Celebrate Jan. 20 with inauguration cocktail party

McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT) - Come January 20th, Americans will have plenty of reasons to celebrate with an inaugural cocktail. Whether you're commemorating president-elect Barack Obama's rise to the White House and the theme of change, the end of the era of George Bush or the beginning of his reign as a former president and private citizen, or if you're simply filled with the patriotic spirit, you'll want to raise your glass in a toast with these colorful cocktails.

Danielle Tatarin of the Designer Cocktail Company (www.DesignerCocktail.com) created the Inaugural Cheer, a layered red, white, and blue concoction that looks just beautiful in a champagne flute. On behalf of Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup (www.WildHibiscus.com), this cocktail will be presented at the Creative Coalition's Gala Inaugural Ball, one of several high end inaugural balls taking place on that historic day.

___

INAUGURAL CHEER

½ cup crushed ice

1 bud Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup

½ ounce syrup form Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup

ÂĽ ounce fresh lemon juice

2 ounces HPNOTIQ vodka

2 ounces dry sparkling wine or champagne

Place Wild Hibiscus Flower upright in the bottom of a champagne flute. Mix lemon juice and Wild Hibiscus Syrup and pour mixture over the flower. Add crushed ice, then slowly pour HPNOTIQ over ice. Slowly top with dry sparkling wine or champagne.

From Bridget Albert, an award-winning mixologist who is currently the Master Mixologist at Southern Wine and Spirits, comes the creations of the Air Force One, also made with HPNOTIQ super-premium vodka (www.hpnotiq.com) and the American Dream with PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur (www.PamaLiqueur.com). Both cocktails will be featured at the Inaugural Ball at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C., for the Hawaii delegation.

___

AIR FORCE ONE

2 ounces HPNOTIQ

1 ounce citrus vodka

Juice from a lemon wedge

Lemon-lime soda

Lemon peel spiral for garnish

Fill tall glass with all ingredients and add ice. Stir well, then garnish with lemon spiral.

___

AMERICAN DREAM

1 ounce PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

1 ounce black cherry rum

1 ½ ounce Pom Wonderful pomegranate cherry juice

½ ounce fresh sour mix (2 parts simple syrup, 2 parts lemon juice, 1 part lime juice)

Blueberries and white fondant stars for garnish

Cut mini stars out of white fondant. Using water, gently wet the back of each star and press into the inside of the cocktail glass. Let sit for five minutes. Fill mixing glass with all ingredients, then add ice. Shake well and strain into the star-studded cocktail glass. Garnish with blueberries on a pick.

Grey Goose Vodka (www.greygoose.com) has also rolled out the red carpet for the inauguration, creating several delicious cocktails especially in honor of president-elect Obama. You just have to like a libation with the title Barack's Cooler, but then you have to figure out if it's just the name of the drink or if Barack is just "cooler" than his predecessors.

INAUGURAL PARTINI

1 part Grey Goose LeCitron Flavored Vodka

½ part Mandarin Napoleon

½ part honey

Âľ part hot water

½ part lemon juice

½ part orange juice

Pinch of star anise powder

1 star anise

In a cocktail shaker, place the honey and hot water; stir to dissolve. Add LeCitron, mandarin Napoleon, lemon juice, orange juice, and star anise powder. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass. Garnish with star anise and relish with pride.

___

OBAMA ON MY MIND

1 part Grey Goose L'Orange Flavored Vodka

½ part Martini & Rossi Rosso sweet vermouth

4 sections blood oranges, diced

½ teaspoon sugar

5 parts sparkling wine

In the bottom of a flute glass, place the L'Orange, vermouth, blood oranges, and sugar. Stir well. Top with sparkling wine for a drink that's as promising as America's future.

___

BARACK'S COOLER

1 ½ parts Grey Goose LeCitron Flavored Vodka

2 heaping teaspoons fresh pomegranate

1 part pomegranate juice

1 sugar cube

Dash bitters

4 parts sparkling wine

Orange zest

In the bottom of a flute glass, add the sugar cube and bitters. Allow to rest for a moment. Add LeCitron, fresh pomegranate and pomegranate juice. Stir and top with sparkling wine. Present with orange zest. Toast with zeal.

___

Mary Ann Anderson writes On the Rocks for McClatchy-Tribune News Service.

___

© 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.