Cinq a sept

An idea that has finally come to fruition. Since Bill & I moved back to Milton in 2004 and we were closer to so many of our friends, I always thought how much fun it would be to host regular gatherings to just shoot the breeze. I always loved our Chez Cocoa Suds nights and was hoping to resurrect that kind of feeling again.

Well, it took me a while, 5 yrs, but in April 2009, we launched our 1st Cinq a sept party. A little chilly out – we had to have the fireplace going. And it was also the week that Holy Trinity lost one of their students in a tragic car crash. So, our mood was somber and quiet. But a good, healthy turnout for the 1st time.

The gathering for the month of May had to be pushed back a week. The guys were meeting at the Dick for their spring BPQ gathering. So, on the 2nd Friday of the month, we hosted our May Cinq a sept. A beautiful May evening and warm enough that we could sit on the patio. Another pretty good showing and a fun, restful evening.

The month of June again, we were blessed with warm temps and lots of sunshine. The party was held on the day of Bonnie’s mom’s funeral. So, I think it was fitting that we were all able to be together to hold her in our thoughts for a while longer. Kevin brought Kandy and many of us finally got to meet her. Hope we weren’t too shocking and crazy for her first impression of us.

There’s been requests for recipes. So, am going to do so –

For those of you who have not yet attended, the format has started to take on a wee bit of a tradition, already. To keep things simple for your hosts, beer & wine is served to our guests, and also one featured cocktail – which is especially created for our evening and is mostly consumed by the ladies. (I have a lot of fun coming up with the recipes.) Here are the recipes for the first three months’ featured cocktails.

April -- we named the inaugural cocktail after the event – the Cinq a Sept. Fruity and refreshing.

1 oz of mango vodka
½ oz of Galliano
2 oz of orange juice
2 oz of cranberry juice

Mix in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice and serve in a martini glass.

May - Le Limon this was a big hit. Lemons are a pretty honoured fruit with this group, so it was fitting that we had a lemon drink early on.

1 oz of vodka
½ oz of limoncello
4 oz of sparkling Italian lemonade (available at our nearby La Rose)

Mix in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice and serve in a martini glass with a slice of lemon.

June - Citrus Cinq I have to admit – I am trying to empty our liquor cabinet of some of the unused bottles. So, was hoping I could come up with some creation that would use up all the Glayva, and whiskey and unusual liqueurs we have accumulated over the years. But these are pretty strong flavours and not always appealing for the female palettes.

1 oz of vodka
½ oz Cointreau (or you could use any orange based liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Triple Sec)
½ oz white rum (I know it’s weird, but wanted to use up the rum)
4 oz of white cranberry juice
Juice of a ½ lime

Combine all in a tall glass, add ice and top up with cold club soda. Garnish with a half slice of lime.

More recipes to follow in other blogs. Everyone enjoyed the guacamole and nachos, so I’ll work on getting these to you.

Cheers ~