Spring Holiday Bartending

Spring is a fantastic time for bartending and serving cocktails to your customers. The month of March kicks off with Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras, both famous for parties and drinking. During this holiday season, the popular drinks are usually cajun, caribbean and/or French. The roots of New Orleans also run deep into the south and southeast of the US, adding another dimension to the type drinks you can concoct. Southern Comfort, Bourbon and Tequila are favorite liquors in the south, so serving these should be a hit. Brandy is popular with the French population while Rum is popular with the cajun and island folk. So, use your imagination.

Consider Caribbean favorites like Jamaica Cooler, Jamaica Ginger, Cool Breeze, Apple Grog, Calypso, Coco-Loco, Dominican Coco Loco, High Jamaican Wind or Jolly Roger. French drinks like the French Green Dragon, French 75, City Slicker, Fantasio, French Connection, La Jolla, Sledgehammer, Stinger and Thunder. Southern drinks like Alabama Slammer, Hammerhead, Knockout, Memphis Belle Cocktail, Scarlett O Hara and Sloe Comfortable Screw.

I have found the most popular order on Fat Tuesday is shooters. And there are TONS of tooters that can be served on this day. Consider the Purple Hooter Shooter, Russian Quaaludes, Jell-O Shots, Tequila Shots and Woo Woos to be big hits. All of these concoctions can be a big hit at Mardi Gras or a Fat Tuesday celebration. Check the blog for drinks and shooters tagged for Fat Tuesday.

Fat Tuesday will be here on March 8, 2011 so now is the time to stock up.

Also in March is St. Patricks Day, the Irish drinking fest. The most popular drink served in most bars is simple green beer. This is draft beer with food coloring. Not very imaginative! There are so many green drinks that can be promoted and offered at special prices that there's no excuse for green beer. Not all of them are made with creme de menthe, either. For instance, drinks like Green Lizard, Lollipop, Pago Pago and Save the Planet are all green drinks made with Chartreuse. Green Apple Martinis are green and made with Green Apple Liqueur, although these have been a bit overdone. Green drinks made with Midori include Magpie, Melon Ball, Slimeball and Watermelon. Trojka makes a green Vodka that can be substituted for regular Vodka in common drinks. Absinthe can be used in drinks to make them green but always use Absinthe with care and check the laws in your area; it is illegal in some parts. Sour Apple Schnapps is another choice in place of other Schnapps and Voodoo Tiki makes a lime infused Vodka called Green Dragon that can also be used in place of regular Vodka. This and the usual ingredient: green Creme de Menthe. So your choices are many and there is no excuse to retreating to food coloring and draft beer.

Please see the blog for drinks tagged for St. Patricks Day. St. Patricks Day is on March 17, 2011.

Next month: Easter. May: Memorial Day. Drink ideas and recipes to come.