proof vodka, Midcentury & Still Modern, Vol. 143

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Calling all Joans, Peggies and Don Drapers! On Friday, March 28, the Gardiner Museum hosts the Mod Mad Party, a bash inspired by the style, culture and influence of the ‘60s, and we will be there serving cocktails. 
For more information on proof brands visit www.proofbrands.com

 the ron thom 1 ½ oz proof vodka •  3 oz Ceres Pomegranate Lime juice • lime soda water • fresh raspberries • mint bitters

Mix proof vodka and Ceres pomegranate and lime in a ice-filled glass. Top with lime soda water and a splash of mint bitters

the urban 1 ½ oz proof whisky • 4 oz Ceres pear juice • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Pour 1 1/2 oz of proof whisky, 4oz pear juice & 1 tsp lemon juice in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour into a glass filled with ice.

 

Mod Mad Party Come dressed in your best Mad Men-esque attire of fedoras, skinny ties, tailored suits and cocktail dresses for a night of dance, drinks and fun!

The Gardiner’s exquisite Terrace Room overlooking Queen’s Park will be transformed into a mid-century modern space, complete with vintage furniture and décor, courtesy of Toronto’s Leslieville Flea.

Design and décor by the Leslieville Flea, a market with over 50 vendors specializing in vintage and retro clothes and furniture, home décor and collectibles • Music by DJ John Kong, founder of record label Do Right! Music (www.dorightmusic.com) • A complimentary urban sour cocktail by proof whisky (proofbrands.com) • Full cash bar and food stations by à la Carte at the Gardiner • Admission to the acclaimed Ron Thom and the Allied Arts exhibition. (www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/exhibition/ron-thom)

For inspiration on vintage looks, hair and make-up, check out Toronto Vintage Society, who are styling the Gardiner Museum staff for the event! (http://torontovintagesociety.com)

Celebrating its 30^th Year, the Gardiner Museum is Canada’s national ceramics museum, and one of the world’s great specialty museums. They are committed to making a contribution to the medium they celebrate, as well as the community they serve.

“We strive to be an inviting destination that inspires and connects people, art and ideas through clay.”

 Ron Thom was one of Canada's greatest architects, with enduring testaments to his genius, such as Massey College and Trent University, still among the country's most admired buildings. But Ron Thom, like Frank Lloyd Wright and other architects of his generation, believed in creating not just a building for a client, but a whole world - from the landscaping to the interiors and the furniture to the ceramics.

This exhibition explores Ron Thom's brilliant architecture in the context of his total aesthetic. Ron Thom and the Allied Arts is a travelling exhibition organized by the West Vancouver Museum in collaboration with Trent University and Massey College.

 “Few architects have helped shape Canadian architecture as poetically as Ron Thom. From his early days as a west coast artist to his crowning achievements designing Massey College and Trent University, Ron Thom devoted himself to a profoundly holistic approach, wherein the fields of architecture, ceramics, visual arts, furniture and landscape formed a continuum. He was a fan of the Mingei folk craft movement, wherein potters and other artisans opting out of the industrial age found a higher beauty in the hand-made.

 Of this architect’s long and illustrious career, Ron Thom and the Allied Arts celebrates the most creatively fertile period, 1947 – 1972, with a focus on five west coast houses, Massey College, Trent University, and the ceramic and other arts that inform them. On display will be a selection of Ron Thom’s original paintings, prototypes for furniture and fittings, architectural drawings and sketches, archival and architectural photography, the original hand-rendered 1960 Massey College presentation boards, and the ceramics he commissioned as an integral component of it all. ”
– Adele Weder, Curator

And don’t forget to watch Mad Men Season 7, beginning Sunday, April 13^th. Here is a little inspiration for your ensemble. (www.amctv.com/shows/mad-men)

proof whisky, Balthazar New Year, Vol. 142

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For NY day this year, we are recreating a breakfast served at our favourite restaurant in NYC. For more information on proof brands visit www.proofbrands.com

the balthazar 1 1/2 oz proof whisky • 5 oz tomato juice • 1/4 oz fresh lemon juice • 5-6 dashes of Worcester sauce • 2-3 dashes Tabasco • fleur de sel • fresh pepper

Add proof whisky, tomato juice, lemon, Worcester and Tabasco to a glass filled with ice. Stir well and season with fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper (you can also rim the glass with fleur de sel)

Balthazar serves traditional bistro fare from breakfast through late-night supper. Opened by Keith McNally in the spring of 1997, Balthazar offers a French menu prepared by chef de cuisine Shane McBride. Diners can also choose from an extensive wine list, a raw seafood bar, and breads and pastries from Balthazar bakery.  Balthazar is renowned for its exceptional design. The building was converted from a leather wholesaler's warehouse to an airy space that can accommodate over 200 people in the dining room and at the zinc bar. (www.balthazar.com)

 To recreate a Balthazar Breakfast, we picked up the Balthazar cookbook and made various dishes from the book. We made fresh brioche, salmon gravlax, quiche, ham, tuna nicoise, served fresh cheeses and fruit, mimosa and our own bloody mary mix.

Our table setting was purchased from various places. 

Glasses came from Chapters, plates from Anthropology, and we created our own floral arrangements with gold spray paint and local flowers & nuts.

 Happy New Year! See you in 2014!

For more of our holiday cocktail recipes, visit Rita DeMontis in the Sun chain of newspapers: http://www.lfpress.com/2013/12/27/make-it-cocktails-for-new-years-eve

Tonight: Variable cloudiness and a whopping high of -9 degrees