Apr 11

HELLO, BRUNCH!

2012

Happy Wednesday! This week’s cocktail is the spicy Bloody Mary. Long before I started enjoying Bloody Marys at boozy brunches with friends, my Dad was perfecting the Bloody Mary at home. His Bloody Marys were never made from a recipe, like most great bartenders, he made them by taste alone. And they were delicious. Always made in a pitcher, he mixed Clamato, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, lemon, limes, celery salt, fresh horseradish, Tabasco and his secret ingredient Crazy Jane’s Mixed-Up Salt.

Photo: Michael Kraus via Saveur

Over the years, I’ve tried to master and add a twist to my Dad’s recipe, tasting different variations all over the county. No Bloody Mary is complete without Old Bay rimmed glasses in Maryland and spicy pickled okra and beans in New Orleans. Pickle spears are a delicious garnish in Minneapolis while crispy bacon strips won me over in Arizona.

It’s a fact that everyone likes their Bloody Mary a little bit different. When preparing a Bloody Mary for someone else, I find myself always asking three questions 1. Do you like it spicy? 2. Are you a fan of horseradish? 3. How much vodka? A better solution to this is to build a Bloody Mary bar.

A stocked Bloody Mary bar is a thing of beauty. Here’s a quick list of what I like have on hand as guests arrive.

Alcohol:
Vodka: Tito’s | Absolute | Grey Goose | Kettle One | or add Tequila for a twist

Mixes: (A purist at heart, I prefer straight tomato juice, but mixes will work in a pinch…)
Zing Zang | Fat & Juicy | V-8 | Clamato

My chef friend, Joe gave me a delicious recipe for pickled green beans. They’re tangy, spicy, sweet and simple to make. Trust me, you’ll like them. Enjoy! – Liz

What’s your favorite way to make a Bloody Mary?

Apr 10

Bar Essential: Trays

2012

Now that you’ve found your perfect bar cart, before you even think of stocking your bar, pick up some trays in different shapes and sizes. Trust us, these workhorses will keep your bar looking stylish and organized long before any guests arrive.

Via Lonny | The Selby

Large and modern or small and vintage, trays can be used to corral liquor and glassware. In a pinch they can be used to serve drinks.

via Lonny | Sunset Magazine

Trays keep everything pulled together and help create an area for “the bar” in small spaces.

via Lonny | Simply Seleta

We love to use smaller trays to organize bar utensils and glasses.

Octavia & Brown- photo: Daniel Krieger; Styling: Emily Butler

With so many options out there, here are a few of our favorite trays to help style the bar.

1. Dalhia Platter, HJohn Derian 2. Beautiful Tray, John Derian 3. Samba Round Tray, Crate & Barrel 4. Two’s Company Python Tray 5. Spotted Porcelain Tray in Orange, Furbish Studio 6. Rectangular Tray, West Elm 7. Carnaby Scale Tray, Johnathan Adler 8. Vintage Mirror Tray, Etsy 9. Ikat Butler’s Tray, Decorative Things

Apr 09

SOFT, DREAMY SPRING

2012

Spring flowers seem to bring the best out in pastels. We love dreamy blush tones paired soft greens and creams. Recently, we gathered some of our favorite blooms from the farmers market and together with our photographer friend Daniel Krieger snapped a few shots.

Not only did this arrangement look soft and romantic, but it smelled fantastic. We brought in a few bright orange ranunculus and yellow billy buttons for pops of color and used our favorite green hydrangea for a base. For the rest of this arrangement we used:

What’s your favorite spring flower to use in an arrangement?

Apr 06

Bar Cart Love

2012

Time for cocktails? We’re delighted to see that the home bar, once relegated to back cabinets and shelves has gotten new life recently in the form of bar carts and drink trolleys. We feel strongly that liquor bottles with fantastic packaging, fun vintage glasses and 60s barware should always be out on display.

via That Bow | Emily Henderson