JoshLaw312
The most recent posting is a song by Christina Perri, "Jar of Hearts".
You can find the original song here.
~Josh~
You can check out music by Josh at this youtube channel:
JoshLaw312 The most recent posting is a song by Christina Perri, "Jar of Hearts". You can find the original song here. ~Josh~
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St. Paddy's Day, a great holiday celebrating the life of a man who spent most of his days setting up churches and other institutions in Ireland... And a great excuse to drink!
March 17th, actually is his death date. You can find an extended version here at wikipedia. Let's give him the CM&S treatment. Since we're celebrating on the day he died, we'll use Death's Door as our base alcohol. They make a great Vodka, but we're actually going to use the whisky. Note that it is spelt whisky, not whiskey. Death's Door is American made. We've got to make it green like Chicago's River, but we don't want to use food coloring. Lets use another Chicago favorite that is seasonal, McDonald's Shamrock Shake. Man, this is starting to sound really good. We don't want you to get to full, because tradition says, when you celebrate St. Paddy's, you must celebrate from morning 'till night. So let's actually get down with the kid's sized version, which is is 12oz. and 420(!) calories. You can see the Shamrock Shake's Nutrition here. Let's get it started. We need a good name. "Paddy's Shakedown" 2oz. Death's Door Whisky 1 Kid Sized Shamrock Shake Start by ordering a Shamrock Shake from one of the locations in Chicago that offer it, then drink enough of the green concoction so you can fit in your Death's Door. Add whisky. Make sure to mix it very well, as the thick shake will not easily blend with your alcohol. Drink and enjoy a safe St. Patrick's Day! ~Josh~ p.s. if you've got another awesome name for this drink, please leave it in the comments below! Following our political theme, let's issue a drink for a phrase recently coined by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
He has been through many scandals recently, but the most recent involve what he has termed "Bunga Bunga" parties. I'll let you figure that one out, here's our drink. Bunga Bunga: 1 part Frangelico 1 part Amaretto 1 part Campari Serve on the rocks, take the first sip while facing Italy. ~In good times Josh Since Chicago is having mayoral elections this Tuesday, I figured maybe we could invent a drink in honor of our future ex-mayor.
Let's start with the original: "John Daley" 1.5oz Vodka .5oz Triple Sec Fill with half lemonade half Iced Tea Now, we add our personal flair. We'll use "Silver Wolf" brand vodka both for its representation of his hair, and its economic impact. Let's also reduce the number of ingredients, in the spirit of retirement. Since we've got a public servant stepping down, we'll call it: "Daley's Day Off" 2oz "Silver Wolf" Vodka 1oz triple sec Fill with Iced Tea That should get us through the weekend, and hopefully tuesday night as well. ~To good times Josh I don't know if you heard about the crazy snow going on in Chicago right now, but check out this pic on yfrog.com.
Needless to say, most of Chicago is snowed down. That doesn't mean we can't do a little in-home entertaining right?! Here is a hot drink that is perfect for a snow day. Irish Coffee: 2 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream Coffee Add the Bailey's to a coffee mug first, then add black coffee to fill. Traditional Irish coffee mugs are made of glass and look like this. Bailey's is actually a liqueur that doesn't have as high of an alcohol content(34 proof) as say a vodka or rum(80 proof). It does have a very nice chocolate taste. You most likely won't need to add cream to your coffee with this. You could also add one of the flavor variations that Bailey's offers. I'm fond of the chocolate mint version. If you're looking for a bartender or DJ, give Chicago Movers and Shakers a shot. To good times in the snow, ~Josh Law~ So, you've decided to throw an event with a DJ. What's next?
This is actually as complicated or as simple as you want to make it. I'll take a look at many of the things you want to consider in detail in this series. The easy way to hire a DJ or Emcee: Ask a friend for a reference. If they liked them, it is more than likely that you will like them as well. Problem solved, right? Maybe. Many DJs will work 30-50 weddings a year. That means they probably knock at least a couple out of the park, and earn some word of mouth referrals that way. It is also possible that they do great work most of the time. At the other end of the spectrum you may end up with an entertainer who rolls like this. Or like this. Phil Collins would be ashamed. To avoid this variety of tragic event happening at your wedding or private event, make sure you interview your DJ. You should ask him/her about the types of music they are familiar with, their personal style, and their ability to work within your event's parameters. Are you throwing a bachelor/bachelorette party with a few close friends? Maybe a house party with a rowdy group? How about a wedding on the beach? The DJ and their equipment should be flexible enough to handle any of these with ease. Ask them about their music library. Is it filled with up-to-date pop and dance music? Does it have music appropriate for a quencianera or bar mitzvah? Make sure they have what you need for your event. Make sure you do your homework when selecting a DJ. Ask questions, read referrals, and get reviews. A great DJ will be happy to answer your questions openly and honestly, and will work with you to put on a great event. Of course Chicago Movers and Shakers will be happy to speak with you about an event in Chicago. Just contact us. Also check out our bartending and DJ combo services and prices to make planning your event one step simpler. Hire a DJ in Chicago? Hire an MC in Chicago? Hire a bartender in Chicago? Chicago Movers and Shakers is ready to work with you. To good times, ~Josh Law~ Martinis are surrounded with many stories, myths, beliefs, etc... lets unravel one or two today.
First off, what alcohol is in a martini? If you answered Vodka, you are right. If you answered Gin, you are right. Both of these ingredients have had their heyday in the traditional martini. In America the gin martini was most common up until about the 1960's. This was about the time when Ian Flemming's character James Bond was saying, "Shaken, not stirred", referring to his vodka martini. The Vodka Martini(also known as The Kangaroo) took over as the more popular cocktail, and remained that way until the 1990's. At this time Martinis were reinvented. A martini became anything that was served in the martini glass. This opened up the types of ingredients bartenders were able to use while mixing the popular beverage. This invariably lead to an innumerable amount of variations on the traditional martini. Some of the more popular concoctions include: the Apple Martini, the Chocolate Martini, the Cosmopolitan(famed by the girls of "Sex in the City"), the Lemon Drop, the Manhattan, and the Key Lime Pie Martini. Let's look at two Martini recipes. Classic Gin Martini 5 parts Gin 1 part dry Vermouth Chill one martini glass with ice and water. Combine ingredients in tin and shake until the outside of the tin is cold to the touch. Strain into emptied and chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cocktail onion or 3 olives. There are so many variations on Martini preparation they would be to many to list. If you are looking for more information on that, try this well-written and witty FAQ on the Martini. The Cosmopolitan: 6 parts Vodka 3 parts Triple-Sec 2 parts Cranberry Juice 1 splash fresh Lime Juice Chill one martini glass with ice and water. Combine ingredients in tin and shake until the outside of the tin is cold to the touch. Strain into emptied and chilled martini glass. No garnish. Take the first sip while facing the general direction of New York City. If you're interested in James Bond's Martini. This one is called, The Vesper. If you would like to hire a bartender in the Chicagoland area, please contact me, and check out the rest of my website. If you would like to learn more about bartending, consider taking one of our Entertainment Education classes on the subject. In good times, ~Josh Law~ CMAS website has been built today. I used Weebly editor. Pretty smooth, and easy to use. I've built 5 pages and this blog. I definitely recommend this editor over the the one the google people put out. This is much more user friendly.
As a bartender I'm often asked: What is your favorite drink? I would have to say it is the "Colorado Bulldog". In Canada it is called a "Paralyzer". Here it is: 1.5oz. Kahlua 1.5oz. Vodka Fill with Coke Add 1/2 and 1/2 or cream Roll Serve in a highball glass This drink ends up looking a little bit like mud, but tastes very smooth and has a kind of chocolate/mocha flavor to it. I prefer it very light on the cream, but most establishments and bartenders tend to use more than enough. Variations: Try adding some Bailey's Irish Cream instead of or in addition to the 1/2 and 1/2. Also using vanilla Vodka like a Stoli is very tasty. In good times, ~Josh~ |
Author: Josh LawOwner, DJ, Chief Mixologist, Party Motivator Categories
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