MORE FUN at Cocktail Time

We recently received a gift of amazing cocktail guides from our fabulous friend Mod Betty, of Retro Roadmap fame (fans of all things vintage and retro, her site is a must visit!). Included in this amazing haul was a little pamphlet from 1935 entitled MORE FUN at Cocktail Time and published by the Seagrams Distillers Corporation. The "more fun" involves "rollicking games and tricks" to make drinking, well, more fun! Here are some cocktails and recipes that will get the hilarity started, along with a Party Log to keep track of the shenanigans. I just love these 1930s graphics. Doesn't the gal on the cover look like Bette Davis?

The weighing of guests is optional and not necessarily recommended!

Enjoy!

Make Sure Your Next Party Has Punch!

There are things in this world I enjoy more than a mid-century cookbook or bar guide, in particular the pamphlets put out by companies to offer even more ways to use their products, but not many.  They're so shameless. If you believe their prose, your recipe will, at best, fall flat and, at worst, turn out horribly and embarrass you in front of everyone you know if you don't use their vodka or flour or powdered milk. Sunday was a good day for scoring such pamphlets, found in a little used bookstore we stumbled across in Montgomery, NY. They weren't even really for sale - the owner was using them for decoration - but fortunately he sold them to me! Here's one that's very timely with the summer party season upon us. A bowl of punch means that you can shirk bartending duty and enjoy yourself! That Sparkling Red Punch is perfect for a Memorial Day cookout - substitute a dry sparkling wine to make it even lovelier (and if the kids aren't present)!

That hair!

It's not just a punch bowl - it's an investment in elegance!

Door Knock Cocktails

Does anyone else remember the TV show Door Knock Dinners, where Gordon Elliott and a chef would show up at some unsuspecting person's home and the chef would make dinner using only ingredients that the homeowner had on hand? I loved that show! It was such an inspiration, not only for taking a second look at your pantry, but for seeing the items you already have in a whole new way. There are many lists available online for suggested pantry ingredients to keep on hand although, sadly, Door Knock Dinners is no more. Gordon Elliott and the chef du jour may not show up at your house ready to whip up a meal, but a well-stocked pantry means that you'll always be prepared to throw dinner together.

However, what about your liquor pantry? Suppose you've invited a few friends for drinks, but one requests a Martini and you have no gin? You don't need dozens of bottles of hooch to offer a wide selection of lovely libations! By keeping these items stocked you'll be prepared to make many of the classics and you can expand your collection as you discover new liquors that strike your fancy!

The Basics

Gin 

A blended whiskey

Brandy

A light or amber rum

A silver or gold tequila

Vodka

Mixers

Fresh limes

Dry vermouth 

A nice orange liqueur

Simple syrup

Club soda

With the above you can make Martinis, Sidecars, Daiquiris, Margaritas and all kinds of sours and highballs! Add wine and you'll have sangrias and spritzers in your arsenal as well, not to mention the many variations on the French 75 if you have champagne! And, the more juices you keep on hand, the more you can play! As you add new liquors and liqueurs to your collection you'll find that your choices grow exponentially! But, with just these items available, you'll have plenty of choices to please just about any visitor to your home and keep yourself in lovely libations for quite a while! Bottoms up!

The world of liquor is your oyster!

You're Entertaining

Are you hosting Christmas or Christmas Eve in your home, or perhaps a party this weekend? If so, here are some thrifty suggestions for festive decor from the good folks at the Scott Paper Company, from their 1963 pamphlet You're Entertaining (click on the images to make them bigger):

They've also thoughtfully included a page on which to take notes about your party - what went well and what you might tweak for the next one, along with some inspiration for your hosting journey!

I love this booklet! It's filled with just as much goodness as you'd expect, including the appeal to enjoy your own party, one of our common refrains. So hang that sprig of fir on the door, line that boot box with superabsorbent ScotTowels, shake yourself up a lovely libation and have a good time! Those ScotTowels will still be there in the morning when you're ready to clean up after sleeping it off a good time was had by all!