cup kahlúa
1/4 cup soy creamer (vanilla is yummy)

mix vodka and kahlúa. pour into glasses full of ice. top with soy creamer. imbibe. have another.



drunkin punkin apple cider
who doesn't like cider?! i mean c'mon! its like the perfect autumn party
it's-starting-to-get-colder beverage!

1 1/2 oz pumpkin puree
1 1/2 oz vanilla or whipped vodka
2 oz apple cider of your choice
1 1/2 oz spicy ginger ale (like reed's or goya ginger beer)

in a cocktail shaker (or some plastic cups) mix together the puree, vodka, and cider with some ice. strain and pour into a glass full of ice. top with the spicy ginger ale. get drunkin' with punkin'.

arrrrr! brin' me t' grog, wench

this will brin' ou' th' sea dog in any cove. oh me hearties, be blunderbustingly careful.

2-3 oz rum

1/2 oz lime juice (freshly squeezed, if possible)

1 tsp of brown sugar

3-4 oz hot water

stick o' cinnamon

slice o' orange

mix all th' ingredients in ye mug. garnish wiv a slice o' orange and a cinnamon stick, me buckos. 

berry merry xmas

candy cane and berry flavor that is sure to put a holiday smile on your face

3/4 oz berry vodka (like pinnacle)

3/4 oz white crème de cacao

3/4 oz peppermint schnapps

a splash or more of grenadine

soy creamer

optional soda water 

in a shaker with ice, mix the vodka, crème de cacao, schnapps, and grenadine. pour into your glass and top with soy creamer. you can add a splash of soda water if you want.  this is also really tasty in a glass rimmed with crushed candy canes!