Booze Review: Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow

 

Fluffy, not Stuffy…

Unless you totally avoid all bars, restaurants and liquor stores, chances are you’re familiar with Smirnoff Vodka in some way. However, I’m willing to bet that you haven’t had their Fluffed Marshmallow flavor yet. They sent Shoes N Booze a complimentary bottle to check out, so I rounded up my review crew and headed to DV Depot in New York to sit at the bar and give it a try.

 

Claudia Mora (Entertainment Publicist), Enovia Bedford (Jewelry Designer) and I met at the DV Depot bar in New York to try out Smirnoff’s 2 new flavors.

The Sip…

We took our first sip of Smirnoff’s new Fluffed Marshmallow flavor…

The Shot…

We took a shot to see whether or not it goes down smoothly

The Mix…

Our bartender, Erika, mixed it with a bit of cola to see if it plays well with others

The Final Verdict: We all loved Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow. It was sweet with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel (you’ll have to taste it to fully understand what that means, but it basically tasted like I was sipping a creamy treat although it was straight vodka). It was also strong enough to provide a buzz pretty quickly. We agreed that it tastes like a holiday drink and will go well into hot chocolate and other warm sippers. My only issue was that you can barely taste the alcohol, so you could almost overindulge before you realize it.

Thanks to Enovia Bedford (reach her via @accessoryremix on twitter or www.accessoryremix.com) and Claudia Mora (reach her via @claudiadecali on twitter or www.matrixpublicrelations.com). Extra special thanks to our bartender, Erika (@Erikasnstyle on twitter), and to the folks at DV Depot ( @dvdepot on twitter). Please see the next post for our review of Smirnoff Whipped Cream vodka.

 

Technorati Tags: Booze Review,Smirnoff Vodka,Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow,Shoes N Booze,Accessory Remix,Matrix Public Relations,Dv Depot

Booze News: Bellus Wines Lauches (With Cheat Sheet Labels)

 

New to Wine? Don’t Whine…

I’m pretty well versed about cocktails and spirits. However, wine often makes me want to don a dunce cap. Granted, I’m learning (and giving you tidbits of info when they come my way), but it’s a wide wine world out there (and it can be a bit intimidating).

Jordan Salcito, wine director of New York’s Crown restaurant, realized that lots of us get a bit lost among the vines in the wine store and decided to place a few bread crumbs along the trail with Bellus Wines. Launching today with the goal of empowering wine newbies to learn more about their palate preferences, Bellus retails for around $19.99 (a percentage of the proceeds from each bottle sold will go to the Tory Burch Foundation). The inaugural release, a 2007 Girasole, is a Super-Tuscan red made from Sangiovese, Cabernet, Sauvignon and Merlot grapes (if only you could see the question mark on my face). Apparently, it boasts notes of dark cherry and roasted herbs (sounds um… interesting) and plays well with tomato-based foods and red meats. (I’d so love a bottle for a Booze Review.)

The cool part about this wine, though, is the label, which Salcito joined forces with a Tory Burch designer to conceptualize. The trademarked PALA-TABLE actually has icons on it to indicate its acidity, body, tannins, minerality, oak and complexity. I guess that gives you everything you need to decide whether you’ll like it (except a sip). The wine is available exclusively through Gilt Taste for the next three days and will then be sold by the Crush Wine Company and on Belluswines.com.

Technorati Tags: Wine news,booze news,Bellus Wine

Shoe View: Versace for H&M

 

Flash & Dazzle

 

There’s been much ado among fashion savvy folks about the Versace for H&M collection. Right before its launch, though, there was almost more talk about the event’s performers than the actual clothes (can you say Prince and Nicki Minaj?). However, the main fixation at Shoes N Booze was the footwear. Shoe-la-la! The collection featured contrasting cap toe booties and zig-zag strapped sandals in scrumptious hues that are right in line with the upcoming resort season’s color palette. I’m a fan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just hope the shoes hit the stores in the fun colors at some point… so far all I see on the website is the bootie in all black and the sandal in black and pewter.

**All photos are courtesy photos from H&M taken by DAN AND CORINA LECCA (with a little zoom in on the shoes by moi).

 

Technorati Tags: Versace for H&M,Versace,H&M,Prince,Nicki Minaj

Shoe Review: Cougar Mirage Boots

 

I’m not a big fan of winter. Snow, slush, cold, black ice… none of those things are stiletto-friendly. Actually, they’re not even cute flat boot friendly in many cases. Granted, I have a few pairs of high heeled snow boots, but there are days when I want something a bit more comfortable. I think the shoe gods hear my laments last winter, so they sent a little birdie to mention Shoes N Booze to the folks at Cougar Boots, who then sent me a complimentary pair of Mirage winter boots for review.

Funny thing- the boots arrived right before that freak snowstorm that hit the Northeast a couple weeks ago, so I actually got to test them in some snow. They were AWESOME! Their “Polar Plus” lining feels like Heaven and is sure to keep me warm on frosty days (apparently they’re rated effective in temps down to –22 degrees Fahrenheit). They also feature a very cushy insole, so it felt like I was walking on some type of cloud. They’re not bad looking, either. They’ll be great with jeans or leggings and a sweater this winter. Will I wear them to parties or to get cocktails with friends? No. Will I be glad I have them when walking around New York in the aftermath of a snowstorm? You bet!

Technorati Tags: winter boots,Cougar boots,Shoe Review