(Created by Francesco LaFranconi)
1.5 oz. Sobieski Polish Vodka
0.5 oz. Marie Brizard crème de cassis
1 oz. cranberry juice
Top with brut-style champagne (or extra dry-style for a sweeter taste)
Method: Pour the vodka, crème de cassis and cranberry juice in a shaker tin with half a cup of ice. Stir gently and strain into a flute or cocktail-martini glass. Top off with two-to-three splashes of chilled champagne. Garnish with three fresh cranberries floating on the drink.
Click here to watch Playboy’s Barmate of the Year mix this cocktail.
(Created by Francesco LaFranconi)
1.5 oz. Sobieski Polish Vodka
2 oz. iced chai tea (brewed from tea bag)
2 oz. clear apple juice
Juice of one lemon wedge
1 dash of orange bitters (optional)
Method: Fill up a 12 oz. highball glass with ice and pour the tea and apple juice first, then add Sobieski and fresh lemon juice. Stir and serve. Garnish with a slice of an orange and a slice of a red apple.
Note: This drink can be served cold over ice or hot. If you choose to serve it hot, heat up the apple juice and the chai tea to about 180F., then add vodka and juice, stir and serve.
(16 servings)
(Created by Francesco LaFranconi)
1 750 ml bottle of Sobieski Polish Vodka
4 cups chai tea (sweetened according to taste)
4 cups clear apple juice
2 whole oranges cut in slices
2 whole red apples cut in slices
Optional: 1-2 teaspoons orange bitters
Method: Mix all ingredients in large bowl and garnish with seasonal fruit slices.
Inform your neighbors that you are throwing a family party and, like all families, yours is crazy. So you are forewarning them that they might hear a few loud noises, but they needn't be alarmed. Also tell your neighbors that you aren't inviting them to your party because "your family is nuts" and you don't want to subject them to their company. Now that you have that out of the way those in your vicinity will not feel left out or call in a noise complaint to the local authorities.
Tell the coworkers on your invite list that the party is super-secret and that if word gets out that not everyone is invited then Evan from accounting will show up and ruin the flow of the fête. Not one person will say a word about it.
No Evites, no e-mails, no fliers—no paper trail.
Don't tell your guests to bring anything. If they are polite enough they'll bring something of their own accord.
Confiscate all cameras and camera phones at the door. This ensures that when things get exciting during the affair there is no evidence—and that Evan from accounting won't find out through Facebook that you marginalized him.
Plastering your place with Christmas lights is the equivalent of wearing an Ed Hardy shirt: Instead of having style you are relying on impact to say
Look at me! Do you know who likes shiny objects? Cats and feeble-minded people.
That said, you do need to set the holiday mood. We suggest one candle per window (a classy nod to Christmas décor before the invention of electric lighting) and a wreath on your door—no plastics.
Two real trees: One grand tree set up in your socializing space decorated with nice ornaments and a small one elsewhere in your house. Why the second tree? Your sister's kid is going to bring over some dried macaroni monstrosity and want you to hang it up. Treat the smaller tree like your e-mail spam folder.
And a quick rundown of do's and don'ts:
- Do's: nutcrackers, silver bells, garland, figurines (less than six total, religious iconography is okay)
- Don'ts: tinsel, stockings, mistletoe, an excess of figurines, anything animatronic that sings carols
Have your favorite holiday movie DVD play on your television.*
Instead of downloading a yule log screensaver for ambiance stow your computer away. No good can come from drinking and access to the Internet.
Holiday Playlist**
Download the following albums and put them on shuffle:
- A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector
- Merle Haggard's A Christmas Present
- Ray Charles's Spirit of Christmas
- Christmas With the Rat Pack
- The Beach Boys Christmas Album
- The Flaming Lips' Christmas on Mars
*Unless your favorite is
Love Actually. Then just go with
It's a Wonderful Life. **No Mariah Carey, Chipmunks or John Tesh!
A little nosh or two will keep the revelers going without getting too drunk. Stick to foods that can be served at room temperature so they sit out during the festivities. Finger sandwiches come to mind.
No popcorn, nuts or other types of food that wreak havoc on teeth. That is, unless you want your guests rummaging through your medicine cabinet looking for floss.
For sweet-toothed guests simply put out all the cookies, gingerbread men and peanut brittle that you received as gifts.
Candy canes are a must. There is just something about a girl enjoying a candy cane.
You'll have one scotch drinker in the group, a few bourbon guys and a gin sipper, but you don't want to max out your credit card buying bottles that you'll never get around to finishing. The decision is clear: Everybody drinks vodka, so be sure to have plenty on hand.
You should have one 750 ml bottle per couple (just in case!) and set up a bar where guests can make their own drinks. This way they can control their own booze to non-booze ratio. For mixers, make sure you have soda water, tonic, cranberry juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon-lime soda and grapefruit juice. No egg nog—people think they like egg nog but they can't stomach more than one.
Buy ice. Buy a lot of ice.
Also make a punch. Great things happen around a punch bowl. You probably have your own recipe from college, but we suggest trying Sobieski's Yuletide Punch (the recipe's here on the page).
Seriously, buy a shit ton of ice.
Start the coffee machine, drink a tall glass of water and run the tub. If you did it right the night before you may be a little hungover (drink responsibly!) and to amp up the hydration process let your skin soak in some water.
Do a sweep of the house to make sure no guest left their cell phones, mittens or underwear.
Send a blast text message to your guests thanking them for coming.
Wake up your new friend, give her a cup of coffee, a kiss on the forehead, a candy cane and cab fare.
