Makin' it with Maren - "The Spring Break" Cocktail with Kumquats

The Spring Break Cocktail

The Spring Break Cocktail

March 8th, 2013

by Maren Swanson

Spring is just around the corner, and what better way to say hello to warmer days and sunshine than toasting to a fresh cocktail made with the fruits of the season. I cannot tell a lie - this is my favorite cocktail recipe to date. "The Spring Break" is refreshing, citrusy, vibrant and…addicting. The warmer the days become, the more you'll be busting out the muddler and on a mission!

Kumquats are an Asian gem; small, flavorful fruit filled with a sour-citrus punch and encased in a sweet and succulent skin. These olive-sized orange cousins brighten up "The Spring Break" cocktail and serve as a tasty snack, too. Most people are surprised to find out that you can eat the kumquat in its entirety - just be careful of the seeds!

I found kumquats at my local Trader Joe's for around $3. Before you muddle them in the drink, slice them in half and remove the seeds with a fork. Muddle the kumquat halves with the simple syrup, and then layer the rest of the ingredients in a martini shaker. Shake vigorously and pour your drink over fresh ice (including the muddled kumquats). Top with sparkling lemon water. Garnish with fresh basil. As you are enjoying the drink, don't forget to nibble on the vodka soaked kumquat treats.

I guarantee this drink will be one of your new favorites! Plus, it's a great alternative Easter cocktail to serve instead of mimosas. Happy Spring Break!

"The Spring Break" cocktail recipe:

1 1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz triple sec
1 oz Pom or Pom Lite juice
3 kumquats
1/2 oz simple syrup
lemon sparking water
ice
-------------------------------

muddle kumquats with
simple syrup
layer remainding ingredients in
a martini shaker
pour over fresh ice
top off with lemon sparkling water
garnish with fresh basil

Makin' it with Maren - Mercado - Santa Monica

Join me, Maren Swanson, and head mixologist, Gilbert Marquez (of Mercado in Santa Monica), to learn how to make a classic margarita.

Makin' It With Maren - Valentine's Day: "My Valentine" Cocktail

Makin' It With Maren

Valentine's Day Cocktail: "My Valentine"

by Maren Swanson

February 12th, 2013

Learn how to make this delicious mini martini treat for your Valentine!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and I have created a special treat for you! Whether you are single, in love for the first time, in a serious relationship or married, the "My Valentine" cocktail is the perfect love elixir to get you in the mood for V Day. I wanted to make you something that is delicious, beautiful and sexy. I chose to make this drink in a mini martini glass so you get just the right amount of tangy and sweet in one drink.

This drink isn't overly complicated. You'll just need Smirnoff Iced Cake Vodka, Hard Luck Candy "Red Fish" Vodka, Pineapple Juice, Lemon, Ice, Pixy Stick and Red Sugar (optional). If you really want to make an impression on your Valentine, add a rose petal garnish on top.

Smirnoff Iced Cake Vodka

Hard Luck Candy "Red Fish" Vodka

Pineapple Juice

Pixy Stix & Red Sugar

To make this drink, follow the steps below. I promise that this drink will be a huge hit anyone this Valentine's Day!

"My Valentine" Cocktail:

2 oz Smirnoff Iced Cake Vodka
1/2 oz Hard Luck Candy "Red Fish" Vodka
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
Squeeze of 1 Lemon Wedge
Ice

Garnishes:
Rim: Pixy Stix
Rim: Red Sugar
Rose Petals

Layer ingredients in a glass or martini shaker (not garnishes). Add ice and shake well 3 to 4 times. Re-distribute mixed ingredients to a mini martini glass or tumbler with ice. Top with garnishes. Serve. Enjoy!

Rim of glass:
1. Pour out 6 packets of red Pixy Stix and red sugar on a small plate.
2. Take your lemon wedge and run it along the rim of the mini martini or glass and then gently twist the rim or the lemon-lined glass into the plate of pixy stix and red sugar to create a flavorful and festive rim for your glass.

My Valentine Cocktail by Maren Swanson

In my opinion, this Valentine's Day cocktail tastes like a strawberry cupcake - my favorite!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cheers,

Maren

Check out more drink recipes on Lovehappyhour.com

Love Happy Hour - Super Bowl 2013 - All Day Happy Hours & Specials - Los Angeles, California

Super Bowl 2013 - All Day Happy Hours & Specials in Los Angeles, California

January 28th, 2013
by Maren Swanson

Ahhh, February. Once again we are reunited for the Super Bowl, The Academy Awards and Valentine's Day. It's the month where I finally start to feel recovered from the holidays and then, bam! There's seriously an excuse for a party every week. As I've mentioned in previous years, I'm not the biggest football fan. However, make no mistake, I always up for a great Super Bowl party. And since I won't be in New Orleans for the big game, I've compiled a bunch of places to party at with great deals and all day happy hours in Los Angeles. As the Ravens vs 49's game nears, I will continue to update this list, so keep checking back in to discover more deals!

Amalfi (Mid Wishire): If you've ever attended an ACME comedy show on La Brea, then you've probably had a drink at Amalfi's next door. In addition to great Italian food, they have a great happy hour ($2 off all drinks and $7 appetizers), which will be going on during their 2nd Annual Super Bowl viewing party on Sunday, February 3rd. If you go, you can catch the game on their giant 12 foot screen.

143 N La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 938-2504

Mohawk Bend (Echo Park): Already known for their great happy hour and 72 taps of craft beer, Mohawk Bend will be offering a $30 ALL - you-can-eat pizza and beer deal (from their tap collection) for the big game. Pizza options are: The Abe roman, The Pig Newton, The PBJ or Vegan: Banh Mi, Able Farmin' and Smoked Tofu BBQ. Call ahead or email to make table reservations (reservations@mohawk.la).

2141 W Sunset Blvd,

Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 483-2337

Napa Valley Grille (Westwood): I've been dying to check out the all night Sunday happy hour at Napa Valley Grille in Westwood, but until then, I might just opt for the $2 PBRs and $0.50 wings on the menu for Sundays Ravens vs. 49's game. But, I guess I can do both now?! At happy hour, enjoy $2 beers, $4 - 6 wine by the glass, $5 - 6 cocktails and $4 - 7 small plates.

1100 Glendon Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 824-3322

Casa Escobar (Westlake Village): During Sunday's big game, enjoy $2 street tacos and Escobar chili dogs. Their regular happy hour runs Monday - Friday, 2pm - 7pm with discounted tapas.

2809 Agoura Road
Westlake Village, CA 91361
(805) 777-7747

Sully's Restaurant & Tavern (Torrance): Sully's in Torrance has a plethora of Super Bowl specials including $2 Pacifico and Dos Equis drafts, $2.50 16oz Bud cans, $4 Jamesons, $5 Bloody Mary bar, Jack Daniels, Jager Bombs and Fireballs, $9.95 all-you-can-eat tacos, $12.50 Heineken buckets and $29.95 endless Chang beer towers. With $500 in raffle prizes thrown in, Sully's will be throwing quite the party.

22735 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 375-9178

Texas Loosey's (Torrance): Serving up chili and Texas BBQ, Texas Loosey's will also get their Super Bowl Sunday party started in style with $1 beers (until the keg blows) and then happy hour extended until the game ends.

22252 Palos Verdes Blvd, Torrance, CA 92591
(310) 540-9799

The Phoenix (Beverly Hills): The Phoenix in Bevelry Hills will be serving it up buffet style on February 3rd with a $30 all-you-can-eat or drink deal. If you feel like doing both, go all in for $50 per person for food and beverage. So skip the clean up at your house and enjoy some great New Orleans style grub.

14 N La Cienega Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 289-5925

The Cat & Fiddle (Hollywood): Enjoy $4.50 beers, well drinks and wine during the game at The Cat & Fiddle this Sunday. The patio at this Hollywood destination rocks and if you get hungry, they are providing $5 Super Bowl snacks - not to mention, a 92" projector screen too!

6530 Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 468-3800

More ALL day & night SUNDAY happy hours.

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Robata Jinya Happy Hour - Mid Wilshire - Los Angeles

Robata Jinya - Happy Hour
by Maren Swanson

January 15th, 2012

Dear Love,

It was the day after New Year's Eve, January 1st, and I thought for sureRobata Jinya would be dead. I thought every restaurant in Los Angeles would be dead; partying hard the night before was sure to keep everyone at home, nursing their hangovers. I hadn't been to the 3rd street restaurant in awhile, but I had heard they added a happy hour so I was ready to stop back in. In the spirit for more spirits (hair of the dog) and honoring new resolutions (going out to eat more), I called ahead to try and make a last minute reservation. Busy. I tried three more times and again, busy.

The busy phone line should have warned me. My boyfriend and I walked into a crowded dining room and were added to a list. "Did you make a reservation?" the manager questioned. "We tried," I responded and he gave a understanding nod (he was also answering the phone).

Robata Jinya is a Japanese restaurant featuring an array of robata skewers, sushi, ramen and other Asian tapas. "Robata" means cooking over an open flame. I used to work at a robata style restaurant, so I was very familiar with this style of food. Generally, most robata grills use Binchotan charcoal, which is high-quality and fairly expensive to import. Once heated, Binchtan can reach extremely high temperatures (up to a thousand degrees) which quickly grills meats or vegetables, giving them a smoky flavor and practically steaming the dishes.

We were seated at the sushi bar and ordered the $5 HH Lychee Martini and a $3 HH Sapporo draft while we looked over the rest of the menu. It took awhile for the server to come back over, but the manager, also acting as host, came by to check on us. Can I please buy this guy a Redbull? The place was obviously busy, but the food came out quickly and we had got seated just in time because there was a line forming outside the main entrance.

Tukune chicken meat ball and Chasu pork skewers ($2 each)

The happy hour at menu at Robata Jinya was sparse, but when you consider the rest of their menu is fairly inexpensive, you can't really complain.We enjoyed the spicy tuna rice cakes (3pcs) for $5 and also loved the Tukune chicken meatball skewer and Chasu pork (served with Karashi mustard) for $2 each, which were juicy and flavorful. We passed, but you can also order the happy hour creamy shrimp tempura for $5.

I ventured outside the happy hour menu to try the tuna sashimi with a soy wasabi sauce; big cubes of tuna and avocado wrapped in a banana leaf were fresh and slightly spicy. My other robata skewer favorites were beef with garlic soy, shishito peppers and lotus root. The beef was moist, accompanied grilled garlic cloves, and the vegetables were crunchy and slightly smoky.

Besides the slower service in the beginning, I really enjoyed the overall experience of Robata Jinya and so did the regulars seated next to us. The prices are right, the food is great and it's nearby. Plus, next time I'm encouraged to try their Omakase option starting as low as $25 per person. Now, that's a steal. Oh, and by the way, I ended up there again the following night. Looks like they have a new regular.

XoXo,

Maren

Robata Jinya Happy Hour:

Monday - Friday, 5:30 - 7pm

$3 Sapporo Draft Beer

$5 Lychee Martini

$2 Tukune Chicken Meatball or Chasu Pork Skewer

$5 Creamy Shrimp Tempura or Spicy Tuna Rice Cakes

MID WILSHIRE HAPPY HOURS

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Love Happy Hour - Downtown Culver City Third Wednesday "Holiday Happy Hour"

Downtown Culver City- Third Wednesday "Holiday Happy Hour"

This Wednesday, December 19th, join Downtown Culver City for their "Third Wednesday Holiday Happy Hour." An outdoor ice skating rink (2 for 1 special this Wednesday), reindeer carolers, happy hour specials and free egg nog shots are some the enticing festive offerings of the night.

Rush Street, Rocco's Tavern, Bottle Rock, Ford's Filling Station, Akasha and Hikari are some of the restaurants and bars included in this year's festivities. You can also save on gas and grueling traffic by riding the new Expo Line Culver City Station to the event. So if you've waited until last minute to get into the holiday spirit, then now is your chance to mingle, enjoy your favorite places to eat at and sample some holiday-themed cocktails at happy hour prices.

Downtown Culver City - Third Wednesday "Holiday Happy Hour"
5pm - 9pm.

Downtown Culver City Businiess Association

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Holiday Cocktail: The White Christmas

Makin' It With Maren

by Maren Swanson

December 11th, 2012

Living in Los Angeles is great; the summers aren't too hot and the winters are mild. However, when the holidays roll around, I definitely long for the seasonal changes like snow, sledding, snowmen - noticing a pattern here? The white, fluffy consistency of snow is a luxury that I don't get to experience, so unless I'm watching a movie like White Christmas or other snow-themed movies, I'm left to my imagination…

Since I will be planning some holiday parties of my own, I wanted to create a cocktail this winter that would mimic the idea of snow and add the flavors of the holidays. So after a few trips to the store and some experiments with my KitchenAid mixer, I concocted one of my favorite drinks yet: The White Christmas.

The White Christmas cocktail is tasty, playful and it gets me in the mood - for the holidays, that is! The peppermint whipped cream on top is an added treat that your guests can eat with the candy cane garnish. Based on the famous White Russian cocktail, The White Christmas starts with good

old-fashioned Kahlua (we tried the new Cinnamon Spice flavor), vodka and milk, but with a twist!

To make this drink, follow the steps below. I promise that this drink will be a huge hit for family and friends this Christmas!

The White Christmas:

1 oz Vodka
1 oz Cinnamon Spice Kahlua
4 ozs Milk (fat free, 2% or whole milk)
1/2 oz Sweet Italian Creamer (Coffemate - fat free or regular)
1/4 oz Peppermint Extract
Ice

Garnishes:
Peppermint Whipped Cream (see below)
Peppermint Sprinkles
Mini Candy Canes
Mint Sprigs

Layer ingredients in a glass or martini shaker (not garnishes). Add ice and shake well 3 to 4 times. Re-distribute mixed ingredients to a fresh glass of ice. Top with garnishes. Serve. Enjoy!

Peppermint Whipped Cream:
1. You can add peppermint extract to already prepared store bought whipped cream or:
2. Use a stand mixer to whipped one small container of cold whipping cream. After whipping for 5 minutes on medium speed, add in a 1/2 cup of sifted powdered sugar and 3/4 oz of peppermint extract (to taste).