HOW TO THROW A COQUETTE DINNER PARTY? THE MUST-HAVE ELEMENTS

HOW TO THROW A COQUETTE DINNER PARTY? THE MUST-HAVE ELEMENTS

misrolegit       February 12, 2024

Heart-shaped sweets, pink bubbly drinks, satin ribbons and bows, scented candles, and shiny balloons – sounds like we have a coquette dinner party on our hands!

If you wish you could gather all your favorite girly girlfriends for a night they will never forget, a coquette-themed party is just the well-deserved treat you all need! And it’s the perfect idea for Galentine’s Day!

Do you want to learn which are the must-have elements for throwing a coquette dinner party, and find some inspiring ideas in the meantime? Just keep on reading girl.

How to Throw a Coquette Dinner Party? The Must-Have Elements

Credits:@theshowgals/Instagram

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Last year, I threw something a little more special for my girlies for Women’s Day. The intimate get-together at my place had all the essentials of a classic all-girl party – pink and red flowers, vanilla-scented candles, heart-shaped candy, rosé wine, pink champagne, and girly decorations like floral tablecloths and gold ribbons. But this year, I am thinking of going all out for Galentine’s Day!

Join me on my journey by drawing inspiration from these specially picked-out coquette dinner party ideas, with tips and advice for creating the perfect girly theme!

Coquette Dinner Party Invitations Idea

Credits:@projects.studio/Instagram

Some of you might not think of this element as a must, but I have to say that aesthetically-designed coquette dinner party invitations will surely hype your guests for this special event! And you don’t even have to spend a lot of time to make them. Simple cardboard paper in pastel pink, purple or creamy white will do just splendidly. You can draw cute ribbons, bows or hearts on your invites to make them even more unique!

Coquette Party-Themed Flowers and Candles

Credits:@housesandparties/Instagram

Now, for two coquette dinner party elements, you definitely can’t go without – themed flowers and candles! Not all colors and types fit the party theme, so best to opt for roses or other flowers you like in pink, red, purple or white hues. The same colors go for the candles. Choose scented-candles with vanilla, rose, wild berries, lilac or lavender scents. You don’t need to spend a fortunate to acquire these decorations! Carnations or chrysanthemums are beautiful and cheaper alternatives to roses. While for the candles, you can easily find the ones you are looking for at a dollar store.

Coquette Aesthetic Food Ideas for Your Dinner Party

Credits:@loveshackfancy/Instagram

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Ah yes, the coquette aesthetic food choices for your dinner party! A simple rule you have to remember is just to keep it cute and mostly in pink! Tiny cupcakes with pink, red or white frosting with heart-shaped candies on top, pink macaroons, marshmallows, bowls filled with berry fruits and of course the cake! Go to your favorite bakery and choose a lovely heart-shaped cake to share with your girlfriends on this night to be remembered.

The Coquette-Style Dinner Party Drinks

Credits:@sharadacrann/Instagram

How to make your coquette dinner party drinks seem even more appetizing? Ribbons and bows are your answer! Set wine, champagne or martini glasses at your dinner table and simply decorate them by tying a cute satin ribbon or bow in pink, purple, red or white. For your drink of choice, supply your guests with pink bubbly champagne, fruity wines or pink gin.

When it comes to the coquette aesthetic, bows are everything! This sweet touch of elegance shouldn’t only be saved for your glasses, but add satin bows and ribbons to your chairs, to candles, flowers and even your cake!

Galentine’s Day Table & Sitting Arrangements

Credits:@printedcom/Instagram

Oh yes, we’ve come to the table and sitting arrangements! For the plates, you can either place a bigger white plate on the bottom and a smaller one on the top, and you can also do this with plastic plates as well. You can find many cute pink or gold plates at a dollar or party supplies store. Place the seating cards on top of each plate setting. Pink napkins are a must! Display your coquette flower arrangements at the center of the table, surrounded by candles and other girly decorations. Place the ribbon-tied glasses near the place mats, and you are ready to welcome your guests! Oh, one more thing. Make sure you make a playlist consisting of yours and your girlfriends’ favorite tunes. Lana Del Rey is a must at a coquette dinner party! Enjoy!

Also read: Solo Valentines Day Date Ideas: What to Do on February 14th If You Are Single?

More Coquette Aesthetic Dinner Party Plans & Ideas 2024

Credits:@antoinette_lettieri/Instagram

Classy coquette dinner party table setting

Credits:@heatherdubinetskiy/Instagram

Coquette aesthetic-inspired treats for Galentine’s Day

Credits:@theshowgals/Instagram

More cute invitations’ ideas for your dinner party

Credits:@printedcom/Instagram

An abundance of pretty flowers & elegant candles

Credits:@tabtaba.sa/Instagram

Pink cotton candy, fudge & tiny marshmallows to treat your guests

Credits:@sorrentoevents/Instagram

Magical coquette dinner table arrangement

Credits:@smthingvintage/Instagram

The perfect girly cake accompanied by pink bubbly

Credits:@smthingvintage/Instagram

Adorable & budget-friendly coquette aesthetic dinner party

Credits:@sharadacrann/Instagram

Celebrate Galentine’s Day outside if the weather permits

Credits:@projects.studio/Instagram

Another classy idea for a coquette dinner party 

Credits:@takemehire/Instagram

Espresso Martini Cocktail Recipe

Espresso Martini Cocktail Recipe

misrolegit       February 12, 2024

Though modern variations come in many forms, the original Espresso Martini is a simple combination of vodka, espresso, and coffee liqueur. The drink originated in the 1980s and has seen its popularity vary wildly in the decades since, from one of the most visible representations of the pre-Millennium ’tini era, to a forgotten punchline, followed by a massive resurgence in recent years, almost four decades since its first creation.

The most common telling of the drink’s origins is that the Espresso Martini was created in 1983 by London-based bartender Dick Bradsell at Fred’s Club. As the famous story goes, Bradsell was asked by a well-known model to make something that would “wake me up and fuck me up,” prompting Bradsell to create a drink that he originally called the Espresso Vodka. The original cocktail reportedly included two types of coffee liqueur, Kahlúa and Tia Maria, along with a concentrated short pull of espresso, or ristretto.

Though Bradsell, who died in 2016, became indelibly tied to the Espresso Martini, his portfolio of cocktails includes a number of drinks that have since become modern classics, like the Green Fairy, Bramble, and Treacle.

Why the Espresso Martini Works

History has a long tradition of drinks that aim to combine the potent effects of both alcohol and caffeine, whether modern classics like the Espresso Martini, the Vodka Red Bull highball craze of the mid-aughts, or even the original Four Loko. What the Espresso Martini offers, though, is a profile that doesn’t stray too far from those of many classic cocktails.

The Espresso Martini essentially follows the same template found in everything from the Manhattan to the Old Fashioned—a base spirit mixed with sweet and bitter elements in balance. Rather than using ingredients like sweet vermouth or Angostura bitters to provide the latter flavors, the Espresso Martini simply uses coffee as its bittering agent, sweetened with a touch of liqueur.

Much like a regular cup of coffee, tastes can vary widely on the ideal amount of sugar to include in an Espresso Martini. Below, we include 1/4 ounce of simple syrup in addition to the coffee liqueur, to help bring the drink in line with modern tastes. However, if you prefer a less sweet, more coffee-forward drink, you can easily omit this. 

While we also try to keep this recipe in line with Bradsell’s original style, some prefer to include a splash of milk or cream liqueur, creating something more akin to a Mudslide. It’s an easy cocktail to experiment with, and there are about as many ways to tailor an Espresso Martini to personal tastes as there are different ways to take your coffee. Play around and find which works best for you.

Preparing the Espresso

If you have an espresso machine, you can pull a short, 1-ounce shot and put it in the freezer for a quick chill. This will keep the hot liquid from melting the ice and overly diluting the drink as you shake it. If you don’t have an espresso machine, substituting cold brew concentrate is a simple hack, though it may lack some of the depth (and caffeine) of a cocktail created with fresh espresso, creating something more closely resembling an Iced Coffee Martini.

When it comes to choosing a coffee liqueur, Kahlúa has long been the standard bearer in Espresso Martinis. However, since the drink was first created in the early 1980s, a wider range of coffee liqueurs have entered the market, and options are now much more plentiful than in Bradsell’s Espresso Martini heyday. Explore some of the options, both new and old, recommended by bartenders today and find the flavor profile that works best for you.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces vodka

• 1/2 ounce coffee liqueur (usually Kahlúa)

• 1 ounce espresso, freshly brewed (or cold brew concentrate)

• 1/4 ounce simple syrup

• Garnish: coffee beans

Steps

1. Add vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice and shake until well-chilled.

2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

3. Garnish with 3 coffee beans.

Manhattan Cocktail Recipe

Manhattan Cocktail Recipe

misrolegit       February 12, 2024

The Manhattan has managed to remain one of the most popular cocktails in the world for well over a century. A combination of whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters, and a maraschino cherry garnish, this drink embodies the classic, spirit-forward, and aromatic school of cocktails.

Thought to have been first created around the 1880s, the Manhattan’s exact origins are a bit of a mystery. Many credible records place its creation at New York City’s Manhattan Club. One telling is that the drink originated with a guest of the club, Dr. Iain Marshall; others more dubiously claim that it was first mixed for Lady Randolph Churchill, the mother of Winston Churchill, who records show was not even in the United States at the time. Another story ties the Manhattan’s creation to a bartender named Black, who kept an establishment on Broadway south of Houston Street, though it’s hard to find corroboration on this theory as well.

Despite the inconsistency of the Manhattan’s origin stories, the cocktail recipe itself has remained largely unchanged through most of its history. Though some early outliers exist—notably one written in 1915 by Henry Watterson in History of the Manhattan Club: A Narrative of the Activities of Half a Century in which the cocktail is made with equal parts—a 2-to-1 ratio of whiskey to vermouth has long been standard.

The Manhattan is one of the most iconic and enduring examples of the spirit-forward 2:1 cocktail. Unlike the Martini, which has seen its accepted proportions in constant flux since its inception, the Manhattan’s accepted specifications have largely resisted tweaks and popular whims.

Why the Manhattan Works

The Manhattan’s template is rather simple and shared by countless cocktails, from the Old Fashioned to the Negroni—a base spirit combined with a sweet element and a bittering agent. Sugar acts to soften the spirit, reduce the heat of the alcohol, and create mouthfeel while bringing out the whiskey’s subtler aspects. A couple dashes of bitter reintroduce depth and accentuate the base spirit’s notes of oak aging.

The Old Fashioned is a great comparison point and the most stripped-down example of this template. In it, whiskey is paired with sugar, in the form of a muddled cube or teaspoon of sugar, with a few dashes of Angostura bitters. The Manhattan is almost identical, but simply replaces that teaspoon of plain sugar with an ounce of sweet vermouth.

To further break down the math, sweet vermouth tends to average 150 grams of sugar per 750ml bottle, which breaks down to about 4.5 grams per fluid ounce, or… one teaspoon of sugar.

Essentially, in a Manhattan, you’re taking the structure of the Old Fashioned from a spirit/sugar/bitter standpoint, but adding a bit more complexity with the sweet vermouth’s flavor and aromatic profile.

Simply put, there’s a reason the Manhattan has changed little since its creation, and why so many cocktails are modeled on its 2:1 spirit-to-vermouth ratio. It’s been proven time and time again to be an ideal structural balance of each component.

Should a Manhattan Use Rye Whiskey or Bourbon?

Often a divisive point among cocktail nerds, the use of rye or bourbon should really be a point of personal preference in a Manhattan. Rye is often touted as the traditional choice and said by some to have been the preferred whiskey of New Yorkers around the time of the cocktail’s creation. However, bourbon offers its own allure, and the cocktail has historically been made with both.

Rye whiskey will contribute the spirit’s spicier and more peppery notes to the cocktail, while bourbon will typically be a touch sweeter. As the sweet vermouth already adds richness and a rounder flavor profile to the cocktail, drier rye whiskey is often preferred to act as a counterweight. However, the right bourbon can function in the same way, and there’s enough overlap between the two whiskey styles (as well as variation between individual bottlings) for it to simply come down to taste.

In short: Use the type of whiskey you like best.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces rye whiskey

• 1 ounce sweet vermouth

• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

• Garnish: brandied cherry (or lemon twist, if preferred)

Steps

1. Add the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.

2. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or coupe glass.

3. Garnish with a brandied cherry (or a lemon twist, if preferred).

COMMON MANHATTAN VARIATIONS

Since the Manhattan is such a bedrock template upon which so many cocktails are based, it can be hard to break down every single derivative. However, here are a few of the notable Manhattan variations that have seen popularity over the years.

Bobby Burns: A Scotch whisky Manhattan that replaces the original’s bitters with Benedictine.

Martinez: Possibly a predecessor to the Manhattan (the timeline is murky), the Martinez is something of a cross between a Manhattan and a Martini. It uses a gin base and is sweetened additionally with maraschino liqueur, though an early 1884 recipe from O.H. Byron in The Modern Bartenders’ Guide explicitly says, “Same as Manhattan, only you substitute gin for whisky.”

Perfect Manhattan: A Manhattan that uses equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, rather than just sweet vermouth.

Monte Carlo: Like a Manhattan, but uses a half-measure of Benedictine rather than sweet vermouth.

Revolver: A more modern twist that substitutes coffee liqueur in place of sweet vermouth.

Rob Roy: A Scotch whisky-based Manhattan.

Waldorf: A Manhattan with an absinthe-rinsed glass.

Vieux Carré: This Manhattan-adjacent New Orleans classic splits the base spirit between rye whiskey and cognac, and is accented with Benedictine in addition to the standard bitters.

9 Absinthe Cocktails You Need to Try Now

9 Absinthe Cocktails You Need to Try Now

misrolegit       February 12, 2024

The green fairy really takes flight in these recipes.

Ah, absinthe: It’s not evil, just misunderstood. Prior to the United States lifting the ban on the maligned spirit in 2007, absinthe—commonly referred to as the green fairy or la fée verte, in French—was plagued with misconceptions. Hallucinations! Violence! Madness! None of it based on evidence, of course. Sure, absinthe tends to be bottled at impressively high proofs (110 to 145), but it won't incite bad behavior more or less than any other spirit.

Shady reputation notwithstanding, the spirit is known for its complex, intense flavor that begs to be added to cocktails. A little goes a long way, as exemplified by the countless drinks that call for a mere rinse. But a more generous dose can be magical, too. What's certain is that you don't have to be a tortured artist to fall in love with absinthe. These nine cocktails show the green fairy's versatility and its undeniable romantic appeal.

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  Death in the Afternoon

  

  Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

  Let’s start simple. This nearly effortless drink contains only two ingredients: absinthe and Champagne. Mix the two together in a Champagne flute, and you’re ready to get your Hemingway on. Speaking of Papa, did you know that he allegedly created this cocktail himself?

  Get the recipe.
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  The Original Sazerac

  

  Liquor.com / Tim Nusog 

  Yes, absinthe is a key ingredient to making a respectable Sazerac. But were you aware that rye whiskey wasn’t originally in the recipe? The earliest ingredient list for this cocktail instead named cognac as its main spirit. The drink switched gears to rye during a shortage of cognac production during the late 19th century. The modern Sazerac is a thing of beauty; the original is hauntingly refined.

  Get the recipe.
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  Green Beast

  

   Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

  Absinthe isn’t the first spirit that pops to mind when thinking of summery drinks, but the Green Beast is here to change your point of view. A combination of lime juice, sugar, water and absinthe, this cocktail may be optimal if you’re looking for something new to sip on while lounging in the sun. Planning a party? The recipe is easily converted into a punch.

  Get the recipe.
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  La Tour Eiffel

  

  ​ Gary Regan

  This cognac cocktail created by renowned bartender Gary Regan is France in a glass. Pairing absinthe, a French favorite, with French-made spirits and liqueurs like Suze, Cointreau and cognac, this spirit-heavy cocktail is served in a Champagne flute to maximize French sophistication. Make yourself one, then pretend you’re in a Parisian café. If you’re into that kind of thing, of course.

  Get the recipe.
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  The Sun Also Rises

  

  Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

  Is the Death in the Afternoon not enough to satisfy your Hemingway fix? Named after the writer’s first novel, this five-ingredient cocktail marries two types of citrus, two types of spirits and absinthe to achieve a complexity that any Hemingway—or cocktail—admirer would enjoy.

  Get the recipe.
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  Necromancer

  

  Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

  With ingredients like elderflower liqueur, Lillet Blanc and lemon juice, it’s unclear how this light and floral drink got such a dark name. If you ask us, the addition of absinthe must have had an influence. In any case, drink it to your health whenever you feel like raising yourself from the dead.

  Get the recipe.
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  Stars & Stripes

  

  Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

  At first glance, you wouldn't guess there was absinthe lurking in this cheerfully layered glass of blueberry vodka, simple syrup, lemon juice, raspberry brandy and ginger beer. And with such a patriotic moniker, this is the gateway cocktail you can break out at your next summer barbecue.

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  Last Resort

  

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog 

  This sophisticated blend of absinthe, French pear brandy, lime juice, rich simple syrup and an egg white gets topped with a fresh grating of nutmeg for a frothy, fragrant sipper. Because if you're going to drink la fée verte, why not double down on the French elegance?

  Get the recipe.
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  Absinthe Frappé

  

  Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

  If the smell of anise drives you wild, this is the cocktail to make. A take on a cobbler, the Absinthe Frappé combines absinthe and anisette. It’s a great sipper for anyone wanting to branch out from the traditional absinthe drip. If you have too many drinks one fateful night, the Absinthe Frappé is also a great hangover cure. If you really need to wake yourself up, try a frozen variation.

  Get the recipe.