New Cocktails for the New Year and the New You

Ring in the New Year right on December 30th, and embrace your resolution with a matching cocktail sure to make 2010 a year to remember.

1. Do Something Good For Yourself – Without Hitting The Gym
Are you ready for a “new you” in the New Year? We are not suggesting that you skip the gym altogether, but choosing a greener, better way to drink will save you calories, nasty hangovers, and help reach your goal of a “new you” without breaking a sweat. Try VeeV, the world’s first açaí spirit, utilizing the anti-oxidant power of açaí, Brazil’s number one super-fruit. With lower alcohol content than vodka, VeeV provides smoother cocktails, and donates $1 per bottle sold back to the Brazilian rainforest.

we suggest: The VeeV Eco-Aid Cocktail
1.5 oz VeeV Açaí Spirit
Lemonade
Splash of cranberry juice (optional)
Build in an ice-filled highball glass and stir well. Garnish with a lemon slice.

2. Learn A Foreign Language
Celebrate 2010 with the hottest drink in Scandinavia, which is now available in the U.S., Xanté. This pear-infused Cognac liqueur is a super premium spirit, from Sweden; made of high-quality, all-natural ingredients containing no artificial additives. Xanté is best served neat and as a super premium shot.

we suggest: The Ritual
A super premium shot cooled over a bed of ice. Simply chill Xanté, pour in a shots glass and consume.

3. Travel To A Foreign Country
Take your yearly vacation to the next level with an exciting jolt of volcano surfing, beaching, touring the rain forest and sipping world-class rum. The hottest tourist destination right now that is heating up Latin America is Nicaragua – and now’s the best time to book a vacation your family won’t forget. Nicaragua’s leading export, Flor de Caña rum, is the perfect featured ingredient in a simple-to-make classic punch cocktail sure to WOW the guests at this year’s 2010 NYE party.

we suggest: The One Good Pinch Punch (Created by Phil Ward of Mayahuel, NYC)
Ingredients: 1 seedless watermelon, one good pinch of Cayenne pepper, 4 sugar cubes, 1 oz lime juice, 2 oz Flor de Caña 7-year old, 1 oz club soda

Method: Dissolve the sugar cubes in 1 oz of club soda. Add and muddle several 1-inch pieces of watermelon. Finally, add the rest of the ingredients one at a time and stir as added. Chill.
Recipe can be multiplied to fill a traditional punch bowl.

4. Try Something New
Don’t be afraid to stop into that new-fangled cheese shop around the corner, spend an afternoon at the museum, or take a sip of absinthe.
Lucid absinthe is the brand that lifted the absinthe ban in America three years ago and is a robust flavorful spirit, available nationwide for everyone to try.

we suggest: Traditional absinthe louching favored by green fairy enthusiasts Oscar Wilde, Vincent Van Gogh, and Picasso
Pour 2 oz of Lucid in a glass. Top with slotted spoon and sugar cube. Slowly pour water over sugar cube until dissolved. Stir and enjoy.