Arsenic Lace

Entertaining

Giveaway with Shaker and Spoon

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Hello Everyone! Excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with Shaker and Spoon for a little giveaway. If you’re not familiar with them they do a monthly subscription cocktail club. All you have to do is pick up the bottle and they take care of the rest! That just sounds too easy, doesn’t it? It defintely takes the hassle out of making drinks at home. No running to the super market, fussing over making syrups, running around for those impossible to find bitters. I know we’ve all done it…I defintely have.

Fear no more, because with Shaker and Spoon you can confidently make drinks for your date, friends, or just for yourself, and the cocktails will always be perfect and stress free.

I recieved February’s After Party Box which included ingredients for three champagne inspired cocktails, because after the holidays everyone has bubbly laying around, am I right? Guilty! I made the Time After Thyme by my friend Pamela Wiznitzer.

This cocktail combines the herbaceous fusion of cucumber, celery, and thyme with the fresh citrus of grapefruit and the effervescence of sparking wine. The Time After Thyme was devine and completely refreshing and very easy to make. All I had to do was build my ingredient in the glass, add ice, stir, and top with champagne. I may have had two (or three). I can’t wait to try the others and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on one of these boxes!

All you have to do to enter is go to my Instagram, comment on the photo that I’ve tagged Shaker and Spoon in, tag three friends you want to share cocktails with and make sure you’re following me (@arseniclace) and Shaker and Spoon (@shakerandspoon). Winner will be chosen at random and the contest will go for 48 hours. Good luck everyone, and hurry up and enter!

Everything but the booze!

Cheers and Good Luck!

Easy Negroni Floats

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I bet everyone is ready for Valentine’s Day…I know I sure am! Whether you’re spending the weekend with you gal pals or getting ready for a romantic night out, a cocktail is always in order. That’s why I’m here! I’ve whipped up these super easy Negroni Floats that are perfect for your Galentine’s Day party or a romantic evening spent at home. They’re boozy, but with the addition of freshly whipped cream, they become a delicious alcoholic creamsicle. Now who doesn’t want one of those?


Easy Negroni Floats (makes one serving)

1 oz. Gin

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

1 oz. Campari

Add all your ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice, and stir. If you’re making multiple drinks, double up or consider building in a pitcher. Strain into a coupe glass.


For the cream:

Add 4 ounces of heavy cream to a tin with two sugar cubes and a very small piece of ice. Shake, shake, shake! You want to shake it till the sugar has dissolved and the cream is slighly thick but not pie topping thick. You want it to slide right over the top of the drink. I do this at work all the time with no trouble, with these the cream started to sink at a pretty fast rate. No problem! Just give it a little stir, it will only enhance the creamsicle effect. Garnish with a little zest of orange on top. Enjoy! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Everything’s Coming Up Rosé with Jord Wood Watches

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Looking for Valentine’s Day ideas already? I hate to admit it, but it’s one of my favorite holidays, even if it’s kind of made up! Anything that has to do with eating, drinking, chocolate, flowers and pink, I’m all about. Pink and red is one of my favorite color combos and this is the only time of year I can buy pretty much anything in that color scheme. You feel the same way, don’t you?

If you’re looking for a tasty cocktail and a gift for her or him, look no further! I’ve teamed up with Jord Wood Watches to shake you up a delicious treat this Valentine’s Day. Jord makes beautiful wood timepieces that are very modern, stunning and completely unique. They offer many beautiful wood finishes and color options, and make both women’s watches and men’s watches. Moments are bigger than minutes and your watch should tell more than time. This Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show your loved one that your time, is and will always belong to them. There’s a contest going on to win a $100 to use on the Jord site. All you have to do is go here, and fill out of entry form. Contest closes 2/12. Good luck everyone!

I have matched my drink to my watch with the Cora Zebrawood & Rosé. It has a beautiful light blush face that accents the wild and natural grain of the Zebrawood. I’m shaking up my Everything’s coming up Rosé cocktail that has Gin, Lillet Rosé, lemon, blood orange, and a hibiscus/passion fruit tea syrup. It’s sweet, floral, fruity, and slightly lower ABV, so you can have a few. Oh, and it’s this beautiful deep pink color. Perfect!

Like Lillet Blanc, which you may be more familiar with, Lillet Rose is a wine-based aperitif, made from the Grand Cru Bordeaux grapes used for Lillet’s white and red versions, and then combined with fruit liqueurs. As a result it’s bright and fruit-forward but not overly sweet — a pleasure to sip on its own, or in cocktails. Since this cocktail is slightly lower ABV, if you want to kick it up a notch top it with Champagne. This would be a good batched drink for a punch bowl at your Galentine’s Day party as well. I used TAZO Passion for the tea syrup, I love using it in cocktails and it’s very easy to find. It is a blend of hibiscus, orange peel, rose hips, and passion fruit. Very fruity, herbal and compliments the other flavors in this drink wonderfully.


Everything’s Coming Up Rosé

1 oz. Gin (I used Brooklyn)

1 oz. Lillet Rose

3/4 oz. Blood Orange Juice (if those aren’t available regular oranges work)

1/2 oz. Lemon Juice

3/4 oz. Hibiscus Tea Syrup

Combine all ingredients in tin, shake with ice, and strain into a coupe glass. If you want to dry this cocktail out a little and also add more ABV top with champagne. It will be delicious. For the tea syrup brew a cup of tea (8 oz.) and then add the same amount of sugar. If you’re making a larger batch you will have to add more tea bags.

Sparkling Apple Cider Punch

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I hope everyone is off to a good New Year! This week has been a little bit more mellow and I’m not going to lie, I’m enjoying it. I love the holidays but theres also stress and pressure that goes along with them. I’m excited to get back to normal life and a brand new year. I know its cliche to set all of these goals once the calender flips to January 1st, I know its not a clean slate, but it is a good time to get youself motivated to accomplish the things that maybe you’ve been putting off or didn’t have enough time for in the previous year. I did set a lot of goals for myself in 2016 and I am very proud of how far I’ve come, but there’s still work to be done!

Is there anything special that you’re setting some extra time aside for this year? Work goals? Relationship goals? Health goals? I’m looking forward to continuing the blog, I started running this week (I can only make it a 1/2 mile before dying), and I have some major home goals. I’ve been looking around at buying, but real estate is insane here in the NY/NJ area. If I can’t accomplish buying a house or condo in the new year, I’m going to do a major overhaul in the little rent controlled railroad apartment that I’ve been living in for the past 8 years. I’m going to be 30 in 49 days and I moved in when I was 21. THAT’S CRAZY!! The apartment has always been a work in progress but I have changed a lot and so have my tastes. I have been trying to slowly incorporate new things in over the past year but I’m getting a little overwhelmed. Someone please help me.

The most recent photo of my bedroom, which I hope to repaint and do some simple decor updates to. I painted the wardrobe myself and changed the hardware. Inside the drawers are ombre from light blue to navy. Salvation Army purchase along with that mid-century sideboard. The most recent photo of my bedroom, which I hope to repaint and do some simple decor updates to. I painted the wardrobe myself and changed the hardware. Inside the drawers are ombre from light blue to navy. Salvation Army purchase along with that mid-century sideboard.

Anyways, since I got way off track, I’ve teamed up with The Hair Room here in Jersey City to bring you delicious drinks (my Sparkling Apple Cider Punch) for the Golden Globes tomorrow. If you’re local swing by for a cocktail, pajama attire is recommended! If not, I’m posting the recipe here for your at home enjoyment. This punch is yummy! Its resfreshing, super fragrant and fruity. Comment below to let me know what you think. Either about all of my random thoughts, the cocktail or your favorite red carpet looks. I’d love to hear from you. Cheers to all of you from snowy New Jersey!


Sparkling Apple Cider Punch

1 1/2 oz. Gin (I used Fifty Pound)

3/4 oz. Elderflower Liqueur (Giffard or St. Germain work)

1 oz. Apple Cider

1/4 oz. Lemon Juice

Top Champagne or a Sparkling Wine, Club Soda also works in a pinch for something lower ABV.

You can make a batch of this cocktail by simply multiplying each ingredient by how many people you will be making drinks for. You can put it in a pitcher, build in a punch bowl or make to order. If you’re making to order add all ingredients besides sparkling wine to a tin, shake, strain into your desired glassware like a coupe or flute, and top with champagne/sparkling. Garnish with an apple slice. Cheers and enjoy!

Apple and Pear Champagne Cocktail

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New Years is upon us. Time is flying and I’ve been so busy with work I can barely keep up. I woke up early today to shoot, just got done editing, and now I’m writing this blog post before heading in for my shift tonight. Oh and I picked up tomorrow night (NYE) which I am regretting already. I can’t say no to the money and I’m a workaholic. My resolution for 2017 is to definitely be better at time management and concentrate on consulting and the blog. I can’t keep having 4 jobs at a time anymore, I’m always burning the candle at both ends, and when I finally get a break I spend it recuperating and not enjoying the things that make life worthwhile. I’m not trying to be negative but I have been reflecting these past few days after Christmas and right before the beginning of the new year, which I’m sure a lot of you have been doing as well. What are you most looking forward to in the New Year? What kind of improvements will you be concentrating on in your life?

Lets get down to business which is DRINKS!

I wanted to make something topped with bubbly because it only seems appropriate. You have to drink Champagne on NYE! This is a little riff on a French 75 and is perfect for your New Years Eve gatherings. You can batch this, and just top with sparkling to serve, put it in a punch bowl, or make to order if there are just a few of you. The Calvados and Poire Williams combine magnificently to bring you something thats fruity yet winter appropriate with some citrus and a fizz!

I found these little tinsel coasters that slip onto the foot of your glass at a thrift store! Perfect find for holiday parties! I found these little tinsel coasters that slip onto the foot of your glass at a thrift store! Perfect find for holiday parties!


Apple & Pear Champagne Cocktail

1 oz. Calvados (or Apple Brandy like Applejack)

1 oz. Poire Williams

3/4 oz. Lemon Juice

3/4 oz. Simple Syrup (1:1)

Top Champagne

Combine all ingredients except Champagne into a tin, shake with ice, strain into a flute or coupe, and top with Champagne.

It’s been a really hard year for me with the passing of my father and that put a lot of things into perspective for me. Life is short and it’s flying by. I want everything I do to be more meaningful. I want to have the life I’ve always dreamed of because I work really hard and I deserve it.

On the other hand this year has also been very positive for me. I have accomplished a lot, and I’ve worked really hard and I am proud of myself. I started the blog and although I have a long way to go with growing it, it has only been 6 months and I’m really happy with where it has gone in such little time. I want to thank all of you who take time out of your day to read my posts, like my photos, and give me supportive feedback. Sometimes it’s really hard to want to put forth the effort to do this when people are being negative or when you’ve had a really long week at work and just want to stay in bed. It is another full time job (that I love), but it is a lot of work and I appreciate every kind word that is sent my way.

There is a lot to be excited about in the New Year and I can’t wait to get there! Have a wonderful NYE and I will see you in 2017!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Adult Milk and Cookies

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Happy Christmas Eve everyone! I’m sure you’re all excited for tonight and tomorrows festivites. I spent all day Friday baking, wrapping presents, finally finished decorating my cactus, and listened to all my favorite Christmas records. Woo hoo! Christmas Eve was always a big celebration with my family growing up. If you came from an Italian family (my father was Italian) you know The Feast of the Seven Fishes, and thats what we did. That was our day to spend together before the rest of the family came Christmas Day. For my whole life holidays were hosted at our house, up until my parents sold the house and flew south for retirement. So if you host, you know Christmas Day and any major holiday is filled with stress, prep, and lots of clean up (and also joy)….

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Bar Cart Essentials

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I did a little holiday decorating last week and decided to spruce up the bar cart in the studio. I bought a bunch of branches for props for shooting Christmas drinks, but they look wonderful as a garland on the cart and smelled super festive! I put all my favorite spirits that I couldn’t imagine (living) drinking without, and some basic bar tools for your Holiday Bar Cart Essentials.

For the holidays, especially when you will be entertaining, pick a few higher end spirits for your cart. I would say try to have 1 of each spirit, that way there’s something for everyone. Vodka, Gin, Bourbon, Rye, Rum, Cognac or Brandy, Scotch, Tequila, and then have sweet and dry vermouth on hand (but keep that in the fridge), an aperitif (like Aperol or Campari), and most definitely include an Amaro. Having Amaro on hand is crucial for drinking after meals, it settles your stomach and helps you digest. If you don’t drink bitters regularly start making it a tradition, I love Averna and Cynar! While we’re on the subject of bitters, basics here are good too. Have Angostura, Orange, and Peychaud’s, these are cocktail basics. If you’re making something special that requires different bitters like chocolate or cardamom, make sure you have those too! Having Ango on hand is crucial for those Manhattans and Old Fashioneds. Have a few bottles of soda, and tonic on hand for simple mixed drinks as well.

  1. Home Decorators Collection Eliza 2-Shelf Bar Cart in Gold (Home Depot $249.00)
  2. Polka Dot Ice Bucket by Mr. Ice Bucket (Wayfair $48.99)
  3. Premium Julep Strainer in Gold (Cocktail Kingdom $21.95)
  4. Octagon Coasters in white Behr & Co. $49.95
  5. Oh Joy! Pink Ombre Glass and Rose Gold Cocktail Shaker Pink (Target on sale 16.99)
  6. Leopold Jigger (Cocktail Kingdom $28.95)
  7. Skull Barspoon in Gold (Cocktail Kingdom $31.95)
  8. Yarai Mixing Glass (Cocktail Kingdom $39.95)
  9. Cherry Striped Paper Straws – 25 count (Target $7.39)
  10. Liquor Decanters Love & Victory $50.00

Here are some of my favorite carts to inspire you while you’re getting ready this week for the big Holiday Weekend. Would love to hear from you and what you’re making for Christmas and what some of the favorite things on your bar cart are. Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Pineapple Pomegranate Punch

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I found this mid-century blue carnival glass punch set brand new in box at a thrift store for $2.99!

I found this mid-century blue carnival glass punch set brand new in box at a thrift store for $2.99!

Hello Everyone!

I’m sure you’re all doing the rest of your shopping for the remaining days before Christmas and finalizing your holiday menus. I wanted to include a large format drink this month on the blog because I know how hard and stressful it can be to entertain. I basically entertain for a living! While I may be making every drink to order when I’m behind the bar, I know how much easier it can be to have some of the pressure off of you by putting together a punch and letting people serve themselves. Not assembling cocktails to order will save you time and allow you to enjoy yourself more by spending it with your loved ones. It beats running back to the kitchen everytime you need to refill someones glass, that’s for sure!

This might be the largest bottle of Vodka ever!

This might be the largest bottle of Vodka ever!

I’m working with Sobieski Vodka and Dole Pineapple Juice to bring you my Christmas Pomegranate Punch! I usually stick to using all fresh juices when I’m developing drinks, but sometimes it’s a hassle to juice pineapple, especially when you don’t have the right equipment. It can also be very time consuming to juice, as well as expensive. I’m tryng to shorten your prep time so you have more party time! Dole Pineapple Juice is your answer, it is 100% juice, not from concentrate, and works great in cocktails. It’s naturally a very sweet fruit so you can cut back on adding additional sugars and syrups.

Sobieski & Dole are awarding twenty-five $100 gift cards to shoppers who post their own vodka/pineapple juice cocktail recipe. You can enter by tagging your original recipe with the hashtag #SobieskiAndDoleContest. Shoppers can save up to $5 on Dole 100% Canned Pineapple Juice & Sobieski vodka with a digital coupon at SobieskiAndDoleCocktail.com. So go get your coupons, make some drinks, snap a photo, and use the hashtag!

Pineapple Pomegranate Punch (serves 12)

9 oz. Sobieski Vodka

9 oz. Tawny Port

12 oz. Dole Pineapple Juice

6 oz. Triple Sec (like Cointreau or Combier)

3 oz. Grenadine or preferably Pomegranate Molasses

Assemble right in bowl. If you have the space refrigerate or freeze your bowl beforehand to keep your punch extra cold!

Assemble right in bowl. If you have the space refrigerate or freeze your bowl beforehand to keep your punch extra cold!

You can build this right in your bowl, give it a good stir, and add ice. I used a large piece of block ice, but I am spoiled and have access to such things. If you don’t, freeze water in a large baking pan, bundt pan, or small cooler. Any type of shape that can hold a large amount of water and that fits in your punch bowl. You can even freeze fruit and garnishes in the ice if you want to get fancy. I added rosemary sprigs and pomegranate seeds to the bowl as well. Give it a heavy grate of fresh cinnamon on top. Serve, sip, enjoy!

They call it

They call it “The Flowing Bowl” for a reason! Get your party started!

The Port in this punch really works well with Sobieski Vodka. Tawny port is full of delicious flavors like caramel and peanut brittle, apricot, plum, raisin and walnut. These flavors are perfect for the holiday/winter season and compliment the other ingredients beautifully. It is super simple, easy to assemble, has a very approachable flavor, yet still is very refined taste. Happy Holidays!

Cheers!

Cheers!

 l love BIG ice!

 l love BIG ice!

Sobieski Vodka & Dole Pineapple Juice.

Sobieski Vodka & Dole Pineapple Juice.

xo

Natalie

Peppermint Old Fashioned

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Christmas is just around the corner and I have a few recipes coming to the site over the next two weeks, so stay tuned! I can’t believe how time is flying, before we know it, it will be the New Year. Does anyone have any big plans for the holiday or NYE? I have the perfect cocktail to get you in the mood to decorate the tree, listen to your Christmas vinyl, do some online shopping, and wrap those presents! My Peppermint Old Fashioned is great for your next holiday party or Christmas Eve and Day festivites. If you’re not familiar with a classic Old Fashioned it’s just Bourbon, sugar, Angostura Bitters and a twist of lemon and orange. Super simple! I didn’t want to over complicate such a simple drink, so I used the same template with just a few minor adjustments.

My main trick was infusing the Bourbon with Harney & Sons Peppermint Tea, which is devine if you haven’t had it. All of their tea is delicious and great for drinking on its own hot, iced, or using to infuse wine, vermouth and spirits. The tea is really fragrant so it didn’t sit very long with the Bourbon, I’d say 30 minutes maximum. Honestly, I only let mine sit for about 15 minutes and the flavor was already very strong. This will all depend on how minty you want your drinks to be, so I suggest straw testing as you go until you get your desired level of flavor. You can infuse a whole bottle or a few ounces depending on how many cocktails you want to make. You will need 2 ounces of Peppermint Tea Bourbon per drink. I would estimate 2 tea satchels for every 12 ounces of whiskey for the infusion.

Peppermint Old Fashioned

2 oz. Peppermint Tea infused Bourbon

1/2 oz. Honey Syrup (3:1 Honey & Water)

2 dashes Scrappys Cardamom Bitters

Build all ingredients in a single old fashioned glass, add ice, stir. Garnish with a candy cane.

Cranberry Harvest Punch

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Hello Everyone!

I bet you’re all getting ready for Thanksgiving this week. Ethan and I are both working the night before and we decided we’re staying home this holiday, which is exciting because we just gave the kitchen some updates and I love a good excuse to bake a pie (and make some cocktails). I wanted to post a cocktail for this week that was really festive and seasonal for everyone to make and enjoy with their loved ones. I’m so happy with this recipe because it’s so yummy and perfect for any Thanksgiving celebration. My Cranberry Harvest Punch can easily be made for a few or many, with some prep beforehand. Bourbon, lemon, apple cider, and mulled cranberry syrup. YEP! I said mulled cranberry syrup and it is so delicious I may just use it on everything! Pancakes? Ice Cream? Iced Tea? PIE? Who knows! What I do know is you’re all defintely going to enjoy sipping on a few of these.

First things first, you will need fresh cranberries, so if you’re making fresh cranberry sauce buy some extra for the syrup. I basically made a rich demerara sugar syrup (1:1) with fresh cranberries and brought it to high heat and then let it simmer with mulling spices. It’s super easy and didn’t take long at all and the rest of the ingredients are very easy. Make a batch in a pitcher or a punch bowl and all the work is done! You can also serve this drink warm. Just add all ingredients to a pot and heat until warm or you can keep it in a crockpot. Sip and enjoy.

This year was a hard year with the passing of my father, but it was also a very exciting year filled with promise and new opportunites. I consulted on The Archer, started the blog, got a studio space, had a lot of great press thrown my way and have gained many new clients. I am truly thankful for all the positive things and all the support anyone has given me. I’m looking forward to the holiday season and doing great things in the new year! Cheers to each and every one of you reading this and I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Harvest Punch (for 1)

2 oz. Bourbon (I used Wild Turkey)

3/4 oz. Lemon Juice

2 oz. Apple Cider

3/4 oz. Mulled Cranberry Syrup

Add all ingredients to tin, shake on ice, serve up in your desired glassware, and garnish with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.

Cranberry Harvest Punch (for 8-12 ppl)

1 Bottle of Bourbon (I used Wild Turkey)

9 oz. Lemon Juice

3 cups of Apple Cider

9 oz. Mulled Cranberry Syrup

Add ingredients to pitcher or punch bowl and serve cold or hot.

Mulled Cranberry Syrup

2 cups Cranberries

2 cups Water

2 cups Demerara Sugar (I use Florida Crystals)

1/4 tsp. Cloves

2 Allspice Berries

2 Cardamom Pods

1 Star Anise

1 Cinnamon Stick

4 Black Peppercorn

Long orange peel

Combine all ingredients to pot, simmer so that all sugar dissolves, bring to high heat until cranberries become soft (about 10 minutes). Let cool and strain into bottle or jar.