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Come Party With Me: Movie Club Meeting - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:15:00 -0700

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. To meld the flavors and infuse the tequila with citrus, let the mixture sit in the fridge for longer than ten minutes.

After the movie and during dinner, serve a buttery Chardonnay or light Tempranillo. Don't forget sparkling and still water, beer, and a selection of sodas. For the punch recipe, read more.

Tequila Sunrise Punch
From Ingrid Hoffmann

Ingredients

1/2 cup silver or gold tequila
33 ounces citrus-flavored club soda
2 limes, quartered
1 small unpeeled orange, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 small unpeeled grapefruit, cut into 1-inch chunks
Ice cubes

Directions

Pour the tequila and club soda into a pitcher. Add the limes, oranges, and grapefruit and set aside for 10 minutes.
Add enough ice to the pitcher so that the punch rises to the top. Serve in chilled glasses with some fruit in each glass.

Serves 4-6.

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Come Party With Me: Travel Party - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 07:01:39 -0700

Creating a travel party menu was surprisingly super easy! I used popular foods from each country to define what I would make and the same strategy can be applied to the drinks. Each room will have still and sparkling water, plus a drink that relates to the country. Select drinks that highlight a different nation's alcohol and some that appeal to girly gals (sweeter, fruitier) and some that appeal to the tough guys (harder, non-sweet). In the Mexico room offer tequila sunrises. In the Japan room make guests take sake bombs (a shot of sake dropped into a cold glass of Japanese beer and pounded quickly). In the Russian room shake up vodka martinis and in the Cuba room Cuba Libres are an excellent option. Finally gin and tonics made with British gin (Beefeater or Martin Miller's) round out the menu. For the recipes to these classic cocktails from all over the world, read more

Tequila Sunrise
From Victoria Packing

1 ½ oz. tequila
3 oz. orange juice
1 oz. grenadine

Shake the tequila and orange juice together in a glass. Pour into a tall glass filled with ice and add the grenadine; do not stir.

Serves 1.

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Party's Perfect Vodka Martini
From PartySugar (hey I was a bartender!)

2 1/2 oz vodka (recommended grey goose)
1/2 oz dry vermouth
3 green olives on a tooth pick
martini glass, preferably chilled

Fill the martini glass with ice. Carefully pour the vermouth into the glass and set aside.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and the vodka. Shake vigorously for at least 20 seconds. You want ice crystals to form in the vodka.
Carefully pour out the ice being sure to coat the entire glass with vermouth.
Strain vodka into glass and garnish with olives.
Enjoy!

Serves 1.

Warning: it is not highly advised to drink three or more of these potent babies in a short amount of time. Trust me you will only end up with a horrible headache.

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Cuba Libre
From Drinkalizer

ice cubes
3 ounces rum
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
Chilled cola
Slice lime

Put ice cubes in a highball glass, add the rum and lime juice, fill with cola and garnish with a slice of lime.

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Gin & Tonic
From Food Network

4 to 5 Ice Cubes
3 ounces gin
4 ounces tonic water (recommended: Schweppes)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Lime wedge for garnish

Place the ice cubes in a tall, narrow, chilled glass (the cubes should come near the top.)
Add the gin, then the tonic water, then the lime juice, stirring well.
Garnish with lime wedge, and serve immediately.

Serves 1.

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Come Party With Me: Travel Party - The Look & Music

partysugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 06:31:38 -0700

In my opinion, the best part of a travel party is transforming each room to resemble a different country. With a little imagination, it's easy to come up with festive and fun decor.

Mexico: Dress the table with Mexican blankets and hang a Mexican banner in a crisscross pattern along the ceiling. Plate chips and dips in plastic sombrero shaped serving platters. Use bright candles, flowers, and clear glasses for the tequila sunrises. Create a playlist with your favorite Latin stars: Luis Miguel, Mana, and my personal favorite Paulina Rubio.
Japan: Set the scene with red, white, and black decorations. Instead of floral arrangements, place bamboo in small vases filled with black stones. Rest a cherry blossom Japanese shade along one of your walls. Floating candles add a zen and relaxing touch. Search iTunes for some fun Japanese tunes. I recommend Pizzicato 5 and Cornelius.

Russia: Ornate metallic gold decorations with red accents are perfect to create a lux Russian room. Cover furniture with fur throws and arrange flowers in open Russian dolls. For music play Tatu and your other favorite Russian groups.
England: Plaster the ways with images of the Royal family, soccer teams like Manchester United, and a Union Jack banner. Instead of a tablecloth, cover the table with old covers of Hello magazine. If using red, white, and blue decor, be sure to make it British rather than American. Robbie Williams, Anastacia, Joss Stone, The Spice Girls, New Order, Oasis, Elton John and the Beatles should be playing softly in the background.
Cuba: Make posters that say, Abajo Fidel (Down With Fidel) in large block letters and pin to the walls. Wrap Cuba Libre glasses in Cuban flag beads. Allow more musically inclined friends to play the Cuban bongos or turn on a regatton radio station.

Do you have a great decorating or music idea for my travel-themed party? Tell us in the comments below!

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Happy Hour: Daylight Savings

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:59:19 -0700

As you may know (and if you're in America and don't know this, then quick change your clocks!), we sprung the clocks forward for daylight savings this past Saturday night/Sunday morning. Now, all last week I searched the internet for a drink that would convey that feeling, but I found nothing called "Daylight Savings" (or Spring Forward for that matter) and really thought it was a true shame. So this weekend, when I was at the Velvet Cantina, I convinced Peter (the fantastic bartender who's last name I never got) to invent one for me. Actually, he invented two.

The first version took inspiration from a Tequila Sunrise, and was beautiful to behold, but it was just too sweet (although Peter insisted it would be better with proper, fresh pineapple juice). The second version was much nicer and a bit more tart, in fact a few other people ended up ordering it as well.

To check out what he came up (there were two versions), read more

Daylight Savings Version 1
From Peter at the Velvet Cantina San Francisco

Note: I didn't get measurements, so you'll have to mix to taste

Apricot-Infused Vodka
Orange Juice
Pineapple Juice
Splash of Grenadine (to create that sunset look)
Garnished with a Cherry