November 29, 2007 - Of Vodka and Holiday Parties

I realized in my ranting about shoes and abandonment of a regularly scheduled post yesterday for music videos, I haven't talked about my "Family Detox, Public Intox" party on Saturday.

This is the third year for the party that really started as a house warming for my new apartment. Then last year I went with the idea of doing vodka infusions. In the invite, I tell everyone what I am making, and then they are asked to bring a creative mixer to create a drink. It turned out to be pretty collaborative and fun. So, I decided to do it again this year.

Since I am not that big of a vodka drinker because it tends to be the only liquor that routinely gives me a hangover and temporal blackouts throughout the night, which is never a good thing, I decided to do an infused rum this year. The three vodka's were Pumpkin Spice, Cranberry-Vanilla, and Cocoa Bean, with the rum being a Pomegranate-Vanilla. (yes, I found some cheap vanilla beans) They all turned out pretty well, and while I have to say Cranberry-Vanilla is still my favorite, because you can pretty much drink it straight, the Chocolate turned out a lot better than I had hoped. The cocoa bean nibs were very bitter, and I was afraid the vodka was going to end up that way, too, but I added enough sugar that it wasn't. We had cherry juice and Cherry Coke,and when you added the vodka, it made this very good chocolate covered cherry flavor.

All in all, it was great to have everyone there for a post-Thanksgiving wind down, with a lot of drink, talk, and Wii play. I think this will definitely be a tradition that sticks.

Of course, with that out of the way and the month of November waning, we are on the precipice of Holiday Party Hell! *deep breath* We have one party this Saturday, December 1st. Then a party on December 7th and 8th (actually two get togethers). A Bag Lady show fundraiser with the premier performance of both Blanche and Romeo on the 9th (also Romeo's birthday). Then two more parties on the 14th and 15th. Lordy, this is going to be a busy month, and somewhere in there, I have to find time to go Christmas shopping and figure out whatever we're doing for New Years. I may need to change the name of my party to the "First Holiday Party of the Year." It will be an arms race like the Presidential Primaries, with everyone wanting to be the first!