Happy Valentine's Day

We stopped in at the Holiday Inn Resort's TR's Restaurant to get some last minute info for our review in the Adirondack Almanack tomorrow. Pam decided to "try" the Valentine's Day Special, eliciting a puzzled look from the Bob the bartender, then proceeded to make one up. Dubbed Box of Chocolates, she requested Godiva Chocolate liqueur, caramel vodka, chocolate-raspberry vodka with a splash of milk, on the rocks. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. Pam seemed pleased with life overall.

Cupid's Arrow
1 part Godiva Chocolate liqueur
1 part coconut rum
1/2 part Chambord raspberry liqueur
1 part half & half
Dip rim to drizzle with chocolate syrup. Garnish with a cherry and a random selection from your chocolate assortment. (Surely someone gave you a box of chocolates today.) Shake and strain into a small glass.

Happy Valentine's Day, Cheers & Bottoms Up!

Kim & Pam
Happy Hour in the High Peaks

Recipe Night! Christmas Cocktail Stocking Stuffers

Maybe you've already made the final run for last-minute gifts, stocking stuffers and baking ingredients. Aunt Ethel's present is wrapped. You've got Grandma's pumpkin pie recipe and Aunt Lib's rolls ready to...roll. Not so fast! You're not finished with your holiday shopping yet. There are cocktails to consider and, unless you're stocked like Pammie's Pub, you need to make a run to the liquor store so you can impress your guests with your mixology expertise.

Why not conclude the holiday dinner festivities (or at least mend all the hurt feelings and mask the animosity that is sometimes present at large family gatherings) with some tasty after-dinner drinks? Here are a couple of dessert drinks that are sure to put smiles on their faces.

Peppermint Patty Martini

1 oz. white creme de menthe
2 oz. chocolate vodka (Godiva if you can afford it)
2 oz. Godiva chocolate liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into martini glasses rimmed with melted Godiva dark chocolate and crushed candy canes. Garnish with a mini candy cane and chocolate whipped cream (if desired) topped with a small peppermint patty or Junior Mint.

Chocolate Covered Cherry

2 oz. cherry brandy
2 oz. Godiva chocolate liqueur
1-2 tsp. chocolate syrup
1 tsp. maraschino cherry juice

Shake with ice and top with whipped cream. Pour into mini martini glasses or 2-3 oz. goblets. Garnish with a cherry dipped in melted chocolate (left over from the peppermint patty martini).

Looking for something a little less Bumble and a lot more bounce? Scrooge the Bailey's and coffee. How about an espresso martini? More bang for Uncle Buck. This is the drink Mrs. Claus greets Santa Baby with when he comes home after his annual toy run. Decked out in her pearls, pumps, and apron of course.

Mrs. Claus's Espresso Martini

2 oz. double espresso vodka
2 oz. kahlua
1 oz. white creme de cacao
3 oz. chilled espresso or strong coffee

Shake with ice and strain into martini glasses rimmed with cocoa powder. We wet the rim with creme de cacao. Makes two servings.

OK, OK, we'll do one more. Kim's favorite holiday movie is It's a Wonderful Life, so we offer the humble George Bailey.

The George Bailey

2 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
2 oz. cinnamon spice kahlua

Shake with ice and serve over ice in a small cocktail glass.

(Sorry, no photo available.)

Cheers, Bottoms Up & Merry Christmas! By the way, ask Pam to tell you her last-minute fudge story.

Happy Hour in the High Peaks Acknowledges Today's Birthdays

You know we can never leave well enough alone. Not much to do on a Sunday night, so, hey, why not create a new cocktail? Theme. Hmm. Whose birthday is today? Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Treasure Island, and a sweet little book of poetry Kim owned when she was just a child, was born on this day in 1850. Pam retired to her laboratory to conduct the experiment. She handed out test tubes containing a seemingly innocuous concoction. Combining the kind and gentle with evil and decadent; a little bit Jeckyll (Jack Daniels) and a little bit Hyde (butterscotch schnapps & amaretto). Well, we didn't turn into any evil alterego. Yet.

Jeckyll & Hyde

1 oz. Jeckyll Daniels Tennessee whiskey
1 oz. butterscotch schnapps
1 oz. amaretto

Shake with ice and strain into beakers.


Another birthday today is Whoopie Goldberg. So Pam set to the task of making Whoopie.

Whoopie Pie

1 oz. Marshmallow vodka
1 oz. Godiva chocolate liqueur

Shake with ice and strain. Top with alcohol infused whipped cream.

Cheers and Bottoms Up!

Happy Hour Halloween Fun Size Drink Recipes

Once the kids are safe in bed after an evening of Trick or Treating, it's time to treat yourself.

Almond Joy
1 oz cream of coconut
1 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 oz Frangelico
1 oz half & half

Shake over ice or mix in blender.

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't! For when you don't...

Mounds
1 oz cream of coconut
1 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1 oz half & half

Shake over ice or mix in blender.

3 Musketeers
1 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1 oz caramel cream
1/2 oz Marshmallow vodka
2 oz half & half

Blend with ice for a fluffy texture.

The candy corn drink recipe was the most difficult. After several tries, here's a "shooter" type recipe that's definitely not for children.

Candy Corn Shooter

1 part Mandarin Napoleon (or Cointreau or anything orange flavored)
1 part banana liqueur
1 part whipped cream vodka




I've had enough "candy", but just one more recipe.

Heath Bar (No Crunch)

1 oz Godiva Chocolate liqueur
1 oz Caramel Cream liqueur
1/2 oz butterscotch schnapps

I'm way too full to cover the Butterfinger. We made the Reese's Cup a few weeks ago, but I didn't write down the recipe. Promise, they will be in our book.

Bottoms Up!

High Peaks Pammie

Judd's Tavern Lake George

Judd’s Tavern, located on Canada Street in the heart of Lake George Village, beckons to the casual passerby as an ideal place to take a break from browsing the surrounding gift shops and arcades, duck in for a cool respite from the beach, or catch up on the day’s sporting events. A standard sports bar for locals and tourists, strategically-placed TV’s (12 in all) broadcast just about every contest that’s being televised at the moment.

The dark burgundy walls subdue the natural light spilling in through the large streetside windows. Commercial-grade carpeting and a suspended ceiling help keep this small space from being too noisy. Games and activities include foosball, a pool table and a jukebox. Judd’s isn't large, but is of sufficient size to make it a comfortable place to meet others. Some sports bars are so big that patrons could spend hours and not speak to anyone outside their social sphere. The bar seats 16 and additional tables can accommodate another 20 patrons. This bar is more intimate and conducive to meeting and interacting with people.

Although Judd’s wasn't very busy when we arrived, the bartenders seemed to be prepping for a busy night, stocking coolers and checking inventories. One bartender, Zack, was friendly and attentive, answering questions as he catered to the growing crowd. Pam’s first question was already answered by a sign on the wall advertising a Birthday Cake martini, a Jelly Ring Martini, the Veggie Mary and the Spicy Mary. For local-themed drinks, try a Twisted Tourist or a Sandy Bay Slammer. Other mouth-watering cocktails include the Gentleman Jack, Bazooka Joe, Orange Creamsicle and the Berry Patch shot. Pam chose the Jelly Ring Martini special, consisting of Stoli Chocolat Raszberi vodka, Godiva chocolate liqueur and a splash of cream and tasted remarkably like the real thing!

Draft beer choices are abundant. Several craft ales and IPA’s including Southern Tier’s 2XIPA, make an impressive line-up. Eight or so domestic bottled beers round out the beer menu. Kim decided on Purple Haze, a light, fruity wheat beer produced by Abita Brewing Company in Louisiana. A hazy, golden color with just a blush of raspberry pink, the aroma was of fruit, though the raspberry didn’t carry over much to the flavor.

Judd's Tavern has been in business for seven years and is open from noon to 4 a.m. in the summer months, noon to midnight during the off-season, with no black out dates. The best time to visit is during the summer and on Sundays during football season where you will find every NFL game being televised. Happy Hour drink specials are featured Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. While not a full-service restaurant, they serve food and are notorious for their wings (which, of course, are the best in town), offering 13 varieties including Wings of Fury (for which you will have to sign a waiver) and Caribbean Jerk wings, and also claim that their quesadillas are equally enticing. Musical entertainment is featured sporadically. With accommodations available all over Lake George, Judd's caters to foot traffic in summer and in winter during the annual Winter Carnival. The clientele tends to be mostly local, but visitors are encouraged and welcome.