Yesterday was a good day. I found out that I won two tickets to a Casa Dragones tequila tasting from Tasting Table. This was awesome for two reasons: 1) free booze (always yay!) and 2) the event took place aboard The Freedom, a “beautifully restored, classic 1926 104-foot Mathis-Trumpy Fantail Motor Yacht.”
LOVE the '50s feel of these cut crystal brandy snifters (about $130 for a pair).
Meet your new go-to glassware: a set of Baccarat champagne glasses originally designed for the Russian Imperial Court that retail for a measly $8,995.00.
Around 5:30, my friend Kim called and told me to come meet her in the Ace Hotel for a pickle-back shot.
...I highly suggest going to Nobu. There's just nowhere else like it.
Gabrielle and I spent Friday afternoon taste-testing a variety of absinthe preparations (all using her homemade recipe), and I was pleasantly surprised to discover how delicious absinthe is.
In this episode of "Better Bites," Donatella Arpaia teaches me how to make the perfect spring cocktail.
Yum yum yum.
ABSOLUT BERRI ACAI SOUR
2 parts Absolut Berry Acai
3/4 part simple syrup
Yesterday evening, I met producer and author Marianne Mancusi for drinks at 44 1/2. I was absolutely in awe when I learned that she’s written twelve (TWELVE!) books since 2005. As someone who’s been working on her Great American Novel for…oh…three years now, let me just say: that is seriously impressive.
If you head over to 44 1/2 for drinks, I highly recommend checking out their fun cocktail list (under “Menus”). I get the Chelsea Hot and Dirty minus the Hot part (I substitute regular Ketel One for Absolute Peppar, and order extra blue cheese-stuffed olives on the side).
To keep costs down at cocktail parties, I serve just wine (a pinot grigio and a fruity, lighter red like a pinot noir), and one really delicious speciality drink. Upon arrival, each guest was handed a sugar-rimmed, personalized wineglass filled with a PAMA/champagne concoction, and during the party I wandered around with pitchers refilling glasses (so much easier than having everyone make trips to the bar every time they need another cocktail).
I swear, I should have been shooting a PAMA commercial during the party. “Jordan, what IS this extraordinary drink?!” “This is the most delicious cocktail!” “Oh my god, I LOVE this PAMA stuff!!” Direct quotes. Swear. It’s really, really good - I thought it might be too sweet mixed with the champagne, but it adds just the perfect amount of fruitiness.
PAMA CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
Combine 3 parts champagne and 1 part PAMA. Serve in a glass with a sugared rim and garnish with berries, if desired. You can also play with the proportions, adding more or less PAMA as you like.
