The Hangover II: Cocktail Recipes

Cocktails, Cooking How-To, Dinner + Movie, Drinks, Featured Article, How-To, Recipes
on June 25, 2011
side car
Mark Boughton Photography / styling by Teresa Blackburn
https://easykitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/24152_side_car_cocktail_final-150x150.jpg

In this summer’s The Hangover: Part II, the boys are back, Bangkok bound and ready for another bachelor-party-gone-bad. Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) reprise their roles as the unlucky threesome that once again lose a wedding party member after a long night of alcohol-induced partying.

So what can we learn from Stu waking up with a Mike Tyson tattoo on his face or from Alan having no recollection of shaving his head during their late night escapades? Well for starters, if you want to retain your memory (and dignity), sip, don't gulp. A perfect cocktail is the culmination of many factors, beginning with fresh ingredients, quality liquors and liqueurs, and understanding some bar-back basics.

Here are four essential mixology tips, followed a menu of our favorite cocktails in honor of Stu, Phil, and Alan. Bottoms up.

  1. Chill Out. Frost your glasses in the freezer before serving to keep your concoctions cool.
  2. Shaken vs. Stirred. Shake drinks that contain juice or creamy ingredients and stir those that are comprised solely of spirits.
  3. Juicy Garnishes. For good-looking drinks, add fresh fruit slices of strawberries, pineapples or limes, whole small berries, olives or pickled onions to the rims of your glasses or speared on small skewers. Freshly squeezed juices are also great mixers and splashes.
  4. Pour on the Side of Caution. When mixing for yourself or friends, it can be tempting to go a little overboard on the alcohol portion of the recipe. But go too far and you will throw off the flavor balance creating a sloppy drink and an even sloppier hangover-esque night. A little restraint goes a long way!

By Emily Arno