Tag Archives: partying

The Socialite’s Guide To: Choosing The Right Cocktail By Cristal Carrington

I love a good cocktail just as much as any blue blooded New Yorker. In the city that never sleeps and never drives, we take the after work cocktail to another level making Manhattan just as much a drink as it is an island. At the age of 26, I’m slowly becoming a more sophisticated drinker which is why I recommend reading The Socialite’s Guide To: Choosing The Right Cocktail by Cristal Carrington, Cocktail Columnist for Examiner.com and Washington D.C. Socialite.

The book serves as a guide to personal branding that profiles the 5 different types of female drinkers (The Party Animal, The Conservative, The Maverick, The Light-Weight, and The Connoisseur) explaining the messages they are unconsciously sending when socializing at bars, restaurants, and parties based on their drink choices while a tequila drinker can be seen as a party girl, a champagne drinker such as myself can be viewed as an elitist.  For the young and ambitious professional looking to make a positive impression at upcoming holiday parties, The Socialite’s Guide To: Choosing The Right Cocktail is a must-read.  Aside from great advice on personal branding and finding your signature drink, Carrington also provides excellent drink recipes that I can’t wait to try.

Keep reading for my exclusive cocktail Q&A with Cristal Carrington: 

What should you drink when you have top shelf taste on a waist-high budget?

My best advice for ladies or gents on a budget when at the bar is:

Step #1: Order a shot of chilled vodka or gin (order the drink in a snifter, so you can still look classy, however, don’t throw it back, savor it).

Step #2: Follow up with a glass of Pinot Grigio or Riesling with a splash of Chambord.  The trick is to look great while drinking, not necessarily to get drunk in public.

Belvedere or Grey Goose?

Definitely Grey Goose, but I also recommend the always delicious and timeless brand Stolichnaya.

You certainly seem to have a dream job as the Cocktail Columnist for Examiner.com. How did you land such a great gig?

In graduate school at Georgetown, I came up on an opening for writers with Examiner. I originally wanted to be a food writer, but the position was already filled.  I had to think about what I liked as much as food and the answer was cocktails, so I applied with a lengthy article application and landed the gig.  I thought, now I have a license to drink all the best cocktail creations and couldn’t be happier with the choice.

Since I prefer the finer things in life, my go-to drink is champagne. But, if you were to make an Aspiring Socialite cocktail, what would be the recipe?

A great Aspiring Socialite cocktail would have to be a creation that a bartender made for me on a whim called The Thing: (feel free to call it A Socialite Thing or Glamorous Thing or whatever)…but it contains:

Cherry Vodka, Cranberry Juice, and Ginger Ale

I like it because it was easy to make, tastes great, is unisex, and certainly not hard on the Aspiring Socialite’s pockets.

To make the perfect cocktail, what is the ideal amount of times liquor should be distilled?

I like any liquor distilled over 3 times and if we are speaking of aged liquors anything over 10 years is acceptable. I think at that point the liquor can be consumed neat or mixed.  Also, don’t be afraid to ask what the rail liquor is at the bar.  Often times, it is a quality brand; it’s just not Ciroc or Patron. Last note on this is to remember that the higher quality the brand, the less likely you are going to want to dilute it with additives such as juices and liqueurs.  This rule includes Champagne.

Can people fall into more than one drinking category?

Absolutely!  I personally fall into the Maverick/Connoisseur category.   However, I tend to lean more to the side of the Maverick.  The categories listed in The Socialite’s Guide To: Choosing The Right Cocktail were simply ways to identify stronger drinking habits/patterns.  There is nothing wrong with any of them as I do offer ways for all the personality types to strengthen and refine their behaviors, even the Connoisseur who seems to do no wrong in their own eyes

The Art of Line Jumping

When it comes to hitting the clubs, socialites never stand in line. They just don’t. Simply because they don’t have too. One high-profile magazine cover will not only lead to other high-profile appearances, but can also serve as a means to bypass the lines at the hottest clubs of New York, Las Vegas, Miami, and L.A. For the Aspiring Socialites of the world, however, getting passed those alluring velvet robes can be a bit more challenging.

Walking in as if you own the club with that “Do you know who I am” look can often be the trick to avoiding the wait. But, that has been know to backfire if in fact the person behind you actually does own the place. Clubs are a bit like casinos when it comes to the state of unpredictability. Sometimes, all you can do is roll the dice. Just as casinos deceive you into believing you can beat the house, clubs attempt to create the illusion of popularity by forming long lines in front of a completely empty space. Living the nightlife of a socialite isn’t about knowing how to play the game, it’s about not having to play at all.

Here are some ways in which you might be able to beat the system and bypass the line socialite style:

  • Befriend the bouncer: If you really like a certain club, continue to frequent your fav destination on a regular basis. Always make it a point to say hi to the bouncers and ask them how they have been doing. One you have established a relationship, you will always enter that club as a socialite.
  • Get introduced: Find someone who has an in with the hot spots about town to introduce you to the world of VIPs. This could be a much more effective strategy than introducing yourself. Just make sure that person is classy.
  • Get there early: As long as you don’t mind starting out the night a few hours early, arriving at the club before prime hours is probably the easiest way to avoid lines without having to actually know anyone. You will also have the opportunity to take your pick of seating.