So, what do you do when you have plum vodka, originally purchased for my recipe for Spicy Plum Crunch, and there it sits, almost untouched with all the other liqueurs looking lost and abandoned? Or so it must have appeared to Mr. C., because the next thing I knew he was offering me a sip of a new drink he had just fixed for himself. Well that was his only mistake. He should have mixed one for me too!

Now as you might rightly assume because I write a cooking blog, that I am not a picky eater when it comes to trying new ingredients. I’m almost willing to try any type of food. Almost. But I am a very picky drinker. I like very few mixed drinks. I drink Tanqueray martinis, Mr. Cs Tanqueray gin gimlets, Mr. Cs Margaritas, Mr. Cs Cosmopolitans, and….wait….that’s about it! Well until recently that is. I now add a Plum Vodka Cosmopolitan to my short list.  Full disclosure: I really like beer. So occasionally I enjoy a dark beer, but rarely more than once a year. (Not good for me.) And I try to stay away from wine as much as possible, but that’s not easy. (Again not good for me. Too much sugar for my aging system to handle.) So I pretty much stick to martinis because they seem to have no effect at all on my internal operating system. (Ain’t aging fun!?!?) Anyway, I’m not complaining because I really love me a good old martini.

But I have to tell you. This drink is worth going the extra mile (or how many ever miles it is from your home to the nearest repository of ingredients for adult beverages) just for the pleasure of letting a bit of this liquid trickle down the back of your throat. Delicious doesn’t even cover it. And talk about refreshing. The lime juice just makes the flavor zing.

So next time you want a new and exciting drink to delight your friends with, make them one of these babies. You will become their new national treasure. As will the drink.

Before I leave this preface, please know that all the drinks referenced above are on this site. Would I tell you about how much I enjoy them without providing you with the means to fix one for yourself? Of course not! Silly you! Enjoy

2 oz. plum vodka (we use Pearl Plum Vodka)

1 oz. orange flavored liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Triple Sec)

1 oz. cranberry juice cocktail

juice of ½ small fresh lime

small splash of Rose’s lime juice

ice cubes

lime wheel, garnish, opt.

Pour the vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, fresh lime juice, and Rose’s lime juice over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and pour contents into a chilled Tom Collins glass. Add a few ice cubes. Garnish with a lime wheel if desired.