Springtime Celebrations with Refreshing Style

It's that time of year again, when we shake loose the chill of winter and embrace the beauty of Spring.  We take the opportunity to gather outdoors with family and friends, and share fresh air, great food, and sparkling beverages in colors as vibrant as newly bloomed flowers.

It is also a time for spiritual reflection as families gather to celebrate Passover and Easter. We at SMS Mixology stand firm in our conviction that anytime friends and family gather, even on religious holidays, present excellent opportunities for hosts to shine as they entertain. We are delighted to share a couple of recipes for your entertaining inspiration.

Passover Gatherings

In additional to any of the great Passover approved Kosher wines available, guests can be invited to enjoy mixed drink cocktails.  Passover approved Kosher fruits and herbs should be very easy to acquire, and can be mixed with liqueurs and spirits that are Passover approved.  Here is a simple drink that you can try:

 

PASSOVER Cocktail Recipe:

1 Part ABSOLUT VODKA
6 Parts Grapefruit Juice
2 Parts Passionfruit Liqueur

Fill a chilled highball glass with ice cubes. Add all ingredients.

Easter Gatherings

Whether you choose to host an Easter breakfast, brunch, or dinner, you cannot miss with the traditional mimosa, which is made with champagne and orange juice.  However, take this time to get creative with the flavor profiles by switching out the orange juice component.  Try this colorful twist on the mimosa:

Pomegranate Sparkler

• 3 oz. champagne 
(chilled)
• 1 oz. pomegranate juice 
(or cranberry juice) 

Pour pomegranate juice into a champagne flute. Then slowly add the champagne.  Float some pomegranate seeds to give the drink an added personal touch. Cranberry juice can be substituted for the pomegranate juice. Some cranberries can then be skewered on a long stir stick to create a garnish.

Spring Luncheons/Garden Party

SMS Mixology hails from the South, where the Garden Party is a common event.  For your next gathering, try these delightful cocktails that embrace the spirit and the essence of nature by incorporating fresh herbs and flowers:

Thyme Bellini

• 3 ripe peach slices, peeled
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, no stems
• 1 tsp sugar
• Dash orange bitters
• 4 oz chilled Prosecco (or other sparkling wine)

Combine peaches, thyme, sugar and bitters in a cocktail shaker, and muddle well. (Peaches should be almost pureed.) Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and top with Prosecco. Serve garnished with another sprig of thyme.

Jasmine Martini
1 cup sugar 1 cup of Jasmine Water (usually find this in the exotic food section)
2 strips orange zest
1/2 cup vodka
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1 lemon, juiced
Jasmine flowers


Make a simple syrup of the sugar, jasmine water, and orange zest. Place jasmine flowers in a glass jar, and pour the simple syrup over the flowers. Steep for 1-2 hours to infuse. In a martini shaker filled with ice, combine the vodka, Grand Marnier, lemon juice, and 4 tablespoons of the Jasmine syrup. Shake to combine, and strain into chilled martini glasses. Float a jasmine flower in each glass to garnish.

 As always, we encourage you to have fun with your entertaining.  Be sure to host and drink responsibly.  All of these drinks can be made without the alcohol, for those who do not drink.  If you wish to be freed up to enjoy your event, especially if you are entertaining a large group, you should engage the services of a professional service, like SMS Mixology.  Enjoy your Spring, and remember to entertain using your unique Spirits of Style!

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March Mixers: Profiles of Flavorful Party Style

This year, we will have at least three opportunities to celebrate or spend time with family and friends in the month of March.  Times that call for great tasting food and drink to bring the occasions to life.

Hurricane

MARDI GRAS - For those who crave the excitement of the annual Mardi Gras celebration, but are unable to get to New Orleans for the official celebrations, why not get together with your own guests, claim them as your official "Krewe," and hold your own Mardi Gras Ball?  For the adventurous at heart, you can make custom celebratory masks and/or favors for each of your guests, as well as a crown for the King and Queen of the night.  Serve tasty spicy foods and join them with colorful drinks with a flair for the dramatic, like the traditional Hurricane, served in large festive glassware that is befitting your grand ball:

• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger amaretto liqueur
• 1 fluid ounce light rum
• 1 fluid ounce dark rum
• 6 fluid ounces orange juice
• 6 fluid ounces pineapple juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 dash grenadine syrup
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds
• 1 maraschino cherry

Fill a 16 ounce glass with ice. Pour in amaretto, light rum and dark rum. Pour in orange juice, pineapple juice, and lemon juice. Stir, then top with a dash of grenadine and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry. 

Your guests will appreciate your festive efforts.  If you live in an area that has the good fortune to be warm in early March, try celebrating outdoors!

Michelada

NCAA MARCH MADNESS - Basketball fans unite!  This is not only a time to enjoy spectacular hoops, but to take in some amazing beverages while snacking on stadium fan favorites.  Okay, so we know that the ever present game day beverage will be present - B -E-E-R.  However, you can bring a game changing twist by adding a few enhancements that are sure to drive the fans wild.

Try the Michelada:
Pour your beer into a standard highball or collins glass filled with ice and add the juice of one small lemon. Add a dash of soy, Tabasco and Worcestershire. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. For some, a true Mexican Michelada is not complete without a shot of Tequila mixed in.

I know beer cocktails may seem weird, but it is a quickly growing trend from Europe that is now catching flight in the U.S.  Foodies have discovered what many have known for years, and that is that good cold beer makes food taste great.  That is why beer cocktails are a great way to score with finesse!

Irish Buck

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY - Skip the green beer this year and opt for something creative with great taste as your tribute to the Irish.  As you gather to toast and reflect on the unique richness of Irish culture, raise your cocktail glass filled with a simple drink with strong flavor profiles that will warm your heart, and dazzle your guests.  This drink is from the family of cocktails called "Bucks," which involve a base spirit, ginger ale or ginger beer and citrus.  Here is the recipe for the Irish Buck:

• 1 1/2 ounces Bushmills Irish Whiskey
• 1/4 ounce Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 ounces Ginger Ale

Combine Bushmills and Lime Juice over ice in a Collins glass.  Top with ginger ale or ginger beer.  Garnish with a lime wheel.

Being green with natural flavor will make your guests green with envy to be as socially stylish as you!

As you can see, March 2011 will be a great month for entertaining with superior flavor and high style.  All of these suggested beverages can be made easily for a small group.  However, if you want to go large, and party with the masses, you are encouraged to seek the skills of professionals like SMS Mixology.  Hiring a mixologist gets you the quality beverages that you deserve, served in a way that will allow you to entertain your guests and participate in your event.  Remember, you can embrace the power of the Spirits of Style!

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The Spirits of Style are Back

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, when our grandparents were planning on entertaining guests, great care went into what was served and how it was served.  Efforts were made to make sure that the guests were refreshed and catered to with the proper glassware, food and beverage couplings.

As we get back to basics, SMS Mixology applauds the return of the Spirits of Style.  Namely the beverages that make occasions special, and the presentation that makes them memorable.  This monthly blog will share ways that the Spirits of Style can be introduced into the most simple of gatherings with great results.

This month, love is on the menu as many observe Valentine's Day.  This presents opportunities for couples to cuddle over coy cocktails, or singles to unify with friends in rebellion or flirtatious revolution with lively drinks.  For mixing novices, we recommend simple concoctions such as flavored liqueurs, mixed with a citrus juice.  While the mix may be simple, the presentation will make the moment.  For example, 1 oz. of Peach Schnapps and 4 oz. of cranberry juice looks fantastic in a highball glass, but looks downright sexy in a martini glass.  Garnish with a fresh piece of lush fruit, like a chunk of pineapple, and you will make a tasty fashion statement that is sure to impress.

In the event that you are entertaining a large group, definitely invest in the services of a professional, like SMS Mixology, to consult with you about your theme, menu and guests to identify what beverages to serve, as well as how to best serve them to create that WOW factor.  Who needs sexy back, when you can bring back the Spirits of Style!