Chocolate & Cocktail Tasting NYC

I admit, this post is not about fashion or beauty. It does include artfully styled cocktails and desserts though. I just had a great time at The Cocktail Guru's Chocolate and Cocktail tasting event and wanted to share.

The event was hosted at URBO in Times Square by my Top Chef crush, Johnny Iuzzini. He looked very sexy in his vest and tattoos, but when you watch him demonstrate a luscious dessert on the Kitchen-Aid, that's when I lose it. Food Network cutie Zac Young was also on hand to entice guests with treats from David Burke Kitchen and Pierre Ferrand Cognac.

Top pastry chefs around the city either paired desserts with liquor or incorporated the libations into them. Of course, actual chocolate flavored cocktails were on hand for tasting as well. Van Gogh Vodka has a huge range of infused vodkas. I was already a fan of their blueberry, but here they had both Dutch Chocolate and Dark Chocolate, as well as Caramel. Their chef, Abby Lavin of Jam Jar bakery paired them with little hot fudge pies.

My other favorites include Hudson Whiskey's infused brownie and mango parfait. Also, have you ever tried chocolate mousse stuffed inside a hibiscus flower? Heavenly. Now I crave something I didn't even know existed. Valrhona chocolate was the key ingredient in many of the event's creations, but you could sample their artisanal chocolates in their pure form.

So now I am inspired to repeat this themed tasting party for myself. My tipsy tea party crew will have to indulge me (my girl Nyree has already nailed this with her amazing liquor drenched cakes).

Check out 7 Ways to Pair Chocolate & Liquor for recipes you can try at home:
by Mariana Leung at Mode

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Ms. Fabulous Hosts The Tipsy Tea Party

Thank you to all my lovelies who indulged me and my drunken tea party.  The theme (besides tipsy tea beverages) was the gorgeously quirky film The Grand Budapest Hotel

Hubby, my cousin and I decorated the ballroom to look like a musty 1930’s hotel. They found tapestry rugs and over-sized leather chairs.  Within the ballroom’s kitchen, I found hundreds of dainty, hand-painted China cups that were likely inherited from the restaurant that was onsite back when the building was first established in the 1920’s. They were accompanied by tea plates that had cup indentations so guests could walk around with their cuppa and treats with one hand.

Guests included my peeps from the fashion industry.  Bloggers included Elaine Fioravanti of Best Dressed Ginger, her friend Lauren of College Fashionista, Mdivani Monroe of Ladies Who Lunch and Cassandra of CameraMade Me Do It.  

We had macarons from the Macaron Café in the Fashion District. I put together mushroom tarts and a selection of tea sandwiches like brie and fig tartines. My friend Nyree from Macy’s made the most amazing Amaretto cake (that I am still eating non-stop). Janet baked rich brownies. Of course, a drunken tea party needed the teas that made you drunk. I made a big batch of blood orange, black vanilla tea and bourbon if you wanted to get tipsy quickly.

Recipe for our tea inspired cocktail

Blue & Green Duchess Tea:

(Makes 1 pitcher)

5 jasmine green tea bags

5 cups   of boiling water

¼ pitcher of fresh lemonade

¾ cup of fresh blueberries

1 cup of VanGogh Vodka Blueberry Acai Vodka

Handful of fresh mint

Brew the tea and leave the bags to steep as it continues to cool.  Refridgerate the tea until it gets cold.  Add lemonade and vodka.  With a wooden spoon, muddle the blueberries and mint and let the flavors steep together for a half hour more.  Enjoy!  It was the perfect summer cocktail. 

Of course, I love to pamper my guests.  Marcela Nails & Wax provided manicures with Sally Hansen and OPI Nail Lacquer colors that they had provided over the past year. 

What did we think of the movie itself? Ralph Fiennes put in a comedic and touching performance I did not expect.  The story had wicked and morbid humor (perfect for this crowd).  The beautiful aesthetic of the film is what I come back to Wes Anderson for time and time again. 

Happy summer times!

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