Friday, March 30, 2012

A Perfect Guideline On The Petite Cocktail Dresses

Plus size cocktail dresses are great for a night out. They're flirty and fun, without being too dressed up and formal. For full-figured women, choosing plus size dresses with a strategic cut is important. When your best assets are your curves, there's no reason to hide um. It's all a matter of de-emphasizing certain parts of your body you don't want to draw attention to. This can be done by choosing plus size cocktail dresses with the right cut and fit.

But, to turn my above statement into reality, you need to come out of your conviction that women below 5'4" cannot wear those graceful cocktail dresses. They can actually find awesome petite dresses, to suit their figure to perfection! There are some body basics and a few petite clothing norms, which they need to follow for being diminutive. As of now, cocktail parties are one of the most important social events for the sophisticated class. Hence, it is important for you to know everything about a cocktail party attire.

Women's Petite Cocktail Dresses: Style

If you are confused, then you can always go for the classic 'little black dress', but it shouldn't restrict you from experimenting with other stunning options. As a rule of thumb, go for solid colors and smaller prints because petites can get completely lost in the boldly printed petite cocktail dresses. There is nothing more flamboyant than a petite lady covered with a single solid color from top to bottom (with minimum jewelry and natural makeup!!). Go for knee length cocktail dresses, as they can make your legs look elongated. But, strictly avoid a mid-calf length dress, because it makes you look shorter. Always go for tailor made clothing and avert overmuch fabrics, frills and bouffant sleeves.

Try empire-waist petite cocktail dresses. Trust me, they can help you cast your feminine spell on everyone. The key with the empire-waist dress is that its waistline hits right below the breast line, which highlights your torso and legs and makes you look taller. Use flowing fabric while designing these petite cocktail dresses, as they make your cocktail dress all the more desirable and a lot more comfortable. If you don't find them charming, then you can always go for the sheath style dresses or the tie-back waist petite cocktail dresses. Both these types of fashion clothing form a slender silhouette and taller appearance. Most of the time, they are made of cotton or silk and fall around the knees.

We cannot move ahead without mentioning the A-Line petite black cocktail dresses. These dresses (irrespective of the color) add fullness to a petite frame and give it a prominent definition. They concentrate a lot on the hips and the bottom, rather than the waist. An A-Line dress skitters the hips and gets wide at the bottom. Never wear dresses that concentrate at the middle torso 'cause they only make you look shorter. After you are done with selecting the petite cocktail dresses, rather than relaxing, search for the matching fashion accessories!

Women's Petite Cocktail Dresses: Accessories

Any apparel is incomplete without matching accessories. When it comes to ladies' petite cocktail dresses, the importance of fashion jewelry and accessories becomes all the more crucial. Keep it as simple as possible and don't wear anything which highlights your flyspeck size. For that, you need to avoid over sized necklaces and wear chokers, that draw the attention towards your face and make you appear taller. Go for high heels and pointed toed women's shoes. If you are comfortable, try wearing heels which are 2 inch or taller. But, strictly avoid chunky, ankle strapped, square off-toed shoes. Same is the thing with the handbags, avoid larger handbags and purses and go for the feminine clutches.

Remember that you don't need to follow the latest fashion trends to look glamorous. Wearing the best petite cocktail dresses, that fit great with your size, style and comfort, is all that is expected from you for being fashionable. So? What are you waiting for? Go grab a petite cocktail dress and bemuse your admirers!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Cocktail Bars-The Top Places To Enjoy A Cocktail

Nestled between the beach and the South Downs, Brighton is 50 miles from London and a popular spot for tourists both from the UK and overseas. It has a wonderful cafe and pub culture, with a wide variety places to gain some refreshment, whether your favourite tipple is a well roasted coffee, local real ales, Norwegian vodka, or specialist ciders.

The city is not over-run by cocktail bars, but there are some very nice places to enjoy them. This is our pick of the top places to enjoy a cocktail in Brighton:

Koba - 135 Western Road
Probably Brighton's best known cocktail bar, Koba has a small frontage on Western Road near Waitrose, hiding three floors of well appointed rooms. Some of the rooms are available for hire, so if you have a party to host, they can provide a room with it's own small bar with staff experienced in making excellent cocktails.
Koba has an intimate feel as it's a collection of rooms rather than one continuous space. The ceilings downstairs are high, but in one of the upstairs rooms is a little low and it felt a bit claustrophobic on my last visit. The cocktails, however, can't be faulted. They make a particularly good Caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil, handling it much better than most bars in the UK.

Las Iguanas - 8 Jubilee Street
The newest bar listed here, Las Iguanas has made a very positive impression on Brighton in the few years it has been open. Situated in the heart of the North Laine, next to Brighton's main library, Las Iguanas has a open, airy feeling with lots of low level seating, making the best of it's size. Although smaller than Koba overall, it feels much larger as it's all one room. Half of the area is a restaurant in the day, and can be converted to a dance floor at night.

As you'd expect from somewhere with a sign saying it is a "Cachaca Bar", their Caipirinha's are also very good and an authentic taste of Brazil.

Riki Tik - 18 Bond Street
From the street, Riki Tik looks like someone's tried to cram a bar in to their hallway, rather than being a proper venue. However, once you go inside past the bar you'll find a spacious area split in to comfortable zones.

They often host local DJs, with most of Brighton's best having played there in over the years, and they take their music mix very seriously, so there is always a cool new tune to hear every time you visit. Occasionally they use the back wall for projecting art house movies on special film nights.

Riki Tik is best enjoyed with a large group of friends and one of their jugs of Long Island Iced Tea, which is particularly good.

Browns - 3-4 Duke Street
The least cocktail bar-like of the selection here, Browns advertises itself as first and foremost a restaurant, but historically it's always been a favourite for Brighton's cocktail drinkers and they still make lovely tasting drinks.

Browns is all wood panelling and small tables, and very tastefully done. Early in the evening it's favoured by groups of work colleagues having a drink before going out on the town, and later by people who've been eating their excellent food enjoying some of their wide ranging drinks menu.

Once again, their Long Island Iced Tea is a highlight, but they can make a decent version of anything you'd care to name.

Personally, if I was out with a few close friends I'd choose Las Iguanas, or walk the few extra minutes to Browns if it was busy. If I had party to host, it would be Koba every time, and if I was still in my twenties, Riki Tiks would always feature at the start of my evening out.

If you're coming for a holiday, consider renting an apartment in Brighton rather than staying in a hotel. It gives you a lot more flexibility, and a much nicer place to stay for your money.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Chocolate Cocktails Satisfy Your Taste

Combining chocolate with cocktails is a delicate process however. The rich flavors of chocolate means that the volume you use must be just right so that you acquire all the essential dark flavors while not overloading your cocktail, rendering it sickly and overpowering. This rule can be ignored though if you are a chocoholic of course; in that case go mad. But the key to all cocktails is balance, and it is no exception with chocolate cocktails.


There is many ways you can add chocolate to drinks: Creme de cacao, chocolate liqueurs, cocoa power, chocolate syrup, chocolate vodka, cocoa nibs or even chocolate bitters. This great variety gives chocolate cocktails a great range and flexibility. There are countless chocolate cocktails recipes that will satisfy your chocolate cravings for years to come, and plenty of room for experimenting yourself. Here is a selection of chocolate cocktails that will be sure to hit the spot.
   
Perhaps the most natural ingredient chocolate can be combined with is coffee. They share a similar history and botanical make-up, making them ideal partners for mixing in a cocktail. To make a chocolate coffee cocktail you will need 1/4 oz brandy or cognac, 1/2 oz dark Creme de Cacao, 1/2 oz chocolate syrup, 4 oz hot coffee, 1 oz milk, plus some whipped double cream. To prepare this dark and smooth cocktail put all the ingredients except the cream into a pan and gently heat, pour into a tall glass or a mug. Finish by topping with whipped cream and dust with cocoa for the perfectly luxurious finishing touch.

For a twist on a classic you could try a Chocolate Cherry Manhattan. For this you will need 1 1/2 oz Rye whiskey, 1/2 oz Martini Rossato, 1/5 oz dark chocolate liqueur and 1/5 oz Fernet Branca. Mix all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice until properly chilled and strain into a glass. For a special touch you can garnish with a couple of cherries dipped in dark chocolate.

If your tipple of choice is rum then you can try your hand at a chocolate rum cocktail. To create this delicious cocktail you will need 1 1/2 oz dark rum, 1/2 oz Creme de Cacao, 1/2 oz light cream, and 1/2 oz white Cr¨¨me de Menthe. To prepare place all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake well with ice before straining into a cocktail glass.

For an easy and effective twist on the ever favorite White Russian cocktail you can simple replace the use of Kahlua with Creme de Cacao for a chocolaty edge. To make this quick to make cocktail you will need 1 oz vodka, 1 oz Creme de Cacao, and 1 oz cream. Simply place all the ingredients in a shaker with ice, go to work with your shaking skills, and its ready serve.

The final cocktail on our list of a cross section of chocolaty cocktails is another transformed classic, the Holy Mole Margarita. This cocktail includes which combines 1 1/5 oz tequila, 1/5 oz cacao blanco, 1/4 oz dark chocolate liqueur, a dash of orange bitters, plus a dash of Bitter Truth xocolatl mole bitters. To finish this cocktail off perfectly you can garnish it by dipping the cocktail glass into chocolate syrup before dipping it into chocolate sprinkles, heaven for any chocolate lover.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Cocktail Recipes Change In The Tastes


Cocktails make for the most popular part of any party. Originally cocktails were a mixture of spirits, sugar, water and bitters. But with the change in the tastes over the past few decades the modern day cocktail contains one or more kinds of spirits with ice, sugar, honey, milk, cream and various herbs being the additional ingredients. However the interesting part comes in when one needs to decide on the type of cocktail one wishes to serve at the party. Cocktail is a kind of mixed drink which is frenzied in almost all nations.

It is a combination of liquor and flavouring agents. Though usually cocktails are prepared by mixing alcoholic drinks with fruit juices however they can also be non-alcoholic. The non-alcoholic cocktails taste better as they are refreshing but it is the alcoholic cocktails that make for great party drinks. You can also serve fruit cocktails to non-alcoholic guests as appetizer or desert. The way it is important to decide on which cocktails to supply at the party the same applies to knowing how to make them. Preparation is very important to make a well flavoured cocktail which offers perfect blend of all ingredients. It is important to have the right quality and quantity of liquor, spirits, fruit juices and ice apart from ensuring a right temperature. It is also necessary to ensure the accompaniments to the cocktail-be it decorating the place and arranging the snacks to get along the drink like buns, burgers, plates, etc.

A cocktail can typically be made with distilled beverage such as gin, vodka, whiskey, tequila or rum mixed with other ingredients. Some people like to serve beer cocktails to their guests, that is, where beer is one of the main ingredients of the drink. The taste of cocktail may differ from one bartender to bartender and from region to region based on the type of ingredients used by them. In other words, despite the same name the cocktails may differ completely in their taste because of the differences in the way the drinks are prepared. Planning a lavish party or celebrating with special friends, whatever the cause cocktails make for the best part. Initially cocktails were a mixture of spirits, sugar, water and bitters.

However, change in lifestyles and cultural progressions have lead way for more refined tastes. The contemporary day cocktail offers one or more kinds of spirits blended perfectly with ice, sugar, honey, milk, cream and various herbs being the supplementary elements. A cocktail can also be made by using distilled beverages like gin, vodka, whiskey, tequila or rum mixed with other ingredients. The latest addition to the cocktail ingredient list is beer known as the beer cocktail.

Deciding on the type of cocktail which one wishes to be prepared and served to ones guests can an over-powering task. Despite cocktail being world famous however the choice of ingredients used during preparation makes a difference in the taste of the same named cocktails. The taste of the same drink would also vary from one bartender to another based on their choice and levels of liquor and ingredients used to the way the cocktail is presented to the consumer.

The interesting part is that cocktails can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic, that is, for non-alcohol drinker's cocktails made by mixing various fruit juices with a combination of herbs, fruits and simple ingredients are a hit. On the other hand, alcoholic drinks have a wide variety to choose from ranging from liquor and flavouring agents to mixing alcoholic drinks with fruit juices. Some of the famous cocktails across the globe may include Strawberry Daiquiri, Wine Spritzer, Pina Colada, Sangria, White Sangira, Bloody Mary, Vodka Daisy, etc.