So what is a Martini Shaker you ask?  Well if you are asking, then you haven’t made yourself a great martini yet.  Any bartender will tell you this is a must-have tool to make the best martini cocktail.  And bartenders say the key is… the colder it is, the more delicious it tastes.

Bartenders use the Martini Shaker, which are usually stainless steel, to shake together the ingredients for a martini cocktail.  A great martini is born when you vigorously shake the liquid ingredients (vodka or gin and other ingredients) and the ice together and then pour into a chilled glass.  The secret to a great martini cocktail is to prevent any warming of any kind.

You’ll find two types of Martini Shakers on your shopping expedition.  The Standard Shaker and the Boston Shaker.  The Standard seems to be used amongst the common, “homebodies” that want to make a good martini drink. 

The Boston is used more by professional bartenders.  I’m sure you’ve experienced a good shaking if you’ve ever sat down at your local bar or restaurant.

Now you can order your exclusive, one of a kind, custom-made Martini glasses, “Bling-tini”, designed with an abundance of Swarovski Crystals.  No two are alike.  Call Janice Nickole your “Bling-tini” Designer at 480-283-4428 in sunny Phoenix, Arizona.

Remember, you must start with a chilled glass for the perfect martini.  A great martini is born when you vigorously shake the ingredients (vodka or gin and other ingredients) in a martini shaker filled with ice.  Then pour into a chilled martini glass.  The colder it is, the more delicious the martini.  The secret to a great martini cocktail is to prevent any warming of any kind.

Don’t forget to order your special, custom-made  Bling-tini ® Martini Glass adorned with Swarovski Crystals handcrafted by Janice Nickole. 

The Cosmopolitan Martini is one of Janice Nickole’s favorites.  

Cosmopolitan Martini:

1½oz Vodka

½oz Triple sec

2 oz Cranberry juice

1 oz Lime juice or 2 fresh squeezed lime wedges

Pour into a Martini Shaker over ice and then shake vigorously. Strain and pour into a chilled Bling-tini ® Martini Glass.  No Ice (Up) Preferred* or over Ice (Rocks).
Garnish with lime or cranberries or both.

Lemon Drop Martini:

2oz Lemon Vodka

½oz Triple sec

4 - 8 squeezed lemons

Pour into a Martini Shaker over ice and then shake vigorously. Rim the Martini Glass with Sugar.

Strain and pour into a chilled Bling-tini ® Martini Glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Chocolate Martini:

1 oz Vodka

1 oz Crème de cacao

Pour into a Martini Shaker over ice and then shake vigorously. Strain and pour into a chilled Bling-tini ® Martini Glass. No Ice (Up) Preferred* or over Ice (Rocks).
Garnish with cherries, cranberries or chocolate sprinkles.

Creamsicle Martini:

2 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Triple sec
1 oz. Orange juice
1 oz. Heavy cream

Combine all ingredients in shaker.  Add ice and shake vigorously.  Strain into your Bling-tini ® Martini Glass and garnish.

Bacardi ® CÓCO™ Mojito Martini

3 parts Bacardi® CÓCO™
2 parts lemon-lime soda
1 part sour mix

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into chilled Bling-tini ® Martini Glass. Garnish with mint sprigs and lime wheel. 

Fuzzy Martini: 
4 parts vanilla-flavored vodka
1 part coffee-flavored vodka
1 teaspoon peach schnapps
Fresh peach slice

Combine all ingredients in shaker.  Add ice and shake vigorously.  Strain into your Bling-tini ® Martini Glass and garnish with fresh peach slice.

Key Lime Martini:
Graham cracker crumbs, for rimming the glass
2 lime wedges
6 T. vanilla flavored vodka
¼ cup key lime liquor
2 T. pineapple juice
2 T. heavy whipping cream
Ice

Pour the graham cracker crumbs into a shallow dish.  Rub a lime wedge around the edge of a martini glass and roll the edge in the graham cracker crumbs.  Chill the glass for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Combine the vodka, key lime liquor, pineapple juice and cream in a shaker. Fill the shaker half full with ice and shake until well blended. Pour into prepared Bling-tini ® Martini Glass, garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately. 

 Black & White Martini: 
6 parts vanilla vodka
2 parts crème de cacao
Black & white licorice candies

Combine liquid ingredients in a Martini shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled Bling-tini Martini Glass ®  and garnish with black and white licorice candies. 

Sweet Tea Mantini:

2 ounces of Sweet Tea Vodka
3 ounces of Lemonade

Fresh squeeze of lemon or lemonade to taste.  Shake and pour into an ice cold martini glass or shorter glass if preferred.

Order your exclusive, one of a kind, custom-made “Bling-tini ®” Martini Glasses, designed with an abundance of Swarovski Crystals.  No two are alike.  Call Janice Nickole your “Bling-tini ®” Designer at   480-283-4428   in sunny Phoenix, Arizona.

And don’t forget, your margarita glass selection is equally important for the occasion.  Whether it’s Cinco de Mayo or a birthday celebration, the combination of your special glass and perfect Margarita recipe makes your day extra special.

I guess it’s because I love to collect barware glass of all types.  Whether its margarita glasses or martini, I love the bling and sparkle of them when neatly displayed.

Many of you have asked for the perfect Margarita mix and I have included two of them below.  Enjoy!

The Perfect Margarita:

1 1/2 oz. tequila
1/2 oz. triple sec.
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
3 oz. sweet & sour mix

Pour into shaker over cracked ice, shake 10 seconds and serve on the rocks! 

The Perfect Golden Margarita:

Dip the rim of a margarita glass in water and then salt.

In a shaker, combine tequila, lime juice and sour mix with ice cubes. Shake well. Pour contents, with ice, into the glass.

Gently pour the Grand Marnier and then the orange juice on top of the tequila mixture. Garnish with the lime wedge.

Now you can order your exclusive, one of a kind, custom-made Martini glasses, “Bling-tini”, designed with an abundance of Swarovski Crystals.  No two are alike.  Call Janice Nickole your “Bling-tini” Designer at 480-283-4428 in sunny Phoenix, Arizona.

So what is exactly is champagne?  Champagne is wine with bubbles.  Champagne is actually a copyrighted trademark of those who make sparkling wine in Champagne, France so all other wines can only be called sparkling wine and not champagne. 

Ever feel like it’s an extra special drink when it is served in a fancy glass?  Those special champagne glasses are called flutes, and their tulip-shaped design shows off the bubbles or “beads” of the sparkling champagne.  These bubbles are key and add to your pleasure when drinking champagne, and help to explode the bouquet just beneath your nose as you sip this delightful, bubbly drink.

Wine connoisseurs know that this tulip-shaped flute will also allow older Champagne to open more, while another will keep the Champagne chilled longer.

Store your Champagne at 55 F in a dark and damp location at an angle like you would wine bottles.  Also remember to chill your Champagne a few hours to bring the temperature down to 45 F before serving.

Never “pop” open your Champagne but rather gently uncork it at an angle of 45 degrees so you can save more of this precious fluid inside the bottle.

Make sure to always serve your champagne in glass flutes that have been washed in clear water and dried with a lint-free dishcloth.

Try these wonderful champagne mixes below.  They are my favorites.

Mimosa Champagne:

Mix equal measures of champagne and orange juice in a champagne flute and garnish it with an orange slice.

To make it a Grand Mimosa, add 1/2 measure of Campari. 

Kir Royale Champagne: Add 1/2 measure of crème de cassis to champagne. Garnish it with a twist of lemon peel.

Now you can order your exclusive, one of a kind, custom-made Martini glasses, “Bling-tini”, designed with an abundance of Swarovski Crystals.  No two are alike.  Call Janice Nickole your “Bling-tini” Designer at 480-283-4428 in sunny Phoenix, Arizona.