Picnic with Ponies

What goes better with sunshine than a delicious rosé cocktail and a spectacular view of horses galloping in a field? I’m a little hard pressed to come up with anything else. Spending time with horses is such a wonderful thing to do, be that just sitting with them or even riding them. I have friends in Virginia who say that riding is one of the best things to do in Chincoteague. I don’t know what it is about horses, they have such a calming effect on me, I’m totally transfixed when I’m around them. That’s why I visited Black Star Sport Horses in Rockwall, Texas with a bottle of rosé in-hand!

Black Star Sport Horses is a full service training, show, and sales facility featuring an International Federation of Equestrians trainer. They offer riding lessons for all ages and skill levels, so no worries if you don’t know the tail end from the nose, they’ll help you figure it out!

The rosé I brought along is the Inspiration Rosé from Château de Berne, a 1,235 acre vineyard in Provence, France originally built by the Romans. On the CDB property is an 18th century 5-star château-style hotel, a Michelin Star restaurant, and an award-winning spa and visitor center. Oh, and they make some really fantastic wine. I’ll take a one-way ticket, please!

 

Château de Berne Inspiration Rosé is one of three bottles from the Provencal range of classics, only recently brought to the US. This dry rosé, with fresh strawberry, cherry, cranberry, and pomegranate notes has been awarded the 2018 Bronze by Texsom International Wine Awards and the 2018 Silver by the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of American Competition. At 12.5% alcohol, it pairs well with light cheeses and a side of fruit.

The day we made it out to Black Star, it was pretty warm, so we decided to batch out a rosé cooler to cool us off a bit more. Picnics can also get messy, so it’s best to batch any cocktails out before heading out.

SUMMER PEACH ROSÉ COOLER
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups frozen peaches
4 cups rosé (I chose Chateau de Berne’s Inspiration Rosé)
1 liter club soda
Rosemary for garnish

Puree the peaches with water and sugar.

CHATEAU DE BERNE
Château de Berne
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Featured: Inspiration Rosé, ~$20

BLACK STAR SPORT HORSE FARM
BlackStarSportHorses.com
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5565 FM 549, Rockwall, TX 75032

High Five on the New Cocktail, High Fives

High Fives Dallas has one of my favorite items in the city … at least on a Sunday. And the next time you have a Chick-fil-A craving on a Sunday, you’ll be glad you read this post. The nice people in the High Fives kitchen created a sandwich that will hit the spot for us CFA lovers, a fried chicken sandwich on a white bun with pickles … brined in pickle juice that’s dubbed (you guessed it) the Sunday Sandwich.

That sandwich alone is enough to get me to visit this East Henderson spot, but I’d that they recently released a new, super-Instagrammable cocktail menu, and it had me intrigued. So, naturally, I packed up my camera and made my way to High Fives. Luckily, one of my friends stepped up to the plate and helped me sample some of them. We tried out the Starry Night, Ducktails, Slap Happy, and Fortune Teller.

While the drinks are all good (in a busy-on-the-weekend-and-every-day-at-happy-hour kind of way), each definitely has a gimmick. (Think pitch black cocktails with edible stars, slap bracelets, and custom “fortunes” in your cocktail.)

Starry Night: Stoli Blueberi, Saint-Germaine, lemon juice, simple syrup, activated charcoal*, edible stars

Ducktails: Stoli Raspberi, Peach, and Blueberi, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, Sprite, a rubber ducky

Slap Happy: Bombay Sapphire Gin, watermelon, simple syrup, lemon juice, watermelon slice, slap bracelet

Fortune Teller: Patrón Tequila, brown sugar pineapple jalapeño simple syrup, lime juice, Squirt, Tajín, mini scroll

If a cute cocktail isn’t enough for you, they have a full bar, local beers, etc., and the food is no slouch … even beyond the Sunday Sandwich. The menu offers some comfort foods with slight twists like their Corn Dog Bites with jalapeño batter and Fried Brussels Sprouts. If you’re anything like me and you like variety, their Dip Board is the way to go. Queso, red and green salsa, guacamole, and hummus served with crostini, chips, and veggies—a bit of something for everyone.

Stop in for some bar games (corn hole, the ring game, etc.) and some cocktails during happy hour Monday-Friday, 4-7pm or all day Tuesday for $5 sandwiches, beer, wine, and cocktails! High Fives is mostly outside (2/3 of the seating is on the patio), so make sure you’re prepared to be outside, unless you can stand the Texas heat!

HIGH FIVES DALLAS
highfivesdallas.com
804 McMillan Avenue (Knox/Henderson)
(214) 821-5555
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*Know what you’re drinking when you see a pitch black cocktail! Activated charcoal can render medication taken

Hudson House Brunch

The first time I visited Hudson House, I decided it’d be my new Friday afternoon martini spot the weeks I don’t go in for the pork chop special at Perry’s Steakhouse. This seafood spot in the Park Cities is a gem. While life usually gets in the way (of both), I have found another brilliant time to visit Hudson House … brunch.

The menu is American with an East Coast flair, and the spot itself is adorably Nantucket—expect plenty of heavy wood and tile with brass accents in this open restaurant with plenty of natural light. The staff is friendly and very happy to help your table decide on a spread. We gave the delightful bartender on the day how many dishes we’d like and what sort of items we enjoy and he sent out what he recommended. And I’ll tell you, that’s the way to do it.

Their cocktail options are on point. Mimosas and bellinis for $5, cocktails for $8-11, and their pièce de résistance, THE Royal Bloody—their original bloody with bleu cheese olives, a huge shrimp, and an oyster. (It’s a little steep for a brunch cocktail, but it’s a real photo opp. If I had it to do over again, though, I’d opt for the $20 bottle of prosecco. What a damn good deal, right?! I went for a bloody mary followed by a gibson … because vodka is breakfast liquor and they make a mean martini.

Per the food, you’ll find the usual trappings of a brunch menu—toasts, egg dishes, and some sweet options. And, really, everything is quite visually appealing. (You’ll want to ‘gram most of what hits the table.) Their toasts—avocado, country ham, and salmon—are delicious and the bread is perfectly crispy. If you’re into a benedict situation, ops for one of their three options—one being lobster, and damn, was it good. The eggs were prepared perfectly and the lobster was tender.

If you’re looking for something on the healthier side, they offer oatmeal and granola bowls along with a Power Breakfast (poached eggs, sliced avocado, maple bacon, and berries). We skipped those options and went for oysters instead. They do oysters well here. All East Coast options, and all listed on a board with descriptions. My favorite part of the presentation was that they actually mark which are which with colored picks and a color-coded menu. I hate it when I order a couple different kinds and have to guess which is the super salty one my neighbor prefers.

Stop in for a visit and you can enjoy an entire day in walking distance. Grab brunch at Hudson House, catch a movie at Inwood Theater, maybe a foot massage … sounds like a brilliant day to me.

HUDSON HOUSE
hudsonhousehp.com
4448 Lovers Lane (Park Cities)
(214) 583-2255

Four New Dallas Bars

Written by Alan James of Dallas Limousine

Here are four of the newest bars and restaurants to grace the Dallas night life scene. Whether you’re looking for an impressive selection of wine or crafted cocktails, there’s a little something for everybody to enjoy from this list. If you plan on drinking in Dallas, be sure to think about your mode of transportation. Instead of going through the process of ordering a new ride share service with every change of location, consider a limousine or party bus. It’s especially great for groups, as the spacious interiors offer the perfect setting for socialization. For more information, head over to dallaslimo.com.

SIXTY VINES
500 Crescent
Sixty Vines just opened their second location in Uptown Dallas! If you’ve been to their Plano location, you already know their wine selection is high quality. There is a mimosa bar here, frozen rose slushies, and beer for those who aren’t big wine drinkers. The meat and cheese platter is the perfect companion to a few glasses of wine here, so be sure to consider checking this spot out when you’re in the area.

ALICE DALLAS
1623 N Hall St
Head over to East Dallas to enjoy this Pan Asian cocktail bar with a subtle 80’s aesthetic complete with a disco ball. The food is in the style of tapas, so it’s the perfect spot to enjoy drinks and appetizers in a fun environment. Some of the popular dishes include the calamari, crab dip, steamed pork buns, and the meatballs.

RUINS
2653 Commerce St
In the heart of the Deep Ellum neighborhood you will find Ruins, a newly opened Mexican restaurant and bar. We love their huge outdoor patio and friendly service. . Their ceviche is notably fresh, made with red snapper and jalapenos! When you consider their authentic menu and inventive cocktails including various mezcals, this spot is a no brainer in all aspects

TACO DINER
7150 Skillman St
Taco Diner is a local expert in all things taco! There are two other locations in Plano and Irving, but this is the newest addition in the Lake Highlands area. From brisket to fried shrimp, nearly every type of meat is available in a fresh taco on their menu. Customers love their interesting Jalapeno Agave Margarita and Cocktails De La Casa adorned with fresh fruit.

How to Host the Perfect #TwistedTailgate

Tailgating is one of America’s most enjoyable pastimes. I personally went to a college where tailgating (at the time) was more of a thing than the football games themselves. That said, we saw some over-the-top tailgates, but nothing compares to the fun I had a few weekends ago with Twisted Tea. An inflatable cornhole game the size of a queen mattress (still bummed I didn’t get to jump on it … maybe next time), a tricked-out RV with a rooftop perfect for watching the NASCAR cars whiz by, and a fridge stocked to the brim with Twisted Tea—now, that’s a good way to tailgate.

So, one may ask, what are the tailgate essentials? I’m here to tell you a few things I learned from the tailgate pros with Twisted Tea.

COLD DRINKS

… in this case Twisted Tea!

A wise man once told me that, to host a great party, all you need is cold drinks and music and “people won’t notice the rest of is missing”. While I can only partly agree with that, he has a point. Having plenty of drinks on-hand (and Ubers at the ready) can make any tailgate feel like a true party.

(The Twisted Tea tailgate I attended at Texas Motor Speedway had coolers (plural) full of different flavors of Twisted Tea—traditional, half and half, and raspberry—a little something for everybody. And everyone was happy. Who wouldn’t be content enjoying the refreshing taste of the best selling hard iced tea in The States?)

#PROTIP from Twisted Tea: is to always make sure you keep your Twisted Tea cold for your guests!

GAMES

Cornhole, ladderball, wizard staff … we seem to be able to make a game of anything these days. Make sure to give your fellow tailgaters a couple options to keep them busy until game (or race) time.

FOOD

… Everything’s better (and more twisted) in Texas

A tailgate needs grub. Not frilly food—grub. While it’s nice to bring chicken salad on endive leaves … a hot dog will always taste better while pregaming. It’s science. Think ribs, burgers, tacos, brisket … you get it.

A few weekends ago, we were lucky enough to have a tailgate pro at the grill for us at the Twisted RV. Casey Webb, the new host of “Man vs. Food”, treated us to some delicious brisket tacos. He has been working with Twisted Tea to put together some twisted recipes that are perfect for tailgates. While we had brisket tacos, the Twisted Tea website has recipes that you can recreate at your own tailgate this summer – check them out here.

So, now that you heard a few things from my experience with Twisted Tea, what’s your next tailgate going to look like? Show Twisted Tea how you do it by submitting a picture  by uploading to Twitter or Facebook for the chance to win your very own #TwistedTailgate. Like, a serious tailgate with the Twisted Tea tricked-out RV. Take a picture and submit it, y’all … just make sure to invite me to your badass tailgate when you win.
Promotion details: twistedtea.com/race-day/twisted-tailgate

Join Twisted Tea for an upcoming tailgate! Check out the dates for upcoming tailgate parties on their website.

Picture courtesy of Twisted Tea

#UnwindWithATwist #TwistedTailgate #AD  #Sponsored
***I was compensated for this article by Twisted Tea***

Essential Liquors for Your Summer Cocktails and Drinks

Written by Matt Smith

Summer is a great time to sit out in the garden, enjoy long, cool drinks, and get together with your friends and family. Many of us love having people over to sit in the garden, enjoy some drinks and food, and just spend quality time chilling out in the warm weather. Serving up cold, refreshing drinks including cocktails is ideal for the summer months and will enable your visitors to enjoy a real treat as well as a refreshing drink. Even if you don’t have guests over, you and your family can enjoy sipping cold drinks outdoors as you soak up the summer sunshine.
Those who spend warm summer evenings making cocktails in their gardens should definitely think about creating their own home bar. No matter whether you find a carpenter that can construct a personalised one to fit your space or it’s a homemade, budget pallet creation, your chosen bar can easily become the highlighting feature of your garden. And if you’ve got some favorite liquors that you want your guests to gawk at, then consider getting a custom bottle glorifier display as well! You can add many alcohol-themed design elements to make your home bar stand out and be the talk of the party. They look professional and the surrounding area can be easily decorated with blankets, throws, or even one of the beautiful neon lights that can be found on sites such as www.neonfilter.com. Plus, with all of the tasty cocktails you’ll regularly be making, it will save you many unnecessary trips into the kitchen over the summer!
If you plan to make cocktails and long alcoholic drinks with mixers, it is well worth getting your home bar stocked up. Maybe some people should consider getting some White Claw drinks in ready for the summer. Those drinks are popular in America and are slowly making their way over to other countries too. Luckily, there is no White claw expiration date either if the cans have not be opened. This means that those with home bars can store these cans for a long time. Using something like White Claw would be good for a summer drink. Of course, it wouldn’t be practical to stock it up with every spirit and liquor on the market. However, there are some key ones that you should invest in so that you can create some of the most popular summer drinks.

Alcohol Essentials for Your Home Bar this Summer

If you want to make sure you’re prepared when it comes to creating cocktails and summer drinks for your loved ones or for yourself, here are some of the top alcohol types of purchase for your home bar:

Vodka
From a relaxing vodka and tonic through to cocktails such as the Pornstar Martini cocktail, vodka is definitely one of the top choices for your home bar. This spirit will no doubt feature in many of the cocktails that you make at home. Even better, you can freeze vodka so when you serve it up it will add an extra touch of ice-cold refreshment to the drink you’re making.

Gin
This spirit is another summer bar staple if you want to be able to create sumptuous drinks for yourself or others. Of course, it plays a big part in the classic gin and tonic but you can also use it for creations such as the Tom Collins, the Rickey, and the Pink Lady amongst many others.

White Rum
If you are planning to make some exotic drinks to enjoy this summer, make sure you have a quality bottle of white rum on hand. Drinks such as mojitos and daiquiris are very popular during the warmer months so you will need a touch of the Caribbean to create one that is authentic and delicious for your visitors.

Tequila
Tequila Slammers, Tequila Sunrise, and Margaritas all require one thing to make them perfect-tequila! Invest in a bottle of good tequila for your summer home bar because there is no doubt you will be creating plenty of great summer cocktails that will require it over the course of the summer season.

Bourbon
One more excellent addition to your summer bar is a bottle of quality bourbon. Cocktails such as the Whiskey Smash are great for those summer evenings out on the patio. Or you can keep it simple and just add soda and ice for a cooling drink.

With all of these bottles to hand, you won’t go wrong this summer when it comes to cocktail creations and long drinks.

How to Cinco Better

This year, Cinco de Mayo and Derby Day land on the same day. (God, help us all.) Since I love big hats and margaritas, I wanted to give each its own parties. So, we Cinco-ed early so I could show you all the shortcuts to get your Cinco party done early to give the evening to the Derby!

Since I get a little crazy sometimes making two or six batched drinks for parties, I decided to let my guests play bartender a little. I batched out a traditional margarita recipe and made fresh purees—blueberry, strawberry, and mango—then put out mason jars so everyone had their own “shaker”. Then, all you need is festive, paper straws and lime wheels for garnish, and tada … the easiest margarita bar ever. (I also put out freshness basil and a muddler for an extra flavor.

CLASSIC MARGARITA
1.5 oz Pura Vida Tequila Silver
1 oz Pura Vida Naranja orange liqueur
0.75 oz lime juice
0.25 oz simple syrup

Since Cinco de Mayo celebration seems to be all about tequila, I also gave my guests three expression of Pura Vida Tequila to taste. This tequila is a new favorite of mine. Made in Jalisco (as it must be to be be called  tequila), the brand has Texas roots and is incredibly smooth.

The biggest thing to remember is: less prep means less dishes. Since I tend to be a messy cook, I opted to cater our little meal. La Ventana, a Dallas-based taco shop that makes authentic Mexico City tacos and goodies and now has five locations across DFW. I’ve always loved their breakfast tacos, so I started my party at 11am so I could be sure there were breakfast tacos on the table!

Since their breakfast tacos aren’t the only thing they do well, we stocked up on their traditional options like steak, pastor, lengua (beef tongue), and barbacoa. There was a little something for everyone, and since their tacos are made on corn tortillas, even my gluten-free guests could dig in.

The tacos were, of course, amazing, but their signature dessert, churros con cajeta, took the cake. (Pun only kind of weirdly intended.) These things are addictive, and I’m OK with it.

And what’s a party without favors? Last year, I made my own adult pinata, but this year … I found someone to do it for me. This fun website, Nipyata, has themed pinatas for every holiday FILLED WITH BOOZE AND CANDY, and it even comes with a papier-mâché bat, blindfold, and rope. Starting at $69.99, it’s a fun addition to a fiesta, bachelorette party, etc. (Even cooler, you can add custom fortunes and even a hand-written note—think gender reveal, people!)

We had a blast whaling away on it. Give some “adults” a few margaritas and the chance to take out some pent-up aggression on an inanimate object with no repercussions and the goal of unlocking more boozy goodness … it’s on.

PURA VIDA TEQUILA
puravidatequila.com

LA VENTANA
taquerialaventana.com

NIPYATA
nipyata.com

Scout & Cellar: Taking the Headaches Out of Great Wine

Over the years, I’ve had friends attempt to sell me a variety of products—leggings, skin care, oils, makeup, kitchen knick-knacks, nutritional supplements, weird nail stickers, and smelly candles. Sadly, I have never had a friend attempt to sell me anything I actually really want—or need—until I met Erin Gerner. Erin sells wine. Erin Gerner is a consultant for Celina based wine club Scout & Cellar.  Erin would love to help arrange for a box of wine to appear on your doorstep on a monthly basis. Erin is also my new favorite person.

Scout & Cellar was founded by local attorney Sarah Shadonix with a very specific goal in mind: curating an amazing collection of clean-crafted wine. “What is clean-crafted wine?”, you might ask. Clean-crafted wines contain no synthetic pesticides, no added sugar, zero added chemicals, and low sulfites. They are never mass-produced, ensuring quality control. Clean-crafted wines also remove one other thing from the wine drinking experience: the dreaded wine headache. Scout & Cellar, where have you been all of my (21+) life?

The great news is, you can choose to purchase from Scout & Cellar’s Clean-crafted wine collection without any membership, simply by shopping online. However, if you want, or, ahem, *need*  more wine in your life, you definitely want to consider a club membership. How does it work? When you sign up, you get to customize your experience; you decide what kind of wine you’d like to receive, and how often. Whether you want to receive all whites, all reds, or a mixture, and whether you’d prefer to receive shipments monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly, they’ve got a plan for you. Members receive additional perks as well, like product discounts, and an invitation to visit the winery, which isn’t open to the public. Erin is an amazing consultant, and she will steer you towards wines you will love that you might not have tried on your own. I can personally attest to this, as she brought me two bottles she recommended, which were right up my alley … and as promised, no headache. Swoon.

Speaking of Erin and her wine savvy: she is also available for tastings, and you could be her next host! As a Host, you arrange a Scout & Cellar wine tasting and handle the guest list; Erin handles the rest. You get to earn cool host perks, and you also earn cool points for throwing a “party” your friends actually WANT to attend. (Hint: overpriced eye serum does not a party make.) Also, Erin is sweet as pie; the consummate hostess. A fun evening is all but guaranteed!

Finally, if clean-crafted wine speaks to your soul, definitely reach out to Erin about becoming a consultant. Scout & Cellar consultants spread the good news about clean-crafted wine … all while making money in the process. They host wine parties, they explain the collections, and they manage a team of other Independent Consultants who do the same things.

Thank you Erin, for sharing your fabulous Clean-crafted wines with me!

SCOUT & CELLAR
www.scoutandcellar.com
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Erin Gerner, Scout & Cellar Consultant
[email protected]
www.scoutandcellar.com/eringerner