Raise Your Bar Serving These New Year’s Eve Cocktails 2823

Blood Orange Gin Punch Recipe

Get the party started with this simple cocktail, this modern take on a classic screwdriver is an easy-drinking crowd-pleaser. To keep the party moving, put it in a punch bowl and let your guests serve themselves.

Recipe Serves 10

Shopping List
⅓ cup cane sugar
5 sprigs organic fresh rosemary
11 or 12 organic blood oranges
1¾ cups gin
1¼ cups prosecco
5 cups ice

Tools
Peeler, punch bowl, small sauce pot

1. Make the simple syrup
In a small sauce pot, combine 1½ cups water and sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add 3 rosemary sprigs and bring to a boil (set aside the remaining 2 sprigs for serving). Remove from the heat and let steep until cool, about 30 minutes.

Discard the rosemary. Measure ½ cup simple syrup; save any remaining simple syrup for another use.

2. Prep the orange wheels and twists; mix the cocktail

  • Cut 1 blood orange in half, then cut one half crosswise into thin slices. Do not remove the peel; discard any seeds. Reserve the other orange half for juicing.
  • Using a peeler, remove the zest in 2-inch-long strips from the blood oranges, being careful to remove only the outermost orange layer and leave behind the bitter white pith. You’ll want 1 strip per serving, or 8 to 10 total.
  • Juice enough oranges to measure 3¾ cups.
  • Cut the remaining rosemary sprigs into 1-inch pieces and set aside for garnish.
  • In a punch bowl, combine the orange juice, gin, prosecco, simple syrup, and 1 cup ice. Stir until well incorporated, then add blood orange rounds.

Serve
Set out rocks glasses and the remaining ice and invite everyone to make their own cocktail, garnishing with an orange twist and a rosemary sprig.

Tip: To save time, make the simple syrup the night before; let cool and refrigerate in an airtight glass jar. If you prefer a nonalcoholic cocktail, skip the gin and prosecco, increase the amount of orange juice, and add a splash of soda water or iced tea just before serving.

Recipe & Photo courtesy of SunBasket

 

Giggle Juice

Giggle Juice is delicious combination of moscato, lemonade, and vodka that is sure have all your family and friends laughing.

Recipe Serves 8

Shopping List

Ice
Lemons
Sugar
1 (750-ml) bottle moscato
3 c. pink lemonade
1 can lemon-lime soda
1 c. vodka
2 c. sliced strawberries

Tools
Pitcher, stirrer, glasses, knife, plate for sugar
1. Rim glasses with lemon wedge and dip in sugar.
2. In a large pitcher, stir together moscato, pink lemonade, soda, vodka, and fruit. Add ice and stir to combine.
3. Divide among glasses and serve
Recipe & Photo courtesy of Delish

 

Kombucha-Campari Spritz 

The fermented tea everyone’s drinking has recently made its debut as a cocktail mixer. When you think about, that makes a lot of sense. Kombucha is tart, fizzy, and a little bit funky, just the thing to mix with your favorite spirits. Here pair ginger kombucha with Campari for a low-alcohol drink you can sip all night.

Recipe Serves 2

 

Shopping List
1 organic lemon
2 ounces Campari
2 cups ice
4 ounces ginger kombucha

Tools
Cocktail shaker, medium frying pan

1. Char the lemon garnish
Cut the lemon in half crosswise, then cut half into thin rounds; save the remaining half for another use. In a dry medium frying pan over medium-high heat, add the lemon rounds and cook, turning once, until fragrant and lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Make the Campari spritz 
In a cocktail shaker, add the Campari and half the ice. Shake well, about 30 seconds.

Serve
Fill two rocks glasses with the remaining ice. Strain the Campari into the glass and top off with as much kombucha as you like. Garnish each glass with a charred lemon slice and serve.

Recipe & Photo courtesy of SunBasket

 

Moscow Mule Recipe

A Moscow mule is actually very easy to make. It only has three ingredients: vodka, ginger beer, and lime. We like to garnish it with mint, but it’s not necessary.

Recipe Serves 2

 

Shopping List

Ice
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. (12-oz.) can ginger beer
Lime wedges, for garnish
Mint (optional for additional garnish)

 

Tools
Cooper mugs, Stirrers, knife

1.Fill two copper mugs with ice. Pour 1 ounce vodka and 1/2 ounce lime juice over ice in each mug. Pour ginger beer into each cup until mostly full. Stir.
2. Garnish with mint and lime wedge to serve.

Throwing a Party and don’t want to play bartender all night?  Serve this Moscow Mule punch- which is basically one giant Moscow mule.

Shopping List
4 c. ice
4 c. ginger beer
3 c. vodka
1 c. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 c. mint leaves, plus more for garnish
limes, sliced, plus more for garnish
Tools
Punch bowl, Ladle, Cooper mugs, Stirrers, knife

1. In a large punch bowl, combine ice, ginger beer, vodka, lime juice, lime slices, and mint
2. Ladle punch into glasses or copper mugs and garnish with more mint.

Recipe & Photo courtesy of Delish
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Don’t Miss LI’s Winter Restaurant Week January 26th- February 2nd, 2020 3153

Long Island Restaurant Week Winter 2020

Join us for our Winter Long Island Restaurant Week January 26th – February 2nd, 2020. As always during restaurant week, participating restaurants will offer a $29.95 three-course prix fixe all night every night they are open from Sunday to Sunday, except Saturday when it only has to be offered until 7 p.m. 

There are new restaurants participating this winter. Why not take this opportunity to get out and try a new spot, or head back to some of your favorites. With so many different cuisines and options to choose from, you are sure to find something to suit your palate. Bon Appétit!

Here is the list of participating Suffolk County restaurants, click on the Restaurant name for menu options or to make a reservation :

Alexandros Kitchen and Bar (631) 979-9700  Suffolk – Smithtown, Mediterranean

Alexandros Restaurant (631) 928- 8600  Suffolk – Mount Sinai, Mediterranean

Athenian Greek Taverna  (631) 499-7660  Suffolk – Commack, Greek

Avino’s Italian Table (631) 803-6416  Suffolk – Bellport, Italian

Babylon Carriage House (631) 422-5161  Suffolk – Babylon, American

Barmani’s Kitchen and Bar (631) 659-3889  Suffolk – Huntington, Continental

Bella Vie  (631) 500-9045 Suffolk – Bay Shore, Italian

Besito Mexican  (516) 620-3222  Suffolk – West Islip, Mexican

Besito Mexican  (631) 549-0100  Suffolk – Huntington, Mexican

Bistro 25   (631) 589-7775  Suffolk – Sayville, New American

Bistro 58 (631) 881-6013  Suffolk – Islandia, American

Bistro Cassis Huntington (631) 881- 6013  Suffolk – Huntington, French

Café Buenos Aires (631) 603- 3600  Suffolk – Huntington, French

Cafe Havana Bar And Grill  (631) 670-6277  Suffolk – Smithtown, Cuban

Café Joelle (631) 589-4600  Suffolk – Sayville, American

Captain Bill’s  (631) 665-6262 Suffolk – Bay Shore, Seafood

Casa Rustica  (631) 265-9265  Suffolk – Smithtown, Italian

Chachama (631) 758-7640  Suffolk – East Patchogue, New American

Chop Shop Bar and Grill (631) 360-3380  Suffolk – Smithtown, American

Cinque Terre Ristorante  (631) 923-1255  Suffolk – Huntington Sta., Italian

Drift 82  (631) 714-4950  Suffolk – Patchogue, American

Garden Grill Restaurant  (631) 265-8771  Suffolk – Smithtown, American

George Martin’s Strip Steak (631) 650-6777  Suffolk – Great River, Steakhouse

H20 East Islip  (631) 277-4800  Suffolk – East Islip, Seafood

H20 Smithtown   (631) 361-6464  Suffolk – Smithtown, Seafood

Honu Kitchen & Cocktails  (631) 421-6900  Suffolk – Huntington, American

Imperial Meat Company (631) 824-6222  Suffolk – Huntington, Steakhouse

Irish Coffee Pub   (631) 277-0007  Suffolk – East Islip, Continental

ITA Kitchen (631) 267-5916  Suffolk – Bayshore, Italian

Jonathan’s Ristorante  (631) 549-0055  Suffolk – Huntington, Italian

Konoba Huntington (631) 824-7712  Suffolk – Huntington, Mediterranean

La Parma II Italian Restaurant (631) 367-6360  Suffolk – Huntington, Italian

LaTavola (631) 750-6900  Suffolk – Sayville, Italian

Le Soir Restaurant  (631) 472-9090  Suffolk – Bayport, French

Lombardi’s on the Bay (631) 654- 8970  Suffolk – Patchogue, Italian

Mac’s Steakhouse (631) 549-5300  Suffolk – Huntington, Steakhouse

Maria’s (631) 979-7724  Suffolk – Nesconset, Latin

Matteo’s of Huntington (631) 421- 6001  Suffolk – Huntington Station, Italian

Mirabelle Restaurant & Tavern (631) 751-0555 Suffolk – Stony Brook, French

Mission Taco (631) 614-8226 Suffolk – Huntington, Mexican

Monsoon   (631) 587-4400  Suffolk – Babylon, Asian

Nantuckets  (631) 509-4848  Suffolk – Port Jefferson, American

Orto  (631) 473-0014  Suffolk – Miller Place, Italian

Pasta Pasta  (631) 331-5335  Suffolk – Port Jefferson, Italian

Piccola Bussola Ristorante (631) 692- 6300  Suffolk – Huntington, Italian

Piccola Mondo (631) 462-0718 Suffolk – Huntington, Italian

Pietro Cucina Italiana (631) 862-6129  Suffolk – St. James, Italian

Pine Grove Inn Steakhouse & Seafood (732) 900-4978  Suffolk – East Patchogue, American

Raimo’s of Amityville (631) 608-3260  Suffolk – Amityville, Italian

Recipe Seven Cocktails and Kitchen (631) 331-5454 Suffolk – Miller Place, American

RHUM Island Inspired Cuisine & Rum Bar  (631) 569-5944  Suffolk – Patchogue, Eclectic

Ristegio’s (631) 731- 3663  Suffolk – Patchogue, American

Salt & Barrel  (631) 647-8818  Suffolk – BayShore, Seafood

Sandbar Restaurant (631) 498-6188  Suffolk – Cold Spring Harbor, American

Sea Basin Restaurant (631) 744-1643 Suffolk – Rocky Point, Seafood

Snapper Inn  (631) 589-0248  Suffolk – Oakdale, Seafood

Taormina Ristorante (631) 499-6900  Suffolk – Commack, Italian

The Blue (631) 446-4233  Suffolk – Islip, American

The Fish Store (631) 472-3018  Suffolk – Bayport, Seafood

The LakeHouse Restaurant (631) 666-0995  Suffolk – Bayshore, New American

The Main Event (631) 522-1030  Suffolk – Farmingdale, American

The Sayville Inn (631) 319- 6774  Suffolk – Sayville, American

Ting Restaurant (631) 425-7788  Suffolk – Huntington, Asian

Verace  (631) 277-3800  Suffolk – Islip, Italian

View Restaurant  (631) 589-2694  Suffolk – Oakdale, Seafood

Vittorio’s Italian Steakhouse (631) 264-3333  Suffolk – Amityville, Steakhouse

Wave Steakhouse and Seafood (631) 928-5200  Suffolk – Port Jefferson, American

Whalers (631) 647-9300 Suffolk – Bayshore, New American

Long Island Restaurant Week is a tri-annual event designed to garner positive publicity and additional business for the region’s restaurants. Since 2006, it has been an annual November promotion until the first spring Long Island Restaurant Week was launched in April 2011 and then winter was added in January of 2016, due to popular customer and restaurateur demand.  Don’t miss out, get out and be a part of this popular event!

 

Bellport High School Robotics Team Attends First LI TECH Challenge Qualifier 2912

Bellport High School’s Bellport Clippers Team 12899 participated in the FIRST Long Island TECH Challenge qualifier, a robotics competition, held at William Floyd High School on Jan. 11. Under the direction of high school technology teacher Jaime Canjura and alumnus Brian Larkin, the 11-member robotics team competed against 21 Long Island teams from Suffolk and Nassau counties.

FIRST Tech Challenge teams are challenged to design, build, program and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge each year. The team’s next competition will be held on Feb. 2 at the Long Island School for The Gifted in Huntington.

Since the 2018-19 school year, the team has doubled in size and hopes to continue growing due to the interest of incoming eighth grade students participating in the Bellport Middle School FIRST Lego League.

“The team’s philosophy is to inspire students to be and do their best,” Mr. Canjura explained. “We follow the concept of Gracious Professionalism, a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.”

The South Country Central School District extends team members Joseph Balsamo (lead software engineer and programmer), Jake D’Esposito (programmer and IT), Robert Gronenthal (secretary and robot chassis designer), Isaiah James (team president and lead designer), Chris Lannon, Thomas Miller (treasurer), Ainesis Reid (media, marketing and programming), Soteria Reid (media and marketing specialist), Antonio Suarez (mechanical hardware technician and designer trainee), Jack Stark (mechanical hardware technician and designer trainee) and Michael Vengroski (team captain and lead designer) best wishes for success.

Photo caption: Members of Bellport High School’s Bellport Clippers Team 12899 held their robot designed for the FIRST robotics competitions.

Photo courtesy of the South Country Central School District

 

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