cocktails

tunnel vision

February 18, 2014 •

A few months ago I made a move from Manhattan across the Hudson River into Jersey City. Upon settling in, my boyfriend and I decided to host a party at our new digs.

A line from Fish’s Eddy inspired the perfect invitation theme; tunnel vision. The invitations represented the Holland tunnel line between New Jersey and New York which I designed and printed at home using Paper Source stock and full sheet labels which I cut and wrapped around the envelopes. The stamp was the perfect compliment, Ray Charles laughing, and wearing just the right color.

Magnolia branches on a tree stump, purchased from the flower District, 6th Avenue at 27th Street, took center stage on a table full of hor d’oeuvres.

The menu consisted of an artisanal cheese plate, fruit, veggie crudite, crostinis topped with fig spread, goat cheese and honey, olive tapenade, and brie and apple, caprese skewers, crabbies, shrimp cocktail, manchego stuffed dates wrapped in bacon, guacamole and salsa crude in wonton cups and for dessert homemade iced oatmeal applesauce cookies via Martha Stewart’s Cookies, and homemade bon bons by Maryellen, a family favorite.

Image from theboysclub.net

My boyfriend and I are big cocktail enthusiasts. Since we wouldn’t be able to tend bar all night and our guests, we asked a local bartender to serve up some of our favorite cocktails from the city. We rented rock glasses and bought king ice cube trays, making ice for days to get just the right effect. The glasses make a great cocktail but also service the wine drinkers and non alcoholic beverages also. Best part was we didn’t have to worry about washing them all post party.

The below two cocktails were definitely the stars, both taken from Galli one of our go-to places and home of our favored mixolist. Brian, my boyfriend made the syrups from scratch, a chili one since chili essence posed hard to find, and a ginger one. Both have found their way into many other concoctions and are worth the effort to make them. The cocktails were such a hit the menu continues to stay framed in our kitchen and gets recycled whenever we entertain. Enjoy responsibly!

Diablo’s Elbow

Ingredients
Illegal Mezcal (agave)
Espolon Blanco (tequila)
Yellow Chartreuses
Chili syrup
Fresh Lemon
Chili Pepper
Chili essence

The Clairmont

Ingredients
Wild Turkey Bourbon
Appleton Reserve dark rum
Ginger syrup
Strega (yellow Italian liquor)
Fresh lemon
Bitters
Rosemary sprig

black and yellow

June 27, 2011 •

The perfect summer affair… black, white and sunshiny yellow. Black and white have a reputation of being very formal but by adding a color like yellow one can add the elements of fun, cheerfulness and excitement to the itinerary. Black and white shine best in patterns like checkerboard or damask, a table runner or dance floor are just the right places for an unexpected pop of pattern. Compliment the color duo with yellow accents like toes, ties, tinis and transportation. Personalize with particulars like a silhouetted cake topper or chair tags for the Bride & Groom. Black and white treats are almost too easy – serve guests a midnight snack of oreos and milk and black and white cookies would make fabulous favors. Keep signage sleek and chic using black chalkboards and monochromatic lanterns, balloons and lights will add plenty of allure. Play Micheal Jackson’s hit and dance just as you are – Queen bee!

ii_black_and_yellow

1. & 4. Flowers & Damask table runner, stylemepretty.com, 2. Time to drink and dance on the table poster, notonthehighstreet.com, 3. Groom boutineer, inspiredbride.net, 5. Just married taxi, flickr.com, 6. Calligraphed envelope by Jenna Hein, elizabethannedesigns.com, 7. Table, unknown, 8. Invitation, ohsobeautifulpaper.com, 9. Tent, theknot.com, 10. Black & white checker dance floor, blog.bellagala.com, 11. Silhouette cake topper,pinterest.com, 12. Yellow-tini, parkhouseweddings.co.uk, 13. Dress by Lela Rose, clearlyfabulous.wordpress.com, 14. Folkespeare Bowtie, binbin.net, 15. Yellow heels with black feathers, j-crew, 16. Chalkboard menu, theweddinginformer.com, 17. Bride & Groom wedding chairs signs, $18 etsy.com, 18. Black & white cookie favors, blog.pinkcakebox.com, 19. Ribbon chairs, onthegobride.wordpress.com

twist & sprout

March 16, 2011 •

Organically crisp and fresh are the combination of white, lemon and lime. Take white from drab to fab with a patterned wrapping paper table runner. So simple yet so effective, use the scraps left over to cover favor boxes or to make belly band napkin rings. Serve up the fruits of your labor with lemon-filled centerpieces, shamrock pepper snacks, cucumber crudité and concoctions and bountiful branches of goodie bags. Add sprigs to your swizzle straws and the fresh scent of lilies to your stairwell. Pick a green dress that will flatter all your friends and let the guys go green in their accessories. A springy invitation will set just the right tone and this fling will be sure to seed success.

spring_twist
1. Wrapping paper table runner, marthastewartweddings.com, 2. Lily garland, marthastewartweddings.com, 3. Thirst quenching escort cards, marthastewartweddings.com, 4. Pepper Shamrock snacks, marthastewart.com, 5. Cucumber crudité, marthastewartweddings.com, 6. Green gimlet, marthastewartweddings.com, 7. Lemon centerpiece, vogue.com Photo by Mimi Ritzen Crawford, 8. Organic Green bridesmaid dress, jcrew.com, 9. Meadow Invitation, Elum, 10. Green Groomsmen accessories, marthastewartweddings.com, 11. Green goodie bar, Amy Atlas

um yum. . .

August 11, 2010 •

Ladies cool off your favorite cocktail by turning it to slush!

cosmo-slushy_300

Recipe for Cosmo Slushy, courtesy of realsimple.com

Ingredients: serves 6

10 ounce (1 1/4 cups) citrus-flavored vodka
1/2 cup Rose’s lime juice
2 cups cranberry juice
4 ice cube trays

Directions: Combine vodka, lime juice, and cranberry juice in a pitcher with 2 cups water and stir to blend. Divide between ice cube trays and freeze at least 4 hours or overnight (the drink cubes will freeze only partially). Just before serving, empty trays into a large bowl and using a fork, break up cubes to loosen ice crystals (the ice will be slushlike). Spoon slush into tall stemmed glasses and serve immediately.

drink me i’m irish

March 15, 2010 •

Forget the green beer… here are some tasty cocktails to toast with this St. Patrick’s Day.

irish_cocktails

1. Jameson & Ginger – recipe courtesy of cocktails.about.com

Ingredients:

1 1/2 parts Jameson Irish Whiskey
ginger ale
squeeze of a lime wedge

Directions: Pour the whiskey into a highball glass filled with ice. Fill with ginger ale. Squeeze a lime wedge over the drink and drop it in.

2. Irish Car Bomb – recipe courtesy of coctails.org

Ingredients:

1/2 pint (8 oz, 24 cl) Guinness stout
1 oz (3 cl) Jamison Irish whiskey
1 oz (3 cl) Bailey’s Irish cream

Directions: Pour Guinness into pint glass. Pour Jamison into shot glass and then without mixing pour Bailey’s into the shot glass. When ready to drink drop the shot glass into the pint, be mindful of spilling.*When the Bailey’s mixes with the beer it will start to curdle very fast, forcing one to chug the bomb making this drink a favorite among drinking contenders.

3. Irish Coffee – recipe courtesy partyfood.suite101.com, photo gourmetgirlmagazine.com

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces Irish Whiskey
1 teaspoon brown sugar
6 ounces strong, hot, brewed coffee
whipping cream

Directions: Pour whiskey into the bottom of a coffee mug. Add brown sugar and hot coffee; stir to combine. Gently spoon several tablespoons of cream over the top of the hot coffee mixture. Do not stir! Serve immediately.

tunnel vision

black and yellow

twist & sprout

um yum. . .

drink me i’m irish

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