Cocktails & Carryons

First trips to Vegas Diana Cocktail - Vegas Vesper Favorite hotels Favorite games Sphere Shows in Vegas Valley of Fire Hoover Dam Carli make a drink from her last trip? Tickets to clubs for college spring breakers Movies set in Vegas

Viva Las Vegas First trips to Vegas Diana Cocktail - Vegas Vesper Favorite hotels Favorite games Sphere Shows in Vegas Valley of Fire Hoover Dam Carli make a drink from her last trip? Tickets to clubs for college spring breakers Movies set in Vegas

Episode 13 - Taking on the Tailgate - Bloody Mary, Mimosa, Twisted Tea We talk about our favorite tailgating experiences while mixing up some of our favorite pre-game drinks. Carli experiments with some suspicious ingredients to make her favorite Bloody Marys. (Spoiler alert - we all survived.) Diana sweetens things up with some sparkly Mimosas and tries a crowd-sourced recipe for Twisted Tea.   B...

Episode 12 - Breaking the Bourbon Trail, Part II - Burnt Sugar Old Fashioned It’s back to the Bourbon Trail as Carli serves up a Burnt Sugar Old Fashioned while we discuss how to plan a Bourbon Trail Trip. We also share some memories while debating whether to pedal wagon or not to pedal wagon and the races of the Triple Crown.  Distilleries Castle and Key Buffalo Trace Woodford Reserve Rabbit Hole...

Episode 11 - Breaking the Bourbon Trail, Part I - St. Elmo Old Fashioned and WR Classic Old Fashioned Carli and Diana head to Kentucky to explore the distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We start off with the ready-to-pour St. Elmo Old Fashioned and see how it compares to the hand-crafted Woodford Reserve Classic Old Fashioned.    Distilleries Woodford Reserve Maker’s Mark Bulleit Castle an...

Episode 9 - Margaritas in Mexico, Part II - Vodka Margarita What to do when you’re out of tequila? You make a Vodka Margarita! Carli makes this margarita variation and shares how a little Squirt can make a pool margarita magical. Find out what wins in a taste test of Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, and Cointreau. We end the episode with the best time of year to go to Mexico.   Vodka Margarita Ingredien...

Episode 10 - Cocktails vs. Mocktails - Paloma and Paloma Mocktail Our daughters Maddie and Savy join us for a special episode of Cocktails and Carry-ons where we compare the Paloma with the Paloma Mocktail. We talk about mother-daughter trips and get off-topic with the “squirt count”.  Paloma Ingredients 2 oz blanco tequila 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice .5 oz fresh lime juice Pinch of salt 2 - 3 oz...

Episode 8 - Margaritas in Mexico, Part I - Coconut Margarita Carli and Diana travel to San Jose Del Cabo and start the trip off right at the pool bar with Papa Doug. The week-long party celebrating Fiesta de San Jose included parades, a downtown art walk, breakfast at the La Comer grocery, and plenty of whale sightings. Diana makes a Coconut Margarita for the group and we discover we prefer sugar...

Martinis In Manhattan Drink : Espresso Martini Travel Focus : New York City Links- https://centralparkzoo.com/ Saving Wildlife and Wild Places - Central Park Zoo General information, zoo history, map, education program summary, animal photos and descriptions, and calendar of events. Part of The Wildlife Conservation Society. https://www.amnh.org/ American Museum of Natural History | New York City...

Episode 6 - Martinis in Manhattan, Part I - Dirty Spicy Martini New York City! Carli puts her giant bottle of Grey Goose to work making Dirty Spicy Martinis while she talks about getting the VIP treatment and a $13,000 alligator clutch. We also go crazy about Broadway, The Gold Room and FAO Schwartz. Dirty and Spicy Martini Ingredients 3 oz Vodka .5 oz Olive Juice .5 oz Pepperocini juice Splash of...

Episode 5 - Nashville Nights - Tennessee Mule and White Lightning Apple Cider All roads lead to the Frugal McDougal as we travel to Nashville! We discuss concerts with friends and family, Margaritaville with Mama Sue, and the best neighborhoods and restaurants while we make Tennessee Mules and White Lightning Apple Cider.  Tennessee Mule Ingredients 2 oz Tennessee whisky 4 - 6 oz ginger beer 1 lim...

Episode 4 - Staycation Special Hosting a Cocktail Party - Gin and Tonic and Gin Gimlet Bring the party to you! We plan an unforgettable cocktail party while making some simple classics - gin and tonics and gin gimlets. Set the tone by creating a guest list andt playlist that will keep the fun going. We’ll provide all of the alcohol and mixers so you can craft your ideal cocktail while your friends...

Episode 3 - Battle of the Italian Spritzes, Part III - Limoncello Our visit to Italy concludes with a toast of Limoncello. We talk about traveling with “adult-adjacent” kids, boat tours, The White Lotus, Luca, trips to the Vatican, and booking tours to enhance your experience. We also get into how size matters with “The David” and visiting penis bars. Salute!

Episode 2 - Battle of the Italian Spritzes, Part II - The Hugo Spritz The Italian adventures continue with the Hugo Spritz and talk a LOT about food. We talk about food and trips to the Vatican, and booking tours to enhance your experiences.  Hugo Spritz Ingredients 3 oz (90 ml) Prosecco  1–1.5 oz elderflower liqueur (St Germain)  2 oz soda water  6–8 fresh mint leaves (lightly bruised)  1–2 lime...

Episode 1 - Battle of the Italian Spritzes, Part I - The Aperol Spritz Enjoy “Apertivo” in Italy and discover the origin of the Italian Spritz. Our first drink of the season is an Aperol Spritz. Carli talks about the benefits of spontaneous travel booking to Sorrento, Milan, Rome, and Venice while Diana plans months in advance for her trips to Rome, Tuscany, and Sicily. A highlight for both of us...