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New Deal Picks

• Muddley Puddle

This is probably the best chocolate milk you will ever taste. Ever. In your life.

• 2 oz Mud Puddle Chocolate Vodka
• 1 1/2 oz Kahlua
• 3 oz. Half & Half
• 1 drop Regan's Orange Bitters (optional)

• Pour Mud Puddle, Kahlua and Half & Half over ice in a rocks glass, stir, add orange bitters if using and stir again.
• No garnish is called for - just sip at your leisure.

• The Roman Holiday

This was the signature cocktail for 'Feast of Lupercalia" a 6-course chocolate dinner held this past Valentine's Day at the now defunct Northeast Portland Eatery, Fife. May Marco and Julie Shaw's subsequent life adventures be just as sweet and delicious.

• 1 ¾ oz Mud Puddle Chocolate Vodka
• ¾ oz LOFT Tangerine Cello
• Splash Orange Juice
• Virgil's Vanilla Cream Soda, to fill
• Orange wheel, to garnish

• Fill a highball with a few handfuls of ice.
• Pour in Mud Puddle, LOFT Tangerine Cello and a splash of orange juice.
• Fill glass with Virgil's Vanilla Cream Soda, and garnish with an orange wheel.

• The Carmen Miranda

This cocktail is a labor of love celebrating the flavors and colors of summer in the Pacific Northwest. The quantities listed below yield one cocktail, but you’ll want to share, so don’t be shy…go get yourself an entire Hermiston seedless watermelon–or two! And don’t hesitate to pick up at least a pint of those lovely little pineapple tomatillos from Sungold Farms in Verboort, now appearing each Saturday at the Portland Farmer’s Market in the Park Blocks. The extras will make an irresistible salsa.

• ¾ oz Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka
• 3 oz Fresh watermelon juice
• 3 oz Pineapple juice
• ¼ t Pineapple tomatillo puree
• 1 Splash Orange juice
• 1 Splash Freshly-squeezed lime juice

• Remove papery husks and stems from a pint of pineapple tomatillos. Place in blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
• Strain pineapple tomatillo puree through fine sieve, or over two layers of cheesecloth.
• Cut watermelon into chunks and work through a fine sieve – this is a messy job, but well worth the effort. If time is a factor, send the chunks through a blender and move on.
• Fill an 8 oz. highball 3/4 of the way with ice.
• Pour Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka over ice.
• Mix equal parts watermelon juice and pineapple juice in a separate container to taste. Depending upon the watermelon you use, you might wish add a little more or a little less to the mix. The key is to find the color and flavor that suit you perfectly.
• Add juice mixture to the highball, top with the pineapple tomatillo puree, and stir well.
• Add the slightest splashes of orange and lime juice to taste.
• Garnish cocktail with a pineapple tomatillo skewered onto a toothpick and topped with a thin wheel of lime. You could also add a cube of watermelon if you are so inclined and prefer an extra degree of ‘razmatazz’.

• Trunk Monkey

Here is a spicy little number that turned up recently on the bar at The Maiden. We were alerted to this fact by our friends at Yelp who absolutely insisted we post the recipe for it here. (Well, twist our arm!) Here it is, courtesy of Jared in all its original, unabridged glory...enjoy!

• 1 Lime (2 half-moons), muddled
• 2 oz Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka
• 1 oz Triple Sec
• 1.5 to 2 oz Simple Syrup (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 1 oz Pineapple juice
• ½ oz Lime juice
• Dash Grenadine

• Muddle limes in cocktail shaker.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the shaker, then ice to fill. Shake well.
• Strain and serve in a martini glass.

• Rhubarbarella

This cleverly named seasonal cocktail is inspired by a recipe in Scott Beattie's gorgeous tome, Artisanal Cocktails. It calls for a candied rhubarb syrup that is as simple to make as it is stunning. Make and chill a few batches of the simple syrup ahead of time.

• 1 3/4 oz New Deal Vodka
• 3/4 oz Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 t Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 oz Candied rhubarb syrup (see recipe below)
• 3/4 oz Seltzer
• 10 pieces Candied rhubarb (see recipe below)
• 2 Mint leaves, sliced lengthwise into thin strips

• Combine the vodka, juice, simple syrup and seltzer in a mixing glass and give it a stir.
• Add the rhubarb, mint and enough ice to fill the mixing glass.
• Cover and shake a few times.
• Pour into a short or tall collins glass to serve, and use a straw or knife to distribute the rhubarb pieces and mint throughout the drink.

• Candied Rhubarb and Syrup

It's the quintessential answer to a question that's on the lips of every locavore this spring: “What in the heck am I going to do with all of this rhubarb?” The candied rhubarb and syrup will keep about 7 days refrigerated.

• 2 3/4 C Simple syrup, chilled (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 1 inch Fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 Small red beet, cooked and peeled
• 2 Medium stalks rhubarb
• 3/4 oz Seltzer
• 1 Orange, sliced into wheels

• Lemonade on the Green

For the Biff and Muffy in all of us . . .

• 2 oz New Deal Basil-Infused Vodka
• 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz Simple syrup (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 1 Handful mint leaves

• Muddle mint leaves in tall glass.
• Drop in a few handfuls of ice cubes.
• Stir and adjust tart and sweet flavors to taste.
• Acquire white polo shirt and country club membership. Chuckle dryly, downplay wealth..

• The Pink Bitch

Strawberries have arrived, and this is but one of a myriad of lovely ways to give them their due. Recipe courtesy of Ms. Linda Russell, who, incidentally, is neither pink, nor a bitch. Serves 4 quite well.

• ½ cup Fresh strawberries, sliced, topped with 2 T sugar
• ¾ cup New Deal Vodka
• 2 T Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup Lemon-lime soda (seek out San Pellegrino Limonata)
• 1 Thinly sliced lemon wheel, for garnish

• Puree strawberries and sugar together in a blender. Strain out seeds if you are so inclined.
• Add strawberry puree, New Deal Vodka, lemon juice and soda into a shaker half-filled with ice.
• Shake well and strain over ice into four rocks glasses.
• Garnish with lemon wheel.

• Vodka Soda with Grapefruit & Lemongrass

This effervescent cocktail is light and refreshing, and couldn't be simpler to make. It's the perfect antithesis to an overload of gingerbread cookies, stuffing, and Aunt Noreen's green bean casserole. Kudos to Bradley Dawson at Belly Timber for the inspiration ....

• 1 oz Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka
• 2 T LOFT Lemongrass Cello
• 1 bottle Izze Sparkling Grapefruit Juice

• Fill a glass with ice.
• Add Hot Monkey Vodka and LOFT Lemongrass Cello. Give it a quick stir.
• Fill glass with Izze Sparkling Grapefruit Juice.
• You could garnish with a stalk of lemongrass, but who has lemongrass just sitting around in their kitchen? We don't. Do you?

• Yellow Submarine

The perfect cure for the Blue Meanies. Adapted from a recipe served at East End's 'Den'.

• 2 oz New Deal Vodka
• 1 t Fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 Dashes Jamaican bitters (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 2 Handfuls Ice Cubes
• Izze Sparkling Clementine Juice
• 1 Orange Slice to garnish

• Drop ice cubes into a tall glass
• Add New Deal Vodka and lemon juice
• Fill with Izze Sparkling Clementine Juice, and mix.
• Float Jamaican Bitters over the top of a spoon into finished drink.garnish with orange slice.
• Garnish with orange slice.

• Combine the simple syrup, ginger and orange in an airtight container.
• Cover and shake well.
• Cut the beet into several slices and add it to the syrup.
• Cut the ends of the rhubarb so that the stalks are a uniform length, and then chop into 1/4-inch pieces. Add the rhubarb to the simple syrup mixture and gently stir.
• Place the container in the refrigerator and stir a few more times over the next 24 hours so thee beets bleed their color evenly.
• Once the color is red enough, remove and discard the beets and ginger.

• City of Roses

Now this is what ladies drink . . . .

• 2 oz New Deal Vodka
• 1 T Vanilla Simple Syrup (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 1 T Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/8 t Rose Water
• Splash cranberry juice, for color
• Orange wheel or sugared rose petals for garnish

• Pour vodka, vanilla simple syrup, lemon juice and rose water into a shaker over ice.
• Shake well and pour into a chilled martini glass.
• Add a small splash of cranberry juice and garnish.

• Mary Had A Little Monkey

This is something else.

• 1 Good glug of Hot Monkey Vodka straight from the bottle
• 1 1/4 cups Farmer's Market Bloody Mary Mix (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 2-3 Pickled string beans
• 2 Fine, tall and leafy stalks of celery
• 1 Generous wedge of lime
• 1 Copy of the most recent Sunday Edition of the New York Times

• Mix Hot Monkey Vodka and Farmer's Market Bloody Mary Mix together and pour over ice.
• Garnish with string bean, celery and lime.
• Grab the Sunday Times and enjoy!

• The Harvey Milk

This recipe was inspired by a feature in Gourmet Magazine, which matched Oscar nominees to a signature cocktail. This is our spirited tribute to the very talented Oscar winner, Sean Penn. Serves one.

• 2 oz. New Deal Vodka
• 1 T LOFT Tangerine Liqueur or Grand Marnier
• 1 T Disaronno Amaretto
• 1 T Heavy Cream

• Stir together all ingredients.
• Pour over ice in a 6-8 oz rocks glass.

• Sauvie Island Fizz

Summertime, seasonal recipe developed by Anne Marie Distefano of the Portland Tribune. Serves two.

• 1 Pint fresh, Oregon strawberries (for Strawberry Mixture)
• 1/4 Cup sugar (for Strawberry Mixture)
• 3 oz Portland 88 Vodka
• 2 t Campari
• 1/4 Lemon, juice of
• 1/2 Cup Strawberry Mixture

• Make-ahead Strawberry Mixture: cut strawberries into quarters or eights, depending on size. Add sugar and mix well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Muddle chilled Strawberry Mixture, Portland 88 Vodka, Campari, and lemon juice in a shaker. Add ice and mix well.
• Strain into two martini glasses and top with a splash of sparkling water or, for a chunkier, fruitier drink just pour the whole contents of the shaker into highball glasses, add a few more ice cubes, top with soda and garnish with mint.
• Repeat as necessary.

• Laurelhurst Lavender Cooler

A flavor for every part of your tongue . . . invite your whole palate.

• 1 Pony Loft Lavendar Cello
• 1 Jigger New Deal Vodka
• Juice of one lemon
• Tall, leafy stalks of celery
• Tonic water

• Shake with ice and pour into glass with sugared rim.
• Top with tonic water until full.

• Hungarian Housefire

Goes great with competitive chess.

• 1 Jigger Hot Monkey Vodka
• 1 Jigger brine of Zergut Red Long Peppers
• 1 Slice sweet, red pepper

• Combine all ingredients in high ball glass.
• Garnish with sweet, red pepper slice.

• Dance On Air

Legend has it that Ginger Rogers bought a home in the small Oregon town of Shady Cove back in the 1940s. Accessible, yet elegant, much like the queen of tap herself, this cocktail honors the icon in all her glory and resplendent Ginger-ishness. Adapted from a recipe by Mixologist, Tom Klus at Portland's Bluehour.

• 3 oz New Deal Vodka
• 1 oz LOFT Spicy Ginger Cello
• Fresh mint, to taste
• Lime wheel

• Place a few sprigs of fresh mint into the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Using a spoon or muddler, gently bruise the mint leaves.
• Fill the shaker halfway up with a few handfuls of ice.
• Pour the New Deal Vodka and LOFT Spicy Ginger Cello into the shaker. Cover and shake.
• Strain into a chilled martini glass. Finish with a quick squeeze of lime.
• Garnish with a lime wheel.

• Holiday in Veneto

Prosecco has been hailed the new bubbly. From the hills of Veneto, Italy, prosecco wines are unpretentious, cheery and sparkling. They are wonderful to sip, but are perfectly at home in festive holiday cocktails and punches. The following recipe is adapted from a recipe created by Mixologist Bradley Dawson at Belly Timber in SE Portland, and serves 6 pleased guests after a long day of skiing in the snowy Italian Alps...(or maybe just riding their bikes over to your house in the rain).

• 1 (750 ml) Prosecco, bottle of
• 12 Sugar cubes
• 24 Dashes Jamaican Bitters (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 6 T LOFT Tangerine Cello
• 6 Strips lemon rind (thin)

• Place 2 sugar cubes in the bottom of 6 champagne flutes. Soak sugar cubes with 4 dashes of bitters per glass.
• Slowly fill flutes with prosecco. When the fizz subsides, slowly pour 1 T LOFT Tangerine Cello into each glass.
• Garnish with a strip of lemon rind.

• Tom & Matty

Our take on a classic holiday favorite, the Tom and Jerry. It's frothy, spicy, sweet and warm, much like our very own Tom and 'Matty'. Aw, shucks.

• 2 1/2 T sugar
• 1 cup Mud Puddle Chocolate Vodka
• 1 1/2 t Vanilla extract
• Small pinch ground allspice
• Small pinch ground cloves
• Large pinch ground cinnamon
• 2 2/3 cups whole milk
• 1 t Freshly grated whole nutmeg, or ground nutmeg
• New Deal Vodka Whipped Cream (optional)

• Pour milk into small saucepan and heat gently over low heat.
• Stir in sugar to dissolve.
• Add vanilla, allspice, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, and simmer gently for 5 minutes to infuse milk with flavors.
• Strain infused milk into 4 warmed coffee mugs.
• Add 1/4 of the Mud Puddle to each mug and stir.
• Top each mug with New Deal Vodka Whipped Cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon to garnish

• Gingered Pear

Or, as we like to call it, "How we survived Thanksgiving with the family."

• 1 1/2 oz New Deal Vodka
• 1 oz LOFT Spicy Ginger Cello
• 1 oz Pear Nectar (we like the one at Trader Joe's)
• 1 T Fresh-squeezed lemon juice

• Fill a rocks glass with ice.
• Pour New Deal Vodka, LOFT Spicy Ginger Cello, Pear Nectar and lemon juice into glass and give it a good stir.
• Take your drink and find somewhere quiet outside to hang out and sneak a cigarette. The rooftop ledge outside the window of your childhood bedroom is always a popular choice.

Classic Cocktails

• Portland 88 Old-Fashioned

The perfect old-fashioned is built on the rocks and stirred gently, and never shaken in order to keep the cocktail crystal clear. With the recently returning popularity of classic cocktails, we've seen a happy influx of artisan bitters hit the market. We are especially pleased with Scrappy's fine line of bitters, which are crafted with organic botanicals.

• ½ t Sugar
• 2 Dashes Bitters (try Scrappy's Orange)
• 1 t Water
• 2 oz Portland 88 Vodka
• 1 Lemon Twist

• Dissolve sugar with bitters and water in old fashioned glass. Add Portland 88 Vodka.
• Fill glass to rim with cubes, or coarsely cracked pieces of ice. Stir gently.
• Twist lemon peel above drink and drop into glass.

• Vesper

Lillet Blanc is a French Aperitif featuring a blend of wine and citrus liqueurs that are made from a variety of oranges. This cocktail is simple and elegant, with delicate herbal notes.

• 1 T Lillet Blanc
• 2 T New Deal Vodka
• 6 T Gin
• 1 Cup Ice
• Small pinch ground cloves
• 1 ¾ in Strip of Lemon Peel

• In cocktail shaker, combine Lillet Blanc, New Deal Vodka, and gin. Add ice and shake vigorously until well chilled, about 30 seconds.
• Strain into chilled martini or coupe glass.
• Squeeze lemon peel over glass, making sure oils fall into glass, then brush peel along outer lip of glass, drop peel in drink, and serve.

• Lavender Society Sling

This cocktail is a modern twist on a classic fruit sling.

• 1 oz LOFT Lavender Cello
• 1 oz New Deal Vodka
• 4 oz Lemonade
• 1 in. piece Madagascar vanilla
• 1 Lavender sprig, for garnish
• 1 Lemon wheel, for garnish

• Smear vanilla bean into the bottom of a rocks glass using the back of spoon or a muddler, and top with ice.
• Add LOFT Lavender Cello, New Deal Vodka, and fill with lemonade.
• Gently stir and garnish with a sprig of lavender and wheel of lemon.

• Bloody Mary Flight

Bloody Marys are the perfect medium for capturing freshness and flavor of seasonal produce. Serve them in a trio of smart little highballs, one alongside one another to make for a fetching presentation. Be creative, using pickled green beans, chilies, and garlic, and try different varieties of tomatoes to create contrast in color and varying degrees of spiciness in your offerings. Pair them with Blue Cheese Vodka Balls, Oysters on the Grill and Hot Monkey-Glazed Fennel Almonds for a simple and fabulous after work get-together. Or a before work get-together, come to think of it – you'll be seen as a team player and a real think outside the box-er. Take that, lady who always has a bowl of candy on her desk!

• Farmer's Market Bloody Mary (recipe below)
• Bacon Bloody Mary (recipe below)
• Yellow Tomato Bloody Mary (recipe below)

• To make a true vodka flight, prepare each Bloody Mary with a different New Deal spirit: New Deal Vodka, Portland 88 Vodka and Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka. (Or, you could just use any New Deal vodka in all three.)
• Garnish.
• Present to adoring throngs.

• Bloody Mary Flight: Farmer's Market Bloody Mary

A smart way to use the abundance of summer produce...not to mention 2 cups of vodka!

• 2-28oz cans Italian tomatoes with juice (only until the fresh ones are in season!)
• 1 English hothouse cucumber, peeled, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 Cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 T fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 t Prepared horseradish
• 2 t celery salt
• 12 dashes hot pepper sauce (not necessary if you plan to mix this with Hot Monkey Vodka)
• New Deal Vodka, Portland 88 Vodka, or Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka

• Working in batches, puree first 8 ingredients in blender until smooth.
• Transfer Bloody Mary mix to large pitcher; season with pepper. Chill until cold, at least 1 hour.
• For each drink, fill 8-ounce highball glass with ice cubes; pour in 1/4 cup New Deal Vodka, Portland 88 Vodka, or Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka.
• Add Bloody Mary mix; garnish with cucumber spear.

• Bacon Bloody Mary

It was only a matter of time. This recipe is brought to us by Sic Semper Porcus, a blog dedicated to all things porcine. A featured member of our Bloody Mary Flight, and suggested as an important part of a complete breakfast, it is, as the folks at Sic Semper Porcus say “a must try recipe for any aspiring breakfast drinker.” (Matthew?)

• 5 Large tomatoes
• 3 Carrots, peeled
• 4 Fresno peppers, stemmed
• 1 1/2 Cups reserved cooking water
• 1 T Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 T Apple cider vinegar
• 3 Cloves garlic, diced
• 2 lemons, juice of
• 3 T Ground black pepper
• 1 T Ground fennel
• 3 T Salt
• 2 Slices bacon, plus one slice per glass (plus one to eat while you make the drinks)
• New Deal Vodka, Portland 88 Vodka, or Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka

• Boil the vegetables in water until tomatoes are tender.
• Remove vegetables, reserve cooking water and peel the tomatoes.
• Saute bacon to taste, and dice two strips.
• Combine all the ingredients (except water) in a blender and blend until a thick, smooth puree. (Yes, you are blending bacon).
• Slowly add the water until it has thinned out to the desired consistency.
• Add New Deal Vodka, Portland 88 Vodka, or Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka, or a combination thereof, depending upon your tastes and fortitude.
• Now pour over rocks, garnish wildly, and squeal like a piggy! Squeal!

• Yellow Tomato Bloody Mary

This is adapted from a recipe by none other than the illustrious Martha Stewart. Really. By the way - did you know that Martha twitters? She really does – she's actually quite the tweeter (twitterer?). I bet she also enjoys herself a good bloody mary from time to time. Probably while she twitters. Keep up on Martha's latest shenanigans by following her--@MarthaStewart.

• 1 lb Ripe yellow tomatoes (about 4 medium)
• 3/4 Cup New Deal Vodka, Portland 88 Vodka, or Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka
• 5 T Fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
• 20 dashes Hot green pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
• 1 to 1 1/2 t Fresh horseradish, peeled and finely grated
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 t Coarse salt
• 1/4 t Freshly ground black pepper
• Celery hearts, for garnish

• Puree yellow tomatoes in a blender. Press through a fine sieve into a small bowl; discard solids.
• Stir together tomato puree, vodka, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, green pepper sauce, horseradish to taste, salt, and pepper in a pitcher. If not using immediately, mixture can be refrigerated, covered, overnight.
• Add New Deal Vodka, Portland 88 Vodka, or Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka and reduce by half (about 2-3 minutes).
• To serve, divide among 4 large glasses filled with ice. Garnish each glass with celery and cherry tomatoes on toothpicks.

• Recipe Redux 1965: Strawberry Delight

This is an adaptation of a recipe printed in a promotional recipe booklet by the Seven-Up Company in 1965. Back then, 7-Up came in a cool green glass bottle sporting a classic logo with a stylized '7'. That was before the advent of plastic bottles, and before high-fructose corn syrup. This particular pamphlet extolled the virtues of 7-Up as a culinary treasure: “The exclusive formula of 7-Up brings the essence of lemon-lime flavors to your cookery...already expertly blended for you. Cook with 7-Up, and bring out the best in the other ingredients, and add a distinctive touch to your meals.”

• 10 oz fresh or frozen, sliced strawberries
• 1 Pint softened vanilla ice cream
• ½ Cup 7-Up, chilled
• 1 shot New Deal Vodka
• 3 shots LOFT Tangerine Cello

• Combine strawberries, ice cream, LOFT Tangerine Cello, New Deal Vodka and 7-Up in a blender.
• Divide into 4 glasses.
• Slowly pour in chilled 7-Up to fill.
• Ultra. Luscious.

• Ginger Palmer

Ahhhhh…the Ginger Palmer – this is our friend Gayle’s favorite cocktail at the moment. It’s cool, sharp and not just a little bit spicy, cause that’s how Gayle rolls.

• 3 oz Black tea
• 3 oz Lemonade
• 1 ½ oz New Deal Vodka
• 1 ½ oz LOFT Spicy Ginger Cello

• Fill a Collins glass with ingredients in the order listed above.
• Top with ice.
• Pull up a chair on the patio, relax and enjoy the view of your vegetable garden.

• Bring the Spring

It's just about time to switch the snow boots for sandals, the fleece parka for a crisp cotton shift, and the hot toddies for iced tea! Here is a little something special to help you make that transition...

• 2 oz New Deal Vodka
• 1 T LOFT Tangerine Cello
• 1/2 t Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1-2 Dashes Regan's Orange Bitters
• Simple Syrup, to taste
• Chilled Earl Grey Tea, to fill

• Fill a Collins glass ½ way up with ice. Stir New Deal Vodka, Tangerine Cello and lemon juice.
• Fill with Earl Grey tea and stir again.
• Add simple syrup, bitters, and a squeeze of fresh lemon, to taste.

• Bloody Hot Mary

We use this recipe for the Bloody Marys we serve at our Tasting Room. We're warning you now: they're bloody hot!

• 2 oz Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka
• 1 T Dill pickle brine
• 1/2 t Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/4 t Onion powder
• 1/4 t Garlic Powder
• 1/4 t Lemon Pepper
• 8 oz Campbell's Tomato Juice

• Mix all ingredients and shake well.
• Serve over ice with your favorite Bloody Mary garnish.

• Party Yucca

“There’s a trick to this drink. Holding onto the grass will keep you from falling off the earth.” - Anonymous

Ahhh...yucca...revered staple of college bashes, old standby for long weekends at the beach house, and classy alternative for the tractor-trailer-pull pre-funk. If you and your friends haven’t spent a boisterous 25 minutes shaking a huge vodka filled jar waiting for sugar to dissolve, then you’ve never truly experienced yucca. Along those same lines, if you and your friends have hit the point in the evening where you no longer have the wherewithal to shake a huge vodka-filled jar, you should probably switch to white wine spritzers.

• 6 Lemons
• 6 Limes
• 1 Bottle New Deal Vodka or Portland 88 Vodka
• 2 Cups Sugar
• Bagged ice
• Large, wide-mouthed jar, at least 1 gallon, with lid

• Squeeze juice from lemon and lime halves into the jar.
• Add sugar.
• Add ice, almost to fill jar.
• Pour bottle of New Deal or Portland 88 Vodka over the ice.
• Tighten lid well, and wrap jar in a towel.
• Shake the jar vigorously for at least 20 minutes. This is a group undertaking.
• Peel away the towel, open the jar, and pour into any waiting glass.

• Pink Grapefruit Cocktails

This refreshing cocktail is equally as nice when its made with soju or sake. Freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice elevates it well beyond the ordinary. Makes 10 cocktails, so call some friends.

• 1 T Superfine granulated sugar
• 1 qt Fresh pink grapefruit juice (from about 8 large grapefruit), strained & chilled
• 1 Cup New Deal Vodka
• ¼ Cup LOFT Lemongrass Cello
• Club soda or seltzer, chilled, To fill

• Stir 1 tablespoon sugar into juice until dissolved.
• Stir in vodka and add sugar to taste.
• Pour over ice in tall 8 to 10-ounce glasses (about ½ cup grapefruit mixture per glass) and top with a splash of Lemongrass Cello and club soda.

• Sauvie's Screwdriver

Ice is for sissies.

• 1 Jigger Portland 88 Vodka
• 1 Dash lime juice
• 1 Dash lemon bitters (Angoustora Bitters work fine, too)
• 1 Jigger ginger ale
• Tangerine juice

• Combine all but tangerine juice in a highball glass.
• Fill to the top with tangerine juice.

• Ginger Gimlet

This lovely recipe blends Loft Spicy Ginger Liqueur and refreshing citrus to make a full pitcher of deliciousness.

• 27 oz Freshly squeezed lime juice (about 6 medium limes)
• 6 1/2 oz Sweet and sour mix (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 26 1/2 oz Loft Spicy Ginger Cello
• 40 oz New Deal Vodka, well chilled
• Lime wedges to garnish

• Combine sweet and sour mix, Loft Spicy Ginger Liqueur, and lime juice in a chilled pitcher.
• Add New Deal Vodka, and stir.
• Serve over rocks in a collins glass, or shaken and strained into a rocks glass. It's your call.

• The Lovey

We know this is what Lovey Howell would have sipped during leisurely Sunday brunches had she not embarked upon what we now know should have only been a 3-hour tour....a three hour tour.

• 3/4 oz New Deal Vodka
• 4 oz Dry champagne
• 1 Dash simple syrup (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 1-2 Dashes grenadine (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)

• Shake New Deal Vodka, simple syrup and grenadine over ice cubes in cocktail shaker.
• Strain ingredients into champagne flute.
• Fill with champagne and serve.

• Raspberry Mule

A seasonal take on a classic cocktail...

• 2 oz Portland 88 Vodka
• 1 Handful fresh Raspberries
• 1/2 Inch fresh ginger, peeled
• 8 oz Ginger beer
• 1 Dash Jamaican Bitters (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)

• Place raspberries and ginger into a shaker, and crush well, using a spoon or muddler.
• Add Portland 88 Vodka and shake well.
• Strain raspberry ginger vodka mixture into a highball glass filled 1/2 way up with ice.
• Fill glass with ginger beer, and float a dash of Jamaican Bitters on top.

• New Deal Chocolate Egg Cream

Another stellar concoction inspired by Bradley Dawson at Portland's Belly Timber. It's a grown up version of a traditional chocolate egg cream, and we could easily drink one (several) every day. Make sure not to skip out on the basil...it adds dimension that we simply can't put words to.

• 1 oz New Deal Vodka
• 2 T Dagoba Chocolate Syrup
• 3/4 Cup Whole milk
• 3/4 Cup Soda Water
• 3 Basil leaves
• Vodka Whipped Cream (recipe in our Cooking With Vodka section)

• Place 2 leaves in the bottom of a tall glass. Using the back of a spoon or a muddler, gently bruise leaves.
• Remove leaves from glass and add 2 handfuls of ice.
• Mix milk, chocolate syrup and New Deal Vodka in a separate glass.
• Pour mixture over ice in glass and add soda water to fill.
• Top with a generous dollop of Vodka Whipped Cream and garnish with a basil leaf.
• Procure straw.

• Oyster Shooters Done Right

Served right in the half-shell with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Guaranteed to be a big summer hit with the crowd at the beach house, or even just that group of guys who hang out on the fire escape of the old bricker off SE 50th and Division.

• 1-2 T New Deal Vodka Hot Monkey Vodka
• 1 Willapa Bay Oyster on the half-shell
• 1 dollop spicy cocktail sauce
• 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice directly from a lemon wedge

• Spoon Hot Monkey Vodka over oyster, amount according to size of oyster.
• Squeeze lemon juice over the top of the monkied oyster.
• Top with a respectable dollop of cocktail sauce.
• Down the hatch and repeat with 2nd oyster.

• Anno 1960

A crisp and sophisticated classic to showcase the smooth flavor and botanical notes of New Deal 's flagship vodka. (We are allowed to pat ourselves on the back from time to time).

• 3 T New Deal Vodka
• 1 1/2 T Dry vermouth
• 1 1/2 T Campari

• Fill cocktail shaker with ice.
• Add New Deal Vodka, vermouth and Campari. Shake well.
• Strain into a martini glass.

• Portland 88 Vodka Julius

A frothy childhood memory, sans the mall

• 2 oz Portland 88 Vodka
• 4 oz Fresh Orange Juice
• 1 oz Half & Half
• 1 t Sugar
• 1 Egg (yes, an egg.)
• 1/2 Cup Ice Cubes

• Blend until . . . well, blended.
• Locate a tall glass and a straw. Stop thinking about the egg.
• Sip, pondering a trip to the mall for lip gloss, hair combs and a Shaun Cassidy poster.

• Jamaican Greyhound

I love greyhounds. They are always so polite. I think owning one would be kind of like having a deer of your very own.

• 1 1/2 oz New Deal Vodka
• 1/2 oz Jamaican Bitters (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 5 oz Fresh grapefruit juice
• A few mint leaves

• Stir New Deal Vodka and grapefruit juice together in a highball glass filled halfway up with ice.
• Float bitters over a spoon into the top.
• Bruise a mint leaf along rim of glass, garnish drink with another and serve.

• Sparkling Golden Punch

A basic holiday punch that is lovely to look at, easy to make, and absolutely delicious. You could switch out the 7 Up for club soda, but the 7 Up is totally 1953--and in the best possible way. Personalize it by adding sliced citrus fruits and fruit liqueurs, or enjoy it as is. Serves 16.

• 2 quarts Grapefruit Juice (64 oz)
• 1 can Pineapple Juice (46 oz)
• 1 bottle New Deal Vodka
• 2 liter bottle 7 Up
• 2 Trays of ice cubes

• Fill a punchbowl or large pitcher with ice cubes.
• Pour in all ingredients and stir well.

House-Made Martinis

• Ha Cha Cha

A lush cocktail pairing the flavors of chocolate and chilies. You might also rub the bruised peel of an orange round the rim of the glass to elevate the effect, but really, I digress . . .

• 1 oz Hot Monkey Vodka
• 2 oz Crème de Cacao
• 1 oz Half & Half
• Dusting of cinnamon

• Shake Hot Monkey Vodka, Crème de Cacao and Half & Half over ice.
• Strain into a chilled martini glass.
• Sprinkle cinnamon over finished cocktail and swirl glass.

• Cranberry, Gingerly

This recipe was originally published in Bon Appetit in November of 1995. At that time, it was referred to as 'a spicy spin on the Cosmo' (ugh!). Utterly passé culinary reference aside, this cocktail is a seasonal treat worth sharing with friends. You can easily swap out the cranberry juice for pomegranate juice, but oh my god that would be, like soooo 2007.

• 1/4 Cup New Deal Vodka
• 2 T Ginger Beer
• 1 1/2 T Cranberry Juice Cocktail Concentrate, thawed
• 1 1/2 t Lemon juice
• 1/8 t Ground ginger
• Crystallized ginger pieces

• Shake ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker.
• Strain into martini glass.
• Garnish with a slice of crystallized ginger.

• Fresh Cucumber Martini

Light, refreshing and perfect for the season at hand.

• 1 1/2 oz New Deal Vodka
• 1/2 Cucumber, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
• 5-6 Sprigs fresh cilantro
• 2 Handfuls ice cubes
• 1 Drop vermouth
• 1 Wheel cucumber, to garnish

• Muddle cucumber and cilantro sprigs in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
• Add ice cubes, New Deal Vodka, and vermouth to shaker.
• Shake contents and strain into a chilled martini glass.
• Garnish with cucumber wheel and serve.

• Pear Martini with Lemon & Rosemary

This elegant cocktail will take time and planning, but you're up to it. It's absolutely worth the effort. Gorgeous, fragrant and perfect for the season at hand, make a pitcher for any festive occasion. Serves 12.

• 4 4-inch rosemary sprigs
• 1 batch House-made Simple Syrup (recipe in our House-made Mixers section) simmered with the rosemary sprigs for 2 minutes. Discard rosemary sprigs afterwards.
• 6 oz Lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
• 1 (750 ml) Bottle of New Deal Vodka
• 3 T Poire Williams (clear Pear Brandy; we like Clear Creek Distillery's Williams Pear Brandy)
• 2 Ice cubes
• 12 Small rosemary sprigs

• Prepare rosemary-infused simple syrup as directed above.
• Mix rosemary syrup with lemon juice, New Deal Vodka, and pear brandy in a large pitcher. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 3 hours.
• Remove pitcher from freezer and add ice cubes. Stir briskly to melt ice partially.
• Strain mixture into chilled martini glasses.
• Garnish with rosemary sprigs.

• Thai Basil Martini

Sure, we’re local, but we like to get our ‘exotic’ on every now and then. This sophisticated concoction is based on a recipe developed by Caprial’s Westmoreland Kitchen. It’s the perfect preface to a cozy night spent indoors with a movie, a special friend, and really good Thai takeout.

• 3 oz New Deal Vodka
• 1 oz LOFT Lemongrass Cello
• 1 T Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka
• 1/4 t Chili powder
• 1/4 t Sugar
• 6 Sprigs fresh basil

• Place half of the basil sprigs in the bottom of a shaker. Using the back of a spoon or muddler, gently bruise the basil leaves.
• Fill the shaker halfway up with a few handfuls of ice.
• Pour the New Deal Vodka, Hot Monkey Vodka and LOFT Lemongrass Cello into the shaker. Cover and shake.
• Wet the rim of a chilled martini glass with Hot Monkey Vodka, and rub a leaf of reserved basil along the rim.
• Mix sugar and chili powder in a small bowl, pour onto plate, and dip rim into mixture.
• Strain shaker contents into martini glass and garnish with a basil leaf.

• Ginger Drop

Not too sweet, not too spicy, just right.

• 2 oz New Deal Vodka
• 1/2 oz Loft Spicy Ginger Liqueur
• 1 oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
• 1/4 Inch Fresh Ginger, peeled
• 1 Pinch Granulated Sugar
• 1-2 Handfuls of ice cubes

• Shake New Deal Vodka, Loft Spicy Ginger Liqueur, orange juice over ice.
• Rub ginger along rim of a chilled martini glass.
• Follow suit with a drop of orange juice.
• Spread the sugar on a small plate, and dip the rim of the glass into it to make a frosty rim.
• Strain shaker contents into glass. Bat eyelashes, smile coyly.

• Pampelmousse Cocktails for Six

Tres bien! Whip up this little number for a perfectly lovely time for you and 5 of your closest friends.

• 7 T Water
• 5 T Pomegranate juice
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 4 t Honey
• 1 1/2 Cups New Deal Vodka
• 3/4 Cup Fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/4 Cup Fresh lime juice
• 12 Fresh mint leaves, plus 6 for garnish

• Bring first four ingredients to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Transfer to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water to chill quickly.
• Muddle 12 mint leaves in the bottom of a large pitcher.
• Add cooled pomegranate mixture, vodka, grapefruit and lime juices.
• Fill pitcher with ice cubes. Stir vigorously.
• Strain into chilled martini glasses, and garnish each glass with a mint leaf.

• Royal Blush

Created by Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor restaurant in New York City, this elegant sparkler makes the perfect signature cocktail for a holiday cocktail party. As you add the sparkling wine, note how the drink changes color from green to pink. Festive, indeed. Makes 1 delicious cocktail.

• 1 T Cherry purée (combine 3/4 cup cherry all-fruit spread with 3/4 cup water)
• 3 T New Deal Vodka
• 1 ½ T Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
• 1 T Simple Syrup
• 5 Fresh Mint Leaves
• 1 Cup Ice Cubes
• ¼ Cup Dry sparkling wine, such as brut Champagne, chilled

• Transfer purée to chilled martini glass.
• In chilled cocktail shaker, combine New Deal Vodka, lime juice, and simple syrup.
• Tear mint leaves in half and add to shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
• Slowly strain into martini glass without disturbing purée, then top with sparkling wine and serve.

Frozen Drinks

• Lemon Anise Slush

Because it will eventually be summer.

• 1/2 Cup Fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 t Anise Seeds
• 3/4 Cup New Deal Vodka
• 4 Cups Ice cubes, chipped if large

• Blend juice, sugar, anise seeds in a blender for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Add New Deal Vodka; blend until smooth.
• Locate straw and serve immediately.

• Stumptown Cooler

Adapted from a delicious iced drink served at Portland's Nightlight Lounge, featuring New Deal Vodka, Stumptown Coffee and vanilla syrup. Feel free to float a shot of espresso over the top of the finished drink to laugh in the face of a particularly brutal Monday morning.

• 1 1/2 oz New Deal Vodka
• 2-3 T Simple syrup infused with Vanilla Bean (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• 8 oz Cold strong-brewed Stumptown Coffee
• 2 Handfuls ice cubes
• Half & Half or heavy cream, to taste

• Fill tall glass with ice cubes. Pour in coffee to fill 3/4 of the way.
• Add New Deal Vodka. Add simple syrup to taste.
• Fill glass with Half & Half to preferred taste, color, and overall lusciousness.

• Spirited Snowcone Trio: Lime, Watermelon, Pineapple

We loved these ices when we saw them on Epicurious.com. Combining simple syrup and fresh fruit purees and juices, they are the perfect medium to showcase the best in seasonal fruits. The flavors are refreshing and the presentation is stunning. They are simple to make, and once you get the knack, you can create unique flavors by infusing the simple syrup with herbs and changing up the fruits and spirits to your liking and what is in season throughout the summer. Add a splash or two of handcrafted spirits and liqueurs, and they become spirited little snowcones: Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka over Pineapple Ice, LOFT Lemongrass Cello over Watermelon Ice, New Deal Vodka over Lime Ice, Portland 88 Vodka over any ice at all.

• For Lime Ice:
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 1/4 Cups Water
• 1/2 Cup Fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 6 limes)
• Finely grated zest of 3 limes

For Watermelon Ice:

1/4 Cup Sugar

2 Cups Water

4 Cups Chopped, seedless watermelon (about 3 lbs whole fruit), rind removed

1 Lime, juice of

For Pineapple Ice:

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Cups Water

1 Pineapple, peeled, cored, chopped (about 3 cups)

• Prepare 1 batch simple syrup (recipe in our House-made Mixers section)
• For Lime: Pour the simple syrup and lime juice in a 9 by 11-inch nonreactive baking pan and stir in the lime zest.
• For Pineapple: Puree the pineapple chunks in a blender until smooth. Pour the simple syrup and pineapple puree in a 9 by 11-inch nonreactive baking pan and stir well.
• For Watermelon: Puree the watermelon chunks (it is fine if small seeds are still attached) in a blender until smooth. Pour the simple syrup, lime juice, and watermelon puree in a 9 by 11-inch nonreactive baking pan and stir well.
• Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer.
• After 1 hour, stir the mixture well, using a fork. Return to the freezer for another hour, then stir again. Allow the mixture to freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight (it is not necessary to continue stirring after you have done it twice).
• Remove the pan from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the fruit ices, arranged in frosty mounds in small chilled bowls.
• Top ices with a splash or two of spirit of choice. Suggested: Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka over Pineapple Ice, LOFT Lemongrass Cello over Watermelon Ice, New Deal Vodka over Lime Ice, Portland 88 Vodka over any ice at all.

Hot Drinks

• Hot Peppermint Flip

Since this drink contains coffee, an egg and a serving of dairy, you could technically drink it for breakfast. It also has Peppermint Schnapps, and that's kind of like mouthwash, right? So there you go...morning in a cup. Serves 6.

• 1 Large egg
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Peppermint Schnapps
• 1/2 cup New Deal Vodka
• 3 cups hot espresso or brewed coffee (choose a dark roast)
• 3 peppermint sticks, halved, for garnish

• In a blender, combine the egg, the cream, the sugar, the Schnapps, and the New Deal Vodka, and blend the mixture at high speed for 10 seconds.
• With the motor running, add the espresso or coffee in a stream and blend the mixture until it is frothy.
• Divide the mixture among 6 heated coffee cups and garnish each drink with one of the peppermint sticks.

• Spiced Holiday Cranberry Punch

This makes a festive pitcher of cocktails, but why not double the recipe and serve it in a vintage punch bowl? It's especially nice for staying in with good friends while the weather outside is frightful and chestnuts are popping and all that, but don't hesitate to make it right now. The more you make it, the more fun you will have improvising with garnishes and ice rings and fancy little punch cups...and practice makes perfect. Serves 8.

• 4 cups chilled cranberry juice cocktail
• 2 cups chilled orange juice
• 2 cups New Deal Vodka
• 2 T sugar
• 2 T LOFT Tangerine Cello (optional, but highly recommended)
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t ground allspice
• 1/8 t ground nutmeg
• Ice cubes
• 2 oranges, thinly sliced

• Mix first 8 ingredients in large glass pitcher; stir until well blended.
• Refrigerate 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Fill 8 tall glasses (or one punchbowl) with ice cubes. Pour punch over and garnish each glass with an orange slices.
• Strain infused milk into 4 warmed coffee mugs.

• Winter Wonderland

Complete lusciousness in a mug. This recipe serves 2-4 people, depending upon the mug.

• ¼ Cup New Deal Vodka
• ½ Cup Kahlua Coffee-Flavored Liqueur
• 2 ½ Cups Freshly-brewed Stumptown Coffee
• ½ Cup Heavy whipping cream
• New Deal Vodka Whipped Cream, to taste

• In a saucepan heat coffee, heavy cream, Kahlua and New Deal Vodka over moderate heat until hot.
• Divide among heated mugs.
• Garnish with a generous dollop of New Deal Vodka Whipped Cream.

• Mayan Monkey

For some people, hot chocolate means a small package of powder mixed into boiling water. We aren't some people, but by the same token, we assume you didn't come here for a diatribe on how to make hot cocoa from scratch. That said, this drinkable dessert calls for 'Xocolatl', an outstanding organic Mexican hot chocolate mix made by Dagoba Organic Chocolate in Ashland, Oregon. The mix is laced with chilies and cinnamon, and packs considerable heat on its own, so you'll want to adjust the proportion of Hot Monkey to New Deal according to your tolerance.

• 1 oz New Deal Vodka
• 1 t Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka
• 3 T Dagoba Xocolatl Hot Chocolate Mix (available at New Seasons Market)
• 1 Cup Whole milk
• Vodka Whipped Cream, to taste
• Orange Zest

• Rub orange zest along rim of large ceramic or glass mug.
• Prepare Dagoba Xocolatl Hot Chocolate Mix according to instructions and pour into prepared mug.
• Add New Deal and Hot Monkey Vodkas in varying proportions according to taste. Stir well.
• Finish with a generous dollop of Vodka Whipped Cream, a sprinkling of cinnamon and a twist of orange zest.
• You might not leave home this winter.

 

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