Dressing up a soft drink table for a party deserves as much attention than setting a regular bar. Both have to be pretty and inviting. This week provides delightful examples of what you can do to make it grand.

That quest started by this Old fashioned soda bar featured on Project Wedding. The concept was to find several old-style soda bottles. They collected 14 soda drinks. They made it beautiful by lining the sodas by color. This is a merchandising trick that you often see at fine stationery stores. They also suggest to not put them on ice. Instead, keep them on the fridge until the last minute.

Like they say, the hardest thing is to find the old-fashioned bottles. If you have relatives who live in several parts of the country, ask their help to expand your collection.

Print Your Own Soda Labels

Inspired by that project, Amy of Eat Drink Chic made templates to print your own soda labels. They are available in two font styles. It may be simpler than looking for the old style brands. You could buy bottles from different brands for a more realistic effect.

Homemade Lemonade Stand

Finally, the appeal of the old-fashioned homemade lemonade stand does not die. Here they used big jars with tags and ladles to serve the lemonade. Anyone with some carpentering experience can build a cute lemonade stand.

Fabric pennant banners hanged on the stand mimics the vintage look. You can follow the instructions on Mommy Diaries to learn how to sew your own banner or head to etsy to find one that you like. You can refer to some of my favorite flag pennant banners.

MORE:
+ Project Wedding
+ Eat Drink Chic
+ One Love Photo

You might also like these posts

I received several requests about the stylish square glass containers with the cucumber water that I shown you last June. I asked my friend Isabelle who works at Fairmont Hotels to find out where they bought it. She found that they are manufactured by Cal-Mil, a brand that cater the food service industry.

Browsing their catalog, I also found more elegant models. Each one has the ice cube insert that will not water down your drinks. They also carry an eco-friendly line made from recycled glass.

Budget between $390 and $420 USD which is not more expansive than a few dispensers I showcased before. I do not know if they sell to the public.

SOURCING:
+ Cal-Mil

You might also like these posts

I like the motto of Sillycone. This shows again that silicone has revolutionized the way we cook. You can use silicone trays to shape any food or liquid.

You can perfectly shaped Jell-O, butter, chocolate, cheese, bite cakes, brownies, Rice Crispy treats and so much more! It opens a world of possibilities for entertaining like this Jell-O wish on a birthday cake.

Sillycone specialized in letter, number, symbol and the Greek alphabet. Their trays are made from high-gloss FDA tested silicone. Each tray is oven-safe to 550ºF and (-50ºF) is cool to the touch within minutes after baking.

For more shapes, look at Lékué. This Spanish high end brand makes silicone ice cube trays in form of a star, heart, dolphin, penguin and shell. Look at the cool colored ice cubes that Better Homes and Gardens did for the Fourth of July last year.

SOURCING:
+ Silicone Alphabet Letter Ice / Bake Tray Set $14.95 USD for 3 trays
+ Silicone Number Ice / Bake Tray $7.49 USD
+ Sillycone Single Number Ice / Bake Tray $10.13 USD
+ Silicone Symbol Ice / Bake Tray $14.99 USD
+ Lekue Silicone Ice Cube Tray, Star $2.95 USD

You might also like these posts

First of all, you need to use loose leaves. No powder and no special machine. All you need to make the perfect iced tea is a glass jar, cold water, possibly a kettle, loose tea leaves, other ingredients to add flavor and garnishes.

Chances are that you make iced tea with hot water but I prefer the cold-brewed technique. I also enjoy the fact that it is simpler to prepare. I discovered the technique when I was in San Francisco in June. We stopped by a Lupicia shop to taste and buy tea leaves for my husband. The Grapefruit Green leaves make a sublime iced tea.

The Fridge Iced Tea Method

Cold-brewed iced tea is becoming more and more popular. It produces a more subtle tea than the hot-brewed technique. It is recommended to use filtered water or natural source water. You can use tap water as long as it is tasteless.

Basically, the cold-brewed iced tea method is done in 5 easy steps:

• Pour the cold water into a glass jar,
• Put your tea leaves in a generous size tea strainer,
• Place the tea on the fridge to infuse overnight,
• Remove the strainer in the morning,
• Pour you a glass filled with ice, garnish and enjoy your creation on the porch.

You can do two batches of iced teas with the same leaves. The second batch will be weaker but it will be still delicious.

The Teas Dictate Which Brewing Methods

Use hot water if you are making your iced tea with Assam, Ceylon or Darjeeling second flush. You can add fine sugar while the water is very hot. But I prefer to let people sweeten their tea they way they like it. Therefore, I serve simple syrup.

If you use flavored green teas, Japanese green teas, white teas and Darjeeling first flush, go for the cold-brewed method.

Lemon verbera and green tea mix very well. Lemon verbera has a strong lemon scent. If you rub the leaves, your finger will be filled by the wonderful scent. Elise of Simply Recipes published a Lemon Verbena Mint Herb Tea recipe.

Simple Rules for Making  Teas

If you want a stronger tea, have more leaves and respect the recommended infusion time. Never steep longer as it adds an unwanted bitter taste.

Know the ideal water temperature for your tea. Let the boiling water cools down a bit before pouring the water. if you are making hot-brewed iced tea, wait until it is cold before putting it on the fridge. Otherwise, your tea will be more cloudy than usual.

If you still prefer the hot-brewed technique, Chow published a Mint and Lime Iced Tea recipe done with green tea leaves.

MORE:
+ Lemon Verbena Mint Herb Tea recipe by Simply Recipes
+ Lupicia Handy Cooler 1 liter $18 USD
+ Grapefruit Green Leaves $5.50 for 50 g
+ Bodum Ceylon Iced Tea Maker and Water Infuser $23.57 USD
+ Mint and Lime Iced Tea recipe by Chow

You might also like these posts

Serving alcohol popsicles adds a special touch to a pool party. Instead of a digestive, keep the party alive and serve Havana Mojito popsicles as an after-dessert treat on the patio. Or great your guest with a margarita popsicle. This way, you will not lose time making drinks as your guests arrive. Plus, it will spread the joy right away.

One thing you have to remember is that alcohol do not freeze well. It is best to create use small ice pop molds. No need to buy molds if you do not have any. Instead, use individual plastic yogourt containers that you only fill up to the three quarter mark. Keep on the freezer until the last minute. And serve them on a tray filled with ice cubes.

Here are recipes to try:

+ Watermelon Margarita Popsicle Recipe – via YumSugar
+ Margarita Ice Pops Recipe on Epicurious
+ Tangerine Rum Popsicle and Watermelon Rum Popsicle Recipes

Trendy bars are serving alcohol pops. The NINETEEN12 bar located in the Beverly Hills Hotel sells for $14 martini popsicles (bottom right image). Patrons have the choice of three martini flavors: apple, watermelon and sour cherry.

You might also like these posts

I saw that trick yesterday at the Fairmont San Francisco. I had to share it with you. It looks great on the cucumber water and the lemon water as shown here. But it would be even better for sangria, punch and any other summery cocktails.

The idea is that instead of putting the ice cubes directly in the drink, which will water down your drink on a hot day, you insert a tall square vase into a jar to separate the ice cubes from your beverage. A tall square vase is easy to find at your local florist shops.

Depending on the beverage, it may be appropriate to place an ice bucket with tongs next to the jar to fill the glasses with ice cubes before serving.

If you wish to make your own flavored water, check out my recipes:

+ Cucumber and Rosemary Water + Citrus and Apple Water
+ Spa cucumber water

Take a tasty cucumber, the fresher the better. Cucumber with smaller seeds delivers a more refined look.

September 26th, 2009 Update: Since this post, I learned that the manufacturer of these square canisters is Cal-Mil. Click here for more details.

You might also like these posts

I told you last week about the importance of using freshly squeezed juice when making a cocktail. This week, I am going further and I propose you make your own ginger ale. Do not worry; it is simpler than it sounds.

Creating a homemade ginger ale starts by making a ginger syrup. You add either seltzer done with the old-fashioned bottle process, soda water or mineral water to produce a home version of a ginger soda pop. Beware that it will not replicate the taste of the commercial ginger ale. In fact, you can plan a tasting session at your party to see which ones your friends prefer.

Making your own ginger ale is not a new idea; it is just that it is now fashionable with bars in the United States charging $6-$7 for a glass, from what I read on the New York Times. There is a recipe on the NY Times. But to give you options, I scoured three recipes that seem worthy of a trial. I am curious to know which one you prefer.

• Homemade Ginger Ale by Swissman on Chow
• happy hour: homemade ginger ale by EatMakeRead
• Mr Peacock’s Homemade Ginger Ale

Serving ginger ale is handy at a party; it used to balance many cocktails. For people who do not drink, the custom is to fill their Champagne flute with ginger ale at formal events. Keeping with that spirit, I propose you a summer cocktail recipe where you can simply omit the gin and get a non-alcoholic beverage.

Ginger Ale, Mint and Gin – Drink Recipe from Bombay Sapphire

1. Squeeze 6 mint leaves between your hands to release their flavors. Avoid option is to lightly mash the leaves inside a highball glass.
2. Pour 1 1/2 ounces of your favorite gin and 3 oz of ginger ale
3. Fill the glass with ice cubes.
4. Mix well to infuse the drink with the mint flavor
5. Garnish with a mint sprig

This is a really refreshing drink; it is perfect to enjoy on a sunny terrace.

MORE:
+ images from EatMakeRead and Mr. Peacock
+ Ginger Ale Without the Can by Micheline Maynard for the NY Times

You might also like these posts

The classic margarita recipe is hard to beat. No frozen margarita and no mix for me. The margarita recipe is so simple to make that you must rely on the real ingredients.

Before I gave you my classic recipe, it is important to talk about the do and don’t of the margarita. It is necessary because this drink has been damaged over the years.

• The original recipe called for Cointreau, which is a premium Triple Sec. And yes, you will taste the difference in the margarita since there is only 3 ingredients in a real margarita.
• The sweetness comes from the premium orange liquor, typically Cointreau. Try to avoid the basic Triple Sec. I ordered mine with Grand Marnier. Therefore, there is no need to add simple syrup in the original recipe.
• Go for a sliver agave tequila. A classic margarita is not made with aged tequila, so avoid the Reposado.  I prefer the taste of the Patrón silver
• Do not pour ice from the shaker into the glass, put fresh ice cubes in the glass.
• The classic recipe uses ice cubes; leave the crushed ice to the frozen margarita.

Making the Classic Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz 100% agave silver tequila
• 3/4 oz Cointreau
• Juice of 1/2 lime, freshly squeezed
• Kosher salt on the rim – I recommend Kosher because it is less salty

Pour the liquids in a shaker with lots of ice. Shake until he ingredients are well blended. Strain into a lightly salt rimmed old-fashioned glass on the rock. You can also serve your margarita on a margarita glass or a cocktail glass.

If you wish to see my reactions when I taste an incredible margarita, watch this video we took at Taqueria Canonita in Las Vegas last year.

Three twists on the Margarita recipes developed by Patrón:

Masters Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1/2 oz. (15ml) Patrón Citrónge
• 1 1/2 oz. (35ml) Patrón Silver
• Fresh ginger
• 1 lime
• Dash of bitters
• 2 tpsb. honey

In a mixing glass, muddle the juice of one lime with a slice of fresh ginger; add the remaining ingredients, fill with ice, and double-strain into a chilled coupette/margarita glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

See also:

• Platinum Margarita mix limes and lemon in larger portion. Therefore some simple syrup is necessary to balance the drink
• Primo Margarita

For Cinco de Mayo, try to rediscover the original Mexican recipes. Forget the Tex-Mex and serve instead a tasty ceviche with cilantro.

SOURCING:
+ More tequila-based cocktails, see Patron
+ Rosle Fruit Muddle/ Caipirinha Pestle $19.95 USD at Amazon.com
+ Top image: 4 cocktails from Taqueria Canonita

You might also like these posts

I introduced last April this exquisite Champagne cooler. I got the chance to see many in person at the Interior Design Show of Toronto. Do not look in the exhibit; it was only accessible to VIP guests.

I have the chance to be a good friend of Harry Wakefield, the founding editor of MoCo Loco. If you recalled, Harry was one of the 3 bloggers invited on a Design Trends by the Minute panel at the show.

Not only did I drink a superb rose Champagne (pink) but I got the complete demonstration on how works the coolest cooler on Earth. This unique piece of technology is an avant-garde interpretation of the French candelabra. This explains why the cooler illuminates thanks to rechargeable battery.

Globalight retails for about $800 if I am not mistaken. But do not rush to the store; the Globalight cooler is only available in Europe.

In the shadow (bottom picture), you see a guy taken a picture. This is Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan of Apartment Therapy. Look at some of his pictures on Maxwell’s highlights of IDS 2009.

Go see more pictures of the VIP lounge and bar on a photo album of AHWKV’s page on Facebook.

+ Globalight for Veuve Clicquot

You might also like these posts

+ The Modernist Temple New York apartment of this Indian affluent couple with kids is striking. Ms. Luthra’s grandfather was an engineer who helped build Chandigarh, a planned city in northern India partially designed by Le Corbusier in the 1950s. I love their space. You can admire the details of the apartment on the New York Times.

+ The pewter Daisy Cut Lids embellish the Mason jars. The center hole is big enough to insert a straw. It is adorable for a girl birthday party, a family barbecue or a garden bridal shower. About 31 cents each lid at Candle Soylutions. Via Hostess with the Mostess and Brides.com

+ Torontonians can learn how to cook in a sleek modern kitchen filled with Miele appliances. The Market Kitchen is located at the St. Lawrence Market. The place is only 3 months old. You will be glad to know that the cooking classes are more affordable than at similar venues. The space is available for events. Via Food for Thought

You might also like these posts

I wish that we still had the cute milk glass bottles in Quebec. They are more eco-friendly that the carton containers; pretty that the bags. When you host a party, the possibility to buy your milk in beautifully packaged glass bottles simplifies your life.

For look and keep the milk colder, I transfer my milk into a milk glass jar that my brother gave me when I went to university. Don’t you find that milk stays colder in glass bottle versus carton container?

Another option is to do what School Bakery & Café in Toronto does. Simply transfer your milk in large glass water bottle resting on a vintage metal rack. Retro and sweet.

Exploring Milk

A well-designed packaging was done for the milk of Ronny Brook Milk dairy brand. This is something I can be proud to put on my table buffet when entertaining. Add glamour and put the milk bottles in a large champagne tub filled with ice. Sadly, their yogurt collection loses the airy, minimalist feels.

Different Types of Milk

The Creamline Milk intrigues me. It is pasteurized milk that is not homogenized so the cream floats to the top. I read about it before. Apparently, the New Times called it the Dom Perignon of dairy. It means something even for a Veuve Cliquot and Crystal Champagne fan.

I always buy my milk at the big grocery stores and in Quebec, they sell only two major brands. As far as I recalled, I never drank a glass of pasteurized but not homogenized milk. Did you try the Creamline Milk? Did the taste was incredible?

For chocolate milk lovers, Ronny Brook Milk’s chocolate milk is the only chocolate milk rated Excellent by The New York Times. I guess I have one more thing to put on my to-do list when I visited New York. In the meantime, I will check if we had small milk producers who sells directly their products at the farmer’s market.

SOURCING:
+ Ronny Brook Milk
+ Via Design Muse Blog

You might also like these posts

Fairmont’s Very Sexy Cocktail Recipe

• 1 ½ oz – Belvedere Cytrus ½ oz
• Crème de Cassis 1 ½ oz
• Fresh Sour Mix Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass.
• Add in marinated wild berries (raspberries and blackberries marinated in simple syrup).
• Top with Moët & Chandon champagne (or your favorite Champagne)

Fairmont’s Million Dollar Legs Martini Recipe

• 1 1/2 oz Malibu Rum
• 1/2 oz Chambord
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• Place all in a shaker & shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds.
• Strain into frozen martini glass. Garnish with raspberry & blackberry skewer.

I found these 2 recipes following Fairmont Hotels on Twitter.

A Pretty Good Travel Blog

If you like luxury travel, I encourage you to read the My Hotel Geek, a blog by my friend Isabelle in Montreal. She works in sales at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts but My Hotel Geek is her personal blog. Isabelle talks about the best of the crop in high-end hospitality. Go visit her site even if it is simply to pass a dreamy moment.

You might also like these posts