I’m not a big drinker, but I love me a well-made cocktail.

Why, just the other weekend I ordered a $12 concoction that sounded wonderful at a swanky outdoor bar (the drink did not, in fact, taste wonderful, but you better believe I sipped that sucker dry — $12 cocktails are always to be finished, no matter what).

Because I’d rather go with quality rather than quantity, I was super psyched to read this little article in the New York Times about organic cocktails.

No more Red Bull and bottom shelf vodka here, these new fruit and vegetable fueled drinks are popping up in bars all over the United States.

With recipes “like freshly juiced organic carrots, Granny Smith apple juice, elderflower liqueur and vodka”, the new “organic” cocktail trend allows health conscious connoisseurs feel better about topping off that third drink.

And while nothing is going to make sipping an alcoholic beverage healthier than eating an apple, researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture recently reported, “adding alcohol to strawberries and blackberries increased their antioxidant capacity”. Read More »

So, you’re going out tonight. To a bar or party you know will have prospective hook-ups. That’s the whole reason for going out, really, seeing as how you’ve been so busy with that summer internship / job / getting ready for college that you haven’t had much time for a dude. Maybe you’re not necessarily looking for sex, buy some physical attention on a sweaty dance floor never hurt anyone.

Most people end up making out in public because they’re A) pretty drunk and/or B) really need some ass. Even those of us who consider ourselves slightly shy when it comes to PDA throw caution to wind after a few vodka tonics and one or two cuts from Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

It’s harmless, we tell ourselves (if we’re still of the right mind to do so) while making out with a stranger, everyone else is doing it! Read More »

Last night, while out at a tiny bar that had paper dragons on the ceiling but still managed to charge me 6 bucks for a half a shot of vodka and cranberry juice, I decided to brave the winding line for the bathrooms. (You should know I have a weird phobia about public bathrooms—or rather, a phobia about the locks in public bathrooms. I never trust the things. No matter where I am, I’m always convinced someone’s going to open the door on me. Convinced.)

Anyway, after finally squeezing myself into the tiny stall and finding the hidden light switch, I realized I was standing in one of the grossest places I had ever willingly ventured into. Unidentified water everywhere, overflowing trashcan, a toilet with half the seat broken off (I mean, how does that happen?), and a tampon box that defied imagination. This place was revolting with a capital Revulsion.

So now here comes the question women have to deal with all the time; how does one actually pee in a place that’s sure to infect you with every disease God has ever created?

Option 1: The Squat. This is basically a move that keeps your skin from actually coming into contact with anything disgusting. A lot of times this move is difficult in tight jeans and small spaces, but it can be done. Just make sure that cute underwear you just bought is held safely out of pee range.

Option 2: The Half-Cheek. If you’re in a super hurry and don’t really care about the thousands of other people who have used the place before you, you can sit on the seat so just enough of one cheek is touching it. This move gives you optimum balance with minimal skin on porcelain contact. Read More »

The true college experience demands bar hopping or clubbing with a pair of incredibly adorable stilettos on. (Did I just succeed in the most shallow first-liner ever?) They probably cost a ridiculous amount (month’s worth of paychecks to be exact), but for a 5’3” little one like myself, an amazing pair of stilettos can make you feel braver and sexier, stepping over spilt drinks and strutting past bad pick up lines to stroll out of the bar with a fine piece of arm candy named Josh…or maybe it’s John? (Does it really matter?)

Anyway…we know all this is true about the right pair of stilettos, but your poor little piggies will certainly beg to differ, and it’s likely that by your second drink your feet will be screaming get-these-off-NOW. As someone whose big toe has been dubbed ‘the astronaut’, (It’s abnormally large, and my wide toenail has been said to strangely resemble a NASA astronaut’s space mask…once again, shouldn’t admit that.) Needless to say I am strongly against my feet being crammed up into the pointy corner of a leopard print stiletto, especially if my agenda for the night entails urgently important events… like stumbling down frat row.

Ah, but fear no more high-heel loving ladies, the fashion goddesses have answered our prayers. I introduce to you, the convertible stiletto. Read More »

I’ve always been a firm supporter of the phrase, “It’s five o’clock somewhere,” it is almost like a mantra to me.

Whether it was the mimosa I’d sip on Monday morning before class, blind-eyed to my roommate’s disapproving glares, or spiking my Coke with a little nip of rum in the dining commons at lunch to my friends’ bemusement, I’d just smile real big and cluck, “It’s five o’clock somewhere guys! Loosen up!”

Alright so maybe my tendencies slightly resemble that of Sully, the homeless alcoholic on the corner block who’s always singing Ace of Base off-key — But hey! Cheers to being young and reckless! At least he ‘saw the sign’…for happy hour.

Either way, such tendencies made it no surprise at all that I found myself in a bar (Thank you trusty fake ID!) this past Friday getting some drinks with a friend. After a hard week of internship pandemonium, a stiff drink in the city was just the cure. Read More »

Today’s Shot of the Week is an old standby.

The B-52 is known by many other names, but ask a bartender for one and she’ll know exactly what you mean. Most likely named after the stealth bomber because of it’s quietly intense taste, this little shot will start your night off quickly. It’s an intricate concoction, and not all bartenders will do it the “right” way (probably because they’re lazy), but now that you know the secret to this creamy / burning drink, you’ll be able to impress everyone by making it yourself.

B-52

• 1/3 oz. Kahlua

• 1/3 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream

• 1/3 oz. Grand Marnier

Layer the alcohol in order, from the top. When pouring the Bailey’s and Grand Marnier, the pros use a spoon, allowing the liquid to drip off the spoon into the glass. Why do it this way? It keeps the liquors from mixing too fast. Plus, it looks complicated. And everybody knows complicated drinks = cool (even if they taste like shit).

…And as always, drink responsibly. Paris Hilton didn’t, and look what’s happening to her.