BRUGAL RUM is one of the dominican republic’s sweetest exports. and one of the niftiest things about BRUGAL RUM is the gold threaded fishnet that each bottle so proudly wears. really kicks it up a notch… makes great hostess gift with a presentation like that!

when we talk of rums, we usually think of light, or dark: mojito or dark & stormy. enter a new word into your rum vocabulary: anejo! anejo means… rested… as in aged forever… as in how BRUGAL tastes: smooooooth and perfect for sipping, but also dandy mixed.

BRUGAL has been manufacturing rum in the dominican republic for over 100 years, and actually created the “dark” category of rum back in 1920. aging their liquid gold in white oak casks, BRUGAL is now considered THE premium dominican rum.

this august i gave a lecture, demonstration, and tasting on HERBACIOUS COCKTAILS. i spoke in front of 180 guests for 1 1/2 hours, and had to actually use a mic! i forgot what a rush being on stage was… i just love that energy! tickets to the annual HERB DAY EVENT to benefit HILLHOLD MUSEUM always sell out… so the crowd is eager to learn and have fun. i demonstrated how to make 4 different cocktails and one mocktail, based on the work of medieval astrology nicholas culpeper.

of course, intoxicated zodiac made the favors to celebrate the event. i created a special herb day cocktail that was printed on one side of the glass with the museum’s logo printed on the other. they were used as centerpieces.

this annual event is hoity toity… i asked someone their name and they said berkley. i said, oh what an unusual first name. she replied, no, i’m a berkley (as in, last names are what count here.) definitely a blue blood event! i had such a blast, thank you for having me HILLHOLD MUSEUM.

that’s me, picking the winner of the door prize with my mom sitting on my right… hi mom!

guess what? i was recently on san fransisco’s channel five to promote Intoxicated Zodiac’s product lines! watch me brag about being the goddess of mixology and astrology in the video below—cheers! PS, for the impatient amongst you check out the stills…

Gwen_Intoxicated_Zodiac_CBS_Eye_On_The_Bay

i’ve always loved angels. since i can remember, i’ve read books on our guardian angels, and collected images of them. so when i came across a whiskey named ANGELS ENVY, i perked up. for me, the name alone is reason enough to buy this newly minted, yet old-souled bourbon. but upon tasting this divinely delicious blend… i found another reason–it’s out of this world! holy perfect bourbon. but the question is… apart from its heavenly bouquet, what prompted the name of this new whiskey? apparently, industry insiders have long referred to the whiskey that escapes the barrels during the aging process through evaporation as “the angel’s share.” poor angelic beings, all they get is fumes. we mortals get the good stuff. so, if you’re a whiskey fan, ask your angels to bring you a bottle of this sacred spirit: ANGELS ENVY!

a personal note on angels… my ass would be grass without them. they have saved my life on more than one occasion, counseled me on infinite others, and comfort me daily. thank you angels! i had an angel reading once, and i have two guardian angels– as we all do. mine are named linda and maria. maria is the more outspoken one, and linda is the more softspoken one. there is always one loud and one soft, for everyone, no exceptions. our guardian angels stay with us during our entire journey on this earth plane, and appear translucent if you are able to see them. like many of us, i also have two spirits acting as angels. they keep the appearance of human form, and while they perform all the duties of guardian angels, they are technically spirits, serving in an angelic role. my two “non-angel angels” were both humans in my past lives. one is named gabriel, who was apparently my brother many lives ago. the other is named jennifer, who informed me she was my teacher in a past life. fascinating, huh?! cheers!

ANGELSENVY.com

i’ve signed on as Brotherhood Winery’s Expert Mixologist! Brotherhood Winery is the oldest winery in America. Really. They were actually open during prohibition! An easy hour drive from new york city, the tours, tastings and wine selection at this winery are truly fabulous. I enjoy mixing with wine because the libations tend to be lighter and fresher than their spirit-based counterparts. There is also the added layer of the wine’s personality to work with. I prefer to keep my drinks simple, so they can be easily enjoyed by everyone. The trick is to combine only a few ingredients that work magic together. Visit BROTHERHOOD-WINERY.COM for my wine-based cocktail recipes also listed below. Please enjoy!

Hibiscus Pomegranate Sangria
(this red sangria is a best seller at Brooklyn-based mexican restaurant, COMIDA MERCADO FRESCO.

Green Tea Sangria
(my white sangria is also served at COMIDA. the green tea makes it uber refreshing.

Acai Fizz

Bubbly Pisco Sour

Marigold Lemonade Spritzer

Brother Shandy

Lychee Surprise

Gwen’s life-long interest in the occult, combined with her love for unusual libations, led her to found Intoxicated Zodiac in 2007. As a Cocktail consultant, her recipes are featured in print and online publications; and in area bars and restaurants. Using the skills she learned as a New York bartender, Gwen regularly holds parties and classes where she teaches Astrology Mixology. Live Healthy, Imbibe Wisely, Love Freely, Cheers!

Mount Gay Rum: The original rum, apparently. who knew? not me! that’s some pedigree… But, alas, a bottle of the oldest rum in the world floated across the ocean, and washed up on my doorstep not so long ago. the message in this bottle was its smooth, subtly fruity, pleasantly sweet flavor: yum! I do so adore rum, as its one of the easier spirits to sip.

if you don’t believe Mount Gay is that old, then think about its name: GAY. a few hundred years ago that word has a much different connotation than it does today. WIKI reports that “The term gay was originally used to refer to feelings of being “carefree”, “happy”, or “bright and showy”; it had also come to acquire some connotations of “immorality” as early as 1637.”

Mount Gay has been produced on the island of Barbados for over three centuries. Documented in distillation records dated 1703 but undoubtedly produced even earlier, this quintessential Barbadian spirit quickly spread throughout the Antilles and beyond. According to 17th Century legend, sailors traveling the Atlantic returned to England with casks of Mount Gay from Barbados as proof of having completed their ocean crossing. The “Rum that invented Rum,” Mount Gay is the world’s oldest rum.
($17 MOUNTGAYRUM.COM)

ring in the new year with style, sophistication, and libation… with a champagne cocktail in your hand. a glass of bubbly is fine enough–but a champagne cocktail is simply grand! make your new years resolution to become a cocktail aficionado, and start at midnight! cheers to a healthy and prosperous new year filled with abundance!

It is not everyone that can celebrate being 500 years old. Back in 1510 the Benedictine monk Dom Bernardo Vincelli created a mythical elixir… and that alchemical creation is still called for today in the world’s most famed cocktail lounges. here’s an easy peasy recipe made with the famed 500-year-old benedictine liqueur:

THE BENEDICTION

3/4 oz. Benedictine Liqueur
Dash of orange bitters
Top with champagne

Add Benedictine to a champagne flute. Add the bitters and fill with champagne.

The Benedictine Limited Edition bottle is $32 at fine spirit shops

henri bendel through holiday with our new wine glasses. our cocktail candles, of course, will also be available. cheers!

if you’re stuck for stuffers for the man in your life (or the stiff-drinkin’ woman) consider yourself… unstuck. santa has just delivered the most awesome little drams of whisky, right to my door—hey, i don’t have a chimney. each dram is a dream come true for whisky fans… because it’s actually a handmade sample of the highest caliber scottish malt; bottled and sealed with an authentic wax closure; an ancient-looking label adorning its front. as a graphic design and product junkie, it is simply too cool for me open, for each sample dram is a piece of art in itself. when your “stocking stuffee” does actually break down and open one of santa’s sample drams, they’ll be able to choose their favorite… and with one bottle, their birthday present quandary is solved! MASTERS OF MALT is great for gifts, even when gifting yourself ; )

here’s what was in the collection of samples i received to give you an idea of the fineness of spirit available:
1. Master of Malt Bowmore 26 Year Old

2. Ichiro’s Malt 1991 Five of Clubs

3. Master of Malt Arran 12 Year Old Single Cask

4. Bruichladdich Octomore 02.2 Orpheus

Our Intoxicated Zodiac candles will be in Henri Bendel through holiday. Swing by and pick up the perfect stocking stuffer, birthday present, hostess gift, or haunakah present. Because all the best gifts come in brown and white boxes ; ) Imbibe Wisely, Live Healthy, Love Freely, Burn Safely… Cheers to a blessed yuletide season!