Holiday Cranberry Margaritas with Alacran Cristal Tequila

It is the holiday season, and that means one thing- holiday parties and gatherings! Do you find yourself running around from event to event this time of the year? I know I do! Whether you are hosting your own party or looking for a great cocktail to make for a gathering you are heading to, I have a great recipe to share with you.

Margaritas are always a crowd pleaser, but do they work at a holiday party? Yes! Nothing says winter and the holiday season quite like cranberry. Try serving this refreshing cranberry margarita at your next holiday party.

Cranberry Margarita
-2 cups Alacran Cristal Tequila
-1 1/3 cups cranberry juice (I recommend using 100% juice variety with no sugar added. Trader Joes makes a great one)
-3 tbsp Agave Syrup or sweetened to taste (Note: I use agave to make the drink fresher. If you are accustomed to an orange liqueur, use 1 Cup Cointreau of Grand Marnier) 
-2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 


1. If you like a salted rim: place salt on small plate, wet rim, and apply salt to rims of glasses
2. Combine the tequila, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, lime juice, and ice in a large pitcher, and stir.

I like using Alacran Tequila because it is an ultra premium anejo tequila. It is packaged in a beautiful, clear glass bottle that is sleek looking. The tequila uses agaves from 7-10 years old harvested in the highlands of Jalisco. It is matured for 14 months in American Oak barrels from bourbon generating a rich, woody flavor with a hint of vanilla. As a result of their exclusive clarifying filtration process, a crystal product is produced with light gold reflections. 



*This recipe yields approximately 10 servings. 













This post was made possible by Alacran Tequila

Holiday Cocktail Ideas for any Occasion

The holiday season is a great time to try new cocktail recipes, whether you are hosting or taking to the host, below are some holiday cocktails that are good for any gathering this season. Each recipe is quite simple, and the punches are great for sharing.

I personally love the St-Germain recipe below. I mentioned St-Germain as being a great ingredient for spring cocktails, however, it is great year round. As a side note, if you do not love cocktails, try adding a splash of St-Germain to a simple glass of champagne... you will not regret it!

The Carlyle Punch is one of the acclaimed beverages served at the New York Carlyle Hotel's iconic bar,  Bemelmans Bar. The cocktail is available on location through the festive season, but enjoy the recipe for the punch below at your holiday gatherings this year.

Grab the bottles, mix up, and enjoy!

The Carlyle Punch (pictured above)
1 ounce Southern Comfort
1 1/2 ounces Raspberry Vodka
1 1/2 ounces Cranberry Juice
1 ounce Orange Juice 1 ounce ST-GERMAIN
1 ounce Simple Syrup 1 to 3 dashes of Bitters
Splash of Champagne

 Method | In a shaker, combine ice with the Southern Comfort, Stolichnaya Raspberry, St. Germain liqueur, simple syrup, orange juice, cranberry juice and fresh lime juice. Pour in a cognac glass over-ice and finish with 3 dashes of Angostura bitters and a splash of Champagne. Garnish with blueberries and raspberries.

Winter Flowers Punch
 1 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1 cup Superfine Sugar ½ cup ST-GERMAIN
¼ cup Honey
½ cup Cognac, Tequila. Bourbon or Gin
16oz Chilled Brewed Chamomile Tea
2 bottles of MARTINI Prosecco
Orange or Lemon Slices

 Method | Combine the lemon juice, sugar, St-Germain, honey, spirit, and tea in a non-reactive bowl and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the prosecco and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Pour into a decorative bowl or pitcher. Garnish with orange or lemon slices and fresh strawberries, if desired. Serve in champagne flutes, wine glasses or punch cups.

St-Germain Cocktail

2 parts MARTINI Prosecco
1 ½ parts ST-GERMAIN
2 parts Sparkling Water

Method | Fill a tall Collins glass with ice. Add MARTINI Prosecco first, then ST-GERMAIN, then sparkling water. Stir completely and garnish with a lemon twist.

Photos: St-Germain, Martini

Summer Goodbye with Flutes and Floats

Unless you are an absolute ski bunny, you probably do not enjoy saying goodbye to summer, or it does not top your list of "favorite things to do." Saying goodbye to warm weather, long days, and relaxation is always hard each time the calendar begins to approach Labor Day.

I celebrated the end of summer and the last warm days with a fun party that is easy to replicate, fun, and the perfect way to say au revoir to #endlesssummer. A "Flutes and Floats" party fits the bill with pool fun and glasses of bubbly.

Pool floats have become all the rage the past few summers with the fun designs filling my Instagram feed. We got a variety of floats from Fun Boy, the brand that really started the "float life" revolution with that infamous white swam. The floats became the central idea for a party and what pairs better with sun, pool, and float than a little champagne? Hence the theme "Flutes and Floats" was born.

Preparation was beyond easy requiring the cleansing of some champagne flutes and filling up a few ice buckets to keep everything chilled. The rest was pure fun! We hosted as an early evening affair, so we paired light bites and cheese plates with the champagne and rosé cocktails.

Flutes and Floats made saying goodbye to summer a little bit easier, and I think it will become an annual tradition! How are you celebrating the end of the summer season?

Holiday Party Season

December is the start of party season whether its your office holiday party or your own open house, looking good at all these festive functions is a necessity. A lot of great option exist to make a standout outfit so you do not simply blend into the crowd. I have created a simple outfit that would be perfect for any holiday party on the calendar.

For me tartan is a must when it comes to holiday party attire. I started this look with a blackwatch blazer . The tartan is very festive and preppy, and the black/green plaid colorway is a bit more subtle than some other plaid combinations. Make the blazer your statement piece by pairing only simplistic pieces is with. Layer a simple black turtleneck underneath for an understated look and pair refined wool trousers on the bottom. Finish the look with a great shoe such as a suede tassel loafer and accessorize with a seasonal pocket square- in this instance I chose red to compliment the green in the blazer.

However you may be partying this holiday season, remember, you can never be too overdressed!

Blazer: Club Monaco // Trousers: Dolce & Gabbana // Sweater: John Smedley // Shoes: Alexander McQueen // Pocket Square: Ferragamo 

New Years Champagne Cocktail

2013 is coming to a rapid close. Looking back it was a year filled with a lot- new jobs, internships, relationships, and travel. I soaked up the sun in the French Riviera and indulged in fashion in Milan. In between was filled with lots of cashmere cable knits and chinos, of course. Here's to making 2014 even better!

As we raise our glasses for the last time in 2013, I recommend the below cocktail I found from the "Kitchn". It is a spiced citrus champagne. A twist on my personal favorite, champagne. It is a simple recipe blending a spiced simple syrup, orange juice, and champagne. I know I will be filling my glass with Moet and adding in a spice this evening!

Cheers to 2014!

Spiced Citrus Champagne
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
Zest of 2 lemons, cut into long strips
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 whole star anise
4 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Champagne, or dry sparkling white wine

 Bring water, honey, lemon zest and juice, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Cool syrup. Serve each glass of champagne with 1 tablespoon spiced syrup and a splash of orange juice, to taste. Garnish with a slice of star fruit or a lemon twist.

P.S. Check out the Kitchn for even more great champagne cocktails perfect for the occasion!