{friday cocktail: la vie en rose}

I love the process of making a really complicated cocktail- whether it's something that takes multiple errands to find the right ingredients or something that takes a significant amount of prep to prepare.   But then there are many times when I want to enjoy a drink without having to keep a pantry stocked with fresh citrus and flavored syrups.  Enter this Friday's cocktail, La Vie En Rose, which takes all of 1 minute to make and the hardest part of this recipe is having a bottle of chilled champagne at the ready.  Another amazing thing about this recipe is that it utilizes St Germain perfectly and by that I mean to say that I have gotten a bit burned out on St Germain lately (it seems like it's on every cocktail menu and it can be overly sweet), but this recipe had me putting it back front and center on our bar.   Ok anyways....you would think I was being paid to pimp this cocktail with how much I'm singing it's praises- the bottom line is its flavorful, delicious and includes champagne- nuff said.

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: sparkling negroni}

I cannot believe that it has taken me this long to mix together one of my favorite cocktails, the classic negroni, with a topping of champagne!  After noticing a champagne cocktail using Campari at a local wine bar in our neighborhood, I knew the next chance I had to mix up a negroni I would be trying it as a sparkling version.  The negroni cocktail can turn some people off because of its very distinct strong taste and bitter flavor from the Campari, but a few ounces of champagne on top definitely cuts the taste a bit for those who might prefer it.  It's the perfect cocktail for cozying up on a fall evening (or if you live in California you can turn the AC up and pretend it's less than 80 degrees out!)

Oh and PS- that awesome needlepoint coaster pictured above is from this set!

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: garden rosé}

Rosemary is one of my favorite cocktail ingredients because of it's versatility.  It works just as perfectly in cozy winter drinks like this as it does in more refreshing light recipes like today's cocktail.  We celebrated officially signing our lease on a place in DTLA earlier this week alongside a bottle of sparkling rosé and I since I would never let a drop of champagne go to waste I decided to use the last of the bottle in a cocktail (natch).  This cocktail has a gorgeous color and a light fizz from the rosé, but all the flavor comes from the herbal rosemary and tart lemon mixed with a little honey for balance.

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: a trio of sugar rimmed recipes}

At first when Fresh Origins offered to send me over a pack of their crystal cocktail rimmers I didn't exactly jump at the idea since sugared glasses remind me of bad cocktail bars, but then when I took closer look at the intriguing flavor line-up they have I couldn't resist!  I enjoy the chance to add flavor elements to otherwise simple cocktails through the use of bitters and I figured these herbal/floral sugar crystals in flavors like fennel and cilantro could serve a similar purpose.  

For this Friday's cocktail post, I whipped up three different drinks using the rose petal, fennel and basil crystals.  Of course I love how all of these turned out, but the refreshing Garden Tonic using the basil crystals was by far my favorite.  You could easily substitute champagne in the place of the tonic for this one if you wanna get a bit more fancy with it.

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: fusion 75}

We just spent 4 wonderful days in the beautiful city of Florence soaking up all the charming city has to offer- especially the delicious pasta, pizza and gelato!  After a fun evening at a pizza making class, we headed to Fusion Bar in the Gallery Art Hotel to grab an after dinner cocktail.  We had intended to have a single nightcap, but ended up staying for 3 (plus a few more mini drinks the amazingly attentive bartender whipped up for us just to try for free!).  It's no surprise around here that I love a good champagne cocktail, so my first choice off the menu was the Fusion 75 which is the bar's take on a classic French 75, but they have added muddled lemongrass and sub the lemon juice for lime. It is served in it's own personal ice bucket (as pictured above) which seemed sort of gimmicky to me at first, but was really kind of great since my drink stayed perfectly cold for the duration of time I was sipping it!  For more cocktail inspiration, you can check out their entire cocktail menu right here.

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: rose etoile}

On a recent trip to Le Grand Epicerie in Paris, I picked up a little tasting trio of flavored liqueurs including rose, pear & violette, but have yet to use them in a cocktail.  With Valentine's approaching next week, I figured a recipe using the rose liqueur would be about as perfect as you can get.  Loosely based on this recipe, I created a champagne cocktail with a base of gin and lemon then added a splash of the rose liqueur.  Since real vanilla beans are disturbingly cheap here in France, I also made up a tiny batch of vanilla simple syrup to give the cocktail that extra sweetness.

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: paris in the afternoon}

There is are a lot of things I am starting to really appreciate about French culture, but one thing in particular is the art of relaxing and having a drink- whether it's a morning espresso or a nice glass of wine.  In the afternoons, it is very popular for people to stop and unwind from their days with an aperitif- much like US "happy hour," but much more charming.  One of the most popular drinks for this time of day (and the highest selling spirit in France) is Pastis which is very similar to absinthe with a strong anise flavor and high alcohol content.  

Pastis is usually served alongside a glass of water that you use to dilute the spirit, but I decided to use it in a champagne cocktail for this Friday's cocktail recipe.  The coolest thing about this spirit other than the flavor is the essential oils in it that make it not water soluble so when it is mixed with water or champagne it immediately turns the glass creepily cloudy.  This murky phenomenon is what gave the popular drink called Death in the Afternoon its name and what I named this cocktail after!

PS- that glass above is from my recent trip to a real Zara Home store- I'm obsessed. 

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: ginger 75}

The holiday season is all about celebrating- whether it’s being reunited with family or friends, hosting a holiday party or ringing in the New Year.  With all these gatherings, you need a good arsenal of champagne cocktails in your back pocket to be ready to toast at any time (and by now you might have exhausted all the good ones you already know of!).  This cocktail recipe uses a crisp mix of ginger liqueur, gin and lemon topped with sparkling wine or champagne.  The sugar sprinkle rim and candied ginger garnish makes the cocktail feel a bit more festive for those special occasions like New Years Eve! 

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: blackberry sage fizz}

Sometimes I pick cocktail ingredients based solely on if they will make the drink a pretty color- that's just the honest truth my friends.  Blackberries give cocktails the richest deep purple color (although it looks red in the photo, but trust me it's purple- not all photos can capture real life).  I added in some sage to keep it feeling seasonal and then topped the whole thing with champagne because...well...why not!?!  This cocktail would be super simple to make in big batches which makes it just perfect for all your upcoming holiday get-togethers.

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: party size french 75}

For the last few dinner parties we have hosted at our place, we have whipped up batches of one or two different cocktails to serve alongside the appetizers.  While it forces people into less options for their drink (we also have the normal wine/beer options), I have found that it actually gets people drinking more cocktails than if we are mixing them one by one.  I think the reason for this is that most people rarely mix cocktails at home so they view it as an imposition and extra work to have the host mix them one.

I have featured batch recipes here before in this post or this post and since a French 75 is one of my favorite champagne cocktails I really wanted to try it out at our next gathering.  Each time I make a batch cocktail recipe I keep thinking this is going to be the one that just doesn't work when made in large portions, but every time I am proven wrong.  This batch of French 75 was no different and tastes just as good as a hand crafted single serving.  It would be a great option for your next ladies night or boozy brunch.

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: tequila royale}

Do you like tequila? Yes....so do I! I also really like champagne.  This cocktail is the best of those two worlds in one drink! Is your mind blown? The original recipe for this tequila infused sparkler is right here, but I altered the proportions significantly to suit my taste and then added in an extra kick of citrus by adding lime bitters.

Be sure to check back here around 11ish CST for the final reveal of the video I shot in NYC with some of my fave lady bloggers!

{what do you guys think of the newly designed recipe card!?!?}

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: lavender 75}

As promised from the post about our cali-persian dinner party earlier this week, I have a fabulous lavender sparkling cocktail for you today.  This one is basically a little update on a classic French 75, but substitues the floral lavender simple syrup and a dash of lavender bitters in the place of regular simple syrup!  Its just as refreshing as the recipe it's modeled after, but this one has a pretty purple hue and more garden inspired flavor.  It would be absolutely perfect as the signature cocktail at a bridal shower.

Cheers!

{new additions}

This past week, I brought home lots of fun things and somehow all of them are metallic gold or silver! Here are few snapshots of some new additions around our place (and my closet!):

 {the Nate Berkus collection at Target is really great, but most of the stuff doesn't quite fit in with our decor- until I spotted this gold dipped bowl which is perfect for storing our remotes}

 {if you wanna be sneaky you can see a peek at our new gold coffee table in this photo which 

I promise to share just as soon as I get a piece of glass for the bottom}

 {I have been hunting for a vintage trophy champagne bucket forever.  Obviously these exist everywhere, but I really wanted to find a vintage one to give it that old school charm.  My aunts actually spotted this one at a vintage store in California and shipped it to me. Thanks aunties!}

{two sequin dresses to add to my collection: the one on the left is by Parker and the other one is vintage.  Both were purchased on Ebay for $50 each! Spring and summertime is the absolute best time to search around on Ebay and Etsy for great sequin party dresses for the upcoming holiday season.  While most people are thinking about bikinis and sundresses, you can be scooping up some jems for all those social gatherings that need a little glitz}

{mmmmm sequins.}