
Obviously, I think
my birthday is a cause for celebration, and with celebration comes champagne. When choosing a signature drink for my bash, I wanted something that would subtly echo the
floral motif of my invitations without being too juvenile. A playful twist on a classic, grownup cocktail seems fitting for someone turning 27.

Sunny weekends in San Francisco are hard to come by. When I awoke last Saturday to clear-blue skies, I headed over to
Bar Bambino, an Italian nook in the city with a new back patio.
There, I enjoyed the perfect warm-weather drink: a spin on
sangria that was refreshing and fruity without being overly cloying or too heavy on the alcohol.

The
menu for the
going away party is simple, classic, and comforting so serve a drink that embodies these qualities as well. A lemonade-inspired punch is refreshing and crowd-friendly. It's simple to make and delicious to drink.

The other night I found myself at
Nopa, a San Francisco restaurant known for its great food and
equally respectable drinks. My drink of choice was the pisco sour, the slightly sweet, tart, frothy lemon cocktail made with
pisco, a regional South American brandy. This is a wonderful concoction and I'm excited to re-create it at home.If you don't own pisco, you can find it at a well-stocked liquor store or
online.

By now, we know that organic food is better for your health and the environment than non-organic food, but what about organic alcohol. How exactly does the organic booze affect the morning after. Recently Sean Evans, a writer for the
New York Daily News, put
organic liqueur to the test.

You may think you already know all there is to know about
rum through drinking
piña coladas and
daiquiris, but let's see if my quiz (in honor of tomorrow being National Rum Day) can stump you. Are you ready to rummmmble. Let's begin!
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Although every dish on the menu for my
movie club meeting features corn, I couldn't find a corn cocktail recipe. Thus, I looked for a refreshing concoction that would pair with the
corn cakes and corn and zucchini pizzettas. This tequila sunrise punch is quick and simple to make for a crowd.

As bartenders raise the bar on the quality of cocktails, it's no wonder I've become interested in doing the same at home. At happy hour, I no longer want to make a simple rum and coke, instead I prefer to experiment with
exciting combinations and
fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Recently I purchased
Food and Wine Cocktails 2008, an informative, paperback full of classic and modern recipes from the nation's hippest bars and restaurants.

Pilsner
A light, golden lager with a smooth, clean taste. This beer, which originates from the town of Pilsen in today's Czech Republic, has a prevalent flavor of hops and malt, a spicy bitterness, and often a floral aroma. While pilsners are a refreshing and good match for most foods, the term has become interchangeable with any light, drinkable beer.
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The other day while searching for the ultimate piña colada recipe, I came across this recipe for a piña colada mojito. Intrigued, I decided to find out how lime and mint combine with pineapple and coconut. The final result was absolutely divine, a refreshing mix of tart, sweet, and creamy flavors.