Off-Season is My Favorite Season

Last week I gave myself something, a break, well, almost...I answered a few work emails but for the most part, I disconnected. I went to Park City for about 5 days during their off-season. What does that mean you may ask? For Park City, the winter is peak season, between the skiing, snowboarding and of course, The Sundance Film Festival. Summer kicks off in Park City roughly around an event called Savor the Summit that is usually towards the end of June.

I was there at that sweet spot ( in my opinion ) where the ground wasn't as muddy, the spring flowers were in bloom ( lots of Lilacs! ), less crowds at bars, restaurants and fantastic hotel rates! I stayed at the Marriott Summit Watch which was perfectly located on Main Street, for under half the price of peak season in a Villa with a hot tub, fireplace and a full kitchen. As Main Street has so much to taste, see and do, there was not even a need for me to rent a car. If I needed to go anywhere I just used Uber!

                                          Riverhorse on Main

During my visit my favorite restaurant was Riverhorse on Main  where I enjoyed their bison tartare
( wonderful presentation! ) with a glass of Roederer Estate, Brut and their trio of game....bison with a port reduction sauce, venison chop with shallot butter and elk with huckleberries with a glass of Syrah from the Santa Rita Hills. The service ( thank you Francis! ) , ambiance, food preparation and wine list were spot on!

My other treat to myself during the visit was to go over to the St. Regis Deer Valley to enjoy a Bloody Mary on their Terrace Café ...one of the best, if not the best view in the valley. This might seem a little random but the Bloody Mary was actually created by famed bartender Fernand Petiot in the St. Regis New York in 1934! The St. Regis Deer Valley offered their own version, as well as the original New York version, and versions from Washington, D.C. and Aspen, CO. The Deer Valley version is topped with a wasabi and celery espuma, cayenne pepper, black lava salt and a tube filled with more spices to adjust the heat...delicious!

                                          St. Regis Deer Valley Bloody Mary

The other tradition that the St. Regis Deer Valley shares nightly is their Sunset Sabering Ritual. At around 6:30pm ( earlier during the winter months ) they welcome guests on the Terrace to learn about the history of Champagne sabering from back to the days of Napoleon and then offer a sunset toast.

As I descended on the funicular ( the mountain cart that brings you up and down from the St. Regis, which felt quite James Bond-like ) I smiled and breathed in the fresh, crisp, spring air.

Yes, off-season is indeed, my season.

Other spots I enjoyed during my stay:

Tavern : cozy, dark wood, fireplace, great cocktails and food
The Cabin : fun local bar celebrating the Elkupine and live music nightly
Olympic Park : soar down the mountain on an Alpine Slide
High West Distillery: locally made and blended Whiskeys

Divine Hot Cocoa

 

Valentine's Day may be over but my love for chocolate, marshmallows and vodka never ceases! Although it does not get as cold in San Diego as back in the Berkshires in Massachusetts  (where I grew up) there is such a blissful comfort on a chilly evening curling up with a cup of cocoa.

Recently I discovered Van Gogh's Dutch Chocolate Vodka and along came my idea for this version of thee most divine hot cocoa. It's a fairly easy recipe and the only thing to make is your own marshmallows (Ina Garten's are the best!). Store bought will work but homemade are divine! As an added idea, your leftover marshmallows could be used as a garnish for a chocolate martini you might make with the Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka!

Divine Van Gogh Hot Cocoa:

Ingredients:

-2 oz  Van Gogh's Dutch Chocolate Vodka

-8 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk

-your favorite instant hot cocoa

-Ina Garten's Toasted Coconut Marshmallow Recipe

Directions:

-Microwave your almond milk in a mug for 1 minute and 30 seconds 

(or heat on medium low on the stove in a sauce pan)

-Stir in your hot cocoa mix

-Pour in the Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka

-Crown your cocoa with 1-2 ( or 3!) and indulge!

Glamorous New Years Eve Cocktail Ideas

New Years Eve is upon us and Champagne and Sparklers are the first thing on everyone's mind. Because of this I thought I'd write about my favorite bubbly cocktails!

First and foremost when it comes to bubbles there is no need to spend a lot of money on a bottle of Champagne when you will be blending your bubbles with other accoutrements. California offers some fantastic sparkles and my favorite for cocktail making is Domaine Chandon.

Want to stay in France for your bubbles? There are so many fantastically priced Cremants (a Cremant is a french sparkling wine from designated wine growing regions following specific conditions) that can offer quality bubbles at a much lower price. My favorites are
Lucien Albrecht Blanc de Blancs Cremant d'Alsace and Blason de Bourgogne Cremant de Bourgogne (available at Trader Joe's).

My top three favorite cocktails are:

1. Cognac Clementine Cocktail:

• Pour 1 tbsp of Cognace into your flute (I really enjoy Landy Cognac VS ....orange blossom, orange zest and blanched almonds)
• Pour in your bubbles...a CA Brut bubbly would be fantastic!
• With a vegetable peeler slice thinly a clementine, rim your glass and drop it into the glass
• Squeeze in a little clementine juice. Cheers!
  

2. Parisian Peach Cocktail (courtesy of my dear cousin Kate)

• Pour in 1 tsp St. Germain elderflower liqueur into your flute
• Pour in 1/2 tsp peach schnapps
• Now fill your glass with your bubbles...Cremant de Bourgogne is lovely
• Garnish with a slice of white peach. Sante!
  

3. Spanish Rose

• Pour in 1/4 tsp rose petal syrup (add more as you wish, but it is potent!)
• Fill your glass with a Spanish Cava Rose...try Freixenet's Cordon Rosado Brut
  
• Sprinkle a pinch of cayenne pepper on top (the heat comes on as an after effect)
  
• Garnish with a rose petal. Salud!
  

Enjoy and have a safe and Happy New Year!

An Irish Girl and her Whiskey

What kind of Irish girl would I be if I didn't post about my favorite whiskey, Jameson!? I was at the Distillery recently in Dublin and while taking the tour I was introduced to quite a few new Jameson Whiskey Cocktails. My favorites were the Jameson & Cranberry Juice and Jameson & Ginger. Not a beer drinker? Try one of these cocktails on St. Patrick's Day!

Jameson & Cranberry Juice
1 part Jameson Whiskey
2 parts Cranberry Juice
Serve on the rocks with a slice of lime

Jameson & Ginger
1 part Jameson Whiskey
2 parts Ginger ale/ Ginger Beer
Serve on the rocks with a slice of lemon

Slainte!

Guinness Cocktails

The time for celebrating with Guinness is almost upon us...St.Patrick's Day! Now this year why not mix it up and try some Guinness cocktails! While I was recently in Dublin at the Shelbourne Hotel I tried a tasty little libation called a Black Velvet; Guinness and Champagne (shown in picture). I love Guinness because of it's roasted coffee and cocoa flavors and by adding the Champagne it tastes like a sparkling coffee..perfect!

Black Velvet:
I start with a Champagne glass
Fill it halfway with Guinness
Top with Champagne

One other great Guinness cocktail I love is called a Black Fog; Guinness and Chambord. It tastes like a chocolate raspberry truffle.
Black Fog:
1 pint of Guinness
1 shot of Chambord Liquor
Pour the Chambord into the Guinness and enjoy!

Whether you like these ideas or stick to the traditional tried and true, be sure to enjoy a pint of Guinness on St.Patrick's Day! Slainte!

What's Sexy To Drink In The City?

I went with girlfriends to see the opening night of the long awaited movie "Sex And The City". It was fabulous to see so many ladies dolled up for a night on the town! Of course, the evening's cocktail of choice was none other than the Cosmopolitan. The Cosmopolitan can thank "Sex And The City" for it's rise to stardom, although it's birth is said to have occurred in the 1970's.


Here is my favorite Cosmopolitan recipe:

In your shaker mix:
2 parts vodka (L'Orange Grey Goose is my favorite..but any citrus vodka works),
1 part triple sec
1 part cranberry juice (Ocean Spray 100% juice is my favorite)
Juice of 1 key lime or a couple drops of bottled key lime juice (key lime is a little sweeter)
Shake with ice...pour into your chilled martini glass and if you can find them drop in some frozen cranberries...they work as a great garnish and they keep your Cosmo cold without watering it down!

Click here for the SATC Movie website that has trailers, quizzes...and more!


Cheers!