Here’s a modern twist on the classic afternoon tea, a happy hour with tea-infused cocktails located at the Blind Spot Bar in St. Martins Lane Hotel in London. You can enjoy savory and sweet delights served as art, rather than on a typical 3 tier serving platter. A flight of tea infused drinks using the most exotic tea leaves. And yes, at this boutique hotel you will have to find the hidden door to get to this speakeasy tea.
Another boozy tea infused drink menu can be found at Sketch in London. Their tea room that gives ‘Alice in Wonderland’ vibes is perfect for afternoon tea, but enjoy their boozy tea drinks served in bone china at the bar.
Located in Kensington, The Ampersand Hotel hosts afternoon tea in The Drawing Room for an out of this world exploration of its award winning Science Afternoon Tea.
Inspired by the hotel’s South Kensington neighbor – The Science Museum, this Afternoon Tea hosts an interactive menu of sweet and savory dishes while encouraging to play with your food.
Guests can explore a delicious selection of themed treats to put you in the imaginary mind set – become a paleontologist as you dust for dinosaur shortbread cookies & fossil chocolates, experiment in the lab using test tubes to sprinkle toppings on the treats or concoct your own lemonade.
Inspired by the great Victorian values of discovery and wonder with a modern twist in this boutique hotel, it is no wonder they have been a multiple winner of the Afternoon Tea Awards as best themed tea in the UK.
TIPS: Options to upgrade your tea, Science Teapot Tales – comes served with a themed cocktail flight. There is also a kids and adult version of the Science Tea. Be sure to make a reservation.
Sgroppino is an alcoholic mixed drink originating in Venice, Italy based on lemon sorbet and vodka, topped up with Italian sparkling Prosecco. Sgroppino can be served as a palate-cleansing aperitif or as a dessert drink after your meal.
The Sgroppino was served in aristocratic Venetian homes back in the 16th century. The Sgropin, as it’s called in the Venetian dialect, means to ‘untie’ such as to untie a little knot in ones stomach following a rather filling meal. It is also to cleanse the palate between the first and second courses.
Even though the drink originates in Italy, as you travel throughout the country you may have some difficulty finding the drink and even local restaurants knowing what it is. This is because further away from La Serenissima it is not a Sgroppino anymore, it is simply Sorbetto.
That tradition continues today, with a few minor tweaks to the centuries-old recipe. As the classic Sgroppino is made with lemon sorbetto, vodka and Prosecco sparkling wine, variations include strawberry, grapefruit or lavender, and sometimes the addition of limoncello.
Sweet and citrusy, this creamy lemon Prosecco cocktail is hands down the best dessert drink ever! Simple ingredients and no special skills required to make.
Could it be? Sgroppino in Las Vegas? And if so, will it be a true Sgroppino like the one found in Italy?
When scoping out the MGM Park we stumbled across a sign saying “Sgroppino.” Our minds were blown. Sgroppino has reached the strip. We found ourselves infront of Primrose, a charming, French inspired bistro. In our excitement, we read on to see if it could possibly be a true Italian Sgroppino… Lemon sorbet – yes! Prosecco – yes! Vodka – yassss! Sounds legit.
Even with all the purple and lavender added, it still sounded like a true Sgroppino just with a fancy remix. We’re in Vegas after all.
We went inside Primrose and ordered our Sgroppino. We saw the bartender immediately grab the cocktail shaker and we cringed. We then knew this would be another Affogato style version of a Sgroppino. Maybe in the states it’s just a scoop of sorbet in alcohol but you guys are really missing out on a true Sgroppino.
Those of you unfamiliar, a Sgroppino is Prosecco, vodka and lemon sorbet whisked together to created a creamy aperitif. It may sound like the texture would be that of a slushy but it is just like a milkshake. It is so creamy you won’t believe it’s not ice cream.
I am starting the petition now to make Sgroppino the new basic bitch drink for brunch. Please start signatures below in the comment section.
Aperol with a twist: Get a Frozen Aperol Spritz atMaritime Hotelin NYC or a Fluffy Garibaldi at Uncle Nicky’s in Austin, made with frozen Campari and fluffy orange juice.
In our minds, there are never enough places that serve high tea. The newly opened Tulum inspired restaurant in The James New York – SoHo, will be introducing a special High Tea happy hour at their upstairs Jungle Bar. The Jungle Bar will feature a selection of House of Waris teas, Ladurée macaroons, and special large format signature cocktails for those looking for a fun and classy after-work drinks option. Pop-downstairs for dinner for Mexican and Mayan inspired small plates and TACOS!
The hottest thing going on in NYC has been the grand opening of Hudson Yards. For years, there wasn’t much of a reason to visit the far west section of Midtown. There were only train yards and the location of most murders but now it’s a brand new city. It’s a mini city within New York City.
The $25 billion Hudson Yards development has finally opened to the public, offering an experience of culture, art, and commerce all in one place. They have created a shopping destination like no other.
Half of the 28-acre mini-city by the Hudson River is completed. The rest will be done by 2025. When fully complete, Hudson Yards will include 16 towers of homes and offices, a hotel, a school, the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, and a performing arts center.
At the center of it all is Vessel. It’s a maze-like vertical structure that winds up 150 feet into the air. It’s made up of 154 staircases and 80 platforms, zigzagging together to form a web of nearly 2,500 individual stairs. It is free to the public, but you do need a ticket.
Austin’s hotest new cafe/hangout- Uncle Nicky’s Italian cafe. It’s the Central Perk of Hyde Park.
The casual restaurant features Northern Italian cuisine on their menu with Aperol Spritz and Campari. Truly an authentic Italian spot.
They’re open from 7am to midnight so you can go for a cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich before work or head there on a late night for a night cap and some gelato.
We recommend bringing your laptop and going for a drink, appetizer and the daily flavor of gelato.
TIP: Get the Garibaldi with the fluffy orange. It’s like no other drink we’ve had before. It’s delish! (Pictured above.)
FUN FACT: Dolce Vita on the drink menu pays homage to the previous restaurant that was in the space serving gelato and espresso to the neighborhood for 23 years and closed their doors last year.
We love brunch so much, we’ve started a series of our favorite places. Starting with the most over the top brunch spot….
Sorry, Austin but you’ve got nothing on the NYC Brunch scene. NYC Brunch at Bagatelle is an experience like no other.
What is it? Simply put – Brunch meets club. Emulating the champagne brunch parties famous in the South of France, you’ll be popping bottles served by superman, dancing on tables, go-go dancers on the bar, and barely able to hold a conversation over the DJ blasting music. Oh yea, and delicious food.
Brunch in NYC is a lifestyle. Our brunches made Rosé famous. It’s what created the Frosé. Brunch has come a long way and developed into a party scene meets mini vacation vibes. The NYC mentality is work hard, party hard(er).
After a night out at the club in the meatpacking district, why not just carry on the partying with some food in the same area. And that’s just what Bagatelle did. It’s basically a daytime club. It’s over the top. It’s fancy. It’s fun. It’s where everyone wants to be seen.
It’s not cheap though. Spend $2,500 on a jeroboam of Veuve Clicquot and some magnums of Dom Pérignon, and the lights dim, the D.J. cues up the theme from “Superman,” and a waiter is hoisted onto the shoulders of the servers. His arms outstretched as he carries one of the blazing bottles to your table.
Tips:
Must make a reservation a month in advance.
Only available on Saturday and Sunday.
Formal attire only. You will be turned away if not dressed to their liking. Even if you have a reservation!
Expect to drop a lot of money.
2 hour max at each table and then you’re kicked out from your table and move to the bar to finish. (Isn’t NYC so kind?)
Going with a large group? Order a cocktail in the giant bowl for the table to share and enjoy the fun presentation. (Although, Austinites will not appreciate the box of straws used in the drink.)
Food is made to share. They have large portions so order a bunch of items for the table.
Meat? Good. Cheese? Good. Bread. Gooooood! Everyone loves a charcuterie platter. There’s something for everyone and it’s the easiest thing to put together. Originated by the French, of course they have their own rules and proper guidelines to creating this delectable treat but they are notoriously known for unnecessary steps in baking. Americans are known for finding the shortcut. There’s so many blogs with recipes to create a charcuterie board but there are no rules and no wrong way to make one (In America that is.)
Just follow our easy steps to putting together an epic treat.
Step 1 – get a cutting board or platter. Step 2 – get delicious food. Step 3 – assemble.
Badda bing badda boom. You’re done and everyone’s happy. It’s simply using your creative side that really makes it a charcuterie platter. Add some greens, nuts, dried fruits, and other accoutrements to bring it to the next level.
It is one of our favorite things to snack on or enjoy as a meal. Make one for your party or bring one as a gift to your next event.
The Pineapple Life 