Ring in the New Year with some Mako Cheer

Red Zinger Refresher with Vodka and Orange

• 1 cups Mako vodka
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups chilled brewed red zinger tea (strong)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons orange juice

-Mix all and serve over ice.

Midori Ball Drop

• 2 oz Mako Vodka
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 oz Midori melon liqueur

-Shake well and serve over ice with a melon ball garnish

Midnight Millionaire

• 1 oz Mako Vodka
• Good Champagne
• Raspberry for garnish

-Pour the vodka into a Champagne flute and top with Champagne.

-Add the raspberry in the glass as a garnish.

2 Fly Wines Private Label Shiraz and Buffalo and Guinness Chili with Smoked Bacon

2 Fly Wines Private Label Shiraz

A large dusty purple hued grape with immense flavors that just flow through this wine. It has great backyard flavors, a medium full bodied red with hints of black fruit through out, along with a touch of that famous Aussie spice. This is an incredibly flavorful wine with a long silky finish.

Food and Wine Pairing: this lovely shiraz has the punch to stand up to a little bit of spice. This nice mild semi-zippy chili offset the earthyness of the shiraz while the smokiness of the bacon and the smoked paprika compliment the hints of dark fruit.

Buffalo and Guinness Chili with Smoked Bacon

Ingredients:

• 1/3 lb. Neuske smoked bacon or another good quality smoked bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 14 each plum tomatoes diced, you can substitute canned if needed: 2 12 oz canned diced and drained of liquid
• 1 medium Holland bell red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium Holland bell yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 lb ground buffalo (or ground beef)
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, de-seeded, de-veined and fine chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, fine chopped
• 2 cups Guinness beer
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce, I prefer Chipolte flavor Tabasco
• 2 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
• 3 14 oz. canned cooked black beans or about 7 cups fresh cooked beans
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cold water

Preparation:

• In a cast iron skillet sauté bacon until cooked through, remove the bacon to drip dry on a paper towel.
• Add the olive oil to the bacon drippings and then add the onion, tomatoes, peppers and ground buffalo (or beef)
• Saute for approximately 5 minutes and then add the dry spices and hot sauce and sauté for an additional minute.
• Remove vegetables and meat and deglaze pan with the beer.
• Add the meat and vegetable mix, the cilantro, the cooked bacon and the black beans into the beer and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by approximately a quarter.
• In a small dish, blend the cold water and arrowroot or cornstarch to make a slurry, add the slurry into the simmering bean mixture and cook on low heat for about a minute until the mixture thickens.
• For a thicker chili, you can add additional slurry to get to the consistency you want. Season with salt to taste if needed.

Garnish with Sour Cream or my favorite, Cabot Jalapeno Cheddar and cilantro sprigs

Serves 6

Give thanks for some Mako Cheer!

A few hot drinks to warm up a chilly holiday!

Glogg

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. Mako vodka
• 1 bottle (750 ml) red wine, merlot is nice
• 2 tbsp. mulling spices
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. toasted sliced almonds
• 4 tbsp. golden raisins

-In a saucepan, combine the vodka, wine, mulling spices, brown sugar and lemon zest, simmer over low heat for about half an hour. Strain. In the bottom of each mug place some raisins and almonds, pour hot liquid over the top and serve.

Smoke and Fire Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. hot cocoa
• 3 oz. Mako vodka
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• ½ tea. smoked paprika
• ¼ tea. chipotle powder

-Mix all ingredients together and serve

-cinnamon sticks and grated chocolate for garnish

Peppermint Stick Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hot cocoa
• 3/4 oz. Mako vodka
• 1 oz. peppermint schnapps
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream

-Mix all ingredients together and serve

-chocolate shavings and a peppermint stick for garnish

Tomato Salad with Mako Vodka Dressing

This is a terrific side salad to accompany a traditional or non-traditional Thanksgiving feast.

Serves 8 people

Ingredients:

• A dozen ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges and de-seeded
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 large celery stalks, lightly peeled with a vegetable peeler and large diced
• ½ cup pitted and roughly chopped Kalamata olives
• ½ cup pitted and roughly chopped Cerignola or Picholine olives
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup Mako Vodka
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• ¼ cup chiffonaded fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped mint
• 3 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley
• Fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to taste

Preparation:

• Combine tomatoes, red onion, celery and olives in a large bowl.
• Mix olive oil and all remaining ingredients (except the vodka and the basil), then whisk in the vodka slowly until well incorporated.
• Pour the vodka dressing over the tomato mixture and then gently toss in the chiffonaded basil.
• Season to taste

This salad is best made several hours before serving and allowed to marinate covered in the refrigerator. If kept overnight the vodka will break down the tomatoes a bit. Leftover salad is great simmered and pureed for a lovely tomato sauce.

This salad is great topped with some good quality feta cheese or diced fresh mozzarella

Halloween Mako Vodka Drink Recipes

The perfect thing to chill out with on Halloween!

Black Cat

• 1 1/2 oz. Mako Vodka
• 1 oz. Black Cherry Schnapps 
• 2 oz. Cola
• 2 oz. Cranberry Juice
• Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Serve over ice.

Trick or Treat

• 1/2 oz. Mako Vodka
• 1/2 oz. Amaretto
• 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
• 1 dash Grenadine
• 3 oz. Orange Juice
• Dash of pure vanilla
• Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Serve over ice.

Black Widow

• 1 1/2 oz. Mako Vodka
• 1 oz. Anisette
• 1 oz. Brandy, blackberry
• 1 splash Creme de Cassis
• Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Serve over ice.

Antifreeze

• 1 oz. Mako Vodka
• 1/2 oz. Curacao, blue
• 1/2 oz. Liqueur, banana
• 3 oz. Orange Juice
• 1 whole Cherries/Maraschinos
• Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over ice cubes.

Ballistic Banana

• 1 oz. Mako Vodka
• 1 oz. Liqueur, banana 
• 1 splash Grenadine
• Chill ingredients, then combine in a cocktail glass.

Apocalypse

• 3/4 oz. Mako Vodka
• 1/2 oz. Bourbon
• 1 oz. Creme de Cacao, white
• 1/2 oz. Kahlua
• 1 oz. Schnapps, peppermint
• 3/4 oz. Southern Comfort
• Fill mug with Hot Chocolate
• Top with Whipped cream

Black Death

• 1/2 oz. Mako Vodka
• 1/2 oz. Amaretto
• 1/4 oz. Rose’s Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz. Sambuca
• 1 oz. Sloe Gin
• 1/2 oz. Southern Comfort
• 1/4 oz. Triple Sec
• Top glass with Orange Juice
• Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over ice cubes.

Axe Murderer

• 1 oz. Mako Vodka
• 1 oz. Amaretto
• 1 oz. Gin
• 1 oz. Rum, white
• 1 oz. Southern Comfort
• 1 oz. Tequila, white
• 1 oz. Triple Sec
• 1 splash 7-up
• 1/2 oz. Grenadine
• Top glass with Pineapple Juice
• Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over ice cubes.

Death Everywhere

• 1 1/2 oz. Mako Vodka
• 1/2 oz. Creme de Cacao, dark
• 1/2 oz. Creme de Menthe, green
• 1/8 oz. Heavy Cream
• Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Serve over ice.

Food and Wine Pairing: Carolyn’s Selection 2 Fly Wines Chardonnay and Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Raisins and Mango Chutney

Carolyn’s Selection  2 Fly Wines Chardonnay 

Although South Australia is most widely known for it’s reds. Chardonnay from this region has gained an excellent reputation both nationally and overseas. This is a fruit driven chardonnay with notes of melon evident, but with some subtle oak complexity. Medium bodied with a soft finish, this wine is ready for immediate drinking.

Food and Wine Pairing: The citrus zest finish in this wine quite complements the lemon and honey in this dish, and the melon notes brings out the residual sweetness in the raisins. The subtle nature of the oak flavors contrast nicely with the spiciness and slight earthy flavors of the garam masala and curry.

Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Raisins and Mango Chutney

Ingredients:

• 2 yellow bell peppers, large diced
• 2 red bell peppers, large diced
• 1 1/4 cups canned chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
• 2 lemons, 1 juiced and the other thinly sliced 
• 8 boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
• 4 medium red onions thinly sliced 
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock 
• 1/2 cup Hot Mango Chutney, Patak’s makes a good one for this recipe
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
Take the bell peppers and sauté until slightly soft, put aside and reserve

Mix the lemon juice, the curry powder, garam masala, honey, chutney and cilantro and whisk into the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper.

In a large roasting pan lay the thinly sliced onions down as a base, coat the chicken breasts in a little olive oil and salt and pepper, lay over the onions,

Lay the lemon slices over the chicken breasts and then pour the seasoned chicken stock over the top of the chicken.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes, remove from the over, remove the lemon slices and turn the chicken over. The add the chickpeas, raisins and bell peppers to the pan, cover with tin foil or a pan lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breast.

Best served with white or saffron rice and steamed broccoli or asparagus.

Makes 8 servings

Food and Wine Pairing: 2 Fly Cabernet Shiraz and Warm Duck and Smoked Bacon Salad

2 Fly Wines Private Label 2010 Cabernet Shiraz Blend

60% Cabernet 40% Shiraz

This wine was specially crafted using award winning 93 point grapes from one of our exclusive wineries. It is an incredible value that exemplifies the quality 2Fly Wines is known for.

Food and Wine Pairing: The smokyness of the bacon offsets the dark berry flavors of this Cab Shiraz blend, while the port wine and rich butteryness of the duck stock tones down, sweetens slightly and enhances the slight dryness of this red. The balsamic dressing lends a nice counterpoint to the finish, enhancing the lingering black cherry and dried berry flavors.

Warm Duck and Smoked Bacon Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 duck legs
• 1 cup port wine
• 1 1/2 cups duck stock (or strong chicken stock)
• 2 cloves roasted garlic mashed
• 1 head romaine lettuce shredded
• 1 cup mix fresh herb sprigs, dill, basil, chives, parsley, mint
• 2 oz. watercress
• 2 dozen green beans, blanched
• 3 tomatoes, ripe beefsteak, wedged
• 4 oz. ½ inch sliced cooked good quality thick sliced, smoked bacon, I prefer Nueske's as it has the best smoked flavor.

Dressing:

• 2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbs. fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/2 cup pure olive oil
• 1 tsp. whole grain mustard
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste.

-Combine vinegar, lemon and mustard and whisk in olive oil.

To cook the duck legs:

Sear the duck legs off in a cast iron pan, remove the legs and then pour off the duck fat. Deglaze the pan with the port wine and add in the duck stock as well as adding the duck legs and the mashed roasted garlic. Simmer over medium heat for about an hour or until duck falls easily from the bone. Strain the liquid from the duck legs and let the duck cool slightly.

Assemble the lettuce, herbs, watercress, beans and tomatoes on plates.

Strip the duck meat from the bones and along with the bacon, top the lettuce mix, drizzle the dressing over the top.

Serves 2 people