Pickled Duck. The place for wine, spirits, and all things Drake!

Jam On….the Brakes!

October 13, 2011 by Spring Drake

The crazy busy weekend that was The Gruene Wine & Music Festival one day, and Grape Jam the next, has ended. I feel cheated by the lack of a lazy weekend, but it was worth it! I took Monday off with the kids, got the house caught up on Tuesday, and earned a speeding ticket Wednesday.

What???

Why me?!?

It was clearly a big misunderstanding, and I feel pissy about it, but I guess it was just my time to pay the piper.

Let’s face it, we all squeak through a yellow…oops, red light…or have a moment of unintentional speediness from time to time..

Are all your stops really a full S-T-O-P? I didn’t think so!

Now I must sit throught a six hour traffic safety class and put my money into the community pot. I’ll take this one for the team, but someone else needs to get the next one.

Which reminds me…Drake Family Public Service Announcement…No Drinking and Driving, kids!

Do as we do, and pack an air-matress with memory foam. If you want the Drakes to come kick it, you’d better be prepared for a slumber party!

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Now that I have filled you in on my sad sack drama, on to the Drinks & Fun Times!

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Tim worked the Guene Festival, so my report comes via him. I merely saw the event from the nose bleed seats while serving as a taxi service and wandering the streets with my family in the much appreciated RAIN.

From what I saw, and was later filled in on, it was a hoppin’ affair! The music was loud, the glasses were full, and the people were “happy” to support the drinking of Texas Wine! As far as I am concerned, the more Texas wine people drink, the better.

<Tim’s Tip of the Day: Try some of the Meads that are being made around Texas! Lovin’ Em’!>

The next day we headed back home to work Grape Jam. I set up the wine cocktail station and was ready for takers.

Truth be told, people were a little scared of the idea of the wine cocktail. But lucky for me, I was set up across from the delicious lasagne dinner made with love by Chef Sean Fulford and his team. As the line formed for dinner, I had a captive audience….Just the way I like it!

By the end of the night, I won people over with The Autum Breeze. Everyone that tried the “teaser” taste, ended up taking a full on cup of goodness. It was a big success like the rest of the event.

(PS, next time I’ll tell you about the best adult Hawaiin Punch we made with the left-over makings.)

The Bistro was packed with the partnering wineries sharing their liquid ruby and gold, and the Pavillion had standing room only as the band entertained all evening long. I met a ton of wonderful people, and look forward to sharing more cocktails next time around.

Special shout out to Gary and Bonnie of North Shore Liquors in Lago Vista! It was lovely to see you both, and I will be in to purchase more “ingredients” for upcoming cocktails!

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Grape Jam…It’s not just fun for Peanut Butter!

October 6, 2011 by Spring Drake

Grape Jam is here. What is it you ask? It is Sunday Funday out at Flat Creek Estate Winery. With live music and a bunch of wine being poured by Dry Comal Creek, Perissos, Flat Creek Estate, Pillar Bluff, Pilot Knob, and Stone House Vineyard. How could you miss it?

Whoo-who is coming to Grape Jam?

I am.

As a matter of fact, I will be running a Wine Mixer booth. No booze allowed, but I have altered some recipes to taste great without the booze when added to wine.

When making the recipe cards, I mentioned to Tim that the drinks were non-alcoholic. He then had to reminded me that wine is alcohol. I guess this gives you insight to how I think…sad, but true.

Anyhoo, I have also made the recipes with liquor for you to try at home. Our ever popular Ginger’s Island was going to be featured, but I decided to introduce my newest cocktail. The Autum Breeze.

We have hit October, leaving me craving a multitude of hot beverages. Now, if you have stepped foot outside your home anytime during the last nine months or so, hot beverages (other than the coffee or tea you pry your eyes open with in the morning) has not sounded appealing.

At days end, there isn’t a spider, witch, or fall decoration around that entices me to stand on my back porch in the 90 degree heat with a piping hot cup of…anything.

Consequently, I found myself back in the Mixology Lab to do some real work. What I came up with was a frosty version of fall to beat the heat. It is reminisent of an apple cider, although no apples were used or harmed in the process.

I think it is a fun way to bring in the holiday season while staying cool! I will submit the recipe with an overview of the event next week. If you would like it before then, come by and visit me! Here is a link to get your tickets for Grape Jam! Tell them the Drakes sent you.

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Disaronno with Cranberry….Not Today My Friends!

by Spring Drake

You know you have seen the commercials.

Disaronno on the rocks. Disaronno with cranberry. Disaronno and Ginger Ale.

Are you making the voice as you read the words? I know I am as I write them! I will give you this, I can’t get that man’s voice out of my head whenever I think about using anything with Amaretto in it!

My Cutie-Pie mom…you remember, the one who after a single drink is lost to her bed…loves Disaronno. Which is where this recipe got it’s start.

My mom drinks her’s on the rocks…..too sweet for me! So for today’s cocktail, we skip the cranberry, and head straight for the lime.

I decided to sqeeze a bunch of lime into mine because I had some limes and no margarita to put them in. It was delicious. Sometimes I add a little club soda to bubble it up, but whatever floats your boat.

Involving wine came about one hot summer night that Tim brought home a bottle of Texas Hills Pinot Grigio. I always try to make at least one cocktail out of any Texas wine we open, and then enjoy the rest of the bottle just as it is. And for some reason, the second I tasted this particular wine, all I could think about was the Disaronno guy and limes. And the Easy Lime Squeezie was born!

This is not a sweet drink, it’s more refreshing than anything, but like all our recipes, it will not be for everyone. Now Tim and I happen to love it, but my neighbor…not so much.

Go ahead, try one, and if it’s not for you, enjoy that lovely bottle of Texas Hills Pinot Grigio one way or another. It’s a medal winner, and a great value. While your at it, try all their wines. The owners and winery itself are a delight!

On a side note, Tim and I highly recommend, if given the chance, that you make a road trip around our great state and visit all the wineries who work tirelessly to offer one more thing Texas can be proud of! The various facilities are breathtaking to say the least, and the people who own and operate them put their heart and soul into making sure it will be worth your trip!

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Pomegranate Pool Party

by Spring Drake

Tim and I found ourselves back in the Spec’s this past weekend, quelle suprise! We decided it was time for a new cocktail, so we went out in search of inspiration. Where better to find liquid inspiration, but in a warehouse of booze. Plus, if your lucky, you get free samples!

We did indeed get a free sample, but mostly we found ourselves overwhelmed. Remember when the liquor store was a tiny hole in the wall and your only choices were Vodka, Rum, Tequilla, Gin, Bourbon, Scotch, Whiskey, and some basic mixers? Well those day are gone.

Now liquor stores must be the size of a shopping mall, giving each liquor is it’s own store. There are five million Vodkas, and each brand has it’s own Baskin Robbins thing happening with the flavors.

Whipped cream?? Cotton Candy?? What the hell is going on in there?!?

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s awesome. However, one quickly realizes two things:

A) I have too many choices.

B) I am going to go broke. Stocking the home bar now needs to come with payment options.

After much debate, we decided to take a different approach. We would decide on our wine first, then narrow down ideas to go with it. In the end, the Dry Comal Creek Sparkling Wines were the big winners.

Mostly, they won due to a little known fact my fans should be aware of:

Drinking champagne in the morning is socially acceptable and makes others less likely to jump to the conclusion that a person drinking before lunch might consider a twelve step program.

In the same vein, I also love the Bloody Mary and any number of coffee related cocktails due to this indisputable fact.

Another little truth is that we love the Houser’s and Dry Comal Creek in general…a touch of a special little relationship, if you will, but that’s a story for another time…

Remembering how much we loved the ginger liqueur we used for the Ginger’s Island, we went back to the expansive liqueur aisle for another peek. The brand Stirrings makes a line of all natural liqueurs in a variety of flavors we look forward to playing with, especially the espresso.

In the end, though, we chose the Pomegranate. There was a recipe on the back of the bottle that called for gin which is Tim’s favorite.

Me not so much.

Ever since the time my girlfrind and I, finding nothing else in her mothers liquer cabinet, mixed gin and Dr. Pepper together. Let’s just say we drank enough of it, that I still gag when I smell it!

So, with credit card in hand we picked up what we “needed” and headed home to the Mixology Lab (otherwise known as our kitchen).

Dry Comal Creek has two Sparkling Wines. A Demi-Sweet and a Bone Dry. For the first recipe, I like to have both on hand for our guests. I prefer things a little more on the crisp side but I find many people feel the sweeter the better!

As usual, you will find the recipes for today’s drinks under the Drake Libation section of the web-site or you can just click on the name. Our first drink is aptly called, Float the Comal.

The second drink idea came right off the back of the bottle. Stirrings gave a recipe for a Royal Collins that sounded refreshing, but we felt it needed a touch of the Drake magic. We ended up with something so delicious, I can drink gin again!

However, they go down quick, so Iwill proceed with caution so as to not ruin my new found relationship. We are calling this one…..The Pom Collins!

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Where O Where, Have the Cocktails Gone?

by Spring Drake

I fear I have not a reader left, as I have not made a post since June. What happened you ask? Well, just as I was about to settle into writing mode, life took an unexpected turn that forced me to focus my efforts elsewhere.

We had a move, a new job, and back to school for the kiddies, all happening at the same time. With my most important role in life being Mother, I had my hands full.

I am sorry for letting you down, and will do my best to get back to work concocting and writing now that life has settled in to a more manageble routine.

As for the cocktails, have no fear…..life is never too busy for cocktails!

As a matter of fact, I find that the crazier things get, the more I am in need of an evening unwinder (ooh, thats a good name for a cocktail. I’ll have to mix one up!) I have created a few cocktails over the summer, and even written a post or two.

Unfortunately, they never made it to the blog site, for my beloved editor/winemaker/husband was in the middle of harvest and barely had time to eat and sleep.

We will post them for you now, and then try to keep them coming. Maybe one day, I will learn to work my own computer rather than just my email and OpenOffice. For now, I will just shout at the screen when it won’t work for me and try to figure out how to work my smarter-than-IPhone, so I can call the Reverend with a desperate plea for help!

P.S. For those of you whom I have seen out and about at various events, and who have come up to me with encouraging words….Thank you!

I love to hear about people making our cocktails and sharing them with others. It is with you in mind that I am getting back to work.

Hope you enjoy the new libations~

Spring

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Honest, we’re just about done with this dead horse…

June 13, 2011 by Spring Drake

OK, so it’s been too long to keep talking about the Austin Wine & Music Fest, but we’ve got family in town and I’ve gots to finish what I gots to say!

By the time Tim and I were done mixing drinks and cleaning up, we were ready for some food. The only problem with that is what to choose? Last year we were introduced to Boomerang’s Handheld Aussie Pies.

Hello my little portable friend of hot steamy goodness.

Who knew meat pie would be so tasty I’d be compelled to go back for a second helping. This was most surprising to my husband, as my long-time Sweeny Todd obsession (way before the movie), has always made me leery of the meat pie.

(You should know, I also fear eating ribs in small towns. As I have seen Fried Green Tomatoes and know that this is a popular way for the locals to get rid of unwanted outsiders. I’m just saying…you never know.)

I am glad to have had a change of heart for the pie and look forward to our next encounter. But for this year, we decided “No Repeats”.

We had to find a new taste sensation, and this year’s winner….Fired Up Kitchen!

We stopped by for two reasons. First of all, I must admit I am a bit of a pizza whore. I love pizza and I am not faithful to just one! I can eat pizza anytime of day without reason, shame, or guilt. Secondly, they have a pizza named the “Cherry Bomb”! Yum, great minds think alike. The name alone had me wanting to order it, but we ended up being talked into another awesome pizza they called “The Becker”. I can’t remember all the ingredients, but it had prosciutto, arugula, and I belive, truffle oil on it.

What?!? It was fancy-schmancy, and I loved every bite. The best part was trying to keep the arugula from blowing off the pizza on the way to ones mouth. In the end we managed just fine, and will look forward to trying the Cherry Bomb in the future.

We love any reason to eat more pizza, so much so, that we now make our own. Which reminds me of another story that might make you chuckle.

This past Christmas, my dad gave Tim his own pizza peel (that giant wooden cool-guy paddle you use to take the pizza in and out of the oven). We were now armed with tools, so we decided to make our first batch for New Year’s Eve at my parents house.

Tim was so excited, and totally in his zone. We had a bar of toppings set up, so everyone could make their own personal pizza, we had a movie ready to watch, and we had champagne. All was well with the Drakes…or so we thought.

You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry!

It literally took a million hours longer than we expected for the dough to rise, leaving everyone in the house to starve. Part way into hour two, the allure of fresh homeade pizza had worn off and people became full-on “Hungry Hulks”. So they decided to grab snacks and leave us for more important things like naps and the Wii.

Tim and I didn’t care one bit, we were having a blast! We were tossing dough in the air, throwing cocktails down our throats, and generally participating in our usual party of two! Finally, as the dough finally found it’s way to being ready, we noticed that it seemed sweet.

What the hell?!?

Now I was in a bit of a panic. We were already in the dog house and it was way too late to make other dinner arrangements. If we didn’t feed that crew quick, I am fairly certain that the small town rib story may come true….Yikes!

So, we went with our favorite family motto, “It Is What It Is”, and called them in for dinner. Surprisingly, everyone liked the pizza, but we all agreed, it was an unusual crust. My family being the sleuths that they are, decided to find the culprit.

After going through all the steps, and digging out all the ingredients we used, we finally had our answer. I thought my mom would die from laughter as she informed her dear son-in-law of his major oversight. Turns out, what he used to keep his crust from sticking to his stone was not cornmeal at all, but in fact, vanilla protein powder! We ended up kicking off 2011 with a nice healthy protein packed dinner.

We have since been allowed back into the kitchen for many more pizza making nights. Each time we try something different, and thanks to the Fired Up Kitchen, we have a great, new idea.

Category Austin Wine & Music Festival, Food | Tags: Austin Wine & Music Festival,Drakes,fancy-schmancy,Meat Pies,pizza | No Comments
2011 AW&MF Wine Mixology: Let’s talk Drinks

June 3, 2011 by Spring Drake

We have already started planning for next year’s seminar, and we may have a couple of new things up our sleeves. They say that the third time is a charm…and I think we now know where we want to iron out the kinks to make it more fun and interactive than ever! (I love having people sing for drinks!)

Speaking of drinks, the overall favorite was Ginger’s Island, so I’ve posted the recipe for any of you who lost yours or didn’t get a copy to begin with. I love that drink as well.

The Vin-Rita was a close second, even though it was a creepy “Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid” color. I learned my lesson about changing my wine right before the seminar. It tasted yummy, but for the book I will make the necessary adjustment to using a lighter style rose to bring back that gorgeous blue color it is meant to be. That’s also on the Drinks page.

I will, however, highlight Driftwood Estates wine in another creation, as Kathy and Gary Elliott’s wines are as wonderful as they are.

My personal favorite was the Black Cherry Bomb, and I couldn’t figure out why it didn’t get as good of a response as I had expected. A few people referred to it as Robitussin…OUCH!

I tried one of the sample cups after hearing that, and was sad to agree it tasted off. That was the only drink in our Creation Trials that we nailed on the first shot. Even my cutie non-drinker mom wanted seconds. We had to get to the bottom of the problem and fast!

As soon as the festival ended for the night, Tim and I hopped into the Mystery Machine and headed back to the hotel to get our drink on…I mean, search for clues. For we are a couple dedicated to your enjoyment, and are willing to sacrifice our livers for your gustatory happiness.

To that end, we took the leftovers to taste test with a panel of our new friends that were staying in the same hotel, and poured the BCB on a grander scale.

It was wonderful, and a favorite amongst the group.

We finally surmised that the Drunken Cherry overpowered the taster-sized cup we poured it in for the seminar, giving it a…sad to admit…Robitussin-esque taste.

So I am going to post that recipe as well, in the hopes that you will give it another try! It really is a impressive sipper. We had one group who stopped by afterwards, who enjoyed the drink, and were headed home to play with adding chocolate and making it a Black Forest Cake-style drink.

(If that’s you, and you’re reading this, please let me know what you come up with because I would love to give you full credit and put it in the book! I love seeing people taking an idea and running with it.)

Go forth Texas Wine Mixologists and make cocktails…..with Texas wine, if you please!

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2011 AW&MF Wine Mixology: Intro

June 2, 2011 by Spring Drake

So, let’s kick things off with our first ever post!

The 2011 Austin Wine and Music Festival

This event, and my gratitude to the hard working people who put it on, definitely deserves more than one post. So, let us raise a glass in honor of KJB and leap into the unknown…

Wine Mixology: Intro

What a rockin’ good time we had all weekend long! The weather was hot, the wine and beer were cold, the music was outstanding, and it was so blustery at times I saw Piglet fly by! Don’t get me wrong I was happy to have the breeze, but it did make pouring drinks a bit of a challenge.

Tim and I were thrilled to have the opportunity to put on the Wine Mixology Seminar for the second year in a row! We had a great crowd, and I was delighted to see some familiar faces. We had some fans from last year join us again, and some new friends we had met the day before (Faye-like-Dunaway, you know who you are!)

Thanks to all of you who came out to enjoy Happy Hour with us! Especially, those of you who stayed after to visit, share ideas, and good conversation in general. We were stopped by many of you later in the evening and it was a blast to have actual one-on-one time.

Which brings me to my moment of regret. The instant we had time to reflect on the seminar as a whole, I immediatley wanted a do-over. Not that anything was bad, I just wish I would have spent more time before the seminar started, chatting with those of you in the crowd.

I suppose that having Tim dare me to launch a blog to finish this recipe book threw me off my game, but he was right to do it. I do have a follow through problem at times. Here is an example that you might get a kick out of.

Once, after debating a hair cut for what must have been months, my wonderful supporting husband walked up behind me while I was folding laundry, and cut my ponytail off at the nape of my neck!

Yes, I know many of you just gasped! I lost a few heartbeats myself as he stood there with my hair in his hand and a smirk on his face.

I proceeded to use a lot of unlady-like language, which I try to keep to a minimum unless I am past the point of unlady-like drinking, or watching hockey. What is it about hockey that turns one in to a raving, potty-mouthed, lunatic? I love it!

Back to my unexpected hair cut….It only took me a minute to realize that A) there was nothing I could do about it, and B) he was right, I would never have made the decision to do it. So, we went over to my mom’s house, had her finish it into a super cute pixie cut, dyed it platinum blonde, and rocked it!

So…I will write this blog, I will finish this book, and I will end up thanking my husband for always encouraging me to step outside of my comfort zone!

I hope all of you join us for the ride! Who knows, maybe we will find ourselves doing more “Drinks with the Drakes” events…

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