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Vote for Gran Zuzza at The Gran Gala Shakedown

www.thegrangalashakedown.com

Shake, Rattle and Win! Enter to win $5000 plus weekly prizes. Shaken, stirred, muddled or mixed - Gran Gala invites you to create its next signature cocktail. Enter your most creative Gran Gala concoction, check out the competition, or vote for the most luscious libations HERE

Ingredients:
1 ounce Stoli Vanilla Vodka 1 Ounce Frangelico Squeeze Bottle of Vanilla Syrup 1 bottle of Starbucks Pumkin Spice Syrup 1 ounce cream	1 ounce Gran Gala Squeeze Bottle of Chocolate Syrup About 6 ounces of Brown Sugar 2 Vanilla Sticks
Instructions:
To build the cocktail you will need 1 pint glass, 1 strainer, 2 6 inch plates, a tooth pick, 1 cosmopolitan glass, 1 cup of ice, 1 mixing spoon and a 1 ounce shot or measuring glass. 1-On one of your six inch glasses add water. 2-On your second six inch glass add your brown sugar. 3-Take your cosmopolitan glass and dip the rim of your glass in the water to wet the rim. 4-Once you wet your rim of your glass dip it in your brown sugar just like you would with a margarita. 5-Tilt your glass and using your chocolate syrup rotate your glass and from top to bottom build swirl lines of chocolate and then repeat with your vanilla syrup. 6-Take your pint glass and add your ice then 1 ounce of Stoli vanilla vodka, 1 ounce of Gran Gala, 1 ounce of Frangelico, .5 ounce of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice syrup, 1 ounce of cream either shake or stir your liquids in your pint glass. 7-Take your strainer cover your pint glass and poor into your cosmopolitan glass. 8-Take your vanilla sticks place them in to a x pattern and using your tooth pick put it through the center of your x and place into your cosmopolitan glass. 9-Enjoy a Gran Zuzza
A Look Behind the Bar:
What's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you while mixing drinks?
When I first started as a bartender I opened a brand new restaurant ant the bar had granite counter tops. We had specialty etched glasses that would break if you looked at them. I remember shattering multiple glasses on that counter with people sitting th
What's the most interesting/embarrassing drink name that you've heard someone order?
AMF or Duck Fart
What's your personal favorite "go-to" cocktail?
Pomegranate Martini or Old Fashioned
What's your favorite late night snack?
Macaroni and Cheese

Picking The Right Wine My Way

Most wine drinkers are confused when it comes to picking a wine to drink. You will here a lot about vintages, rating, points, types, labels, and food pairings. This can all be very confusing at times but really it is all about the flavor profile of the person drinking the wine. Anyone can sip on a dessert wine, but it is treating the pallet to a flavor profile that is difficult. Most say vintages matter and regions matter and about 50% of that is actually true. This is only pertinent when picking a wine from a region that actually has four seasons. When you start of you can never go wrong with a California wine and or a Washington wine because vintage does not really matter unless it is a Cabernet Sauvington which usually gets better with age or it just turns into expensive vinegar. Trust me I know I sell it for a living. These regions really only have one season which is what grapes love. So the year does not really matter, in a case it would is when selecting a European and or South American wine. When these areas really have four seasons. Australian wine has also become to be noticed because as well as California they have not been subject to for seasons. I suggest picking a California Merlot or Chardonnay to start off with and adjust your pallet from there. It is not as complicated as it sounds you do not need a wine cellar full of wine to understand it usually those with wine cellars do not understand complexity of wine because they collect it they don't taste it. 90% of the time I will ask them what types of bottles do you have and it starts of I have a 1990 Sonoma county Merlot and I think to myself if I wanted a bottle of vinegar I would go to Safeway and buy it. Don't be threatened by these types just adjust to them.

On another note I know you have chosen your wine and now need a glass. Don't worry about the glass what you drink it out of is up to you what a winemaker or a magazine tells you to drink it out of is just their perception. Let me ask you this question If you order a filet oscar and it is served to you on a round plate and it taste excellent, then I serve you that same dish on a square plate will it taste any different if everything is done exactly the same as the first dish. No their is no change in taste, I have found this to be true with wine as well to me the glass it is enjoyed from is just perception.

 

Seattle Happy Hour Guide was nominated for Evening Magazine The Best of Western Washington under the Category of best food blog and we are very excited so spread the word and vote for us. The link to vote for us is posted below so please visit and vote and thank you so much.

http://best.king5.com/seattle-happy-hour-guide/biz/583128


Best Regards,

Marc Wills - CEO Seattle Happy Hour Guide
Blog: www.seattlehappyhourguide.com 
Web: www.seattlehhguide.com
Email: MWills@seattlehappyhourguide.com
Twitter Seattle: @SeattleHHGuide
Twitter Bellevue: @BellevueHHGuide
"Discovering Irresistible Happy Hours One Hour At A Time"