My bartending style tends to run less towards the carefully measured, tried-and-true recipes and more towards the “What’s in my fridge right now?” trial-and-error method. I rarely use actual measures, because what is “good” depends on how many people are drinking, how liquored up they want to be, and how well they hold all that liquor.

That being said, I have a few favorite drinks that do really well in cold weather.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate:

This ain’t your grandma’s hot cocoa. (Or maybe it is…) I like to add a few drops (or shots) of Peppermint Schnapps to hot chocolate for an immediate warm-up. Make the cocoa with milk if you like it creamier.

Cinnamon Vanilla Cream:

One day my love of Starbucks and alcohol collided, and this drink was born. I just poured some Cinnamon Schnapps into my Vanilla Crème, and – voilà – an innocuous looking brew. Yes, I did keep it all in the Starbucks container. You can make your own Vanilla crème by warming up milk, adding a drop or two of vanilla extract, sugar to taste, and topping it off with whipped cream.

Hot (Spiked) Apple Cider:

First, you need to find some alcoholic apple cider. It’s probably somewhere between the beer and wine sections. Two bottles is a good amount to start with. On the stove, get it simmering with two cinnamon sticks, a tablespoon of cloves, a little bit of sugar and some nutmeg. What really makes it piping hot though, is the addition of either rum or apple brandy. Be generous, ladies – the apple cider has lost most of its alcoholic content in the heating process. Read More »

We all know that summer marks the beginning of an endless season of barbecues, outdoor cocktail parties, and weekend vacation getaways where the food is always in abundance and the drinks never stop flowing. You want to get through these hot months without ruining the bikini bod that you’ve been working on all winter, but you also want to enjoy your social life and not be that girl who brings her own carrots and hummus in a little plastic baggie to the party.

There ARE ways to partake in all the festivities while being health conscious, and it only takes a little thought.

High Calorie Drinks vs. Low Calorie Drinks
There are some cocktails that you just have to stay away from if you’re dieting or trying to maintain your weight. Anything with the word “daiquiri” in it is guaranteed to be packed with calories, and this goes for pina coladas (387 calories for just 6 ounces) and thick fruity margaritas (almost 400 calories for 8 ounces), as well. Those slushy coffee-liquor drinks that resemble Starbucks frappucinos (hello, Britney Spears’s fat phase) should be totally off limits, as only 3 ounces of coffee liquor clocks in at 348 calories.

Instead, stick to champagne (the lowest calorie choice, and even more fun when you add some OJ for a morning mimosa), low-calorie beer (I’m loving the 98-calorie Michelob Ultra right now), or a small glass of sparkling wine. Bloody Mary’s are fun too, if you’re starting the beach drinking early (or taking an airplane to your fabulous vacation destination). And remember: the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calorie-count. Read More »

Whether you’re working it at a beach barbecue or a hot club, a cool drink in your hand is a necessity.  There are the old standby’s like Jack & Coke, cranberry & vodka, and Corona with lime (oh, so many memories…er…lack of memories) that are guaranteed to get you through the evening.  But why just “get through the evening” when you can sail through on the wings of something delicious and interesting?

Say you’re at a hip lounge in some downtown area.  A cute guy catches your eye and walks up to join you at the bar.  He asks you what you’re drinking.  Do you want to reply with something he’s heard a hundred times before (“Uh, Miller Lite?”) or something that will get the conversation (and maybe something else) started with a bang?

After much deliberation and research (and some taste-testing), we have come up with a list of the most fun cocktails for the long, hot summer ahead.  Go ahead, have one of these and let your glass sweat it out along with the poor guy you’re about to attack on the dance floor. Just click on the image to get the delicious deets. Read More »

Today is the first official day of Spring, ladies! Sure, you might not feel it yet (I know I wore a winter coat to the bar last night), but that is what the calendar says, so bust out the Havianas and madras and embrace the new season!

It’s amazing what the weather can do for your mood. Just the thought of rocking my new Ray Ban’s with a pair of flip flops has me jumping for joy. Seriously, the guy who lives below me just jabbed his broom at the ceiling. Maybe once he sees the sun shining he’ll stop being so grumpy.

Anyways, I. LOVE. Spring. It’s my favorite season of the year by far. Jean jackets, spring dresses, sangria on the porch – there is nothing better. And the rest of the CollegeCandy writers agree. See what they love most about spring. Read More »

I’ve studied abroad.  But not really.  If you are currently studying abroad, or plan to in the future, I can assure you that my overseas experience was a bit different.  I began my college experience in London, rather than waiting until Junior year to try the whole passport-and-a-long-ass-flight routine.  Whenever I say, “I spent a year in London,” (I transferred during sophomore year), people assume I studied abroad.  I did not.

At my school, Americans who were enrolled in degree programs were labelled “Degree Students,” while Americans who were specifically there for a semester or two were labelled “Study Abroads.”  So, while I was an American sewing my wild oats just like you might be, there were some major differences.  I moved to the UK when I was 18, fresh out of high school.  I’d never had a keg party experience, I’d never lived in a dry dorm, and I’d never been to a major college sporting event.  Though I wasn’t always on my best behavior, my best friends were from all over the world, and I could see through their eyes how Americans earned bad raps as being obnoxious, immature, and annoying.  Make the most of your experience. Don’t make these mistakes.

1.  Do Know That Your Accent Says It All.

Have you ever heard an English person swear? I don’t care how “sodding” pissed off they are, it sounds so much nicer than an American politely asking, “Whaat tye-am is etttt?”  Most natives of whatever country you’re in won’t be instantly appalled by your accent, but they will know approximately where you hail from.

2. Don’t Get Wasted and Yell Things That Would Be Funny at Home.

As I just stated, your accent gives you away.  Which can work to your advantage… or not.  Screaming your school’s sports chant– P-I-T-T Let’s Go Pitt!– is not only loud and obnoxious, but do you really think the residents of Queensland, Australia give a f*** about the University of Pittsburgh?  Singing bar songs (American or otherwise) will also make everyone, including fellow Americans, want to punch you in the face.

Read More »

I remember my life before I discovered Franzia and its wine-in-a-box counterparts. I was developing a hunchback from lugging a backpack full of Keystone cans around campus, hopping from dorm party to dorm party. Or, I would spend an arm and a leg on bottles of Bacardi (and the mixers to go with it), only to go through a whole bottle in one night after my friends had passed shots around the room.

At some point during my college career, I discovered that wine is stronger than beer and more consistent than mixed drinks, which are super weak at many stingy bars.

Wine became my go-to drink.

When I moved into an apartment with a fellow wino, we quickly realized that even 1.5 liter bottles of wine went too quickly, so to save gas on packy runs, we became avid boxers.

Boxed wine is completely underrated by many collegiates across the country. In the wine world, Franzia may have a bad rap, but come on; we’re college students. We have no money. We drink a lot. And we aren’t opposed to drinking Dubra when times are tight, so why exclude boxed wine from our list of libations?

In many states, wine comes in 5-liter boxes. That’s FIVE LITERS of booze for about $15. Depending on how much (or how little) you drink, that can easily be split throughout the night between you and your five closest friends, or you can suck it down yourself and not worry about another liquor run for a week or two. If you can’t find a 5-liter box, you’ll still be set with the “smaller” size box, which contains three liters of fermented grapes.

Heaven. Read More »

Labor Day weekend kicks off tomorrow. Yay for a long weekend filled with delicious BBQ! Boo for high gas prices and the end of sweet, glorious summer. While most of you can’t wait to get back to campus and read those books and write those papers see your friends and hit the bar scene, I am going to miss the summer.

Yeah, yeah, yeah – fall is great too: football season, hoodie and jeans weather, Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. I know all those things are great, but there are so many things about summer that I can’t get in any other season (like white pants) and I am really (really) gonna miss em:

Drinking Outside – Maybe it’s the warm breeze or the sun on my back (or the fact that while I am outside I don’t quite feel as bad drinking alone), but there is really nothing more heavenly than enjoying a nice sangria outside on a hot summer day.

The Sundress – Getting dressed in the summer is always easy: just throw on a dress and a pair of flip-flops. No need to mess with itchy and uncomfortable tights, or layering with long-sleeved shirts. The summer dress is simple and cute.

Daily Ice Cream – I love ice cream. LOVE. So the summer is my season. I can make daily trips to the ice cream shop without looking like a fatty/8 year old. I can chase the ice cream man down the street and no one thinks I’m crazy (but they do sometimes think I have a thing for small children….) And I just get to enjoy my favorite treat (some sort of Flurry/Blizzard that involves Reeses in some capacity) on a daily basis.

The Sun – And the way it turns my skin a color that is not pasty white. How I don’t have to put on tons of makeup, because my face looks sunkissed and perfect without it. How I can wear sunglasses all day, every day. How it feels on my shoulders as I’m drinking on the porch, or chasing the ice cream man. Read More »

Q: What’s more summery than sangria?

A: Absofrickinlutely nothing!

Sangria is the perfect summer drink: Cold, fruity, and ideal for sharing. (Actually, that sounds like an exboyfriend of mine. But, I digress.)

Anyway, cold, fruity, share-able boys aside, here is an awesome sangria recipe that is a mid-August must. Enjoy, and share only with people you adore.

The stuff that goes in it:

1 bottle of red wine (preferably dry)

1/2 cup of brandy

1/2 cup of triple sec

1/3 cup of frozen lemonade concentrate

1/3 cup of orange juice

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/4 cup of sugar

1 lemon

1 lime

1 orange Read More »

Looks like TV Musicals aren’t just for the tweens (and really embarassed twenty-somethings) anymore: the geniuses behind the High School Musical awesomeness have said TTFN (that’s, Ta Ta For Now, for those of you not in the know) to middle school and moved on up to MTV.

Get ready because next Monday, August 11th, MTV will be premeiring their latest hit, The American Mall.

I just watched the trailer and I. Can’t. Wait. Yes, I said it. And once you watch this badboy (below), you will agree.

I mean, honestly, how can anyone NOT be excited for this:

Singing

Dancing

Drama set to singing and dancing

Crazy Taylor from The O.C.

The fact that it is on MTV and, therefore, not nearly as embarassing as watching HSM (6 times….)

A free movie!

Seriously, invite the girls (and me!) over, make some popcorn (and Sangria) and turn this on.

Watch the trailer after the jump! Read More »

Ah, the Fourth of July. The best day of the entire summer to sit back, throw some burgers on the grill, set off illegal fireworks, and get sloshed in the name of our forefathers. Besides Father’s Day, the fourth is really the only summer holiday, sandwiched between the glorious three-day weekends of Memorial Day and Labor Day.

That said, if you are planning to celebrate our nation’s birthday this weekend, I hope you do it in style. Here are some patriotic concoctions that will make you declare your independence…from your dignity, that is.

Red Sangria and White Sangria

Sure, sangria originated in Spain somewhere, but its gotten so popular in the past few years, that even Applebees has a signature sangria on its drink menu. Besides, this recipe is totally Americanized– even George W. could follow these directions!

In a punch bowl (preferably a clear one so you can display your creatively festive colors), combine a 750 mL bottle of red or white table wine with a cup of peach schnapps, two cups of pineapple juice and one cup of lemon-lime soda. Add more peach schnapps for a sweeter punch, or more juice if you don’t want it super-strong (baby). Read More »