Bubble-licious

October is upon us, meaning that for the next month, any drink I make will either be orange colored or candy flavored. In that case, it seems like the perfect time to discuss Three Olives Bubble vodka.

I'm not a big fan of bubblegum flavored anything. I never used my quarters to buy gum balls as a child, I always avoid the Jelly Belly Bubblegum jelly beans, and I refuse to allow bubblegum flavored toothpaste in my mouth, even at the dentist's office. That being said, I wasn't in any rush to try Three-O's Bubble. But I received a bottle as a gift this summer, and, being the good little mixologist that I am, I decided to play around with it.

The first thing I did was default to The Intoxicologist, which is my favorite drinking blog and everything I could ever hope My Mid-Morning Martini could be. As expected, Cheri Loughlin did not disappoint, and set me in the right direction, especially when she suggested combining Bubble with cranberry juice and peach schnapps.

The Woo-woo is a somewhat old-fashioned drink that I learned to make in bartending class. It gained popularity in the 80s during the advent of the liqueur and is comprised of 1 1/2 oz vodka, 3/4 oz peach schnapps, and 4 oz cranberry juice -- basically a Sex on the Beach without the OJ. Here's my variation of the Woo-woo, using bubblegum vodka instead of regular.

Bubblemania
1 1/2 oz Three Olives Bubble
3/4 oz Peach Schnapps
1 1/2 oz Cranberry juice

Shake with ice and strain ingredients into a chilled cocktail glass. I use less cranberry juice than the traditional Woo-woo since this makes the drink stronger and turns it a soft pink color, as opposed to red. In this way, it looks that way you'd expect a bubblegum flavored drink to taste. The Intoxicologist recipe calls for Club Soda, but I think this waters down the taste of the vodka.

My friend Michele makes a signature drink she calls the Jolly Rancher. It consists of three basic ingredients -- vodka, club soda, and a fruity liqueur such as DeKuyper Watermelon or Sour Apple Pucker. By substituting bubblegum flavored vodka, you can turn the Jolly Rancher into the Blow Pop, perfect for a Halloween or back-to-your-childhood themed party.

Sour Apple Blow Pop
1 1/2 oz Three Olives Bubble
3/4 DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker
1 1/2 oz Sprite

Watermelon Blow Pop
1 1/2 oz Three Olives Bubble
3/4 oz DeKuyper Watermelon Pucker
1 1/2 oz Sprite

Shake vodka and liqueur with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top off with chilled Sprite. (I use Sprite instead of Club Soda for the extra sugar factor, since Blow Pops are significantly sweeter than Jolly Ranchers.)

In keeping with the Blow Pop theme, Bubble also mixes well with grape soda (1 part vodka to 2 parts soda) and in either cherry or watermelon Jell-O shots (following the recipe on the box and using refrigerated vodka instead of cold water).

Also, since October is breast cancer awareness month and the Gloria Gemma Flames of Hope Waterfire is almost here, here's a celebratory pink cocktail to finish things off. For my Christmas punch, I've always loved combining vodka, cranberry juice and champagne (or ginger ale, if you want less alcohol. Here's the same recipe with a Bubble-y twist:

Bit O' Bubbly
1 part Three Olives Bubble
1 part dry champagne
2 parts cranberry juice

Keep ingredients refrigerated before hand, then combine in a champagne flute. Adjust proportions if needed to achieve a light pink hue.