cookie, melbourne.

When I went down to Melbourne with my best friend two years ago, her cousin told us that we HAD to visit Cookie - a cocktail bar. Being a lover for a good cocktail we went down there not knowing what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised.

The cocktails are among the best I've ever tasted, it is the Melbourne equivalent of my watering hole Kuleto's in Newtown (read my review here). The only downside to Cookie is the price is quite high, and they don't have the happy hour deal I'm use to at Kuleto's - and to be honest, the Toblerone at Kuleto's is much nicer. It was also sad to see that a lot of the drinks that were in the menu 2 years ago have now disappeared - my much raved about thickness of their menu was scoffed at by my boyfriend when I saw that the menu had shrunk.

Regardless, I do love the extravagant nature of their drinks and a good cocktail bar is hard to find.

For those who are daring enough they serve this drink (first picture below) called the Dry-Hopped Chocolate Zombie which will only be served once per customer, per evening. It is a lethal mix of absinthe, grenadine, chocolate liqueur - just to name a few of the ingredients. My boyfriend and I shared this and after a few sips each I was tipsy. I wasn't a huge fan of the taste as you could taste the absinthe quite heavily, but definitely worth a sip or two to share!

Find them:
Level 1, 252 Swanston St, Melbourne, VIC

Dry-Hopped Chocolate Zombie, $30

Strawberry Daiquiri, $20

T-Lam-Chi, $19

Toblerone, $20

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hpnotiq lemonade.

My boyfriend & I received a bottle of "Original" Hpnotiq for our 21st birthday last year, and let's just say it did not last long. It is the perfect mix of exotic fruit juices, French vodka and a touch of Cognac. I haven't had a chance to try the "Harmonie" yet but the offerings of infused fruits and flowers sounds delicious!

Because the Hpnotiq had such a full fruity flavour we mixed it with some lemonade, a neutral mixer.

INGREDIENTS:

• 60ml Hpnotiq
• Sprite Lemonade

METHOD:

1. Pour Hpnotiq into highball glass filled with ice and top with lemonade
2. VOILA! A refreshing beverage, perfect for summer!

Image from @lpmmags Instagram

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riccadonna flirtini.

For those pineapple lovers - this is the drink for you!

INGREDIENTS:

• 60ml Riccadonna
• 30ml pineapple juice
• 15ml Skyy Vodka

METHOD:

1. Stir all ingredients together and strain into a martini glass.
2. VOILA! The perfect pineapple cocktail!

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riccadonna strawberry bellini (rossini).

Here's a new twist on the classic strawberry and champagne!

INGREDIENTS:

• 120ml Riccadonna
• 30ml pureed strawberries

METHOD:

1. Gently stir the Riccadonna and strawberry puree with ice and strain into a flute
2. ENJOY! A sweet and refreshing Riccadonna based cocktail!

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riccadonna with dancing cranberries.

With the long weekend around the corner, it's time to start thinking about get togethers and what to serve at said get togethers - and Riccadonna based cocktails are the way to go! The new addition to the Riccadonna family, 'Allegra' is "an elegant, full-bodied semi-dry sparkling wine full of fruity and floral aromas".  The next few weeks I'll be bringing you some delicious cocktails for you to mix up!

INGREDIENTS:

• 120ml Riccadonna
• 1 teaspoon cranberries
• Splash of Vodka

METHOD:

1. Let the one teaspoon of cranberries soak in a little vodka for 2 hours
2. Add to a flute and top with Riccadonna
3. VOILA! This cocktail is perfect as the cranberries bring an extra sweetness to the semi-dry wine!

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frangelico affogato.

When I attended the Frangelico Master Class and learnt the art of making cocktails with Frangelico, our night was topped off with a Frangelico affogato. I love affogato! How can you not? Ice-cream, coffee, and the adult version with a shot of something-something - it's a drink/dessert no one can resist!

This recipe makes one serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 scoop of vanilla ice-cream
• 45ml Frangelico
• 30ml espresso coffee

METHOD:

1. Put scoop of ice-cream in small glass
2. Pour the Frangelico and coffee in
3. VOILA! Now eat it up with a spoon or drink it up, and enjoy the lovely harmony of flavours!

 Image courtesy of @lpmmags Instagram

 

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frangelico sparkling italian punch carafe.

This recipe is perfect if you and your friends like your sparkling wines! I wasn't a huge fan of this cocktail from the Frangelico Master Class but there was bound to be one or two drinks I didn't like :)

This recipe makes approx. 850ml.

INGREDIENTS:

• 400ml Prosecco
• 120ml Frangelico
• 30ml lemon juice
• 5 mint springs
• 5 lime wheels
• 300ml soda water

METHOD:

1. Pour all ingredients into a carafe
2. Put two to three scoops of ice in and stir
3. Serve in a glass filled with ice and garnish with a lime wedge
4. VOILA! Your sparkling Frangelico cocktail is ready to be enjoyed!

 Image courtesy of @lpmmags Instagram

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frangelico west iced tea carafe.

This is another carafe recipe from the Frangelico Master Classto for you to pre-prepare before a party to save you from being made the bartender for the night ;) I quite enjoyed this recipe, despite cringing when I saw mint was in the recipe - trust me, you can't taste it!

This recipe makes approx. 750ml.

INGREDIENTS:

• 240ml Frangelico
• 500ml cold & strong green tea
• 4 lemon wedges
• 3 mint springs

METHOD:

1. Pour all ingredients into carafe, squeeze lemon juice in before putting wedges into carafe
2. Put two to three scoops of ice in and stir
3. Serve in glass filled with glass and garnish with a spring of mint
4. VOILA! Enjoy this tasty beverage, just in time for summer picnics and barbeques!

 Image courtesy of @lpmmags Instagram

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frangelico hazelnut fresca carafe.

This recipe is perfect for parties because, let's be honest, you don't want to be caught out making cocktails for your friends all evening. So this is your solution, a 1L jug of cocktail mix ready to be enjoyed! This was definitely my favourite carafe cocktail mix from the Frangelico Master Class. And in true Maggie style, the measurements were all estimated...

This recipe makes 1.4L.

INGREDIENTS:

• 200ml Frangelico
• 200ml SKYY Vodka
• 100ml fresh lime juice
• 900ml ginger ale
• 5 lime wheels
• 5 orange wheels

METHOD:

1. Pour all ingredients into large 1L carafe
2. Put two or three scoops of ice and stir
3. Serve in glasses filled with ice and garnish with a lime and orange wheel
4. VOILA! You can now sit back and relax at your party, or just at home alone or with your loved one!

 Image courtesy of @lpmmags Instagram

 

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frangelico hazelnut espresso martini.

This cocktail was definitely a hit at the Frangelico Master Class! However, I wasn't a huge fan of it. Having weened myself off coffee, a shot of espresso was too much for me - but that's not to say I didn't finish it! (Oh Maggie, you're such an alcoholic...)

This recipe makes one serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 45ml Frangelico
• 15ml SKYY Vodka
• 30ml espresso coffee
• 10ml Illyquore

METHOD:

1. Pour Frangelico, SKYY vodka, espresso coffee and Illyquore into glass shaker filled to top with ice (it's very important to fill the ice to the very top!)
2. Put metal bottom to glass shaker - hit the bottom of the metal shaker to tighten to glass
3. Carefully turn shaker over, holding both top and bottom and shake! (Seedy) Advice from the brand ambassador Olive Stuart, 'the harder you shake, the better the head' - so shake, shake, shake for that nice frothy coffee espresso head!
4. Strain into martini glass
5. Garnish with three coffee beans - yes, three, no more, no less :P
6. VOILA! Your hump day drink is ready to be sipped and enjoyed!

 Image courtesy of @lpmmags Instagram

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endeavour growers ale.

As summer comes around and the light of day lasts just that little bit longer, the natural thing to do as an Aussie is to kick back after work with a beer. I love hitting up a pub after work or after uni to relax with a nice cold cider in hand, but beer has never been something I've overly enjoyed. The only moments you will see me with a real beer in hand is when I'm too poor to afford the extra few dollars for a cider during happy hour (happy hour beers can be as low as $2.50!). So when I tried Endeavour's beer I was a little hesitant.

I'm not going to lie, this tasted like every beer I've ever had, and it wasn't something I enjoyed but my boyfriend on the other hand loved it and happily polished off my bottle and the rest of the pack. So for those beer drinkers out there, this beer has the vote of approval from a very picky beer drinker.

A six pack is RRP $15.90 and is stocked at Endeavour.

Image courtesy of Trish Nicol PR

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frangelico spiced highball.

This was my favourite cocktail when I attended the Frangelico Master Class. Much like the first cocktail, the Frangelico Lime & Soda, this one is a very refreshing cocktail! When I first read the ingredient list I was rather put off by the ginger beer, it's not something I enjoy drinking, but after having this my feelings towards ginger beer has changed! Thanks Frangelico ;) Mmm now I'm craving one...

This recipe makes one serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 45ml Frangelico
• 15ml fresh lemon juice
• 30ml cloudy apple juice
• 30ml ginger beer

METHOD:

1. Pour Frangelico, lemon juice and apple juice into glass shaker filled to top with ice (it's very important to fill the ice to the very top!)
2. Put metal bottom to glass shaker - hit the bottom of the metal shaker to tighten to glass
3. Carefully turn shaker over, holding both top and bottom and shake!
4. Strain into tall glass filled with ice - leaving a little space at the top
5. Top with ginger beer
6. Garnish with lemon wedge and grated nutmeg
7. VOILA! Pop in a straw and enjoy!

 Image courtesy of @lpmmags Instagram

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frangelico lime & soda.

This recipe is easy and extremely refreshing! Perfect for a relaxing day and forgetting about reality, even if just temporarily.

This recipe makes one serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 45ml Frangelico
• Soda water
• Two lime wedges
• Ice

METHOD:

1. Pour Frangelico into tall glass filled with ice
2. Top with soda water
3. Squeeze in two lime wedges and stir
4. VOILA! Your perfect summer drink!

Brand Ambassador Oliver Stuart making the Frangelico Lime & Soda at the Master Class

Image courtesy of Trish Nicol PR

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berry smoothie.

With summer now with us, the warmer weather is begging for cool drinks. The other day, while the heat was near unbearable and I was basking in the coolness of my house (which is like a fridge, no joke) I decided to make a smoothie out of the fresh berries in my fridge instead of eating them (oh, what a conventional way of consuming them :P)

Berries, of all kinds, are my favourite fruits. The fact I don't consume nearly enough dairy products means this is the best way to meet my nutritional needs while keeping my taste buds happy! Not to mention this is super easy to make :)

This recipe makes approximately one 350ml glass.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of mixed berries - this is an approximate
• One 175g tub of yogurt - I used Yoplait's raspberry
• 150ml of milk - I used skim

METHOD:

1. Put all ingredients in a blender or beaker (if you have stick blender, like me) - and blend
2. VOILA! How easy was that! Now sit back, relax and enjoy your berry smoothie and the warm weather :)

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c coconut water.

When I first heard about C Coconut Water I didn't know what was so special about it. After having seen countless number of Instagram images from other bloggers, I figured it had to be something worth looking into - and I was right.

C Coconut Water is pure organic coconut water with no added preservatives, colouring, or additives. It also has numerous amount of benefits such as:

• Boosts immune system naturally
• Contains chemicals to counter fatigue
• Increases metabolism and weight loss
• Aids in circulation
• Detoxifies and fights viruses
• Fights against stress
• Balances body pH
• Naturally hydrates
• Clears complexion
• Hangover cure

The main benefits that caught my attention was the fight against stress, clearing of complexion, boost in immune system and increase in metabolism. With the last leg of my university semester I have been under considerable amounts of stress which causes bad complexion and a lowered immune system which is all balanced out by C Coconut Water.

I love drinking it after exercising because of its hydrating qualities as well. C Coconut Water is sold by cartons of 12, at $35.90 a carton. So be sure to enter carton numbers when  you buy it online, I was a little confused when I first went to buy it.

I'm loving it so much, I bought another carton just yesterday!

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margarita.

My boyfriend's newfound love for margaritas has led us to making our own. It's the perfect summer cocktail as the citrus in the lime makes you think of kicking back in a sun chair, bathing in the warm sun.

This recipe makes one drink.

INGREDIENTS:

• 50ml Tequila
• 15ml Triple Sec
• 30ml Lime juice - preferably fresh
• Cubed ice

METHOD:

1. Pour all three ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker
2. Shake ingredients and pour, straining the ice out, into chilled (martini) glass

Images from @lpmmags Instagram

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kuleto's cocktail bar, newtown.

Monday this week was my 21st birthday and to celebrate my boyfriend and I headed out to my favourite cocktail bar in Sydney, Kuleto's in Newtown, and celebrated with a cocktail (or 10...).

What I love about this cocktail bar is:

• a) they make the best cocktails in town - I've tried MANY places and this place makes the best
• b) they have happy hour EVERY DAY where there are two of the same cocktails for the price of one (most of them are only $15)

My boyfriend and I tried at least a third of the cocktails on the list on Monday (maybe we'll try the rest for his birthday in a few weeks time...). Below are snaps of every cocktail we tried and little blurb on them.

Find them:

They're open Monday-Saturday with happy hours being 6-7:30pm Monday-Friday and 6-7pm on Saturdays. Find Kuleto's at: 157 King St, Newtown.

Round 1: Margarita

This was the best margarita I've ever had. I've had some before where the tequila over powers or the lime does, this one had the perfect balance of both!

Round 2: Lotus Chill

I fell in love with this lychee cranberry based cocktail when I first went to Kuleto's. It has my two favourite ingredients in it, how can I NOT like it?!

Round 3: Mango Daiquiri

I love strawberry daiquiri's but unfortunately Kuleto's no longer provide those due the sheer amount of fresh strawberries required to make them, so I settled with a mango. It was more a smoothie than anything else and the mango wasn't very strong - this was one of my least favourite of the night.

Round 4: Hawaiian Splice

My boyfriend and I tried this the last time we were at Kuleto's (I'm frequently there...). It was a random choice, which always seems to turn out right - and this was not an exception. I'm not a huge fan of milky based cocktails, they just never sit right in my stomach but this milky midori mix was divine!

Round 5: Devil In Disguise

This one was an okay cocktail. It was more like a strawberry dipped in chocolate smoothie more than a cocktail, but if you like that then this is perfect.

Round 6: Martini

My boyfriend and I have never had a martini. I knew a martini is just vodka (or gin - this one is a vodka one, I don't like gin) mixed with vermouth and ice. My boyfriend on the other hand had no idea and was shocked at the strength of the vodka. Let's just say I don't like tasting my vodka and if you're like me then this is NOT the cocktail for you.

Round 7: Legless

This is a peach based cocktail and to be honest I don't remember this one much at all. I remember it was quite sweet but I mainly used it as a washer after the martini...and yes, the martini did make me a little (read: very) tipsy. 

Round 8: Toffee Apple

I did NOT like this cocktail at all. I didn't even finish it. Now it's not because it taste bad, it's just that the butterscotch did not go down well and after all those previous drinks it just sat badly in my stomach. I will definitely go back and try this on an empty stomach!

Round 9: Toblerone

This was my favourite cocktail of the evening. My friend recommended it to me the first time I went but I never tried it because I don't like milk based cocktails. This was like a Toblerone chocolate smoothie but BETTER. I loved it so much I had another one.... (pictured below)

Round 10: Margarita & Lotus Chill

After trying 9 different cocktails we resorted back to our favourites of the evening as a recap. My boyfriend got himself a margarita while I got myself a lotus chill and...

Round 11: Toberlone

And my final drink of the evening was my new found favourite :)

 
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