And New York City likes it hotter.
The past few days were steamy in more ways than one. As the mercury oozed past 100, cocktails were mixed en masse, and clothing became optional. That's right, optional.
And, I played and won my first ever game of Cornhole. Before you jump to erroneous conclusions, this is not a dirty sport. Sweaty, maybe, but not dirty. Unless your from Kentucky or Ohio (and maybe, Pennsylvania), you might ask, "What is cornhole?" The American Cornhole Association is happy to tell you, but here are the basics: two white boards with a hole in one end, 30 feet, eight bean bags and four people.
Being supremely uncoordinated and generally a disaster at team sports, I was quite excited by this accomplishment. It might have been beginners luck--or the homemade margaritas I sipped before the game--but I scored a double that sealed our victory after several turns of missing the board entirely. CME mixed the margaritas up in a batch before the party--a delicious, easy drink for a crowd on a summer evening.
Saturday also sizzled as Mrs. O held a Sip, Swing and Dream party that highlighted excerpts from her Brooklyn Boudoir photography series with live theatrical performances throughout the evening.
Being the lush with a reputation that I am, she asked me to wear something sexy and help make Manhattans for 30+ people--a feat for any amateur but enthusiastic bartendress.
A few days before, I found this great post by Nora Maynard on the kitchn: How to Batch Cocktails to Serve a Crowd. The approach is simple: mix the liquor and bitters in a large batch at room temperature according to the proportions for your favorite recipe. When your thirsty guests arrive, fill a shaker 3/4 full with ice and stir. (You can mix about four 2 ounce drinks at one time.) After stirring, the mix should sit with the ice for about 30 seconds to allow dilution before straining and serving.
So, last night, in the boozy boudoir spirit, I put on my fancy panties and threw my cocktail shaker in my shoulder bag. It worked quite well. But if you walk away from the bar to mingle, be prepared that guests will pour straight from the pitcher and drink the Manhattan mix at room temperature, which in this heat wave is about 80 degrees even with AC. Yuck.
Ms. Maynard's standard Manhattan is a 2:1 mix of rye and sweet vermouth. I prefer a recipe from The Cocktail by Jane Rocca which has a 5:1 proportion (2.5 ounces bourbon and .5 ounce sweet vermouth). I typically use Carpano Antica vermouth, which is really flavorful and sweet. At the party, I went with a 4:1 mix of Old Overholt Rye and Carpano Antica.
Mrs. O and HA engineered another group cocktail with orange bitters, champagne and a cotton candy dip that turned the drink into bright pink or blue shades and looked really neat! The taste doesn't match up to the spectacle, but everyone enjoyed it nonetheless.
Keep it hot, ladies and g's. And, always wear your fancy panties when mixing cocktails!
The past few days were steamy in more ways than one. As the mercury oozed past 100, cocktails were mixed en masse, and clothing became optional. That's right, optional.
And, I played and won my first ever game of Cornhole. Before you jump to erroneous conclusions, this is not a dirty sport. Sweaty, maybe, but not dirty. Unless your from Kentucky or Ohio (and maybe, Pennsylvania), you might ask, "What is cornhole?" The American Cornhole Association is happy to tell you, but here are the basics: two white boards with a hole in one end, 30 feet, eight bean bags and four people.
Being supremely uncoordinated and generally a disaster at team sports, I was quite excited by this accomplishment. It might have been beginners luck--or the homemade margaritas I sipped before the game--but I scored a double that sealed our victory after several turns of missing the board entirely. CME mixed the margaritas up in a batch before the party--a delicious, easy drink for a crowd on a summer evening.
Saturday also sizzled as Mrs. O held a Sip, Swing and Dream party that highlighted excerpts from her Brooklyn Boudoir photography series with live theatrical performances throughout the evening.
Being the lush with a reputation that I am, she asked me to wear something sexy and help make Manhattans for 30+ people--a feat for any amateur but enthusiastic bartendress.
A few days before, I found this great post by Nora Maynard on the kitchn: How to Batch Cocktails to Serve a Crowd. The approach is simple: mix the liquor and bitters in a large batch at room temperature according to the proportions for your favorite recipe. When your thirsty guests arrive, fill a shaker 3/4 full with ice and stir. (You can mix about four 2 ounce drinks at one time.) After stirring, the mix should sit with the ice for about 30 seconds to allow dilution before straining and serving.
So, last night, in the boozy boudoir spirit, I put on my fancy panties and threw my cocktail shaker in my shoulder bag. It worked quite well. But if you walk away from the bar to mingle, be prepared that guests will pour straight from the pitcher and drink the Manhattan mix at room temperature, which in this heat wave is about 80 degrees even with AC. Yuck.
Ms. Maynard's standard Manhattan is a 2:1 mix of rye and sweet vermouth. I prefer a recipe from The Cocktail by Jane Rocca which has a 5:1 proportion (2.5 ounces bourbon and .5 ounce sweet vermouth). I typically use Carpano Antica vermouth, which is really flavorful and sweet. At the party, I went with a 4:1 mix of Old Overholt Rye and Carpano Antica.
Mrs. O and HA engineered another group cocktail with orange bitters, champagne and a cotton candy dip that turned the drink into bright pink or blue shades and looked really neat! The taste doesn't match up to the spectacle, but everyone enjoyed it nonetheless.
Keep it hot, ladies and g's. And, always wear your fancy panties when mixing cocktails!
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