rye

On Saturday night, I attended a party hosted by FabSugar. The stylish soirée was at San Francisco's Rye and the theme of the party, inspired by a book she recently read, was Blood is the New Black.

Fab took my advice and transformed a section of the bar into a personal party haven. Use these ideas on your next bash and make the space Fab-worthy. Here's what she did:

• Arrive early. Fab showed up with a posse of pals at nine. This allowed her to scope out the scene, stake out several tables, and set up decorations.
• Use balloons and rose petals to enhance the mood. Fab hung balloons from a nearby wine cage and scattered blood red rose petals across the tables.
• Get guests ready to party with photos. Fab's bff brought along her Polaroid camera and snapped pictures of everyone. She left the camera on the tables allowing guests to snap party pics at their own leisure.

For more tips on how to host your own fab bar party, plus a full gallery of photos from Blood is the New Black, read more

The other night I met my friend Adam to grab a few drinks. We headed over to Rye, which is a pretty hip, modern (yet completely inviting) new bar here in San Francisco. When it came my turn to order, I asked the bartender what her favorite drink to make was. This, by the way, is my absolute favorite question to ask a bartender (especially if she/he is not crazy busy). You'll experience some of the greatest drinks and most of them are pretty excited about it. This lovely lady bartender did not let me down. She simply smiled, asked if I was allergic to strawberries, and then went to town. In a few minutes I was presented with an amazing drink that she dubbed "Strawberry Beret." It was DELICIOUS.

Since most of you won't be able to make it out to Rye, I've decided to share her recipe with you. I only wish I could remember her name to give her proper credit.

Strawberry Beret
From the lovely blonde bartender at Rye

Sorry, there aren't any exact measurements, she's a pro and did it by eye.

Strawberries (approximately 3)
Basil (several leaves)
Juice from half a Lime
Gin
Lillet (white)
Simple Syrup

In a shaker, muddle fresh strawberries and basil with a few squeezes of simple syrup. Squeeze in juice from half a lime. Add gin, top with Lillet. Shake and then strain over ice into an old-fashioned style glass.

This was tasty, tasty, tasty. A nice summery drink that was unbelievable in the winter.