Drinking under Quarantine

Spicy Jalapeno Margarita Mix & Grapefruit Cocktail Mix by LAVA.

These are Great Mixers

This company contacted me recently for a collaboration, which pretty much means that I get to try their product for free and pass on a discount for you, and all for the small price of show casing their product. So, just know that I’m not getting paid for this and I’m sharing my true opinions about these two products.

First off I’m happy with the shipping, 3 days from Florida to the mid-west and nothing was broken. That’s important because I ordered a 6 gallon carboy last week and it arrived shattered with bubble wrap. These mixer bottles are glass too but they both arrived unscathed with no bubble wrap so, that’s saying something.

I received a Spicy Jalapeno Margarita Mixer and a Ruby Grapefruit Cocktail Mix. The Margarita Mixer recipe requires, of course, tequila and Lava recommends vodka or gin for the Grapefruit cocktail mix. I chose to go with gin.

The Jalapeno Margarita I thought was amazing. I salted the rim with chamoy and tajin, which gave it some more kick, and I felt like they paired very well together. Over all, I’ll definitely be adding Jalapeno to my Margarita’s in the future.

The Grapefruit cocktail was good too and probably about as good as it could get. The second time I tried it I liked it even better because I rimmed the glass with honey and sugar and I think that helped balance the sour. My wife thought it was great but we both agreed that we liked the margarita’s better.

How much do they Cost

I only have one con for these products and it is simple; I don’t like the price, and not just because I’m the Poor Man’s Gourmet Kitchen or because I’m frugal. They’ve included a 10% off discount for purchases over $20 dollars but at $12.99 per 1 ltr bottle(33.8 oz), that still only knocks you down to $11.69, plus tax and shipping costs. Sorry Lava, I’ll stick with Mr. & Mrs. T Margarita Mix for $6.99 per 1.75 ltr (59.2 oz)and just blend in a Jalapeno. And, their Strawberry Daiquiri/Margarita mixer is even cheaper than that but tastes incredible. Plus, I can get it at any Walmart and most grocery stores.

I’m all for supporting small business’s and I love these products but LAVA has just got to be reasonable. If they want these drinks to take off, they need to drop that price down a little more, get people addicted to it, like crack/cocaine, and then hike up the price. Just my two cents.

UPDATE: LAVA has the following response to offer in regards to pricing.

“As far as product pricing goes, we definitely feel you but for online orders unfortunately the shipping company makes most of the money as it costs us anywhere from $9~$10 to ship our glass bottles which are much heavier than plastic and require better packaging. Add to that credit card processing fees, packaging, cost of goods, etc., and it doesn’t leave a whole lot. At retail stores here in California, the bottles retail for about $7.99~$9.99 since we don’t need to ship across the country. Just wanted to let you know for reference.
The good news is, we are working on a better discount structure for online orders based on bottle volume so if someone orders 2, 3, 4, bottles we can pass additional savings (that we get from the shipping company) on to the customer.”

Lava Mixers Unveiling/Review – Drinking Under Quarantine – PoorMansGourmet

Bloody Mary Brunch

The Best Bloody Mary

I’ve always loved a good cocktail and this Bloody Mary Brunch is no exception because it’s got it all. Not only are they known for being a fantastic hangover cure, restaurants around the world are now making them a meal by adding epic ingredients to the garnishment. It use to only incorporate a few vegetables like a stick of celery and some green olives but, now days, you can get just about anything and I’m going to show you exactly what I’m talking about.

1 box of frozen microwaveable Cheeseburger Sliders.

Bloody Mary Garnish’s

The last thing anyone wants, when they’re hungover, is difficulty so, in this Bloody Mary demonstration, I keep it simple by using a products that only take a few minutes to put together and cook. In these instances, the freezer section at your local grocery store can be your best friend; especially if you planned ahead and already have a box of microwaveable goodies in your ice box. In this post I use White Castles cheeseburger sliders(which I’m, in no way, affiliated), but you can use all kinds of things. Jalapeno Poppers, Bagel Bites, Jimmy Dean Breakfast sandwich’s, cheese sticks or pizza pockets are just some examples.

Now when it comes to the Bloody Mary mix, I do like them bold and spicy. One of the best mix recipes that I have ever come across, and again I’m not affiliated with, is made by Zing Zang. I’m pretty sure it can now be found in every grocery Walmart around the world. I’ve used it to make my Red Beer and it’s amazing to cook a roast in.

I use pickle juice and Tajin to salt and spice the rim of my glass. Tajin is used in my Mangonada Recipe and I’ve got a pic of what it looks like in that post. It has a wonderful blend of dehydrated and ground chili peppers, sea salt and lime juice so, it’s perfect for any Bloody Mary recipe.

Bloody Mary Brunch Ingredients:

1 glass Ice
3 oz Vodka
8 oz Bloody Mary Mix
3 tbsp Pickle Juice
3 tbsp Tajin, spicy salt
1 pc Bacon, cooked
1 stick Celery
2 Slider Cheese burgers
1 Pickle, small
2 Queen Pimento Green Olives

I use shish kebab sticks for skewers and straws for Drinking these Bloody Mary Brunch cocktail’s.

Mangonada

The Best Mangonada

If you love a good Mangonada, you’re going to love this recipe. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s known by several other names you might recognize it for like Mangoneada, Mangonanda or Chamango. Basically it’s a Mexican fruit drink that is made with Chamoy, fresh Mangos, Lime juice and Chili Powder or Tajin. Make it a Cocktail by adding Tequila and Triple Sec and garnish with a Tamarind candy straw and a slice of lime.

Chamoy Sauce and Tajin seasoning for glass garnishing and spice.

Mangonada Garnish

The main ingredient for this Mangonada recipe is obviously mango but do you know everything else that goes in and out of your drink? The secret to my recipe is sorbet. If you use Mango Sorbet in this drink you’re practically guaranteeing success. Next you need Chili powder or Tajin to “salt” the rim of your glass. Tajin is nice because it adds a salty and spicy lime taste instead of just heat. Chamoy sauce is added to the inside of the glass and creates a fiery red and orange tone to the Chamango with a hint of sour. So, add to you’re specific tastes, caution or confidence. Then, of course, garnish with a slice of lime and the Tamarind candy straw or lollipop, if you have one.

Check out my Margarita Mixer recipe and how I like to make a Margarita, frozen or on the rocks!

Mangonada Ingredients: Makes 2

4 cups ice
1 pint Mango Sorbet
3 oz Tequila
3 oz Triple Sec
1 Lime
Garnish with Chamoy Sauce, Tajin and Lime

Follow the instructions in the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this Mangonada recipe.