{"id":5190,"date":"2013-05-10T16:08:05","date_gmt":"2013-05-10T23:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=5190"},"modified":"2014-02-25T19:49:15","modified_gmt":"2014-02-26T03:49:15","slug":"cocktail-corner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=5190","title":{"rendered":"Cocktail Corner"},"content":{"rendered":"

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! \u00a0By Leslie Dinaberg<\/b>
\n(Here is my newest column which I write every Friday for Santa Barbara SEASONS Magazine<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"\u00a9

\u00a9 Pac | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images<\/p><\/div>\n

Popping the Cork for Mother’s Day<\/a><\/h3>\n

One of my favorite things about\u00a0Mother’s Day<\/a>\u00a0is that it’s a terrific\u00a0excuse\u00a0reason to have\u00a0Champagne<\/strong>\u00a0for breakfast.\u00a0Of course, you can do this anytime you want\u2014and pretty, pretty please invite me over!\u2014but on Mother\u2019s Day, unless you’re visibly pregnant, no one looks at you strangely when you order a bottle of Champagne with your\u00a0Eggs Benedict<\/strong>\u00a0(which is a fabulous pairing, by the way).\u00a0But here’s an even better reason to toast mom with some bubbly this weekend: new research has just come out that three glasses of Champagne a week can help to improve your memory!<\/p>\n

Kentucky Derby Day Drinks<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"Early

Early Times makes the official Mint Julep of the 2013 Kentucky Derby. (courtesy photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s\u00a0Kentucky Derby<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0time this weekend, and although all I know about the leaderboard is thatOrb<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is favored to win, I know enough about Kentucky Derby Day traditions to know whichever horse your money\u2019s on, y\u2019all should be cheering \u2018em on with a\u00a0Mint Julep<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Citrus

Citrus & Spice Cocktail at The Pan (photo by Leslie Dinaberg)<\/p><\/div>\n

Cheers to\u00a0The Pan<\/a><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m a big believer that variety is the spice of life. If I could tipple \u201ccocktail flights<\/strong>\u201d for every happy hour and\u00a0nibble appetizers<\/strong>\u00a0for every meal, I would be doing a happy dance for the rest of my life.\u00a0I still haven\u2019t found a place that has \u201ccocktail flights\u201d on the menu (sharing sips with friends is the next best thing), but I have found a great small bites place just a hop, skip and jump from the office:\u00a0The Pan<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Cheers to Prosecco<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"OGIO

OGIO prosecco (courtesy photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

I had my first taste of Prosecco just a few years ago, when a friend brought a bottle of\u00a0Mionetto IL Prosecco<\/a>\u00a0to accompany our sushi at one of the summer concerts at\u00a0El Capitan Canyon.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0It was delicious, bubbly and tasted good with potato chips too.<\/p>\n

Wine and Cheese Please!<\/a><\/h3>\n

I was thrilled to discover that today is\u00a0National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day<\/a>. What better way to fight the post-vacation blues than to celebrate this traditional American treat and pair it with some of our favorite local wines?<\/p>\n

\"KAPPA<\/a>

KAPPA Krush (courtesy of KAPPA Pisco)<\/p><\/div>\n

Potions With Pisco Popping Up<\/a><\/h3>\n

I wasn\u2019t too familiar with\u00a0Pisco<\/a>\u00a0last fall, when someone gave me a bottle of\u00a0KAPPA Pisco<\/a>, a new Chilean Pisco from the House of Marnier-Lapostolle, producers of\u00a0Grand Marnier<\/a>.\u00a0But since then, this exotic beverage has been showing up more and more.\u00a0 Especially in Montecito, where it\u2019s behind the bar at\u00a0Cava Restaurant and Bar<\/a>\u00a0and the Biltmore\u2019s\u00a0Ty Lounge<\/a>\u00a0and on the shelves at The Bottle Shop, among others.<\/p>\n

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Cheers to Spring at the Ty Lounge<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"Four<\/a>

Four Seasons Biltmore’s barrel-aged Negroni (courtesy photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

A great spot for cocktails just got even better.\u00a0The Ty Lounge<\/a>\u00a0(at\u00a0Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara<\/a>) has always been a beautiful place to drink in the priceless view of the Pacific, but now mixology pro and manager Chris Nordella has introduced a lively selection of spring cocktails.<\/p>\n

\"Dargans<\/a>

Dargans (courtesy photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

A Bit of the Blarney About Dargan’s<\/a><\/h3>\n

Irish eyes are always smiling at\u00a0Dargan’s<\/a><\/strong>, one of my favorite downtown pubs (18 E. Ortega St., 805\/568-0702). Of course the place will be rocking this weekend in honor of\u00a0St. Patrick’s Day<\/strong>, but it’s a great place to tipple any time of the year.<\/p>\n

A Bouquet of Orchid Cocktails<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"Black<\/a>

Black Orchid (courtesy photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

With the\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>68th Santa Barbara International Orchid Show<\/a>\u00a0<\/b>coming up this weekend, a bouquet of orchid cocktails is certainly in order to celebrate this event.<\/p>\n

\"Chuck's<\/a>

Chuck’s Famous Mai Tai (courtesy photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

Chuck’s Famous Mai Tai<\/a><\/h3>\n

A lot of places slap the label “famous” onto a cocktail, but\u00a0Chuck’s Famous Mai Tai<\/strong>\u00a0is one “famous” libation that’s ready for a “legendary” label.\u00a0It’s not quite as good as a trip to Maui, but it’s pretty darn close.<\/p>\n

Red Carpet Cocktails<\/a><\/h3>\n

For those of us who won’t be at Hollywood\u2019s Dolby Theatre this weekend, the competition for Oscar-inspired libations is every bit as fierce as the race for Best Picture. Here are some red carpet cocktails to make your home viewing party a hit!<\/p>\n

How to Make a Sidecar with Rachel Maddow and Dita Von Teese<\/a><\/h3>\n

I love pretending I’m\u00a0Rosalind Russell<\/a>\u00a0and ordering old-fashioned cocktails. Must be the journalist’s fascination with\u00a0His Girl Friday<\/em>.<\/a>\u00a0Phrases like, “How ’bout a Sidecar, doll face?” and “Gimme an Old Fashioned, the old-fashioned way,” just trill off the tongue, don’t they?\u00a0Anyway, when I stumbled across this video of one of my favorite journalists\u2014MSNBC’s\u00a0Rachel Maddow<\/a>\u2014demonstrating how to make a\u00a0Sidecar<\/a>, I just had to share it.<\/p>\n

\"Cajun<\/a>

Cajun Martini at the Palace Grill in Santa Barbara<\/p><\/div>\n

Cajun Martini at The Palace Grill<\/a><\/h3>\n

It’s always\u00a0Mardi Gras\u00a0at the\u00a0Palace Grill\u00a0(8 E. Cota St., 805\/963-5000), the closest you can get to New Orleans while staying in Santa Barbara.<\/p>\n

The Antagonist at The Marquee<\/a><\/h3>\n

I’ve been really into sweet, hot and spicy cocktails recently and had a fabulously tasty one the other night at\u00a0The Marquee.\u00a0The<\/strong>\u00a0Antagonist<\/strong>\u00a0is made of chili-infused Absolut Vodka, white peach puree, mixed berry puree and pineapple juice.<\/p>\n

Toasting the Film Festival<\/a><\/h3>\n

Even movie stars shine a little brighter when you give them a perfect cocktail. Since the stars will out in full force this week, here\u2019s where I would take some of the\u00a0Santa Barbara International Film Festival\u00a0VIPs out for drinks.<\/p>\n

Paradise Cafe Margaritas<\/a><\/h3>\n

My childhood smelled like\u00a0Coppertone, my teenage years like\u00a0Love’s Baby Soft, and my 20’s smelled like the Margaritas at the\u00a0Paradise Cafe\u00a0.<\/p>\n

National Hot Toddy Day<\/a><\/h3>\n

It’s National Hot Toddy Day. A \u201chot toddy\u201d is a warmth-inducing yummy drink made with honey, lemon, hot water, and the spirit of your choice (usually whiskey, brandy, or rum).<\/p>\n

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\"Alcazar's<\/a>

Alcazar’s Heat of Passion cocktail. Courtesy Photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Heat of Passion at Alcazar<\/a><\/h3>\n

The sultry Heat of Passion is sweet, hot and spicy and certainly my favorite cocktail at the moment.<\/p>\n

Simmering Sangria<\/a><\/h3>\n

Sangria is one of my favorite warm weather libations, but until our recent uber cold front (quite unusual for Santa Barbara) I had never thought about serving it warm.<\/p>\n

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