Sippin' in Madrid

Hola! I'm back from Spain and though it was an AMAZING trip, I couldn't wait to get back to do some Martini Talkin'. There were not too many cocktails consumed, but in between bottles of Cordineu cava I did get a chance to sip a few. The first night in Madrid, my friend Cristina took me to Les Botelles where our vodka tonics were poured from 50 ml bottles -- so cute!

I don't even like mojitos, but the following day I couldn't resist the Black Mojito at the rooftop bar at the ME by Melia hotel: Stoli vodka, creme de cassis, mint leaves, lime, sugar, and a splash of champagne.

Finally, to cap off my week abroad, we paid a visit to Del Diego, a highly recommended "cocteleria" off Gran Via, where I was wowed by the sleek decor, vintage martini shaker collection, and the delicious Diego martini: vodka, advocaat, apricot brandy, and lime juice.

Off to Spain!!

It'll be quieter than usual at Martini Talk for the next week or so. I am off to Madrid and Barcelona to visit my dear friend, Cristina, armed with a list of bars and restaurants to check out. Stay tuned for cocktails from Spain when I return!


P.S. You can now create your own someecards -- GENIUS!

Ginger or Marianne?

Lately, I'm definitely a ginger kinda girl. And now I know why they gave The Movie Star her name: Ginger is such a spicy, sexy flavor, and I am loving it in cocktails, whether they are made with ginger beer or the trendy Domain de Canton. It all started with the Jamaican Firefly at Pegu Club. Then there were the Gold Medal Martinis at Kira's house. Last night, I continued the trend at One with this ginger-infused sip:

The White Orchid
Courtesy of One
Ketel One Citroen
Domain de Canton
Triple sec
Lime juice
White cranberry juice

Going for Gold

My friend Kira recently moved into a fabulous new apartment and decided to get a few friends together for a little housewarming party and watch the Olympics at the same time. So in honor of Beijing and the unstoppable record-breaking U.S. Olympic team, I created a signature cocktail just for the occasion using my new favorite liqueur: Domain de Canton, a ginger-infused white cognac.

Gold Medal Martini
2 parts Grey Goose La Poire
1 1/2 parts Domain de Canton
1 part pear juice
Gold dust sugar

Shake with ice in a shaker, strain, and serve in a gold
sugar-rimmed martini glass.

Down-home goodness

Wow, lots of cocktails that need to be blogged about so I will keep this brief. The week started out at the new barbecue joint Hill Country, which was so good it made me feel a little homesick. See, I'm from Philly, but my Granny is from the South (Stanardsville, VA to be exact) and holiday meals where filled with green bean casserole, cornbread, sweet potato mash, mac-n-cheese and deviled eggs. All very fattening and all very good. And that is just what you'll find at Hill Country. But my favorite was what I washed it all down with. This was SO good:

Texas Nectar
Courtesy of Hill Country
2 oz. Maker's Mark
1 oz. Southern Comfort
Orange juice
Splash of almond extract

Pour Maker's Mark and SoCo in a highball glass over ice. Fill to the top with OJ. Top off with a splash of almond extract.

Global Sips

This past week I was in Washington D.C. filming a WeddingChannel.com segment for FOX. I was super-excited when my car pulled up to my hotel, which was located right in the heart of Georgetown! I have loved this posh town ever since college. As I was walking along M Street I got even more excited when I saw Mie N Yu. I had met the marketing and events coordinator, Mike Cherner, at a market party for The Knot a few months back, and he told me to stop in if I was ever in town...and so we did. When I walked through the door, I was sold. With a passion for travel and all things exotic, I immediately fell in love with the Moroccan-inspired decor. It was like we were transported to a far-off land. The menu was just as exciting: banana pesto hummus, panko-crusted Japanese eggplant, wasabi mash potatoes, and one heck of a spicy Mie N Yu roll made with tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, sesame seeds. And then there were the cocktails....I absolutely LOVE martinis made with blood orange juice, so I just had to try the Emperor’s Nectar: Absolut Apeach, Mathilde Peach, white cranberry, blood orange juice.

But this post would not be complete without mentioning Mie N Yu's Guillotine Martini. If you are ever D.C. (and you are rollin' like Kanye) you might want to plop down $325 for this lux sip: a blend of Louis XIII, Grand Marnier 100, and fresh juices that is handcrafted tableside.

Let's hear it for the Pegu Club!

The next stop on my old-school cocktail tour of NYC came unexpectedly last weekend when a friend suggested we go to the Pegu Club. I was super-excited because this place was on my list and, thankfully, the cocktails did not disappoint. Though, I have to say, the atmosphere sort of did. It just seemed like everyone knew about it already, unlike PDT (even though everyone pretty much does). Needless to say, the bar was really crowded with a well-dressed crowd, but despite this, the bartenders still managed to concoct a mean cocktail. We sipped a Jamaican Firefly (dark rum, ginger beer, fresh lime juice) and an Ode to Ankarah (St. Germain, gin, grapefruit juice, orange bitters, lemon juice).

One thing I did love: the Asian-inspired decor. Check out the Pegu Club's website for the history of it's namesake cocktail lounge in Burma. In the meantime, here is a recipe for the original Pegu Club Cocktail:

The Pegu Club Cocktail
Courtesy of The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock
1 1/2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. Cointreau
3/4 oz. freshly-squeezed lime juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters