Manhattan Cocktail Classic
May 11th, 2012
A Guide to Boozing at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic This Weekend
BY LESLIE PARISEAU
The Gala: A notorious shit show, the gala is still a ton of fun, especially if you’re fond of scantily clad go-go dancers, exotic birds, and copious amounts of booze. There’s no better excuse to put on a fancy dress or your shiniest shoes and drink a thousand sample sized cocktails. Expect a dry cleaning bill, sore feet, and a severe hangover. Tickets are sold out, but we bet there are is some last-minute Craigslist scavenging to be had.
Do Not Resuscitate: It is a beautiful thing that proper Old Fashioned’s and Brady Crustas have been revived from the annals of 19th-century cocktail books. But there are also some cocktails that should stay within the pages of those dusty tomes. On Saturday, some of the cocktail world’s most discerning historians (including David Wondrich, Philip Duff and Audrey Saunders) will vote their least favorite classics off the boozy island.
Gentleman’s Cocktail Crawl: This may be the fanciest bar crawl you’ll ever stumble along. From the Breslin at the Ace to the Libertine at the Thompson Hotel, this Saturday afternoon tour through some of the city’s plushest parlors allows six splashy drinks at over a dozen gilded hotels. Put your frat jackets away and pop your martini-drinking pinky.
The Darkest Night, Sleep No More: If you haven’t been to this phantasmagorical feature wound through the labyrinth of Chelsea’s McKittrick Hotel, now would be the time. Mainly because it includes a bar full of Scotch. Monday evening, the bizarre Hitchcockian hotel will open its doors to MCC-goers for an evening of wild drinking and Twilight Zone wanderings.
Indie Spirits Expo: Peanut Rum Liqueur. Antica Sambuca. Iceberg Vodka. A scavenger hunt for esoteric booze, the Indie Spirits expo has all of the whimsical ingredients you need to impress the next group of unsuspecting dinner guests. Your know-it-all food friend won’t be able to help but balk when you pull out the Corsair chocolate rye for a round of nightcap Old Fashioneds.
Alicia Silverstone Launches a Vegan and Eco Friendly Makeup Collection
April 29th, 2012
Alicia Silverstone has teamed up with Juice Beauty to launch her own namesake collection of makeup and skincare products. The five-piece lineup includes cleanser, moisturizer, and basic makeup items for a natural and healthy glow, Ecorazzi reports.Karen Behnke, Juice Beauty’s chief executive officer, describes the actress as an “effortless beauty,” something that coincides with the brand. “The Juice Beauty girl is similar: quick and easy. They don’t want harsh chemicals, but they want to feel glamorous.”
The all organic collection includes a chamomile cleanser and a nourishing moisturizer for daily skincare. For a glowing and natural makeup, the set includes a berry-hued lip color, a multi-use facial highlighter, and a lightweight pressed powder. The makeup line is available at JuiceBeauty.com and Ulta.
Source: Heini Talip, The Daily Glow
Thirsty Thursday
April 26th, 2012
It’s Thirsty Thursday again, and we’re looking forward to enjoying this organic cocktail we just found called The King Karl.
Created by David Celland at Apotheke
Ingredients:
2 parts Kanon Organic Vodka
4 chunks fresh organic lime
1 slice organic orange
3/4 part simple syrup
2 dashes angostura bitters
Directions:
Muddle the limes and orange with simple syrup and angostura, add Kanon, shake with ice and strain into a glass.
Chem Free Cocktails for Earth Day!
April 19th, 2012
Every week, GOOD’s cocktail expert recommends drinks in keeping with the times. This week, two 100-percent organic cocktails to help reshape your perception of Earth Day.
Earth Day is overdue for rebranding. As tornadoes make junk drawers out of our heartland cities, hydraulic fracking imports earthquakes to faultless places like Youngstown and Little Rock, and the rising oceansswallow island nations whole and threaten to make my beloved peninsular metropolis a densely-packed archipelago, a day for saving the world is more essential than ever. Yet many Americans know April 22 only as the day the little animated peacock turns green at the bottom of our HDTV screens.
So I propose we improve Earth Day’s Q score by recasting it as a drinking holiday. Everyone remembers St. Patrick’s Day thanks to the dogged marketing efforts of the folks at Guinness and Jameson. Ditto for Cinco de Mayo, Corona, and Jose Cuervo. It’s time for Earth Day to get its due in bars across America, too. Surely a drink could help all that bad environmental news go down easier.
The Call: Chem-Free Cocktails
Fortunately, there is no shortage of eco-friendly candidates to fill the Jameson/Cuervo role in Earth Day 2.0 (as I’ve just branded this rebranding initiative). I started with quality liquors from three of my favorites—Square One Vodka of Marin County, California; Del Maguey Mezcal, which imports single-village mezcals from Mexico via Taos, New Mexico; and Kanon Vodka, from Sweden.
All three distillers sell exclusively 100-percent organic spirits. To provide extra bang for your Earth Day buck, Square One prints its labels on paper made from sustainably grown bamboo and cotton, powers 25 percent of its distillery with wind, and recycles the organic rye byproduct from its distillation as feed to sell to organic dairy farms. Kanon sources its organic wheat from within a three-mile radius of its 16th-century castle distillery (run entirely by wind and water power), uses water from its own artisan aquifer, and heats its offices with fermentation steam. These are the good guys.
To create cocktails worthy of such environmentally responsible hooch—and to honor the wealth of awesome organic produce “sourceable” from within a three-mile radius of my San Francisco apartment—I started prep a day ahead, setting up a simple infusion and cooking my own tried-and-true flavored syrup. This is Left Coast Mixology 101—and while that school sometimes veers too far from “bartending” and too close to “cooking” for my tastes, the two techniques I borrowed this week made for killer Earth Day cocktails. Both drinks can be made from entirely organic ingredients. I named the first one after a classic by some prominent Atlanta naturalists.
So Fresh, So Green
1 ½ oz. Square One Basil Vodka
¾ oz. lime juice
½ oz. ginger-peppercorn syrup*
Shake with cracked ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an organic lime wedge.
* To make the ginger-peppercorn syrup: Combine 3 to 4 oz. of ginger, sliced thin, 1 tsp. black peppercorns, the skin and core of an apple, 2 cups sugar, and 3 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; simmer for about 40 minutes or until syrup has the desired flavor and consistency. Cool completely. Strain.
The SFSG is mild but complex, smooth and drinkable but layered with fruity, leafy, and vegetal flavors. Cooking up your own syrup will introduce a lot of variance in flavor, so don’t be afraid to tweak my proportions accordingly. You’ll know you’ve gotten it right when the end result tastes more like a refreshing-but-potent apéritif, and less like a salad.
Like the favorite crop of its namesake, the SFSG should ease you pleasantly into an evening of Earth Day inebriation, like a wader stepping gingerly into a swimming pool. For your friends or guests who are more keen on diving into the deep end, try this smoky, spicy concoction I named after a temperamental weather system:
El Niño
1 ½ oz. pepper-infused vodka*
1 ½ oz. tangerine juice [I squeezed organic Minneolas]
1 oz.Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal [i.e., mescal with agave syrup added]
½ oz. agave syrup
Shake with cracked ice. Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a vodka-soaked pepper or a dried Fuyu persimmon.
* To make the pepper-infused vodka: Remove the cores and seeds from a habanero, a jalapeño, two serranos, and an Anaheim pepper—preferably while wearing gloves. (Ripe peppers may be best overall, but firmer, crisper ones produce a “green” taste that is not entirely unwelcome in the cocktail, in addition to the heat.) Chop the peppers roughly. Clean and dry a mason jar thoroughly, place the chopped peppers in the bottom of the jar, and fill with an organic vodka (I used Kanon). Screw the lid on to the jar. Let the vodka infuse for 8 to 48 hours—longer infusion will result in more intense, spicier flavor. When the flavor is to your liking, strain the infused vodka. The vodka-soaked peppers can be retained as a garnish.
The key to El Niño is balance. Agave syrup is wickedly sweet, and the mescal in Del Maguey’s crema is brilliantly smoky; those two flavors should balance each other and play off the pointy zing of the citrus before the infusion’s heat kicks in. Like any spicy cocktail worth its salt, EL Niño’s final Scovillian note can prime your palate for an adventurous meal. It can also inspire you to order another round—either to cool the fire on your taste buds or stoke it anew. (Pro tip: the infused vodka also makes a killer Bloody Mary).
As a spokesman for Earth Day’s rebranding initiative, I fully support the latter strategy. By clearing your calendar and spending a boozy evening (or afternoon) at home, you can save fossil fuels, reduce pollution, and generally promote the original spirit of Earth Day—while doing your part to introduce the world to Earth Day 2.0, the next great drinking holiday.
Photo via (cc) Flickr user bachmont. Cocktail photo by Adrienne Moon. Originally posted on good.is
Celebrities Talk Fashion and Environment at Third Annual Christie’s Green Auction
April 16th, 2012
Last night, top international collectors, philanthropists, and celebrities walked the green carpet for a great cause: to save the Earth. The star-studded event was held at New York City’s Rockefeller Center for Christie’s Third Annual Green Auction: BID to Save the Earth. The evening included a world-class live auction with proceeds set to benefit four of the world’s leading environmental organizations. Select items listed for bidding included a vintage Missoni wheel bag, special-editionStella McCartney bags, and diamond jewelry necklaces designed by Susan Rockefeller. After enjoying a night of bidding on one-of-a-kind items and mingling, guests were treated to a live musical performance from the striking Grace Potter of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals.
If you ever wonder what celebrities look forward to taking home at an auction, consider yourself covered. On the green carpet, I got to speak with some of the most fashionable guests about the auction and what fashion trends they are looking forward to trying this spring.
Coco Rocha and Angela Lindvall at Christie’s Third Annual Green Auction: BID to Save the Earth
Supermodel Coco Rocha, who walked the carpet with her dapper husband, James Conran, looked amazing in a black and gold Fendi ensemble. For the Green Auction, Coco generously donated one of her many professional skills, posing classes to the winning bidder. When I asked Coco if she was vying for one of the Stella McCartney bags listed, she laughed and responded that she and James and were hoping to go home with a “weird and unique” piece, possibly to decorate their abode. While rare is a quality Coco and her hubby look for in an auction, neon trends are definitely on Coco’s mind for spring fashion. “I think that I always wanted to wear neon as a little girl and that’s why it’s so appealing to me now,” Coco admitted. If anyone can pull off neon, fashion trendsetter, Coco is definitely a top contender.
When I asked Victoria’s Secret angel Angela Lindvall what she was looking forward to bidding on, she confessed she hadn’t yet reviewed what was up for auction but that she is a huge supporter of the charity and was definitely going to bid on something. While not so keen on trends, Lindvall, who had just recently traveled India, told me she is obsessed with the rich colors she saw there. “I am obsessed with color and patterns, mixing colors and patterns. The way Indian woman dress is so beautiful and the way they’ll put different shades of blue and green is inspiring,” she gushed.
During the green carpet I also got to chat with the lovely Aviva Dresser, one of the newest cast-members of Real Housewives of New York. Aviva looked amazing in a form-fitting black Theia dress that she described as “McQueen-esque.” When questioned about what to expect from the show’s fashion style this season, Aviva told me that fans have plenty to look forward to. “This season, the newbies are bringing very fashion-forward moments and a less housewifey look to the show.” Drama mixed with high fashion — sounds too juicy to miss.
One of this year’s Coachella performers, the very-fashionable, Grace Potter, rocked a Grecian-inspired black dress, gorgeous Alexander McQueen heels, and gold statement jewelry. Ready to embrace new styles and trends this season, Grace admitted to being “over the whole hippie-feathers in your hair sort of look” that she ascribed to for so long. “Katherine Hepburn on acid is the look I am currently going for,” she told me while laughing. As for the auction items, Grace had her eye one one of the Stella bags with a Mona Lisa print on it. Definitely an “it” bag to rock out during this year’s festival.
Grace Potter and Amanda Hearst at Christie’s Third Annual Green Auction: BID to Save the Earth
Source: The Fashion Spot
images: Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com
Thirsty Thursday – Organic Bellini
April 12th, 2012
Ahh, the Bellini. The perfect mixture of prosecco and peach. Extremely refreshing and oh so sophisticated, the Bellini was invented sometime between 1934 and 1948 by owner Giueseppe Cipriani at Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. Because of its unique pink color, which reminded Cipriani of the color of the toga of a saint in a painting by 15th-century Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini, he named the drink the Bellini.
The drink started as a seasonal specialty at Harry’s Bar, a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, and Orson Welles. Later, it also became popular at the bar’s New York counterpart. After an entrepreneurial Frenchman set up a business to ship fresh white peach pureé to both locations, it was a year-round favorite.
Try this organic version we stumbled upon for a great day time, or pre-dinner drink.
- 90 ml Rosnay Organic sparkling chardonnay (any organic sparkling wine, prosecco, or champagne will do).
- 15 ml organic white peach liqueur
- 30 ml organic apricot purée
- 15 ml organic lemon juice
- Stir and garnish with fresh raspberries
Recipe Source: Organic Cocktail Company
3 WAYS TO ECO-FY YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE
April 9th, 2012
In honor of Earth Month, Josie Maran (pictured left) is rereleasing her eponymous brand’s cult favorite argan oil with an added charitable element. The beauty entrepreneur even recruited some of her model pals, Petra Nemcova (pictured right) and Angela Lindvall, to design the limited-edition bottles ($52 each) for the line’s Model Citizen campaign. Available at Sephora, through QVC, or on Josie’s site from now to mid-Summer, 10 percent of the profits from the sale of the oils will benefit the Happy Hearts Fund (through Petra’s design), Healthy Child Healthy World (through Angela), and Women For Women International (through Josie).
Additionally, Josie and Petra are sharing their tips for going “chicological” (that’s chic, high-performing, and ecological) with us. For starters, “I think using kinder, gentler, healthier ingredients overall — especially if you’re wearing makeup every day — makes a huge impact on the beauty of your skin,” explains Josie. See more of what the duo had to say about greening your beauty routine, when you read more.
1. Less is more: Start by decluttering your makeup bag to downsize. “I think finding products that have a little amount of ingredients is the easiest way to start, so you don’t have to figure out what all those things do or if they are toxic,” Josie explains. “When I travel, I can’t carry five different products for face, for body, and for hair,” Petra adds, “so I have one product for everything.”
2. Read the labels: To eco-ize your regimen, you need to do your homework on what not to use. Some chemicals to avoid in your products include talc, parabens, and phthalates. For Josie, synthetic fragrances are the biggest no-no. “If you can get rid of your synthetic fragrances, you can save your health and the planet’s health,” she says.
3. Make your own: The best way to go green is to become your own beauty mixologist. “Now that we’re getting into the warmer months, I love infusing argan oil with fresh jasmine or lavender, and you can use organic vodka to mix it all up and then just mist it on throughout the day,” Josie recommends. As for Petra, her tip is the bee’s knees. “I use honey overnight to make lips more puckered up,” she says.
source: bellasugar.com
Organic Oatmeal Cocktail
April 5th, 2012
We’re here at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers show in Las Vegas, so happy hour here begins when you wake up. Not as fun as it sounds, but, this organic oatmeal cocktail we heard about sounded delicious. Instead of Mimosas, try this at your next brunch soiree.
Oatmeal Cocktail
Fresh, healthy cocktail
If you’re an oatmeal lover like myself, you’re going to love this Oatmeal Cocktail. You can make this cocktail using fresh organic oats and a little bit of organic vanilla vodka.
What you get is more of a shake/smoothie than a martini drink, but it’s delicious nonetheless.
What you’ll need for this is about 1 cup of freshly made oats. Simply choose your favorite brand of organic oats.
I personally prefer cooking the old-fashioned way than opting for the instant products, but it’s totally up to you. Combine equal parts oats and water or milk, and stir over medium-heat for 3-5 minutes.
Now, you can make this cocktail in two ways – a smoothie or a shake. If you opt for the latter, then do the following.
Add the cooked mixture in a blender, and blend for a 5-10 seconds.
You don’t want your drink to be too runny or “liquidy.” You’ll still want a little bit of texture, so blend until smooth. You’ll use the following ingredients, however, follow different steps than the ones listed below.
Pour the mixed ingredients into a metal shaker with a little bit of ice. Add your vodka and vanilla extract. Shake vigorously.
You can strain the contents into a martini glass, or pour it into a pint glass. Enjoy.
The following instructions are for an oatmeal smoothie cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of cooked organic oats
- 1 teaspoon of organic vanilla extract
- 1 oz of Tru Organic Vanilla Vodka
- 1 cup of ice
Directions
- Add the cooked cup of oats, vodka, and vanilla extract into a blender
- Add a cup of ice
- Blend for 20-30 seconds, or until the ice has been crushed and the ingredients have been mixed well
- Pour into a pint glass, and serve
Source: organic-cocktail-recipes.com
Eco tips for a green spring clean
April 3rd, 2012
Atmosphere-purifying paint may help with allergies. Photograph: Alamy
Sprucing up your home this spring? TV presenter and interior designer Julia Kendell explains how to make a house look good and still reduce its environmental impact
Energy
Household energy consumption has increased by 34% since 1970, with gadgets that are “energy saving” adding to the burden of fuel consumption. On average we also expect our homes to be 17.3C for a comfortable temperature, up from 12C in 1970. So max out on insulation and draught-proofing windows and doors. The government’s ”green deal” is available to assist homeowners with the upfront costs of installing energy-saving measures. Install efficient under-floor heating to provide an effective ambient temperature throughout and create additional floorspace and clean lines. Choose AA-rated appliances and buy for longevity. Don’t be tempted by cheaper appliances that might end up in landfill long before better-made alternatives.
Lighting
Lighting is fundamentally important to creating a home with texture and life rather than a flat and dull atmosphere, and is key to a successful design scheme. Investigate the new-generation LED lighting that offers a good quality of light more akin to low-voltage light than earlier LED lamps. Install several circuits that provide flexibility for different moods and lowers the amount of energy consumed on a daily basis.
Furniture
Invest in quality pieces that will last decades. Ask questions about the manufacturing process, and about whether timber used is from an FSC source, and where possible buy British. Reducing the air miles of products in your home will go a long way to reducing your carbon footprint. Look out for vintage pieces that can be recovered or upcycled. In a contemporary home these can be very effective and become statement pieces in their own right, adding character and soul.
Kitchens
The embodied energy in manufacturing a kitchen is huge, and sadly many are discarded before they reach the end of their useful life, particularly at the top end of the market – mostly due to new homeowners wishing to change the aesthetic. Look out for bargains at kitchensynch.co.uk, which supplies ex-display and secondhand designer kitchens at a fraction of the new cost. Bamboo and recycled glass worktops are both very suited to a stylish modern kitchen and their eco credentials are impressive.
Textiles
Textile production is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Polyester is produced using oil-derived plastic and manufactured using antimony, which is highly carcinogenic. Cotton, while a natural product, is grown using a multitude of chemicals and an enormous amount of water. Choose textiles in your home that will not only benefit the environment but your health too. Organic cotton is becoming increasingly available as upholstery cloth, and new kid on the block Milkofil, made from casein (milk fibre), produces a gorgeous silk-like weave and is a fantastic eco alternative. Felt has long been a designers’ favourite and its architectural qualities are particularly suited to the contemporary home. Add in pure wool textures for a softened scheme.
Paint
Air quality in the home is of enormous importance, particularly with the move towards homes being airtight. Thankfully levels of VOC (volatile organic compounds) have been reduced in paints, to zero by some manufacturers, who have shifted instead to aqueous solvents. Try natural organic paints such as Earthborn for a healthy atmosphere. For those suffering from asthma and susceptible to allergies, Ecos atmosphere-purifying paint is a fabulous product that absorbs and neutralises chemicals and pollutants, solvents and VOCs from the atmosphere in your home, taking them down to approximately one part per million.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Thin Mints and Bailey’s Chocolate Float
March 29th, 2012
Thin Mint and Bailey’s Chocolate Float
Makes 1 serving
- 2 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 2 3 oz. scoops of chocolate ice cream
- 2.5 oz vanilla cream soda
- 3 tablespoons of crushed Thin Mints
Instructions:
- Pour Bailey’s into bottom of glass. Sprinkle one tablespoon of crushed Thin Mints on top. Place two scoops of chocolate ice cream on top and then sprinkle a second tablespoon of crushed Thin Mints on ice cream. Pour vanilla cream soda on top and finish with final layer of Thin Mints.
Source: bakersroyale.com
