Where to Go Tonight: The Village Voice Holiday Spirits Tasting in NYC

In Good Spirits

New York imbibers will sip and sail tonight at the Village Voice's 2nd annual Holiday Spirits tasting event aboard The Hornblower Infinity Cruise Ship. More than 30 distilleries and wineries— including Art in the Age Craft Spirits, Brooklyn Gin, Dulce Vida Organic Tequila, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Asahi Beer and Barrow's Intense— will get attendees into the holiday spirit (see what I did there?) with their latest offerings. Meanwhile, DJ Tim Martell will be spinning on the main and mid decks, and jazz quartet, the Blue Vipers of Brooklyn will perform sets throughout the evening in the Slow & Low Lounge.

Courtesy Image

General admission tickets cost $50 get you unlimited sampling of the drinks on-board, a souvenir tasting glass, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, and an hour cruise around the Hudson. Spring for a VIP ticket ($75), and you'll also receive a VIP gift bag and access to the Captain's Lounge, which is on the top level of the ship and has its own private bar. Boarding begins at 5:30 PM, tonight, November 20th, and the Hornblower leaves Pier 40 at 7:30.

Ready to rock the boat? Purchase tickets here.

Celebrity Shoe Spotting: Solange's Weitzman Wedding Shoes

No Flex Zone!

My BFF in my head has wed! Solange Knowles recently tied the knot to Alan Ferguson and sent the whole internet a-buzz with her bicycle arrival, artistic wedding portraits, dramatically fly wardrobe changes, adorable mother/ son reception dance and second line through the streets of New Orleans. Her shoes? A sparkling pair of "Naked" sandals by Stuart Weitzman (available at Neiman Marcus). She seems to be a fan of his minimalist sandals, having donned a similar pair with a higher heel some months ago for the MET Gala. Solange, Shoes N Booze wishes you a lifetime of hot heels and hubby-induced happiness.

Spot-Light: Cocktail Classes at Harding's in NYC

 A Reason to Toast Tuesdays

Imagine walking into a room and seeing a spread like the one above on your table. If you're like me, you get extremely excited. So. Many. Spirits! And they're for my tablemates and I to mix cocktails? Yes please! Well, this was exactly the scene at Harding's NYC recently when I attended their "First Tuesdays" mixology class. 

Lead by Derrick Turner, master mixologist (but don't dare let him hear you use that word) and lead bartender at Harding's, the class took us through the preparation of three amazing cocktials featuring artisanal offerings from St. George Spirits. Derrick eases participants' inhibitions with humor, charm and an interactive style. Or maybe it was the fact that started the class with shots for everyone. Actually, I'm almost sure it was a combination of both. 

First, we made The Rockerfeller, a cocktail that combines St. George Spiced Pear Liquor, rye whiskey, and bitters. It was smooth, balanced and just strong enough for me. If you'd like to try it at home, here's the recipe:
The Rockerfeller
1 oz St. George Pear Liqueur
2 oz rye whiskey
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 dash simple syrup (if you prefer sweet drinks)
Blend ingredients over ice in a shaker or mixing glass and stir with a bar spoon. Rub orange peeal around the rim of a coupe glass. Strain ingredients into the coupe and garnish with rolled orange peel. 

Next, we mixed apple cider, bourbon and St. George Raspberry Liqueur to create the Blood of the Woods.  I thought this drink would be super sweet because of the liqueur, but I was delightfully surprised to find that I was wrong. Unlike many of the other liqueurs I've tried, this one tasted like the actual fruit instead of tasting like syrup. In this cocktail, it added depth, complexity and a bit of tartness. Per-fect for for fall. At-home bartenders, here's the recipe: 
Blood of the Woods
1 oz apple cider
1 1/2 oz bourbon
1 charred cinnamon stick (broken into small pieces)
1/4 oz maple syrup (if you want it sweet)
Top with St. George Raspberry Liqueur
Mix bourbon, cider and cinnamon in a shaker over ice. Shake and then do a loos strain into a rocks glass. Top with liqueur and watch it settle to bottom. 

Our last cocktail, the "Simply Wicked", was inspired by a Broadway musical we all know. "According to 'Wicked', the good witch was kinda an A-hole. That was my inspiration," said Derrick before instructing us to mix St. George Absinthe, gin and agave syrup to create this cocktail.  I must confess that I made a wicked F-up because I somehow ended up pouring my ingredients into the leftovers from the previous cocktail (blame it on the...). Derrick made a note of it after sampling the mixture and said it might get added to the lineup at the bar. Luckily, a tablemate let me take a picture of her cocktail for the sake of this post. Here's the recipe: 
Simply Wicked
1 1/2 oz gin
1/4 oz St. George Absinthe
1/2 oz agave syrup
pinch of watercress
Blend gin, absinthe, watercress and agave in (empty) shaker over ice. Shake and then strain into a coupe. Garnish with watercress. 

I'm a whiskey girl, but apparently my business card prefers gin cocktails. Ha!

Ready to join in the fun? Here's the scoop on the next class:

Location: 

Harding’s

32 East 21st Street (between Broadway & Park Ave. S.)

New York, NY

Date / Time/ Concept: 
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Get the Party Started: Champagne Cocktails

Cost: 
$35 per person
Tickets:  www.hardingsnyc.com / 212.600.2105
Space is limited, tickets strongly recommended.

Cutesy Tuesday: Betsey Johnson Booties &

In Honor of Those Who Serve and Have Served

There's nothing cute or pretty about war. I wish it didn't exist. I wish we didn't need soldiers. However, I appreciate them and the sacrifices they and their families make. There are a number of veterans in my family, and I remember the days of avoiding television news because I'd have a small anxiety attack each time there was a report of casualties in the countries where my cousin served. Thankfully, she's home now, and in one piece. There are battles she's still fighting as a result of her time at war, but she's healing. She's beautiful on the inside and definitely cute on the outside. So, I dedicate today's post to her, to my grandmother, who was an Air Force veteran (and also a cutie), to all the beautiful soldiers who serve and sacrifice and the civilian wives who wait and pray that their loved ones will make it home safely (for they fight a war of their own). 

Camo print— once one of the most recognizable symbols of tenacity— has become a fashion mainstay. Betsey Johnson coupled the pattern with a dainty grosgrain ruffle on this Frilll P bootie (available at amazon.com, where this blog is an affiliate) for a look that's simultaneously tough and sweet. The pointed toe and stiletto heel make it classy, yet versatile, the calf-hair upper adds texture and a luxe look, the camouflage pattern gives it an edge, and the ruffle at the ankle lends a feminine touch. There may not be look that better represents my cousin (and I'm sure many of the women who have to be tough when in uniform but are prone to look quite feminine in their civvies). 

The Sazerac, rumored to be the oldest known American cocktail, is strong, sweet and complex, thanks to rye whiskey, bitters and absinthe (again, like my cousin and many of her fellow soldiers). If you're not a soldier, but you'd like to attract a glance of admiration or two at the bar this evening, order this at happy hour. Women who drink whiskey are often seen as confident and sexy (similarly to the way women who wear camo print ankle boots with stiletto heels and ruffles are seen). If you'd like to try this drink at home to see if you can handle it before ordering it at the bar here's the recipe:

¼ oz. Lucid Absinthe
2 oz. Pendleton 1910 Canadian Rye Whisky 
3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
½ oz. simple syrup
Lemon peel for garnish

Add all liquid ingredients into a shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a rocks glass with ice.  Rim the glass with the lemon peel, twist over the surface and garnish.