Joker the Ride comes to Six Flag Great America in 2017

Always looking for bigger, more exhilarating thrills, Six Flags Great America announced its new addition for 2017, The Joker. Incorporating another DC Comic character to its line-up of thrill rides, The Joker is unlike any other ride at the theme park. 

To be located in Yankee Harbor, The Joker will be a massive free-fly coaster. The super villian inspired ride will be placed next to Batman the Ride coaster. 

“We are excited to continue our partnership with the DC brand as it continues to resonate well with our guests. The Joker is undeniably one of the greatest Super-Villains of all time,” said Hank Salemi, Six Flags Great America park president. “This free-fly coaster will perfectly capture the essence of the warped and unpredictable nature of The Joker. It will take our park to the next level of thrills.”

The ride begins with a 12-story, 90 degree hill. The ride’s uniqueness comes from the free-fly coaster aspect. Riders flip head over hills at least six times throughout the ride. With no track above or below, riders can experience even more thrills.

 

The unique design of The Joker features:

· Massive, imposing, floating and twisting I-box track frame in a unique two-tone design;

· One-of-a-kind onboard magnetic technology featuring smooth head-over-heels free-fly flips providing guests the feeling of weightlessness as they soar outside the confines of a

traditional track;

· 4-D wing vehicles that seat up to 8 per vehicle with a total of 5 vehicles;

· Face-off seats that allow riders to face each other as they tumble head over heels;

· A 120-foot-tall, 90-degree hill that is ascended by an elevator-style, chain link lift; and

· Two beyond 90-degree “raven” drops giving the sensation of free-falling.

 

The Joker is set to open at Six Flags Great America in 2017. 

Ruby Tuesday raises funds for No Kid Hungry

Childhood hungry is a heartbreaking issue that affects too many people in our community. Children who do not have enough food to eat cannot live up to their fullest potential. No Kid Hungry seeks to provide children with the food that they need to achieve a better life. Ruby Tuesday is joining with No Kid Hungry to raise funds and awareness for this issue.

Ruby Tuesday started its fundraising efforts for No Kid Hungry on National Lemonade Day (8/20). The company offered lemonade for 25 cents with the purchase of an entrée and served a total of 32,954 lemonades! What’s more, all proceeds from lemonade sales on that day (plus donations from our guests) benefit No Kid Hungry^® – donations to-date have totaled $21,545, which will provide up to 215,450 healthy meals for children in need.

Ruby Tuesday will continue collecting donations to support No Kid Hungry through September 18, and will offer the following coupon promotions for any guest who makes a donation:

·         Receive a free kid’s meal with the purchase of any adult entrée (valid Sept. 3 - 18, restrictions apply)

·         Receive a free dessert with the purchase of two adult entrées (valid Sept. 3 - 18, restrictions apply)

Don't let childhood hungry hurt another generation of children. Make a difference with the help of Ruby Tuesday.

The Talbott Hotel celebrates National Dog Day

Anyone who has a four legged family member knows that their dog can bring such joy to the family. From wagging tails to slobbering kisses, a dog can spark a smile on a dreary day. On Friday, August 26, National Dog Day,The Talbott Hotel will host its annual Doggy Fashion Show. 

The annual Doggy Fashion Show will benefit local rescue shelters Alive and One Tail at a Time. The evening will be filled with doggy fashions, pet adoptions and special guests. Special four-legged guests include Charlie the Golden Doodle, Lando the Husky, and Harper the Sheep Doodle.

To help guests unwind, the hotel will offer happy hour specials. The Talbott Restaurant will be available throughout the event. 100% of sales from the Two Brothers Dog Days draft beer and Bavarian Pretzels benefiting Alive and One Tail at a Time. 

From 5:30-7:30 p.m., Chicago pooches can be seen strutting their stuff on the patio runway in front of the hotel. The four-legged “models” are being outfitted with the latest fashions from pet boutique, Tails in the City.

The Talbot Hotel is located at 22 E. Delaware Pl. in Chicago. For more information please visit the Talbot Hotel website.

 

Olympic cocktails, Olympic spirit burns deep long after the flame goes out

As the Rio 2016 fades into the memory books, the Olympic spirit and celebrations can continue long after the Olympic flame has gone dark. Olympic inspiration has crossed over into many aspects of people’s lives. One easy way to keep the spirit alive is with an Olympic inspired cocktail. 

Whether your taste bud crave a tart libation or a sweeter digestif, William Grant & Sons has curated an Olympic themed cocktail that will quench your thirst. From gold medal winners to good sportsmanship, these Olympic themed cocktails are perfect any time, not just every Olympic year.

Which one will you be sipping during the closing ceremonies?

The Opening Ceremony

Created by Flor de Caña Rum

Ingredients:

2 parts Flor de Caña 7

¾ parts lime juice

½ part simple syrup

Method: Shake & strain into a martini glass.

Olympians Medallion

Created by Milagro Brand Ambassador Jaime Salas

Ingredients:

1.5 parts Milagro Silver

0.75 parts White peach syrup

.75 parts Fresh Lemon Juice

2 parts Blonde Beer

Garnish: Lemon Wheel

Glass: Collins

Method: Combine tequila, peach syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker and add ice.  Shake and strain over fresh ice in a tall (Collins) glass. Top with a Blonde Ale.  Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Solerno Team Spirit

Created by Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur

Ingredients:

1 ½ parts Solerno

2 dashes of orange bitters

1 part freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice

Topped with 2 parts of sparkling water

Method: Build in a stemless wine glass filled with ice, stir well and garnish with a blood orange slice and sprig of rosemary

The Finish Line Gimlet

Created by Hendrick’s Gin Ambassador Mark Stoddard

Ingredients:

1.5 parts hendrick’s

0.75 parts Ancho Reyes

0.75 parts fresh lime juice

0.75 parts simple syrup

1 slice jalapeno (muddled)

1 slice cucumber (muddled)

Method: In a mixing glass, muddle jalapeno and add remaining ingredients with ice.  Shake and strain into an iced double rocks glass.  Garnish with cucumber wheel & jalapeno wheel.

National Rum Day deserves a special rum cocktail

Every day on the calendar has a special celebration. Luckily, rum has several celebratory days. From National Rum Punch Day to August 16's National Rum Day, rum is celebrated throughout the year.

Luckily this August 16, rum can be celebrate both at a favorite restaurant or at home. Here are two way to celebrate with a festive drink.

Cantina Laredo:

Celebrate National Rum Day with a refreshing, rum-based summer libation. On  Tuesday, August 16, the modern Mexican restaurant will feature the Desert Pear Mojito made with Don Q Cristal Rum, fresh mint, squeezed lime and Desert Pear syrup for $10.25. 

If you prefer a variation on this  summer cocktail, Cantina Laredo offers an array of hand-muddled mojitos in several flavors, including: classic lime/mint; pomegranate; strawberry; and mango.


Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum cocktails:

As tiki bars become more popular and rum experiences a resurgence, rum punch can offer a more elevated, sophisticated flavor. The super sweet, unbalanced punches from older days have been replaced with spices, herbs and fresh fruits.

A key to any delicious rum drink or punch is the rum being used. While white rum, with its sweet flavor, is often popular, a premium, aged rum can make a better substantial base for a perfect punch. For example, Appleton Estate Jamaica rum is a small batch distiller that creates a premium rum exploding with flavor. Having received best rum accolades in several categories, this Jamaican rum carefully chooses its sugar cane from the estate to enhance the unique distillation and blending process.

For a larger National Rum Day celebration, Appleton Estate Jamaica rum has provided two a couple of mixologist Willy Shine to share two outstanding rum punch recipes by Willy Shine. These two punches blend the Appleton rum with delicate herbaceous shrubs for a well-balanced cocktail.

Estate Signature Punch (Makes 6 servings)

By Willy Shine

Ingredients:

• 18oz Appleton® Estate Signature Blend
• 2oz Benedictine
• 9oz Sandeman Character Amontillado Sherry
• 9oz orange/lemon Demerara shrub*
• 18oz cold strong hibiscus tea

Garnish: Grated nutmeg and frozen peels and/or citrus wheels

Preparation:

Combine all the ingredients into a large pitcher and add large ice cubes. To prepare each drink, fill the glass with ice, pour the punch, and top with the citrus garnishes, and grated the nutmeg.

Make Ahead: Orange/lemon Demerara shrub (makes around 25 oz):

Step One: Oleo Sacrum

In a large mason jar, combine 1.5 cups Demerara sugar and the peels of 3 medium oranges and 2 lemons, muddle together, and shake. Let it sit for 3-4hrs. Add 6 oz. boiling water, shake until sugar is dissolved and let chill. Oleo Sacrum will stay refrigerated for a week or frozen for longer.

Step Two: Citrus Shrub

Combine 12 oz. of lemon juice and 3 oz. of orange juice to the oleo sacrum you previously made. Stir, strain out peels bottle and refrigerate until ready to use.

Tip Trick:
When making punch it’s all about the preparation in advance. Dave Wondrich has preached the use of making oleo sacrum in advance in mason jars and keep either refrigerated or frozen to be ready for when you want to make your punch. Citrus shrub is the combination of fresh squeezed juice and oleo sacrum which is the foundation of the punch.

Holiday Caribbean Bowl (Makes 6 servings)
By Willy Shine

• 10 oz. Appleton® Estate Reserve Blend
• 8 oz. Appleton® Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Old
• 9 oz. Sandeman Fine Rich Madeira
• 2 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Orange Curaçao
• 9 oz. Dave Wondrich Demerara-Orange Shrub* (recipe below)
• 18 oz. cold filtered water
• 3 lemon halves squeezed in by hand and rubbed around the rim of the bowl

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in punch bowl, garnish with lemon and orange wheels and nutmeg.

*David Wondrich's Demerara-Orange Shrub
Combine in a Lexan:

• Oleo-Saccharum of 6 cups Demerara sugar (6 cups sugar + peel of 12 medium oranges & 8 lemons)
• 3 cups boiling water
• Stir until sugar has dissolved.

Add:

• 6 cups / 48 oz. lemon juice
• 1-1/2 cups / 12 oz. orange juice
• Stir again.
• Strain out peels.

Makes about 3 1/3 quarts.

The Shrub will keep refrigerated for 2 days.

Homemade pizza transformed with non-traditional toppings

Pizza has been a longstanding popular dinner for families. Everyone can debate what is the perfect pizza topping. Some prefer simple, like just cheese. While others prefer loaded pizzas with tons of meats, vegetables and sauce. Even though everyone has a favorite, the traditional pizza can be an easy way to explore different flavors and try something new.

With the highly publicized announcement of restaurants serving breakfast all day long, breakfast for dinner is a hot trend. Although many people have had cold pizza for breakfast, an actual breakfast pizza can make for an entertaining dinner.

Rustic Crust, an artisan ready-made pizza crust, makes a delightful crust for a breakfast pizza. While the company has many flavors, the Tuscan Six Grain crust is good choice for a breakfast pizza. Transforming the traditional bacon and eggs into a pizza is simple and easy.

With the Rustic Crust ready-made crusts, everyone can have their pizza personalized too. The family dinner is quick, easy and everyone enjoys their personal favorites. Before baking the pizzas, families can set up topping bowls and an assembly station. Everyone can go through the line and a personalized pizza awaits.

Creating a breakfast pizza can be completed in less than 15 minutes. A few things to consider. First, par cooking (or half cooking) the pizza crust might be preferred, especially if using an egg as a topping. Also, some toppings might have to be pre-cooked too (bacon toppings should be cooked, not raw).

Here’s one example of a breakfast inspired pizza using Rustic Crust.

Ingredients

Rustic Crust artisan ready-made pizza crust, Tuscan Six Grain works well

• 5 slices, cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped
• 1 cup of mixed greens
• 3 eggs
• Shredded cheese (optional, personal preference)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Par bake the Rustic Crust pizza crust (about half the cooking time as listed on the label). Once the crust is ready, remove from the oven and add ingredients. First layer the crust with mixed greens. Then sprinkle with bacon and cheese (if desired). Crack eggs over the pizza crust. Put pizza back into the oven to finish cooking.

The center of the egg should be runny. The idea is to use the runny egg as the sauce for the pizza.

Additional ingredients can be added as personal preferences vary. Other variations could be adding salsa, hot sauce, peppers, mushrooms, etc.

Basically, the Rustic Crust ready-made crust is the substitute for a piece of toast. The idea is to blend favorite bites from breakfast into a pizza. From breakfast to dessert, homemade pizza is easy and delicious with Rustic Crust. What will your family create?