Recipe: Up-tini

Cheers and Happy New Year’s Eve! 2009 was a wonderful year full of excitement, opportunity and lessons. Looking back, I realized how fortunate I was to have been able to travel extensively this past year: Peru (Machu Picchu), Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Costa Rica, Napa Valley, New Orleans, Montauk and more. It was truly amazing!

This year I am looking to toast more than a glass of Champagne, I am looking to keep the energy flowing in 2010, so I created a fun Espresso based cocktail that will be sure to help you sustain the party long after the clock strikes midnight!

2010 Up-Tini

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Vodka (I like to use Tito’s)
1 shot (or 1 oz.) of freshly brewed espresso (chilled)
½ oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
½ TBS. Vanilla Infused Simple Syrup
Espresso Beans for garnish
Ice

Directions:
To make simple syrup, combine ½ cup water to ½ cup sugar in a small sauce pan and heat on low until sugar is melted; make sure not to boil the liquid. Remove from heat and add ½ of a vanilla bean sliced open, or you can use ½ tsp. of vanilla extract. Let the mixture cool and steep.

In a cocktail shaker, add ice and pour in the vodka, espresso, Bailey’s and vanilla simple syrup. Shake for a minute until chilled. Strain and pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a few espresso beans.

Then enjoy!