Aspen Times Weekly Libation: Pina Colada
2 ½ to 3 ounces of rum
2 ounces cream of coconut
2 ounces pineapple juice
Crushed ice (enough to fill the serving glass)
Pour all of the ingredients into the blender and blend thoroughly until smooth. Pour back into your serving glass, top off with a straw and a piece of pineapple. (Note: I would probably never make a piña colada at home, but you never know...)
– from pinacoladarecipe.org
In this day and age, it seems bartenders are akin to chefs; mixologists, they are often called. Indeed, the cocktails and concoctions I have tasted while “researching” Libations each week have been surprisingly creative, superbly crafted and sometimes mind-blowing. But there are times when you just want to keep it simple. A cold Budweiser on a hot day. A glass of house wine with a happy hour appetizer. A pi ñ a colada while hanging by the pool. Yes, it’s cheesy. But on a recent weekend escape to a blazing hot Arizona resort, my girlfriend and I indulged in the classic pi ñ a colada — blended, with pineapple garnish and paper umbrella for good measure. There were other colada options (prickly pear being the most interesting) and other boat drinks to try (a blue curaçao-based one seemed quite popular), but we stuck to our guns. Because, like I said, sometimes you just want to keep simple. Sometimes, cheesy is good – this was one of those times.
Bar Talk: sway Thai
sway opened its Aspen doors at the beginning of February with nine cocktails on the menu including some options not offered in Austin, such as a Thai coffee martini, fitting in with this mountain town’s espresso martini infatuation.