Hpnotiq

Hpnotiq is a fruit liqueur made from vodka, cognac, and tropical fruit juices. It was created in 2001 by Raphael Yakoby who was inspired by a blue perfume he saw in Bloomingdale's. According to Adams Beverage Media, it is the fourth best selling imported liqueur in the United States.

Hpnotiq is pale blue in colour, fruity in taste, with a slight sour quality. With great versatility, it works extremely well as an addition to vodka and gin, can be used alone with fruit juice, or added to a glass of bubbly. The Hpnotiq web site (thanks to them for the picture below) has an extensive recipe collection which should be perused with caution as there are far to many delicious ideas.

I discovered this yummy liqueur a few years ago while dining at a restaurant with an impressive martini list. A waitress there gave me the mix and I've since adjusted the recipe to suit the taste of my friends and myself, mostly by adding more Hpnotiq.

The Hip Coconut (modified)

1 ounce coconut rum
.5 ounce blue curaçao
1 ounce Hpnotiq
1 ounce pineapple juice


Pour over ice into shaker;
shake until frost forms,
strain into martini glass
garnished with pineapple wedge
or orange peel twist.

Until next time,

Drink with Care, Friends

The Concept

I remember working behind the bar. I loved it, made lots of friends and a ton of money. I had several regulars and the key was remembering exactly what they wanted before they even asked for it; making them feel like they were special.

One gentleman would come in every day after work and have one martini, just one, but he liked it the way he liked it. Pour a little vermouth into the glass, swirl it around, pour it out, add the gin, three olives and serve. My purpose was never to have the drink waiting for him when he sat down, but to let him watch the ritual that I would go through to make his martini exactly the way he wanted it. It made him feel special. When my guests attend my home now, I want them to feel the same way. I want to have what they like to drink on hand and I want to make it the way they like it.

In this blog you are likely to find a host of things and, it will evolve over time. I will post recipes I have created or modified, techniques I have learned, the history of certain things or interesting origins. It remains to be seen what comes of this experiment, but if nothing else, I hope that someone may be inspired to 'enjoy a drink' rather than 'having a drink'.

Until then,

Drink with Care, Friends.