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Dita Von Teese EXCLUSIVE: Ok.co.uk gets up close and personal with the burlesque goddess

kty — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:13:05 -0800

DITA Von Teese is a busy lady.

When the famous burlesque dancer isn't performing at the Crazy Horse or dancing in a martini glass she is coming up with new routines and keeping her to-die-for figure in shape.
Ok.co.uk snatched a precious moment with the curvy beauty to find out what she's been up to recently, how she keeps fit and what she likes to wear in bed...

Hi Dita, how are you and what have you been up to recently?

I've been great! I've been spending a lot of time at my Paris apartment, taking French lessons and learning to live as a Parisienne! But now I am getting set to go back to Los Angeles to prepare for my shows at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas at The Crazy Horse Paris there.

What are your naughty wardrobe must-haves?

Great fitting lingerie. I always buy sexy bras of good quality that fit me well and give a good shape, and I always buy the string and the bikini that match. I am also obsessed with the perfect vintage fully-fashioned back-seamed stockings, so much so that I have my own brand which are made precisely as they were in the 1940s.

You obviously have an incredible (and world famous!) figure, how do you stay in shape?

I mostly do pilates on a reformer, but I also do yoga and take ballet classes. For me, variety is the key to a successful workout regime. When I get bored, I don't want to go.

What are you most comfortable wearing?

Something uncomfortable!! Ha!

Do you ever take a day off and just throw on some jeans/jogging bottoms?

Kidding aside, yes, of course I have days "off", and I do like to be physically comfortable. I don't know why everyone thinks jeans are so easy and comfy... I can get dressed more quickly and comfortably- not to mention chicly - in a pretty 50's era cotton day dress with a single zip up the back!With jeans you have to squeeze into them, button, zip, etc then you have to find a shirt to wear with it, and finally some silly socks and trainers! I grab one of my vintage dresses, one quick zip up the back, and I slip on a pair of ballet flats or easy heels, and voila, I look nice and I got dressed quickly and easily and I'm off! I hate that "I don't want anyone to think I care but look at me in my carefully-planned disheveled look" thing! I don't actually spend hours getting ready on a day-to-day basis, and I'm certainly not about spending a fortune on or making the effort with something as unappealing to me as jeans. I look silly in jeans.

What do you wear to bed?

Either a little lace slip or nothing at all. I love being nude in very fine sheets. I keep a dressing gown next to the bed and that's what I slip in and out of to wear around the house.

Who is your style inspiration at the moment (that is current)?

My modern influences are designers like John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier, and I reference things from books I have and old films I see. I definitely see other celebrities who look lovely, but my inspirations go beyond "lovely" and into eccentric, over-the-top territory!

Which staple item of clothing should every girl have in their wardrobe?

The perfect black dress that shows a bit of cleavage, but not too much of anything else. There should be one focal point. If you find the perfect dress, you can wear it over and over in different ways, with a great statement brooch, or a pair of shoes and handbag in a vibrant color, with gloves or a hat. I have a few of these perfect black dresses that I wear over and over, but no one notices it's the same dress because I wear it with different accessories.

How can girls with a tight budget achieve the ‘Dita’ look?

It's actually fairly easy because the fact is, my look is derived from not having money to buy expensive clothes. That is the reason I began collecting vintage clothes! I could see parallels between my favorite designers and vintage styles, so I would shop for vintage. Nowadays I see so many modern made clothes of all price points, I think it's become quite easy to look chic on a budget. My number one rule these days is to buy timeless, good quality pieces that I can wear year after year rather than trying to buy lots and lots of clothes. I would suggest to save up for the day you see that perfect dress that you might have considered to be too expensive. I find that it's actually more economical than snatching up piles of clothes. Whenever I do that, I end up with a bunch of things I never wear.

What’s it like being in your giant martini glass for The Bath? It looks uncomfortable!

Nothing worth doing is easy, and nothing that looks effortless actually is. I'm really only in there for about 3 minutes, and onstage, I never feel any kind of pain or discomfort anyway! I've come offstage with scrapes and cuts, but never feel it until later on.

Every girl likes to feel sexy and confidence is obviously the key, but do you have any mantras or routines that help you to feel sexy even when you’re having an ‘off’ day?

Well, like any woman, I do have off days, and I guess I just do my best to get through it and try to do something that makes me feel better, like exercising or making more of an effort with my appearance, like wearing a favourite dress. And sometimes there's nothing to do but go to bed and count on tomorrow being another day!

You’ve said the reason your style evolved was because you didn’t feel comfortable or suit the ‘normal’ look, what are your tips for girls who want to look different?

The most important thing to remember is that there can be no real definition of beauty... that old saying that beauty is "in the eye of the beholder" is the truth. Being true to yourself and using what you've got it the best way, I'm really just a girl who is enhancing what she's got, and that's it! I think there is something to be said for the women of the world that achieved glamour rather than being born a natural beauty, look at women like Marene Dietrich, Rita Hayworth etc all these women that once looked very average but managed to undergo a reinvention to become the icons we still remember today. There is no real reason that anyone can't do that with enough ambition, even if it's not for the silver screen, but for yourself, in your own movie - the one called your life!

What would you say are rules for a first date or dating rules in general?

I don't really have rules for first dates, because you never know but I do try to reveal myself to a degree, for instance I never try to dress down to make my date think I'm "normal" or anything like that! I like to make a good impression, but I don't want to make a man think I'm something I'm not. I think he ought to know right away that I like to wear this much eyeliner and this much lipstick! I think when I was younger I thought about what others thought of me from time to time, but that's out the window now. Being different and taking the road less travelled is what made me successful.

You always look incredible on stage, but do you still get nervous before a routine?

Of course I do! There's a lot to think about, and nervous energy is part of what makes a good show. When I feel too much at ease, the show usually doesn't go the way I want it to. I never relax into it. I control my nerves very well, I just do what I need to do to be in the right frame of mind, I have a few little rules to help keep it that way, mostly related to being alone to think and prepare. The cardinal rule is to not let anyone interrupt my backstage alone time.

What would you say is the difference between stripping and burlesque?

The term "Burlesque" as we know it today comes from a type of risque variety show in America that one would go to see in the 1930's and 40's, and performing striptease - stripping - is the word to describe what the burlesque performers did onstage. It's not just my opinion, it's a fact. Nowadays we use the word "burlesque" to describe this retro-styled striptease that is seeing a big revival. Without the strip, it's not burlesque, that's for certain, and the greatest burlesque star that ever lived, Gypsy Rose Lee, called herself a stripper. 'Stripper' is not a bad word, and you aren't going to hear me tell you that there is a difference between burlesque and stripping, because I think that's awfully pretentious to go on and on about how burlesque isn't really stripping - it is! Burlesque-style striptease is where the modern pole dancing type strip originated from, and essentially, we're all related. Initially, I worked in strip clubs, as did most of us that were at the forefront of the burlesque revival in the early 1990s, and I'm not ashamed to say it. I believe that those years spent on strip club stages is part of what makes me good at what I do.

What was it like performing at Crazy Horse?

I have a very high regard and respect for The Crazy Horse, it's a historic place. When I was a teenager, I saw one little picture in Playboy of these beautiful nearly nude 'toy soldiers' lined up, and I was desperate to find out more about this mysterious place. There was no internet yet, and I couldn't find out anything about it. I didn't even have the name of it, just this image that was in my head for all those years. So years later, when I was finally in paris when I was in my early 20s, I kept asking people about these naked 'toy soldiers', and I finally saw the show, and I was amazed. I went to the show every night I was in Paris, and for the next decade I would go see the show every chance I got. I also befriended a Crazy Horse historian and so I would get to see all the archives and meet former dancers. A few years ago I did a photo shoot there, which is something they never allowed, in order to preserve the mystery of the place. Little by little, I became more involved, and I became the first guest star in the history of The Crazy, so that was exciting. Everyone who was anyone went there, since 1951, and for me, just to be in that theatre to see the same stage that all these stars went, from Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, John F Kennedy, Gypsy Rose Lee, Salvador Dali, the guest list is impressive, and well, I just think it's incredible to think that there was once a time when a show like this was revered like that. It's the art of nude, the glorification of the female form, absolute perfection. There is no show like it on earth, and the history and mystery of this place is amazing. I'm a big fan, and part of my driving force in performing there was to bring attention to this amazing show, and of course I liked the challenge in creating acts for it that are both true to their history and ideals, and at the same time true to mine, which is based in American style classic burlesque, which is what originally inspired the founder to create the Crazy Horse in Paris.

How do you come up with your routines?

Ah well, coming up with the ideas isn't the problem, it's following through that is. I have lots of ideas for shows but then I have to really take some time to think about whether I want to invest the money and time into the idea. It takes a lot of time, effort and money to build one new act, and I am my own financier! Sometimes it can become frustrating because I do build all these big new elaborate shows and I will still get asked to do one of my oldest, simplest shows, like the Martini glass! And when I come up with these opulent new acts, they don't fit on some stages, or it's too expensive to ship...so there are lots of factors that come into play when making a new act.

* Crazy Horse Paris with Dita Von Teese available on DVD nowInterview by Nikki Barr.

Martinis and Martini Style Libations

Monique Marie — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:11:29 -0800

At first "Martini" only referred to a straight up gin drink. Then came the Vodka Martini which is now the most popular. The ingredients never varied that much, the spirit (gin, vodka), ice and a little Vermouth, maybe a dash of juice. Sure, there was some interesting garnishes (olives, onions, lemon, chili pepper, orange, lime), but plain and classic, the Martini has remained for decades.

Here are the rules that exist today:
1. If you serve it in a Martini glass and there is no whiskey in it you can call it a Martini.
2. They can be any color of the rainbow.
3. They can be very potent, or have their strength dramatically cut low with octane liqueurs and mixers.

Perfect Pour Every time
1. Take your Martini glass and fill it with water to the level to which you will be pouring.
2. Now take out 2 tsp of water (this is what you will be gaining from the chilling process).
3. Take the mixing glass you would be using to mix your Martinis in the future in, and fill it with ice.
4. Pour the water filled Martini glass into the ice filled mixing glass.
5. Now mark the side of the mixing glass with a marker or paint. This is where you want your liquid with ice to come to every time you make a Martini. Leave this marked glass next toy our mixing area for reference.

Chilled Glasses
Nothing enhances a perfectly made Martini more than a nice chilly glass. If you can, refrigerate your glasses 20-30 minutes before needed. If you have no place cool to keep your glasses, line up as many as you can safely and fill them with ice and water. They will be ready in 30 seconds.

The Shake
You need to shake all the new Martini drinks. You have your ingredients in the glass. You have secured the mixing cup to the glass. Now pick them up one hand on the glass, one hand on the cup, and let's get a little shaking going on. The trick is getting a little rhythm going. Try up and down like a piston in an engine. Try horizontally in front of yourself, in and out. Practice and choose whatever you feel better with and always keep in mind, the longer you shake the drink the more diluted from the melting ice it will become.

Heaven In A Glass: Vodka Martini

partysugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:11:46 -0700

Reception tips and ideas

TrishaWood — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:13:57 -0700

Henry Hager And Jenna Bush Wedding
Your wedding will no doubt be the most romantic day of your lives, it's a celebration of love and commitment. But it's also the biggest party you'll probably ever throw. So pull out all the stops and make it a night to remember. We've researched the top wedding experts to find their best ideas for throwing a fun and unique reception, while maximizing the romance and tugging at the heartstrings of your guests. Whether you use one or 10 of them, we hope you will find at least a few new and creative ideas to make your reception even more fabulous.

If you're planning an outdoor event, don't forget to spray the grounds for insects about an hour before the guests arrive.
Skip the huge head table at the reception, share an intimate dinner for two, or share a small table with your parents or children.
Ask your caterer to prepare a late night snack for the bride and groom. As more often than not you are too busy with guests when dinner is served.
Want to use those disposable cameras on the reception tables. To avoid having hundreds of the same pictures by turning your guests into creative photographers with a photo hunt. Leave a list of ten great photos you would like that table to take during the reception. Photo ideas could include; build a pyramid, group table shot, funniest pose, a guest kissing the bartender or grandparents holding hands.
Don't like the disposable cameras but still want to get memories captured by your guests? Set up a docking station so guests can load their photos to your computer on the spot.
Offer your guests one or two signature cocktails that you've personalized with a cute name and your wedding colors.
Want the expensive look of calligraphy for your invitations without the cost? Calligraphic fonts that look like the real thing are readily available. Free font sources: searchfreefonts.com, highfonts.com, dafont.com
Have a graphic artist create a custom wedding logo that you can use on printed materials and other elements of your wedding to create a cohesive look. (If you’re artistic you can do this yourself. Another option: Purchase a logo at marrymonograms.com)
Tell it to the world! Hire a skywriter to spell out “Congratulations, Trish and Jason!” during an outdoor cocktail hour.
Ask your camera people to set up a live feed of the bridal party’s photo session for guests to enjoy over cocktails and appetizers. This way, no one is excluded from what the stars of the day are doing.
Glam up the ladies room. It will be an unexpected suprise for your guests and will add a touch of elegance to your event.
Put your stamp on water, wine or beer bottles with personalized labels.
Don’t forget your youngest guests. Create an activity book-print coloring pages on your computer, for example-and place at each child’s seat. Personalize the cover with your names and wedding date.
Having a beach wedding? Personalized beach towels are the perfect gift for guests. You could adorn them with your wedding logo or motif or have each towel embroidered with guests’ initials.
Another destination wedding idea, give every female guest a single flower, say, a vibrantly colored hibiscus, to wear in her hair.
Research family traditions. For an Irish/Scottish wedding, for example, you or a group could learn an Irish step dance. (And then invite your guests to join in, to add to the fun.)
Give a short speech before dinner in which you thank your parents as well as your guests. Mom and Dad will treasure these words forever. Weddingspeeches4u can help with the writing.
Surprise your parents and your new in-laws by having the band play the first songs from their weddings.
Instead of numbering your tables, name them. If France is your honeymoon destination, call one table “Paris,” another “Cannes,” another “Provence” and so on.
Groom’s cakes are back in a big way. Select one that represents your new husband’s hobby, favorite sports team or hometown.
Place blank CDs in envelopes preaddressed to you on a table near the exit. Enclose a note with this request: “When you download your pictures, please burn us a copy-and send!” Or, set up a docking station so guests can download to a computer for you, right there before they leave your event.
Another clever touch that you might want to try, place a giant antique suitcase near the dance floor with a sign that says “For tired toes.” Inside the trunk add pairs of inexpensive slippers, for the ladies who want to dance but need a break from their high heels.
Instead of the traditional sit-down dinner or buffet, opt for smaller food-serving areas where a particular entrée or side dish might be paired with a complementary drink-like sushi with sake or a carving station with a rich cabernet. Stations get people up and moving, and that makes for a dynamic party, and they give guests something to talk about. Or, consider having a family-style dinner. Passing around platters of food creates a much more intimate feel among guests than a waiter-served meal would.
Vodka ice slides are a popular trend right now. A bartender pours flavored vodka through a long tunnel carved into an ice sculpture, and by the time it empties into a glass held at the bottom, the vodka's been chilled. It's a creative and interesting twist on the martini bar.
Give champagne an extra kick by placing fruit-peaches and blackberries are popular choices-in the flutes, because it'll stimulate the bubble action. Fresh fruit works well, but frozen fruit provides even more fizz.
Here's a hot new trend, make your guests smile by renting a photo booth for your wedding so guests can take turns mugging for the camera. Place the booth in a corner of your ballroom, and get ready for all sorts of silly photo strips to come out of the machine-perhaps even one of you and your new husband sneaking kisses behind the curtain.
Hire an unusual entertainer to thrill party-goers. Some fun ideas: a juggler, belly dancer or a magician. Have a favorite celebrity? Hire an impersonator to liven up the cocktail hour by performing, mingling with guests and posing for photos with them.
Make dessert a group activity. Arrange to have pots of chocolate fondue delivered to each dinner table, along with pieces of pound cake, pineapple and strawberry for dipping. Or, serve s'mores, camp-style-guests can roast their own marshmallows over mini sterno-fueled grills placed at the center of each table.
Carve out a little alone-time in the midst of your party. Sneak away to a private room in your reception venue-you can ask your caterer in advance to have champagne and strawberries waiting for you. Kiss, toast to your future, and relish the fact that this is your wedding day.
The salad course of your wedding meal can make a lovely statement. Dress up the greens with edible flowers, such as nasturtiums or delicate peach blossoms. Serving soup instead of salad? Showcase your new monogram-in the soup. Serve a thick concoction (like pumpkin soup in fall or vichyssoise in winter) and have your caterer spell out your initials with heavy cream in each bowl.
Imagine taking your first spin around the dance floor while listening to the words that joined you together as husband and wife. Apparantely it's relatively easy for your DJ to record your vows at the ceremony, and then splice them into your first-dance song.
Make the cocktail hour interactive by setting up a wine, champagne or liquor tasting. A beverage expert or a sommelier can offer guests a sampling of libations and a little lesson on flavors.
Hire dance instructors to teach guests how to swing, merengue, boot-scoot or polka. There's no better way to get everybody on the dance floor.
Hire a caricaturist to render on-the-spot drawings of guests (which they can take home, of course).
Love dress-up? Have a trunk full of costumes and silly props on the dance floor. Guests can try on hats, boas and oversize sunglasses, and "play" faux guitars.
Burn CDs of the songs you'll be playing at your wedding. Ask the parking valets to put the discs in guests' car stereos, and to leave a note from the two of you on the front seat. On the way home, guests can replay all the fantastic musical memories of the day.
Favors shouldn't be for guests only. Send yourselves off with a treat, too. Ask your caterer to create a basket filled with champagne, cheese, crackers, fruit, cookies and chocolate that you can dip into when you're up in the honeymoon suite.
If certain guests-college friends, family members-are needed for a group photo at the reception, a clever way to get them all together with minimal fuss is to make a note on their place cards about the time and location.
The classic floral vase has given way to mix-and-matched clusters of vintage pitchers, vases, jars, and galvanized buckets. Other ideas: apothecary jars with colorful rocks, sand, or even candy; uniquely shaped glass vases featuring fresh fruits like raspberries and blueberries; and mason jars loaded with fresh flowers like daisies and dahlias.
Say good-bye to pale pastels and bright poppies. Rich gem colors like navy, plum, and amber are this season's hottest trend. And instead of chocolate brown, look to a soft creme brulee hue, bronzes, coppers, and black. Yes, that's right -- black is the new black.
Plan an after party. Any bride will tell you that the reception flies by. But the last dance doesn't have to signal the end of the celebration.
There are wedding watercolor artists who will draw in pastels, or paint in watercolors, the reception as it unfolds. This can be a great gift for the bride and groom, but it's also some quiet entertainment for guests and especially good for weddings set in great scenery.
A luxury lounge can take your reception to the next level. Drape off seating areas around the dance floor or on the lawn for guests to rest their feet. Set up white couches, chairs and tables decorated with bright blooms, colorful pillows and throws for a club-like feel.
Consider wedding insurance. Wedding insurance are policies specifically designed to protect you from financial loss in the event your wedding must be cancelled or postponed due to circumstances beyond your control, or if one of the major elements of your wedding (e.g., photographs, wedding attire, and/or gifts) is lost or damaged.
Arrange for an old fashion popcorn machine or ice cream or candy cart to park outside your reception at the end of the evening so your guests can munch while they wait for the valet.
Don't want to wear an heirloom dress but still want to honor your Mother or Grandmother? Clip a piece of fabric to wrap your bouquet, or drape the escort card table for an elegant custom look.

Come Party With Me: Vampire Party - the Look

partysugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:08 -0700

Black, white, and blood red are the colors that come to mind when I think of vampires and they're perfect for decorating a vampire party. Start by placing black candelabra with blood-dripping candles around the event location. Hang bats from the ceiling and stretch spider webs across the walls.

Serve the food on red platters, the soup in test tubes, and the cocktail in clear martini glasses. Sprinkle skull-and-cross-bones confetti across the tables, and place plastic vampire fangs in between the serving platters. Stack black napkins nearby. Bouquets of red roses finish the look.

The Winning Drink: The "Caramel Mochatini"

justjaime27 — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:23:06 -0800

The "Caramel Mochatini" Winning Drink Recipe:

What you'll need:

Martini Glass
Shaker & Ice

1oz.- Stoli Vanilla Vodka (Or whatever your favorite Vanilla Vodka is)
1oz.- Baileys Caramel Irish Cream
1oz.- Godiva White Chocolate Liquor
1/2oz.-Starbucks Liquor

1 packet of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Powder
1 bottle of caramel ice-cream topping
1 dark chocolate bar

Directions:

Rim martini glass with Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Powder.
Drizzle Glass with caramel ice-cream topping.
Shave dark chocolate bar onto plate.

Pour liquor into shaker.
Shake liquor well over ice.
Strain into martini glass.
Garnish drink with dark chocolate shavings.
Serve and enjoy!

The Caramel Mochatini - Serve in a martini glass and enjoy!

Martini Glasses I'd serve these in:

Martini Chiller 4-pc. Set
$12.99 -www.target.com
• Keep drinks cold without the melted ice
• Includes two 5-1/2-oz. glasses and two 3" chillers
• All glass
• Dishwasher safe

Stylish Shaker I'd use:

Metrokane VIP Cocktail Shaker - Black
$19.99 -www.target.com
• Wrapped in faux leather, this 23-oz. cocktail shaker mixes things up in high style
• Made of stainless steel
• Includes a strainer and 10 drink recipes
• 8.5Hx3.25" dia.

My food blog and a recipe...

celebrity_soup — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:48:24 -0700

Hi there!
I have my own private food blog that I thought you guys would be interested in.
I haven't been very active in this group with new recipes because they're all going into this new blog.

If your interested, please stop by and follow:
www.freakindelicious.onsugar.com

thanks,
maia

____________________________________
and here's a little something to give you a taste...

Pornstar Cocktail

Ingredients:
1 shot Vodka
½ shot Blue Curaçao
2 ½ shots pineapple juice
3/4 shot coconut cream
splash of Malibu

Directions:
Pour vodka, Blue Curaçao, pineapple juice and coconut cream in a shaker full of ice. Shake and pour using an ice strainer into martini/margarita glass.

Add a splash of Malibu on top of the drink and rim the glass with a pineapple slice or sugar.

Valentine's Day Cocktails

Princess_Mimi — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:56:59 -0800

Valentine's Day is almost here!
I can't wait to make a special dinner for my hubby along with a decadent dessert.
But first, comes the cocktails to start off the romantic dinner.

I found these great cocktails on the web, but before I make them for the dinner, I'm gonna have to test each one for my favorite, fun.

Passionpolitan

INGREDIENTS

• 1 oz. Parrot Bay Passion Fruit Rum

• .25 oz. triple sec

• 2 oz. cranberry juice

• 1 squirt lime juice

• 1 wedge lime

PREPARATION

• Add Parrot Bay Passion Fruit Rum, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice in ice-filled glass and stir

• Garnish with lime

Godiva Peppermint Kiss

INGREDIENTS

• 1 oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

• 1 oz. Rumple Minze

• 1 sprig mint

PREPARATION

• Add Godiva Chocolate Liqueur and Rumple Minze in ice-filled rocks glass and stir

• Garnish with mint sprig.

Kissable

INGREDIENTS

• .75 oz. Smirnoff Orange Vodka

• .75 oz. white creme de cacao

• 1.5 oz. milk

PREPARATION

• Add Smirnoff Orange Vodka

• Add white creme de cacao and milk

• Shake and strain into martini glass

Appletini

TNgirl — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 09:22:20 -0700

Apple Martini Ingredients:
30ml (or approx 1 oz) Vodka
30ml (or approx 1 oz) Sour Apple Schnapps
30ml (or approx 1 oz) apple juice
3 ice cubes
1 slice green apple

Apple Martini Directions:
Into a cocktail shaker, pour the Vodka, Sour Apple Schnapps and apple juice.
Add a few ice cubes.
Shake well.
Strain and pour into a martini glass.
To finish, garnish the rim of the martini glass with the slice of green apple.

Bar Essentials

Whiplash — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 09:45:01 -0700

Yayita requested a list of essentials for an at-home bar. So, here's my list.

HARD LIQUORS

THE BARE ESSENTIALS
Vodka
White Rum
Gold Tequila
Gin
American or Canadian Whiskey

NOT ESSENTIAL BUT HELPFUL
Dark Rum
Bourbon
Scotch
Irish Whiskey
Flavored Vodkas
Brandy or Cognac

CORDIALS/LIQUEURS

THE BARE ESSENTIALS
Triple Sec (orange liqueur)
Kahlua (coffee liqueur)
Peach Schnapps
Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
Midori (melon liqueur)
Amaretto (almond liqueur)

NOT ESSENTIAL BUT HELPFUL
Bailey's Irish Cream
Other fruit and berry flavored schnapps
Malibu

MIXERS

THE BARE ESSENTIALS
Sour mix (sweetened lemon juice)
Orange juice
Cranberry juice
Pineapple juice
Seltzer
Tonic
Cola/Diet Cola
Lemon-Lime/Diet Lemon-Lime
Ginger Ale
Milk or cream

NOT ESSENTIAL BUT HELPFUL
Tomato juice
Grapefruit Juice
Frozen drink mixes

GARNISHES

THE BARE ESSENTIALS
Lemons
Limes
Oranges
Olives
Cherries
Salt

OTHER DRINKS

THE BARE ESSENTIALS
Beer
Light beer
red wine
white wine
sparkling wine/champagne
light and dark vermouth

TOOLS/EQUIPMENT, ETC.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS
Tall glasses
short glasses
martini glasses
wine glasses
corkscrew
bottle opener
measuring cup
straws
coasters
martini shaker
bar spoon
toothpicks
blender