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.
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 theGallery 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.
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!
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!
For our company holiday party this week, we created a few special cocktails including one that uses Velvet Falernum which I have never tried before. Velvet Falernum is sweet syrup that contains around 11% of alcohol and has a very distinct winter spice flavor to it. After seeing it used for our party in a cognac based drink, I thought it would be fun to try it out my own cocktail at home. After a bit of searching I found one recipe that uses tequila, strawberries and champagne along with it. Tequila seemed like an odd addition to me so I removed that from the original recipe and modified the proportions a bit. The result is a fun champagne cocktail that initially has a refreshing taste from the berries, but finishes with a spiced kick from the Velvet Falernum.
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.
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.
Remember thatlittle sneak peek I gave last weekof my trip to New York to shoot a fun video with four other fabulous bloggers? Well I'm back today to show the final video the team at Glam & Sauza put together starring Hallie, Ali, Mel, Devon & yours truly. The video is inspired by a fun girls night in showcasing the new ready to serve Sparkling Margaritas by Sauza (a classic cocktail made into a sparkling version?!? count. me. in!) Plus read on past the video as I share some of my favorite tips on entertaining for a girls night in!!
I just love watching that video! We had so much fun making it that I wish I could go to that fabulous beach house every weekend. I wish I could say the five of us single-handedly made all the dishes and decor, but while we were laughing (and drinking) there was a huge team behind us making everything look gorgeous (including some very talented food stylists!). While you might not have a glam team behind you next girls night, you can still put together a beautiful evening with some of my tips for a quick, easy, and girly entertaining set up....
{I like to scoop up cute wrapping paper whenever I come across it (most of these are from Home Goods!)- its great to have on hand for last minute gifts, but it can also double as a fun tablecloth or runner! I store all my gift wrap in this vase from Target}
{the same goes for dinner/cocktail napkins- whenever I see a fun design, I make sure to buy it. I can always find something fabulous at Home Goods or Ikea}
{Although I love to whip some mini appetizers (usually inspired by this pinterest board), I also make sure to keep our freezer stocked with tasty and quick frozen apps. While fresh dishes are always preferred, if you keep a good selection of bites in your freezer you will always be ready for impromptu guests or a great spread of food when you are short on time!}
{One of my go-to simple desserts are these cheesecake bites (seen previously here), using a regular frozen cheesecake, a few raspberries & fun appetizer picks this dessert looks like it took all day to assemble when really it takes only a couple minutes. The instructions on the frozen cheesecake will probably tell you to let it thaw in the fridge for a couple hours, but I prefer to let it thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes then cut it into the bite sized cubes while it is still slightly frozen as it makes it easier to cut. After you have the cubes, simply let them thaw at room temperature for about another hour then pop a raspberry one top of each one secured with a wood appetizer pick}
{Who doesn't love pita chips and tasty hummus?!?! I like to fancy this classic snack spread up a bit, by placing the pita chips in a vintage pedestal bowl and transferring the hummus from its store bought container into a simple rectangular bowl}
{the best part about the Sauza Sparkling Maragritas is that they are all ready to go out of the bottle! No prep or mixing needed, but that doesnt mean you can jazz them up just a bit more with fresh garnishes like mint sprigs or lime/lemon wedges!}
{I love to display fresh garnishes in vintage cocktails coupes (like atthis party) and allow guests to serve themselves as they desire}
{peach mango garnished with fresh lemons, wild berry with raspberries & original margarita with mint and a lime wheel}
{this simple spread does takes some planning ahead of time, but you can have almost all these ingredients on hand in your fridge or freezer so that your next girls night in takes minimal prep time on your part- which leaves you with more time to pick out a fun outfit and spend time with your friends!}
Sauza® Sparkling Margarita is our brand new, ready-to-serve sparkling margarita. It's available
in three delicious flavors: Original Lime, Mango Peach and Wild Berry. Now you can add a little
more sparkle to your ladies' night. Connect and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Sauza® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed
herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sauza®.
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!?!?}
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.
Wedding season is definitely in full swing which means a calendar full of bridal showers, bachelorette parties, engagement celebrations and wedding receptions!! A social line up like that also calls for many celebratory (aka sparkling) drinks so I thought I would whip up a quick champagne cocktail inspired by spring wedding season. The only thing I love more than a great bottle of champagne is a dry and crisp bottle of sparkling rose so that is what I used for the foundation of this cocktail. Add in some Chambord and aromatic lavender bitters and this cocktail is transformed into a sweet and pink drink perfect for the next bridal shower or bach party!
(also- if you are wondering why the main image isn't the usual cocktail photo you see on Fridays it is because I had my camera on the wrong setting and all the photos of the real cocktail were blurry. Hey- that's life- it happens, but the cocktail was tasty and it got drank so that's all that matters right? right.)
