Month: March 2014

Crown Royal hosts “The XO Lounge”

categories: EVENTS

On Tuesday night, Crown Royal XO invited the “movers and shakers” of Baltimore to tour The Quintessential Gentleman Barbershop and Spa (31 South Calvert St).  I was there on assignment covering the event for The Fab Empire.com

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Upon entering The Quintessential Gentleman I was immediately greeted by two hostesses with a tray of Crown Royal XO shots.  Crown Royal XO is a smooth whiskey and goes down easy without mixers or chasers, this is mainly due to the subtle sweet hints of vanilla.  I was also given a cocktail recipe card with four Gold Crown Cocktail recipes.

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On the barbershop’s second level,  Crown Royal XO was also served straight or mixed to create a signature Gold Crown Cocktail.  I sampled the “The Noble Highball”  – 1.5 oz Crown Royal XO, 4 dashes bitters, topped with ginger beer.

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Along with enjoying complimentary cocktails, guests mingled and munched on appetizers such as spanakopita, bourbon chicken, spring rolls, lamb chops, Cajun shrimp, and a fruit and cheese spread.

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For more on The XO Lounge and the re-branding of The Quintessential Gentleman Barbershop click here.

Beauty Bar: Maisy’s

categories: BEAUTY BARS

Maisy’s (313 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD)

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Sweet James Irish Cocktail

categories: COCKTAILS

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There’s no written rule that says all St. Patrick’s Day cocktails have to be green.  This year I decided to save the green drinks for the bar scene and mix something different at home. The end result is a cocktail that I like to call “Sweet James”  This cocktail is made with two Irish favorites – Jameson and Guinness with a bit of Pineapple Juice to give it a sweet flavor.

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What you need:

2 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey (or any Irish Whiskey)

1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

2 oz pineapple juice

1 bottle or can of Guinness Stout

Instructions

Add whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, and pineapple juice into a cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake well and serve over ice only filling only 1/2 the glass

Pour the Guinness slowly over the cocktail filling it to the top

* Serves 1

Talara: Saturday Night Happy Hour

categories: Happy Hour, RESTAURANTS

** UPDATE** This restaurant location closed on Feb 7, 2015.  Thanks for the memories. 

The typical Saturday night is usually reserved for dinner and dancing while Monday-Friday evenings are reserved for Happy Hour.   It’s very rare to find a Happy Hour on a Saturday night,  but Talara Baltimore offers a pretty impressive hybrid of both.

If you’re not familiar with Talara it’s a South American themed restaurant located in Harbor East Baltimore.  The menu features sushi, seafood, and tapas with a fresh latin flair.  They also offer Salsa lessons on Monday nights.  The signature cocktails there are the Mojito, Sangria, and Caipirinha,  and they are $5.00  each during happy hour.

Talara Cocktails

The Mango Mojito is my favorite cocktail at Talara, mainly because it’s made with fresh mango and mint.

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Salmon Asian Tartare

On my recent visit I ordered the Salmon Asian Tartare and the Blackened Chicken Tostada.  The tartare is a sushi tapa served with a sweet aioli sauce and topped with caviar.

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Blackened Chicken Tostada

The tostadas were somewhat of a fancy nacho covered in cheese, chicken, and salsa.  The tostadas I liked  because the chip was not soggy under all the toppings and even though you only get five chips, it was pretty filling to me.  Just like the cocktails during happy hour, the tapas are also $5.00 each

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Pulled Chicken Tacos

Talara on a Saturday night is the place to go if you want a chill, under the radar atmosphere to have a few drinks and eats with friends.

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