Cinderella in Search of the Perfect Cocktail
(And, sure, maybe Prince Charming too...)
I felt a little like Cinderella sitting on the grand marble steps of the lobby in the New York Public Library. Except, I had both sparkly bronze platform sandals on my feet, and I wasn't in search of Prince Charming. I came to the ball (aka the Manhattan Cocktail Classic), instead, seeking the perfect cocktail. If it happened to be served by Prince Charming, well, all the better.
I danced with many a drink that evening--shaken, stirred, and often, to my displeasure, mixed with sugary elixirs. There were quite a few concoctions gone awry, like the Belvedere orange vodka "Manhattan" and the Maker's Mark sazerac-like drink, the name of which I can't recall. There was a Martinez made with Bombay Sapphire. Oh, what were they thinking!? London Dry in the Martinez instead of Old Tom?
There were a few pleasant surprises as well. LP had the 'best negroni' she ever had. I had a fabulous (fresh) watermelon margarita made with Corzo tequila and spiced with Tajin chili powder. There was a lovely Venezuelan rum called Santa Teresa that was served neat in little plastic cups from a wooden cart being hauled around by a charming medieval-costumed wench (yes, completely random! I mean really, I doubt the pious Saint Theresa was peddling rum, and with cleavage, no less, and didn't she live in the 19th century? Completely different costume!).
Other treats included four cheeses by the Artisanal Premium Cheese Center. Among the four they served, the gouda was unbelievable! Maytag Dairy Farms also had a table. I love those Maytag folks! True midwesterners with some of the country's finest tasting blue cheese!
And, we needed it to keep tasting all those drinks! The artisanal cheese was served in a room with a small, lively swing band followed by a singer who sounded like Edith Piaf and wore the most fantastic glittery red lipstick.
Oh, and there were clowns! Not like the red-nose circus variety, but a hipper more modern version.
From there, we weaved through crowded spaces going from sponsored (though not always inspired) booths.
After the cheese, the chocolates served by Auchentoshan, a single-malt scotch company, were the perfect dessert!
Along the way, we came across some moonshine, which had a historical appeal to it, but really you can see why they stopped making it when they had other choices. (Not good. I'm sorry but the white dog ran away for a reason!)
But, alas after all the searching and tasting and munching and the high heels and sore feet and the channeling of Betty Draper, LP and I were never more satisfied than we were to have a bourbon on the rocks at the Bulleit booth in the basement ballroom. That's right. Bourbon on the rocks.
My spirits were a little deflated because my coach turned into a plain yellow taxi with an ornery driver and the horses back into the mice that live under my kitchen sink before I could find what I came for--the prefect cocktail served by Prince Charming. But, I still had fun at the ball (even if it was oversold and clearly most of the people there were industry folks at a trade show or knew someone who knew someone)!
And, oh boy, do I have some stories to tell you about my evening tonight--more craziness at the completely disorganized Manhattan Cocktail Classic. But alas, I had too many cocktails and need to go to bed...
So, stay tuned! And please forgive any sentences that don't make sense. How can a cocktail event not serve food, water or properly pace drinks without expecting some sloppy blogging?
Oh, and P.S. the band that played in the NYPL lobby at the gala was absolutely fantastic! But there is no mention of who they were on the map. I wish I could tell you more, but instead here are some photos:
(And, sure, maybe Prince Charming too...)
I felt a little like Cinderella sitting on the grand marble steps of the lobby in the New York Public Library. Except, I had both sparkly bronze platform sandals on my feet, and I wasn't in search of Prince Charming. I came to the ball (aka the Manhattan Cocktail Classic), instead, seeking the perfect cocktail. If it happened to be served by Prince Charming, well, all the better.
I danced with many a drink that evening--shaken, stirred, and often, to my displeasure, mixed with sugary elixirs. There were quite a few concoctions gone awry, like the Belvedere orange vodka "Manhattan" and the Maker's Mark sazerac-like drink, the name of which I can't recall. There was a Martinez made with Bombay Sapphire. Oh, what were they thinking!? London Dry in the Martinez instead of Old Tom?
There were a few pleasant surprises as well. LP had the 'best negroni' she ever had. I had a fabulous (fresh) watermelon margarita made with Corzo tequila and spiced with Tajin chili powder. There was a lovely Venezuelan rum called Santa Teresa that was served neat in little plastic cups from a wooden cart being hauled around by a charming medieval-costumed wench (yes, completely random! I mean really, I doubt the pious Saint Theresa was peddling rum, and with cleavage, no less, and didn't she live in the 19th century? Completely different costume!).
Other treats included four cheeses by the Artisanal Premium Cheese Center. Among the four they served, the gouda was unbelievable! Maytag Dairy Farms also had a table. I love those Maytag folks! True midwesterners with some of the country's finest tasting blue cheese!
And, we needed it to keep tasting all those drinks! The artisanal cheese was served in a room with a small, lively swing band followed by a singer who sounded like Edith Piaf and wore the most fantastic glittery red lipstick.
Oh, and there were clowns! Not like the red-nose circus variety, but a hipper more modern version.
From there, we weaved through crowded spaces going from sponsored (though not always inspired) booths.
After the cheese, the chocolates served by Auchentoshan, a single-malt scotch company, were the perfect dessert!
Along the way, we came across some moonshine, which had a historical appeal to it, but really you can see why they stopped making it when they had other choices. (Not good. I'm sorry but the white dog ran away for a reason!)
But, alas after all the searching and tasting and munching and the high heels and sore feet and the channeling of Betty Draper, LP and I were never more satisfied than we were to have a bourbon on the rocks at the Bulleit booth in the basement ballroom. That's right. Bourbon on the rocks.
My spirits were a little deflated because my coach turned into a plain yellow taxi with an ornery driver and the horses back into the mice that live under my kitchen sink before I could find what I came for--the prefect cocktail served by Prince Charming. But, I still had fun at the ball (even if it was oversold and clearly most of the people there were industry folks at a trade show or knew someone who knew someone)!
And, oh boy, do I have some stories to tell you about my evening tonight--more craziness at the completely disorganized Manhattan Cocktail Classic. But alas, I had too many cocktails and need to go to bed...
So, stay tuned! And please forgive any sentences that don't make sense. How can a cocktail event not serve food, water or properly pace drinks without expecting some sloppy blogging?
Oh, and P.S. the band that played in the NYPL lobby at the gala was absolutely fantastic! But there is no mention of who they were on the map. I wish I could tell you more, but instead here are some photos:
Wow, thanks for the post! The band photographed here is Slavic Soul Party! They're absolutely amazing and they play regularly on Tuesday nights at Barbes in Brooklyn.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming - so glad you had fun!
Thanks, Lesley. I'm so glad to know the name of the band!
ReplyDelete