Unusual drink combos that work for you?

[fruglescot]

CHOCO-LA-TEA
I read about someone here on Chowhound that inadvertantly mixed her tea with her cocao
one sleepy morning only to discover that she had created a new and pleasingly palatable morning drink. I ordered the combo from a willing mixer at an espresso bar yesterday.
I'm calling it "Choco-la-Tea"
What combos have you come up with?

[guate]

Caffeinated Italian sodas. Sparkling water, a shot of cold-brewed coffee, a shot of a complementary syrup such as hazelnut or toffee, all over ice. With or without a cream top. Much more refreshing than an iced latte.

I haven't tried it yet, but I imagine raspberry or other flavors that get paired with coffee would work as well.

I invented it, but imagine someone else has, too. Anybody know what other people call this concoction?

[qwertyu]

i mix a half packet of hot chocolate with two large spoonfuls of taster's choice vanilla instant coffee all the time. amazing.

[tatertotsrock]

AVOCADO MILKSHAKE with a Candied Jalapeno on top...Loved it!!!

[scuzzo]

THAT I want to try!

[tatertotsrock]

One of my friends said that they drank avocado milkshakes while she was a little girl in the Philipines...without the candied jalapenos.
She said that it was just avocado sweetened condensed milk (or milk and lots of sugar) blended up.
Someone out here made me one back in 2001 and I loved it!!!! So yummy!
He also made me an avocado mousse for dessert that also had the little candied jalapenos on it...mmm....I could go for some of that right now!

[JungMann]

Avocado milkshakes are definitely underrated! I didn't know avocados could be savory until I was at least 8!

[im_nomad]

what about Red Beer?

[KevinB]

I've mentioned this in other threads, but a "Brown Cow" - equal parts chocolate milk and Vernor's. Add the Vernor's slowly, as it fizzes like crazy! Very refreshing on a hot summer afternoon (best if both are very cold).

[Aimi]

Chocolate-orange: I love chocolate syrup (or sweetened cocoa powder) in orange juice.

Quick punch: Equal parts orange juice, cranberry juice, and pineapple juice. Add a splash of clear soda if desired.

Purple cow: Grape juice and milk.

Creamsicle: Orange juice and milk.

[Kinnexa]

Black cow: milk and Pepsi. My mother thought that would make "pop" healthy or something. I recall loving it, but can't imagine trying it today!

[johnb]

Lately, when getting a drink on the road at one of those serve yourself dispensers, I've been taking root beer and adding some half and half from the little containers at the coffee station. Basically a root beer float without the frozen part. Tastes pretty good. I posted about it once before and several others piped in that they do the same thing.

[AndyP]

Hey fruglescot,

Vodka and soda with a couple of drops of balsamic vinegar. Was reaching for the bitters, and grabbed the balsamico instead. Suprisingly good. Very refreshing, in a wierdly comfortingly way.

Yoroshiku,
Andy

[scuzzo]

Here's an interesting and bold combination. Add cayenne to chocolate flavored beverages. I've been making chocolate protein shakes and add cayenne to them. It's quite terrific. Start easy though.

[Veggo]

Interesting and curious. We have had informal debates here about what one's choice would be if condemned to a desert island: chocolate or chilis. You are the first to suggest middling the two.

[Judith]

Aren't chocolate and chilis the basis for most moles?

[scuzzo]

Back in Minneapolis there was an ice cream specialty shop that made "chocolate coyote" ice cream. At the time, it was too spicy for my taste buds, but I did HIGHLY dig the combo. It was sweet, spicy, hot and cold!!! Especially wild as ice cream.

[moh]

I don't know about most moles (perhaps EatNopal can comment on this) but certainly the Aztecs classically combined chiles and chocolate. The original chocolate drinks were not sweetened however. Now, there are many people offering the combination of spicy chiles and chocolate. Jacques Torres has his "wicked" hot chocolate, one of my favorite shops in Montreal, Festin du Babette does a hot chocolate with Piment d'Espelette, these are just a few of the many people offering this delectable combo.

[revsharkie]

Didn't you ever see Chocolat?

We've taken to putting cayenne in our hot cocoa, even Mexican hot cocoa. Just adds that little dab of extra warmth.

[southernitalian]

Fresca and whiskey - a frisky!
Tomato juice and beer - a red eye!

[mrsbuffer]

my favorite and extremely lethal drink du jour is half a glass of raspberry vodka poured over ice, and topped with Baileys. Last time I had three of them, I mooned an image of Curt Schilling on the television (Yankee fans forced to live/work 30 miles from Fenway)...
Needless to say mrbuffer was, shall we say, amused.

[FoodieKat]

That sounds yummy. Even better if you added chocolate liquer to the mix.

[Veggo]

My unsweetened batches of agua de jamaica (basically hibiscus tea) goes well over ice with a shot of clear cuban rum.
I think it would also work with chicha morada, but I'm clueless as to sourcing Peruvian blue corn or ready-made but not sweetened chicha morada.

[fromagina]

THAT sounds good! Horchata and rum is good too. Okay.. here's a favorite boozy drink I learned from Jimmy-the-Greek: a cup of yoghurt, a shot of ouzo, a few twists of black pepper, a splash of water..

[Veggo]

Horchata and rum?? Isn't that one of those things our mamas told us not to do, like mixing bleach with Lestoil? :)

[fruglescot]

fromagina,
Do you have a name for this concoction?

[Sam Fujisaka]

NO! leave chicha morada out of any mixing.

[Veggo]

Por que?

[Sam Fujisaka]

Its sweet and without a flavor strong enough to turn out unlike cool-aide and booze.

[Veggo]

Sam! I don't care for sweetened beverages. Please re-read my post 6 above, unless someone breaks in between. I wish I could find unsweetened chicha morada, or a means to make it myself. My unsweetened agua de jamaica is wonderful, with thanks to C'hounders.
Sam; sorry we couldn't hook up in Mexico. And now I'm stuck (?) with all these cigars I procured for Bill Hunt! His loss; these Cohiba Siglo IV's are ambrosia.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Abazos, hermano!

[Gio]

Are you referring to it's medicinal implications, Sam? I thought it was just an innocuous summer drink.

[Sam Fujisaka]

No. Chicha morada is great, but sweet and of a subtle flavor. Add booze and you get booze and Cool-Aide.

[Gio]

Ummmmm.... that does sound lethal. Good thing I don't like Cool-Aide.

[watercress]

I don't think it's THAT weird, but I like to make lavender vodka.

[fromagina]

My favorite cold weather drink is hot apple juice with a squirt of hot sauce.. either Sriracha or Tabasco.

[tatamagouche]

Wow! Could you add rum?

[Kinnexa]

I've never tried it, but I'm intrigued by the idea of shandy--half-beer, half lemonade, British, I think. It sounds a bit gross, but I do improve cheap beer with a big hunk of lemon or lime, or even lemon juice if I'm desperate.

Anyone know how to make a decent shandy? Or where it's available commercially in the northeast US?

[cimui]

Sounds just like a porch crawler to me: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink5968....

[linguafood]

In Germany that's a highly popular summer drink called either Alster or Radler, depending on region/city/neighborhood/bar/bartender.... let's just say if you want to make sure you're getting a lager with sprite instead of fanta, you always ask.

It's a very refreshing summer drink, and a fantastic way to ease yourself from a sunny afternoon in the beer garden into the *real* beer drinking of the evening ...

[JungMann]

That reminds me of another German quaff: Diesel. Half coke, half lager. It's a good way to avoid getting overfull on beer when you're drinking it by the Maß.

[AndyP]

Hey Kinnexa,

As I learned it in the British pubs in Tokyo, a Shandy is equal parts beer, (usually a lager, but not a rule) and ginger ale. Substituting a shandy for a bloody mary is requisite for the Sunday morning precursor to the noon-time Carvery. (Roasted beef, pork, and mutton, served with all the traditional fixin's).

Yoroshiku,
Andy

[revsharkie]

I remember seeing billboards when I was in Ireland, years and years ago, for a shandy made with Guinness and 7-up. Y'all can have my share of that. I'll take my Guiness straight up and my 7-up mixed with Pernod.

[Reene902]

We drank that concoction at frat parties in college... They called it "hop, skip, and go naked".

[geg5150]

Yep, we did H,K and GN, too, but it was pink lemonade, beer and vodka! Geez, I have a headache just thinking of it.

Or "hunch punch" which was whatever alcohol could be gotten with hawaiian punch to hide the taste.

[FoodieKat]

Lemon shandy is really refreshing, especially in the summer. The lemonade they use in the UK though is a type of sparkling soda (kind of like Sprite, but with just lemon-flavour, NO lime in the mix). Shandies taste better, IMO, with a decent-quality lager beer, but I've tried them with cheap lager and also pale ales and they're not too bad. I've tried making a shandy with Sprite before too, and though it's OK it doesn't taste the same.

British grocers should carry Bass Shandy in cans. It's very low alcohol content (even kids drink it in the UK). Just look for it in the section with other sodas.

[cimui]

Lipton tea bag with orange juice and mulling spices, served warm

In Hong Kong, there's a drink made of half coffee and half tea. It sounds awful, but it's actually pretty good.

Cream added to most juices = tasty creamsicle

The weirdest (to me) drink that I like, though, is a salt lassi made with cumin and asetofeda.

Micheladas made with negro modelo and tamarind are also unusual for this country and in my book very tatsy.

[goodhealthgourmet]

makes me think of the "choclatea" line of chocolates from smile chocolatiers - hand-blended with crush tea...

http://www.smilechocolatiers.com/

they're delicious, btw.

[scuzzo]

Being allergic to caffeine, I drink a lot of herbal teas, hot or cold. Mix a lot of varieties. Right now I'm making peppermint tea with fresh ginger. It's nice.

I've heard something about adding herbs to red wine, but have not tried it. I guess you stuff a few sprigs in the bottle and recork for a day or two. Sounds fun to experiment with. Now that I think about it, it might be fun to infuse sage into some white wines even.

[tatamagouche]

Wow, that is interesting, herb-infused wine. Do you recall where you heard about it?
I just wrote on my blog (address in profile if you're interested) in a post titled "Is it gross or is it genius?" about the fact that I've been drinking gin & pickle juice. Although most people seem to think it's the former.

I do like calimocho too, I fear.

How come no one makes cocktails with Yoohoo? Or do they? Some years ago in Boston everyone was using Tang, but I think that's slowed to a halt.

[fruglescot]

I read your blog occasionally tatamaqouche (but the guy with the bloodied eye?).
I'm waiting until all the raisins soaking in gin in my kitchen are eaten up and then I will add some of the liquid to the brine in the bread & Butter pickles and get back to you with a rating. I've always enjoyed both drinks on their own I might add.
Any thoughts on the Choco-La-Tea ?

[tatamagouche]

The guy with the bloody eye has a PhD and speaks I believe 5 languages, BTW.

I'm confused—you're soaking raisins in gin, and then you're going to add some of that liquid to pickles that you're making, and *then* you're going to drink it with more gin?

The chocolatea doesn't sound weird to me given what people are putting in chocolate bars these days. I'd drink it.

[fruglescot]

The raisins soaked in gin is an old and time tested home remedy.I eat 9 of them per day and the 'current' supply is almost finished.When all I have left is the gin I will make a drink of it and some brine from the bread and butter pickles in the fridge. What are you calling this combo?

[amethiste]

I realize you weren't asking me but "Rai-Gin Pickle Juice" comes to mind. :-)

[fruglescot]

Thanks for your submission amethiste. We might all be 'rai-gin'
after a few swigs of that combo. Does that drink sound appealing to your tastes?

The 'Three Meatballs Award for your suggestion-
Click on below
Rescue me.

[tatamagouche]

Hmm. Pickles & raisins might be too much even for me. But I applaud your derring-do.

[fruglescot]

OF ALL THE GIN JOINTS IN ALL THE WORLD AND SHE......
Oh my God tata. When the raisins 'run out'... I'll use the gin remnants to mix with the pickle juice. Am I advocating mixing raisins and pickles? I don't think so.

[phoenikia]

I guess someone does: http://www.cocktail.com/recipes/k/KahluaHoo.htm

http://supercocktails.com/13901/Boo-Hoo

[tatamagouche]

Hmm. Maybe I'll try it, but I'd better get drunk first.

[phoenikia]

One thing I've been meaning to try to make is an alcoholic Greek frappe (iced coffee made with European Nescafe), replacing the milk with Talea or Bailey's. Maybe this summer, I'll finally try it;)

[moh]

Although I initially was dubious of the gin and pickle juice combo, I have done some thinking and realized, isn't this just a riff on the classic combo of a gin martini and an olive? Similar idea, and totally delish! So put me in the "genius" camp. I love pickles!

[tatamagouche]

That's what I said! Great minds think alike.

[scuzzo]

I think I saw it on The Food Network. Wish I could remember details.

[goodhealthgourmet]

apparently there's an entire cookbook on the subject...

http://www.ecookbooks.com/p-16063-her...

[scuzzo]

Thank you!!! I HAVE that cookbook. That's where I saw it. Haven't looked at it in a while though!

[goodhealthgourmet]

oooh, fun. let us know if you do any experiments...

[scuzzo]

I just now stuffed some fresh rosemary and thyme into a bottle of two buck Chuck cab. I'll let you know!

[scuzzo]

Well it's only been an hour and decided to try it. VERY nice! Maybe too strong by tomorrow. I had added 2 pretty generous sprigs of rosemary and about 6 sprigs of thyme. I swirled the bottle a couple times during the hour. Right now it has just a nice hint of herbs that make it fresh and unique without being "knock you over the head". I say try it. Next, sage with Chardonnay!!!

[fruglescot]

You're just what we were looking for when we started this thread scuzzo. "A creative mixologist"

[goodhealthgourmet]

oooh, i like the chard idea because i'm a fan of herbaceous whites.

[scuzzo]

Tonight I bought some mediocre Fisheye Chard. I put some in a jar with sage (crushed a bit with my hands first), PLUS a good handful of lemon thyme. Wow! I totally dig this! Let it sit a few hours and it's so good. Subtle, fresh, complex, and just terrific.

Would love if anyone else tries this to report. Maybe we need a new thread?

[fruglescot]

Are you describing a drink here,scuzzo?

[scuzzo]

Chardonnay infused with sage and lemon thyme. Then drunk as wine. It was tasty!

[burlgurl]

well i make my own "orange julius" type drink..i combine milk and OJ in a martini shaker with lots of ice and shake it up!

[HungryRubia]

In the Dominican Republic we have a drink like that...we call it Morir Soñando which translates to "Die Dreaming".

It's delicious!