January 18, 2012

Cotton Candy Marti

For Lala's 30th bash, I was on a QUEST for cotton candy.  I dished about the party and what a blast it was here a few weeks back.  I had these elaborate ideas of these fluffy cotton candy cones on display (thanks to pinterest) that were so fabulous I knew I had to incorporate the sweet stuff into the party.  Well, sorry pinterest, the reality is that the sweet stuff melts in the southern humidity (even in December) and candy left out looks tacky before too long. 




Fear not, that didn't stop this diva!  After shopping vendors and locating the one in Chicago that sources cotton candy for the posh bars of LA, I opted for cotton candy martinis and favors for this event.

In case you have been under a rock, the new wild flavor vodkas and the crazy divas of Real Housewives of (insert city) have made the cotton candy martini quite a sensation.  These fab cocktails go for $25 in some places I've had the chance to visit.  So ... I knew these were the perfect touch for the festivity.

Here's the inside scoop so that cotton candy martinis can join you at your next bash!



A few tips and pointers:
1.  You need fresh cotton candy so it has any shot at lasting.
2.  For my event, we had some logistics challenges with glassware, so I opted for small tumblers instead of full martini glasses.
3.  If you have a large group, making these real time is difficult.  We chose to pre-make and have them in a pitcher and then let people shake them with ice before they pour over the candy.  That seemed to work well.
4.  We "staged" a series of glasses to start the party and then left a big bowl of extra candy out for people to make more.
5.  Always rim the glass.  It's cute! :)

The recipe - Cotton Candy Martini (fabulousness)
1.5 oz vodka
.5 oz XR Fusion Liqueur
1 oz cranberry juice
pink cotton candy

Simply mix the first three ingredients and pour over about a half ounce of cotton candy in a martini glass.  The cotton candy dissolves almost immediately.  Cheers!

This post is partying over at: Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design and Craft to Make