12/30/2013
Mixing Up
A Creative Cocktail Party
(NAPSI)-To
help you and your guests get the most fun with the least
fuss out of your next party, heed these hints:
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First, it pays to plan ahead. Allow plenty of time to
prepare for your party and make lists.
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Next, the food. Allow about five hot hors d'oeuvres per
guest. Keep finger food easy to handle.
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Create a festive atmosphere with decorations, scented
candles and music.
� To
add style to the festivities, consider a trendy cocktail
such as a caipirinha (kai-pur-een-ya), the national drink of
Brazil. Here's the recipe:
2 1/2
oz. Leblon Cachaca
2 Lime slices
2 Tbsp. superfine sugar
Place
lime slices in a shaker and add sugar. Muddle well. Fill the
shaker with ice and Leblon Cachaca. Shake vigorously, pour
into a rocks glass and garnish with a slice of lime.
Here
are 10 tips to help you keep your caipirinhas tip-top:
1.
Start with fresh fruit, cut right before for the freshest
taste. Use lime, pineapple, strawberry, raspberry or
tangerine.
2.
Roll the limes on a board before cutting to release the
juices.
3. If
your fruit is dry, double the amount.
4. To
be authentically Brazilian, sweeten with superfine sugar.
Raw sugar takes longer but the large crystals help release
the lime zest. Simple syrup is a fast alternative that
assists blending-mix two parts sugar with one part boiling
water. For calorie counters, Splenda works well.
5.
Don't over- or undermuddle. If you undermuddle, you don't
get the juices from the fruit. If you muddle too hard or too
long, the drink becomes bitter because the deeper, bitter
oils are extracted. Three to five easy pushes and twists
should do the trick.
6. Use
only quality cachaca. The newer, premium cachacas are not as
harsh as the low-grade varieties of old. The award-winning
Leblon, for instance, is aged for a more refined taste.
7.
Balance is key. Pay attention to your measurements and taste
before you serve.
8. Use
lots of ice. Ice not only cools the drink, it helps the
mixing process. The smaller the ice pieces, the better for
mixing. Consider making your ice with springwater.
9.
Shake it-unless you want to thoroughly stir each drink for
30 seconds. Shaking instead of stirring means it's mixed
properly-faster.
10. As
they say in Brazil: We taste with our eyes, then our mouth.
Use attractive glassware. The rocks glass is traditional but
you can use a martini glass as well. And garnish with fruit.
You
can learn more online at
www.liveloveleblon.com.
Serving stylish cocktails such as the caipirinha from Brazil
can help your parties have a sophisticated atmosphere. |