The Winter Games start in Russia today, but mixologists have had Olympics fever for weeks. Many have developed signature drinks to celebrate the Sochi 2014 Games. For instance, WP24 Restaurant in the downtown Los Angeles Ritz-Carlton is offering the Go for Gold cocktail. Created by beverage director Klaus Puck, the Go For Gold features vodka and elderflower cocktail supports hometown hopefuls who will compete on the rink, including Jonathon Quick and Dustin Brown of the LA Kings and figure skater Polina Edmonds. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the $24 cocktail, which will be available Feb. 7 through Feb. 23, will be donated to the Special Olympics.
Go for Gold
1½ oz. Stoli vodka
¾ oz. St Germain elderflower liqueur
½ oz. Dry vermouth
½ oz. D’Arbo elderflower syrup
24K Gold flakes for garnish
Build in a mixing glass with ice. Shake and strain into a Martini glass and sprinkle with gold flakes.
Mixologist Scott Clime, wine and beverage director for Passion Food Hospitality, creative several unique Olympic-themed cocktails for the company’s Washington, D.C.-area concepts. Here are three of them.
Walk In the Olympic Park
1½ oz. Campo Azul Reposado tequila that’s been infused with jalapeños for one week
½ oz. Patron Citronge
½ oz. Mixed pepper puree
2 oz. House sour mix
This cocktail, which is available at Latin-American inspired restaurant Ceiba in Washington, D.C., is shaken together with ice and poured into a rocks glass with a salt rim.
The Bolshoi Ice Dome
1½ oz. Absolut Kurant
½ oz. Original Blue Curacao
½ oz. Combier Triple Sec
½ oz. Fresh lime juice
½ oz. White cranberry juice
The drink which is served at served at DC Coast in Washington, is shaken with ice and strained table-side into a chilled Martini glass with a frozen blueberry garnish.
To Russia with Love
1½ oz. Stoli Raspberry vodka
1 oz. melon liqueur
½ oz. Triple Sec
½ oz. Cranberry juice
½ oz. Orange juice, all shaken and poured into a rocks glass and garnished with an orange slice.
To Russia with Love is a cocktail offered at PassionFish in Reston, VA. It’s made with 1½ oz. Stoli Raspberry vodka, 1 oz. melon liqueur, ½ oz. Triple Sec, ½ oz. cranberry juice and ½ oz. orange juice, all shaken and poured into a rocks glass and garnished with an orange slice.
Sommelier Chris Sweet at Davio’s Manhattan has created a cocktail that celebrates the spirit of the Olympics by naming it after Alberto Tomba, a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Italy. “Tomba la Bomba” (Tomba the Bomb) not only won nine World Cup season titles, two World Championships, he also scored three Olympic gold medals between the late 1980s and 1990s.
Tomba Bomba
1 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Grappa
½ oz. Lime juice
1 tsp. Ginger syrup
½ oz. Simple syrup
2 oz. Ginger beer
Mix all ingredients, except for the ginger beer, strain over ice, and float the ginger beer on top. Garnish with a black licorice rope in lieu of a straw.
Looking to make a big impact? The mixologists at TY KU have created a hot cocktail to commemorate the Olympics: The TY KU Torch. (Yup, it’s a firery one, so exercise caution!)
The TY KU Torch
2 oz. TY KU Citrus Liqueur
1 oz. Kahlua
1½ oz. Cream
1 oz. Bacardi 151 rum
Ground cinnamon
Shake TY KU Citrus and Kahlua together with ice and strain into Martini glass. Over a bar spoon, pour roughly 1½ oz. of cream to float on top, then over cream float about 1 oz. of Bacardi 151. Light Bacardi 151 with match; as flame burns sprinkle some cinnamon onto flame. Clap hands over flame to put out, give a stir and serve.
At the chillier end of the drinks spectrum, McGillin’s Olde Ale House in Philadelphia has the Red, White & Blue Freedom cocktail. The colorful, frosty drink is one of several patriotic dishes on the operator’s Olympics menu.
Red, White & Blue Freedom
1½ oz. Cups ice
1½ oz. Shots rum
½ cup Strawberry Daiquiri mix
½ cup Piña Colada mix
½ cup Blue Curacao
Blend ½ cup ice, ½ shot rum and strawberry daiquiri mix. Set aside. Blend ½ cup ice, ½ shot rum and Piña Colada mix. Set aside. Blend ½ cup ice, ½ shot rum and Blue Curacao. Carefully pour daiquiri mixture into bottom of a Hurricane glass. Top with Piña Colada mixture. Pour Blue Curacao on top. Pour each layer very carefully so that the colors stay separate.
And LeSutra Sparkling Liqueur gets patriotic with its Red, White & Blueberry. It’s simply 4 oz. Blueberry LeSutra Sparkling Liqueur with a dash of raspberry puree served chilled in a flute.