Dizzy Recap: The French Spirits Soiree!

 

Oh mon dieu! The French Spirits Soiree went off without a hitch last week, gathering 300 guests to sample refreshing Belle Epoque-themed cocktails, punches and spirits. Astor Center was transformed to a springtime scene complete with live vintage jazz, whimsical clowns and a scandalous window-side burlesque performance! Check out the photo album by Gabi Porter on Metromix, photos by John Walder on Facebook.com/TheDizzyFizz, and recipes from the event at SpiritsSoiree.com. Some of the burlesque photos were just too hot to post, so yes--you had to be there!

Special thanks to: Damien Good, Adam Albert, Elle Dalberg, Dani Shanberg, Mark Garcia, Erica Davis, Ali Llamas, and Lionel King. Major thanks also to Jenn Smith at Astor Center and her team, the Thrillist team, the Hot Sardines, Calamity Chang, DJ Tomas Moves, Clowns About Town, street artist GILF, Scratchbread, and Murray's Cheese. For information on purchasing the artwork "Little Seismic Girl" by GILF who will be donating 100 percent of the proceeds to relief efforts in Japan, please email gilf@hushmail.com.

And of course, none of this would be possible without the support of all of the sponsors: Lillet, Tariquet Armagnac, Pernod Absinthe, Ricard Pastis, Benedictine, Cointreau®, Rémy Martin 1738® , Noilly Prat, G'Vine Gin, June Liqueur, Bonal, Dolin, and St-Germain. Merci everyone!

File Under: What to Wear to a Vintage Cocktail Party

A charmingly crafted cocktail is always a great accessory, but sometimes, the occasion calls for some effort on your part as well. Between the French Spirits Soiree, the Bootlegger Vodka Cotton Club, and the upcoming Manhattan Cocktail Classic, you may be on the lookout for some swingin' new threads. You can find a bevy of glamorous vintage items on eBay, Etsy (as pictured) or even Craigslist, but if you have the time, there's nothing quite like picking through NYC's second-hand racks. Here are some local go-to vintage shops:

• Beacon's Closet (88 N. 11th St. or 92 5th Ave., Brooklyn)
• Buffalo Exchange (114 W. 26th St., 332 E. 11th St., or in Brooklyn, 504 Driggs Ave.)
• Housing Works (various locations)
• Shareen Vintage (13 W. 17th St.)
• Zachary's Smile (9 Greenwich Ave. or 317 Lafayette St.)
• Odd Twin (164 5th Ave., Brooklyn)
• Screaming Mimi's (382 Lafayette St.)
• Cobblestones (314 E. 9th St.)
• Vintage Thrift (286 3rd Ave.)
• Another Man's Treasure (353 Grove St., Jersey City)

Elsewhere in the Liquiverse...

• On Monday, April 11, the local cocktail community is coming together at the Summit Bar for a New York Loves Japan Punch Party to benefit The Japan Society's tsunami relief efforts. A $20 donation at the door gets you unlimited refills of hand-crafted, Japanese-inspired punches featuring Belvedere vodka, Pernod Absinthe, Beefeater Gin, Classic & Vintage Spirits, Sailor Jerry Rum, Leblon Cachaça, and Corazon Tequila. The event goes from 7 to 11 p.m. and also features $10 pours of Japanese whiskey, benefit t-shirts for sale and tunes by DJ Kimiko Masuda.
• While VIP tickets to the French Spirits Soiree at Astor Center on April 14 have sold out, general entry tickets are still available, entitling you to unlimited drinking, French cheese and charcuterie from Murray's Cheese, SCRATCHbread rustic bread, live jazz by The Hot Sardines, a saucy burlesque performance by Calamity Chang and more. Not to be missed!
• The April 29 deadline is fast approaching to be considered for 2011 G'Vine Gin Connoisseur, which sends 15 finalists to France for the showdown. The grand prize is one of the sweetest around: $3,000, a year's supply of gin for your bar, a platinum vine-flower pin and an intercontinental bar tour of some of the world's best gin bars. If you are interested in participating, you should attend the April 14 preliminary in NYC.
• In case you haven't heard by now, tickets to the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (May 13-17) are on sale, and many events, including the gala at the New York Public Library, are already sold out. Events still up for grabs include an '80s-themed rum bash, a sunset cocktail cruise, the Indy Spirits Expo, and plenty of seminars and "behind-the-bar" sessions.

Announcing: The French Spirits Soirée!

The Belle Époque, or "the beautiful era," was considered a period of extreme optimism in Europe between the late 18th Century and World War I. This was time that champagne was perfected, Cognac went mainstream, and the well-to-do leisured in an absinthe-fueled haze. It was the era of Einstein, Tesla, Picasso, and D.H. Lawrence.

So with this inspiring period in mind, The Dizzy Fizz is hosting The French Spirits Soirée, an enchanting evening celebrating French spirits, liqueurs and cocktails on Thursday, April 14, 2011. The event, at Astor Center in New York City, will feature turn-of-the-20th-century cocktails, punches, spirits and absinthe; gourmet cheese and charcuterie by Murray's Cheese and rustic bread by Scratchbread; and live cabaret band The Hot Sardines and more.

"French spirits, wines and aperitifs have always been one of the main pillars upon which American bartenders have built their craft," says cocktail historian David Wondrich. "Indeed, without them, we would have no Dry Martini, no Sazerac, no Sidecar, Brandy Milk Punch or French 75. Where's the fun in that?"

The event is sponsored by: Lillet, Pernod, Ricard, Tariquet Armagnac, Bonal, Dolin Vermouth, Cointreau®, Rémy Martin 1738® Accord Royal, Benedictine, G'Vine Gin, June Liqueur, St-Germain, and Noilly Prat Vermouth.

Media/VIP entry is from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., and general entry is from 7:30 - 10 p.m. Tickets are available exclusively on Thrillist Rewards. Please note, guests must be 21 to attend and bring photo ID. Astor Center is located at 399 Lafayette St., (Between Astor Pl. and E. 4^th St.), New York City.

For more information, please visit: www.spiritssoiree.com

Hope to see you there!