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The Perfect Present to Bring to a Cocktail Party

Going to a cocktail party soon and looking for a gift for the host or hostess?

If the recipient is someone you really want to make an impression on, your boss, a doctor, lawyer, or love interest, get them a gift that will make them think favorably of you every time they use it.

Anyone who enjoys entertaining would appreciate a portable cocktail case they can use to store and serve their favorite spirits anytime, anywhere.

“It’s not exactly something most people would think of getting for themselves, but once they get one, they don’t know how they lived without it,” says Gustavo Cosaro, owner of Picnic Time, a California company that manufactures and distributes luxurious picnic baskets and wine totes. The holidays are an especially busy time of year at his company, and that may be because more Americans consume wine and spirits between Thanksgiving and Christmas than any other time of the year.

Raising a glass of cheer with family, friends and colleagues is a tradition for many at the holiday season. If the person you’re shopping for enjoys martinis, Picnic Time’s Manhattan is the perfect gift for them. It’s an insulated cooler that contains everything you could possibly need for a sophisticated party on the go: two martini glasses, two bottle stoppers, a corkscrew, shaker, jigger, tongs and a strainer. There are also two napkins, and a fork/spoon stirrer.

And here are some simple cocktail recipes you can throw in:

Classic Martini: 2 ounces of London dry gin, 1 ounce of French vermouth, and 1 dash of orange bitters, garnish with lemon peel or olive.

Dirty Martini: 4 ounces of gin or vodka, 1/2 ounce of dry vermouth with a teaspoon of olive juice, garnish with an olive.

Sweet Martini: 1 1/2 ounces of dry gin, 3/4 ounce of sweet vermouth, garnish with lemon peel or olive.

The Vesper or "007": (James Bond, Agent 007's cocktail) Martini he named after a beautiful double agent he loved. ORIGINAL: 3 ounces of gin, 1 ounce of vodka, 1/2 ounce blond Lillet. Garnish with lemon peel and keep your eyes peeled for enemy agents! Now, this recipe later changed to VODKA, no gin at the urging of sponsor "Smirnoff.”

Cognac Martini: 3 ounces of gin, 1/3 ounce Cognac (swirl Cognac to coat inside of glass, and pour out, then add chilled gin from your shaker), and garnish as desired.

Cosmo Jewel: The Jewel of Russia Wild Bilberry Infusion -- pour 2 or 3 ounces into a cocktail shaker, add ice and a good squeeze of lime. Shake vigorously, pour into a chilled martini glass and enjoy!

For more information about Picnic Time brand cocktail cases, or how to place an order, log on to www.picnictime.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content