Screaming Pussycat Cocktail

I thought I'd share another one of my original cocktail recipes today - I call this one the Screaming Pussycat.  I named it after my cat Travis, who is by far the most vocal of our three felines.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz grapefruit vodka
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1 oz Grand Marnier
• 1/2 oz orgeat
• 1 cup crushed ice

For the vodka, I like Deep Eddy's grapefruit vodka, but any good grapefruit vodka will work.  Orgeat is an almond-flavored syrup and it can be a little difficult to find, but it is a necessary ingredient in a lot of tropical cocktails, including Mai Tais.  You'll probably want to go to a big liquor store to look for it - you might want to call to make sure they have it.  If you can't find it locally (I could never find it when I lived in Boston), you can order it online at Finest Call or a lot of other places. 

Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.

Serve in a tiki mug or your glass of choice.

And here's our very own Screaming Pussycat.  MEOW!

Raspberry Kitten

One of my favorite things to do is create new cocktails.  This is one of my favorites: the Raspberry Kitten.  I named it after my mom's cat, Crockett.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz lemon vodka
• 1 oz orange juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1 oz Grand Marnier Signature Collection º2 Raspberry Peach
• 1 cup crushed ice

My favorite vodka to use for this cocktail is Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka - it is really good and sour and made in Austin.  For lime juice, Nellie and Joe's key lime juice is a must - RealLime and other lime juices do not compare.  I like to use tangerine juice when it is available, but orange juice works fine.

Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.

Serve in a tiki mug or your glass of choice.

And if you're wondering why I call Crockett the Raspberry Kitten - there's your answer!