{friday cocktail: campari spritz}

With all the negronis we make around here, it is not as if we are hurting to get through a bottle of Campari, but the bitter taste of the spirit has really grown on me so I have been searching for other fun drinks to use it in.  A girlfriend of my mine orders Campari spritzes from time to time which inspired me to try one out especially since it seems perfect for the summer heat.  This recipe is a total classic and extremely simple to prep not to mention it includes sparkling wine (whats not to like?!?!).   This drink definitely showcases the unique flavor of Campari, but the refreshing sparkle from the club soda and prosecco make it a perfect poolside drink.

Cheers!

{friday cocktail: poppy negroni}

I was looking to stock our bar with a few of the essentials that didn't make it through the move- specifically all the fixings to make a Negroni.  Downtown Los Angeles is pretty sparse on specialty liquor stores, but there is a pretty good selection at Artisan House which is right by us.  In spite of their variety they don't carry Campari, but they did inform me they carry an organic substitute called Grand Poppy and after reading a few reviews of the product I decided to give it a try.  While the bright red color of a classic Negroni is more subdued in this recipe, the flavor is definitely still there with a bit more of an herbal/floral note as well as a sweeter finish to the drink.

 {yarai mixing glass from here}

{a dried orange wheel instead of the classic fresh orange slice or peel}

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!

{video: 4 holiday cocktail recipes}

Along with the holiday DIY projects I showed you in this video, I also came up with four different cocktail recipes for Glam's Haute Hostess series that are perfect for the holidays!  Check out the fun video and all recipes are below....

Cheers!