bottoms up

Cocktails and dresses as pretty as we used to be when salons were still open...

It’s Friday (not that it matters here in lock down), but I am finding myself a little bored with my quarantini and am fantasizing about my next encounter with a well made cocktail. Here is some inspiration for days ahead when we can actually clink our glasses wearing something more than a waist up “outfit” on Zoom.

Old Fashioned

• 2 tsp sugar

• 60 ml bourbon or rye whiskey

• 2 dashes Agnostura bitters

• splash of water

• orange slice

• maraschino cherry

Put the sugar, bitters and water in a small tumbler. Mix until the sugar dissolves if using granulated. Fill your glass with ice and stir in the whisky. Add a splash of soda water if you like and mix. Garnish with the orange and cherry.

Dress: Peter Petrov Abia Knotted Printed Silk Dress $1652

Campari-Fennel Aperitif

• handful of fennel fronds

• 1 small sprig for garnish

• 3 lemon wheels

• 2 ounces dry sparkling wine

• 3/4 ounce Campari

• 1/2 ounce simple syrup

• 2-inch-long strip of lemon peel Ice

In a cocktail shaker, combine the fennel fronds with the lemon wheels, sparkling wine, Campari and simple syrup. Muddle 20 times. Add ice and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Squeeze the lemon peel over the drink and add it to the glass. Garnish with the fennel sprig and serve.

Dress: Brock Collection Floral Print Silk Georgette Midi Dress $1530

Negroni

• ice

• 1 1/3 ounces frozen gin preferably London dry

• 1 ounce sweet vermouth

• 2/3 ounce Campari

• 1 orange wheel, for garnish

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add the gin, vermouth and Campari and stir well. Garnish with the orange wheel.

Dress: Silvia Tcherassi Forli Dress $2900

Paloma Italiana

• 1 1/2 ounces reposado tequila

• 3/4 ounce Campari

• 3/4 ounce fresh pink grapefruit juice

• 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 ounce agave nectar

• ice

• 2 ounces chilled Italian orange soda, such as San Pellegrino Aranciata

• pinch of kosher salt

• 1 spiral-cut grapefruit twist, for garnish

Dress: Jonathan Simkhai Asymmetric Satin Gown $895

Bourbon Blackberry Collins

• 4 blackberries

• ice

• 1 1/2 ounces bourbon

• 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

• 3/4 ounce simple syrup

• 2 ounces chilled club soda

In a cocktail shaker, muddle 3 blackberries. Add ice and the bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup and shake well. Strain into a chilled, ice-filled collins glass. Stir in the club soda and garnish with the remaining blackberry.

Dress: Roksanda Keyra Crinkled Metal Maxi Dress

Pisco Sour

• 2 ounces pisco

• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice

• 3/4 ounce

• simple syrup

• 1 large egg white

• ice

• 4 drops of Angostura bitters

Put all of the ingredients except the ice and bitters in a cocktail shaker; shake for 10 seconds. Add ice; shake for 10 more seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe. Dot the drink with the bitters and draw a straw through the drops.

Dress: Monique Lhuillier Metallic Jacquard One-Shoulder Gown $3995