The following cocktails are updated versions of old favorites using whiskey, specifically Canadian Mist.

Mistopolitan

2 ounces Canadian Mist
3 ounces cranberry juice
1 ounce triple sec
Splash of lime juice
Lime slice

Combine whiskey, cranberry juice, triple sec and lime juice with ice in a shaker. Shake well and strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with lime.

Makes 1 cocktail.

From Canadian Mist

Mist Fizz

1 ½ ounces Canadian Mist
5 ounces ginger ale
Lemon twist or cherry for garnish

Pour whiskey and ginger ale into tall glass of ice. Garnish with lemon twist or cherry.

Makes 1 cocktail.

From Canadian Mist

Here are two cocktails inspired by the blues of “Avatar.” The color in the drinks comes from blue curaçao, a sweet form of triple sec that has an orange flavor. Because of the added sweetness, you won’t need to add any simple syrup.

“Avatar”-tini

2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce blue curaçao
Splash of pineapple juice, if desired
Orange slice for garnish

In an ice-filled shaker, pour in vodka, curaçao and pineapple juice, if using. Shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

Makes 1 cocktail.

You can make a pitcher of these, using a 4:1 ratio of vodka to blue curaçao.

From John Griffin

“Avatar”-ita

2 ounces silver tequila
1 ounce blue curaçao
1 ounce triple sec
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice, or less, to taste
1 slice of orange

In an ice-filled shaker, mix tequila, blue curaçao, triple sec and lime juice. Shake vigorously and pour, ice and all, into a salt- or sugar-rimmed margarita glass. Squeeze the juice from one slice of orange on top. Serve.

Makes 1 cocktail.

If you want to make a pitcher of these, use the ratio of 1:1:1 of tequila to orange-flavored liquors to lime juice. (Use less lime juice to taste.)

From John Griffin

For many years, people have dwelled on the belief that absinthe was mind-altering drink that could ruin the mind and cause artistic types to lob off their ears.  After much research, the spirit (now relatively thujone free) has been pardoned of its crimes and we now know that the anise-flavored alcohol is neither addictive nor psychoactive.

On March 5, 2007, the ban on absinthe was lifted and since then, the anniversary is celebrated.  Tomorrow, why not coax out the green fairy with a simple preparation of absinthe, a sugar cube, and a bit of water?  The translucent often-times green liquor will become clouded when cold water is poured over the sugar into the shot, which is when the fairy is “released”.  Other classic ways to enjoy the spirit are cocktails like Sazerac; but there are also modern ones like the layered shot, Dangerous Detox.

If you don’t happen to have absinthe in your liquor cabinet, don’t worry- some local bars carry it.   Pavil Restaurant is serving their absinthe straight up or in cocktails at half price on Friday.  They will be extending the discount on Saturday, March 6, from 7 to 8 p.m. during their “absinthe hour”.  Downtown, The Bar at Bohanan’s also features absinthe fountains, a stylish way to serve this drink.

Dangerous Detox

This layered shooter requires a bit of patience to keep the individual strata from mixing, but the result is a beautiful, unusual drink.

1/2 part peach schnapps
1/2 part cranberry juice
1/2 part vodka
Dash of absinthe

Carefully pour the ingredients into a shot glass in order of desnsity, as listed in the recipe above, so that you have three equal layers and a thin green line of absinthe at the top.

From Retro Cocktails by Kate Moseley

Pavil Restaurant
1818 North Loop 1604 W
San Antonio, TX 78248
www.brasseriepavil.com

The Bar at Bohanan’s
221 E. Houston St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
www.bohanans.com/bar

(Photo: Nicholas N. Mistry)

Some people just don’t like to celebrate with roses.

Why not pair your Valentine’s meal with a fine beer?

Brian Tarver, one of only four certified cicerone in Texas (similar to a master sommelier, but with beer instead), has a great list of beers to inspire romance.

If having chocolate, pair it with an imperial stout.  These dark beers traditionally have a higher alcohol content to prevent freezing and were made in the style of brewers who supplied the czarist courts.  Tarver recommends North Coast Brewing Company’s Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout (9 percent ABV, 75 IBU), which is rated 91 by Chicago’s Beverage Testing Institute and has won a number of gold medals.

Another imperial stout that Tarver recommend is from Samuel Smith (7 percent ABV).  This beer has also earned several gold medals and brewer’s website says that it would also pair well with “espresso, stilton and walnuts, New York cheesecake, steak au poivre, caviar, oysters Rockefeller, [and] chocolate baked Alaska.”

A third imperial stout that Tarver suggests is from Samuel Adams (9.2 percent ABV).  In addition to chocolate desserts, the brewery suggest also pairing it with strong cheeses, rare roast beef, and oysters, which would be a perfect aphrodisiac.

As an extra special gift for a beer lover, Tarver’s choice is Deus Brut des Flandres – a beer that is brewed in Belgium, transported to France, and riddled like Champagne.  The current vintage is 2006 and priced at $31.49 per 750 ml.  At 11.5 percent alcohol, it is a strong beer that he says has a little spiciness and could be divided into two Champagne glasses for toasting your Valentine’s Day.

Tarver’s other suggestions for pairing desserts are Lindemans Framboise, a Belgian Raspberry Lambic, and Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, which is great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream floated on top.

All of these beers are available at the H-E-B’s Alon Market, where Tarver is on staff.

No matter what you choose, these beers will warm your sweetie’s heart.

HEB Alon Market
8503 NW Military Hwy.
San Antonio, TX 78230

I recently sat next to a woman who, when presented with dessert, deeply moaned, “I just love Cabernet and chocolate.” She then took a deep taste of wine and matched it with a taste of the chocolate mousse she’d been served.

The look on her face was, well, not as ecstatic as the expectation had been. In fact, she grimaced.

“Something must be wrong with the wine,” she muttered.

Nope. Nothing was wrong with the wine. It was fine before she tasted the dessert, and it was fine after.

It was just that Cabernet Sauvignon does not go with chocolate, despite what she and many of you have long been told.

Why?

Because the wine you drink has to be sweeter than the food you eat. It’s that simple. Put a dry wine, like most Cabernet Sauvignons, up against a sweet dessert, and the ripe fruit flavors in the wine that you had enjoyed only moments ago have become sour, shrill and acrid.

Sugar can do that.

Still, some are promulgating the marriage of Cab and chocolate, despite it being headed straight for divorce court. One chocolate company announces that it’s product is “specially formulated to complement wine. Using a blend based on the best chocolate from Ghana … ” It even recommends you eat this chocolate with “Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Barolo. … The pur cacao complements and pairs well with the tannins of a full-bodied red wine.”

Don’t believe everything you read. This 70-percent chocolate is far sweeter than that Bordeaux, and pairing the two would be the culinary equivalent of a train wreck.

There are a few red wines that do go with chocolate.

Take Banyuls, please. This is a dessert wine from the Pyrenees region in the southwest of France. It’s largely made from Grenache, but other grapes, including some whites, can be used. The flavors that arise from the glass are often vanilla, cinnamon and even a touch of cocoa powder, certainly perfect for flourless chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, chocolate-dipped strawberries, brownies, chocolate chip cookies or chocolate body lotion.

Banyuls, again, is a dessert wine, and it should be drunk in smaller portions than the wine you’d drink with dinner. It’s that sweet, and it’s often fortified, so check the alcohol content before pouring.

Prices range from the high teens on up the scale. Not a great many make into the San Antonio market, so ask the wine stewards at your favorite specialty shop for a recommendation.

Another wine made for chocolate is the Banfi’s Rosa Regale ($25), a sparkling wine with a seductive red hue. Even people who only drink dry wines have been known to enjoy a glass of this. At this time of year, you can often find the Rosa Regale in premium supermarkets as well as fine wine shops.

So, save the Cabernet Sauvignon for a steak or for enjoying by itself. And grab something else to go with chocolate this Valentine’s Day.

The second PorterFest at Freetail Brewing Company opened on Saturday with five different versions of their Torpor Porter.  Each was made in a five-gallon batch.  Some had flavors added before fermentation, others afterward. All demonstrated how this style of beer can grow and change with the brewer’s imagination

The masala porter had strong notes of cardamom pods and was reminiscent of chai spice.  The vanilla, made with bourbon-soaked vanilla beans, had a subtle fragrance and was pleasant without a sugary taste.  A smoky spiciness accompanied the chipotle, which finished with a soft burn.  Ryan Closner, a Freetail employee, served us the cherry, which is made with juice and tastes like fresh cherries.  Unlike some other major brands of cherry porter, this version tasted nothing like cloying cough syrup.  The coffee porter, true to other versions, tasted like a fizzy coffee; it would have been pleasant to sip this the whole afternoon.

Even though the PorterFest ended on Saturday, the remainder of the batches will be sold until they run out.  Due to small batch size and popularity of the flavors, Sunday is probably the last day you can sample them.  Once they are gone, you can still enjoy their regular-flavored porter, the Torpor.

If porter is not your thing, Freetail currently has the following brews on tap:  Old Bat Rastard, La Rubia, Rye Wit, Freetail Ale, Pail Tail, and One.  On Saturdays and Sunday, they also currently make Witmosas, a refreshing combination of Rye Wit and orange juice.   Owner Scott Metzger joked that it is great for a hangover.

There are still more events to Freetail’s Feb-BREW-ary: La Muerta bottle release, beer dinner, beer and cheese seminar, and “The Battle of the Wits”.  Metzger expects six to seven flavored wits will be competing this year.  There are only 10 seats left for the beer dinner, which is priced at $45 per person, plus tax and gratuity.  This popular event usually sells out so reserve your space early.

For more information on Feb-BREW-ary, please see our Feb. 1st article.

Freetail Brewing Co.
4035 N. Loop 1604 W., Suite 105
San Antonio, TX 78257
www.freetailbrewing.com
(210) 395-4974

Remake your favorite cocktails or try some new concoctions this Christmas. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Just remember, if you’re out partying, to drink and drive responsibly.

I love Christmas kitsch. And nothing is quite as wonderful as Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters singing “Mele Kalikimaka,” Hawaii’s way of “saying Merry Christmas to you.” I will now enjoy it even more with a Mele Kalikimaka Martini in one hand.

Mele Kalikimaka Martini

1.5 ounces SKYY Infusions Pineapple
3 ounces eggnog
Splash of coconut cream or coconut milk
Nutmeg, to taste
Cinnamon, to taste

In a shaker filled with ice, mix Skyy Infusions Pineapple, eggnog and coconut cream. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Makes 1 martini.

From SKYY

MexiCabo Hot Chocolate

This adult take on Mexican chocolate is a real winter warmer.

1½ ounces blanco tequila
4 ounces hot chocolate
½ ounce coffee liqueur
Whipped cream
Cinnamon

Pour tequila, hot chocolate and coffee liqueur into a coffee mug. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Makes 1 drink.

Adapted from Cabo Wabo Blanco Tequila

Noël Impérial

This punch recipe gets its sparkle from Champagne and an extra kick from Grand Marnier.

3 spoonfuls of fruit cocktail
1 ounce Grand Marnier
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce lemon juice
2 ounces pineapple juice
6 ounces Moët & Chandon White Star Champagne (almost 2 cups)

Directions: In the bottom of a 17-ounce pitcher, muddle the fruit cocktail. Add the Grand Marnier, simple syrup, lemon juice and pineapple juice. Stir contents. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. When ready to serve, stir contents and top with chilled White Star Champagne. Stir again and serve with cocktail glasses filled with ice.

From White Star/Kim Haasarud, Liquid Architecture

Candy Cane Swirl

Mint lovers can indulge their passion this holiday season. Here’s yet another way to enjoy candy canes.

Candy canes, some crushed fine
1 ounce SKYY Infusions Raspberry
3 ounces cranberry juice
1/2 ounce Grenadine
1/2 ounce peppermint schnapps
Lemon-lime soda

Rim martini glass with crushed candy cane. Combine SKYY Infusions Raspberry, cranberry juice, Grenadine and peppermint schnapps into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with lemon-lime soda and garnish with small peppermint candy cane.

Makes 1 cocktail.

From SKYY

Holiday Glögg

This variation on Scandinavian mulled wine includes vodka.

1.5 tablespoons mulling spice
12 ounces vodka
1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry red wine
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons blanched almonds
4 tablespoons raisins

Wrap mulling spice in cheesecloth. In a large saucepan, combine the vodka, wine, cheesecloth with mulling spice, orange zest and sugar. Allow to very lightly simmer over medium heat for at least 30 minutes (do not boil). Discard the mulling spices. Drop a few raisins and almonds at the bottom of each mug and top with the hot liquid.

From SKYY

Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir 2008

Fact: This is the first wine to list the resveratrol level on the label. What’s resveratrol? It’s a phytoalexin in wine that’s said to reduce blood sugar levels while being a cancer figther and an anti-inflammatory, according to Wikipedia. In other words, it could be good for you. It certainly is good for your palate, thanks for a heady aroma of cranberry, raspberry and wild strawberry as well as a touch of smoke. The flavors again make you think of tart red fruits from cranberry to pomegranate, leading to a bright finish.

Feeling: From the moment the first sip was poured, this wine was ready to drink, though it evolved nicely in the glass over time. Great Pinot flavors were evident, making it perfect with turkey or pork roast. Elegant and light-bodied, it is youthful and lively, the perfect complement to lighten up heavier fare.

When you’re planning your big meal this holiday season, make sure you include wines as part of your menu.

Most wouldn’t serve the same wine with beef tenderloin that they would serve with turkey. A hearty, robust California Cabernet Sauvignon would overpower the turkey; a Sauvignon Blanc that would complement the turkey might get lost in all that beef.

So, the following are a few suggestions of wines to pair with a variety of main courses. Just remember: When in doubt, a brut sparkling wine, from Spanish Cava to French Champagne to Italian Prosecco, will go with just about everything but dessert. And it certainly is festive.

Beef tenderloin: This is the dish that’s perfect for your big California Cabs and Merlots as well as a Bordeaux, a Spanish Rioja or a Chateauneuf du Pape. From Italy, a Barolo, a Barbaresco or a Brunello di Montalcino would all suffice. But there are problems:

• If you are serving this with a complex sauce, choose a wine that is less complex.
• If you are blackening the beef or using a spicy rub, then forget the Cab or any big red wine and stick with something lighter and fruitier, such as a young Shiraz or Sangiovese. A sparkling Shiraz with spice would be fine, but this wine does not appeal to all, so don’t spring it on people unawares.
• If you’re roasting beef, also consider a Malbec, a hearty, rustic red wine most famously made and consumed in Argentina — where the per-capita consumption of beef is one of the highest in the world.

Lamb: Syrah or Shiraz has enough fruit and acid to work well with lamb. If you’re cooking it on a rotisserie or grill outside, put some of the smoky flavor up against a good Argentinian Malbec or a South African Pinotage, a red wine with a robust character.

Pork roast: Pork might be light in color, but it is richly flavored, especially if you’ve put a spicy rub on it. We think a fruity Cru Beaujolais or a New World Pinot Noir, from California or Oregon, would be good. A few names: Rodney Strong, McMurray Ranch, Morgan Winery, Amici, or try the very good Ponzi, from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

Turkey: If the turkey is blackened, we’d like it with a spicy Zinfandel. If it’s not, a Zin might still work, but lighter wines, such as a Gewürztraminer, would give you some acidic edge to cut through the fat and spice to complement the light flavor of the white meat.

Duck: Duck, simply roasted, is a perfect match for Pinot Noir. But few prepare it simply. So, follow these rules:

• If you’re making a sweet-sticky sauce, such as orange or sweet cherry, or using a spicy rub, then go with a sweet wine. It could be a Riesling with some sweetness or it could be a Mavrodaphne Patras, a naturally sweet red from Greece. Moscato d’Asti or Muscat Canelli, with its tinge of orange flavor, is another good match.
• If it’s spicy, think Zin again.

Goose: Goose is a fatty meat, like duck, so whatever you choose will need some heft, acidity, a little spice.  A Zinfandel that is not too heavy (ask the wineseller about this) would be a good choice, but also consider some of the white wines from the Alsace or Germany — dry or off-dry Riesling could work, too.

Shellfish: Champagne is made for lobster, whether you are serving it steamed or covered in a creamy sauce. Here again, choices must be made based on your recipe. If you are making a sweet thermidor sauce, you want an off-dry Champagne (the wine must always be sweeter than the food you serve it with). If the sauce is not sweet, then a brut Champagne or a California Chardonnay should be ideal. Sauvignon Blanc is perfect with oysters and scallops, but also consider a steely French Chablis. A Riesling with a touch of sweetness is excellent shrimp in a spicy sauce. Moving to the Old World, don’t forget the edgy Sancerre, or even a Sancerres rosé (usually made from Pinot Noir), if you’re lucky enough to put your hands on one.

Vegetarian feast: Take your tip from your main course. If it’s something earthy, like portobello mushrooms or potatoes, think Pinot Noir or French Burgundy.  If it’s lighter and sweeter, including onions or carrots, think about a German Riesling, a spicy Gewurztraminer or a sparkling wine labeled extra dry (which means it has some sweetness to it).

(Photos: Wong Mei Teng)

Finding the right wines to serve at Thanksgiving is never an easy task. You have to start with what you’re serving.

Get beyond the turkey and look at your side dishes. Are you having candied yams and a sweet cranberry relish? Mashed potatoes and stuffing? Green bean casserole? All of the above?

Each of those foods calls for a separate wine, so you may want to have a couple of glasses on the table or offer a couple of wines to suit people’s tastes.

With the candied yams and the relish, both loaded with sugar, you’ll want a sweeter wine, something like a Riesling or a Gewürztraminer from Washington state. That’s because your wine should always be sweeter than the food you’re pairing it with or the wine will taste shrill and bitter. Hogue Cellars and its sister label, Genesis, make fine examples of both starting at about $10 a bottle.

If your plate will be filled more with roast turkey, mashed potatoes and a not-too-herbal stuffing, then think about a Chardonnay or a Burgundy (either white or red, but not California’s “hearty Burgundy” out of a jug). The bold flavors of these wines will bolster the meal without clobbering it into submission.

An elegant Pinot Noir, with plenty of acid, is supremely food friendly. Fine examples of this can also be costly. But, we like the 12 Clones Pinot Noir from Morgan, which runs in the $20s. If you want to spend more, Morgan has a line of single-vineyard Pinots as well, each equally stunning.

Another red suggestion could be a Rhone blend, either from France or the United States. These are lighter bodied wines that won’t clobber your dinner with its brashness. Llano Estacado Signature from Texas is a fine example of this at a reasonable price of about $10 a bottle.

There are many lighter-styled reds that are very good matches with giblet gravy or a gorgeous goose. Inexpensive Spanish Tempranillo or Garnacha, Chilean or New Zealand Pinot Noir, Beaujolais Villages, and even Italian Montipulciano reds can slip right into your Thanksgiving dinner beautifully.

Cool, refreshing rosé certainly pair well with many Thanksgiving favorites. The acid cuts through the sauce of the green bean casserole and gives turkey a little pick-me-up. Plenty of youthful rosés from the southern hemisphere have begun appearing in the market now, with the Mulderbosch Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon ($12-$16) being a perennial standout. Also, be sure you’re purchasing a dry rose — white Zinfandels and other blush wines will be sweeter.  (So, maybe have those with the candied yams!)

If you have to have Cabernet Sauvignon, especially a big one in the California style, then feel free to do so. But think about serving it after dinner, so you can enjoy the wine on its own and be thankful for every drop in your glass. Remember, these wines are more geared to go with beef than turkey. Serving one will only help disguise all the flavors of what you’re eating.

If there is one ubiquitous wine for the multifarious dishes on the Thanksgiving table, it might be the most logical choice for a celebration: sparkling wine. Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, all sparkling wines and all worth exploring. An off-dry Prosecco like Zardetto often sells for $10-$15, while the ever-reliable Domaine Ste. Michelle series from Washington state sells in the same price range. We recently judged a wine competition where both the Korbel Brut Rosé and the Korbel Blanc de Noirs (very light rose color) took top prizes. These are under $15.

You could also use a less-expensive sparkler in the following Thanksgiving-inspired cocktail, the Relish: Mix 1/2 ounce cranberry juice and 1 ounce orange juice in a Champagne flute. Top with chilled sparkling wine. Serve.

Bonnie Walker and Cecil Flentge contributed to this article.