DIY Champagne Cocktails

Hello! I was away travelling for about 2 weeks and was having too much of a good time going out all the time to spend any time indoor writing. But I'm back to glam up your festive season with a quick DIY post on champagne cocktails!

I only drink champagne on two occasions, when I'm in love and when I'm not. - Coco Chanel
Lisbon, Nov'15

I recently met a friend for a round of pre-dinner drinks at La Coupole, the legendary brasserie in Paris's Montparnasse area which is an art-deco temple where everyone from Jean Paul Sartre to James Joyce have wined and dined in 20s Paris. As with all typically French brasseries, there is a pretty enviable selection of wines and classic cocktails this place boasts of, but that day we decided to take things a notch higher with a Kir Royale. Kir Royale is a très french concoction made with champagne and crème de cassis (a sweet liquor made of black currents) or simply black raspberry liquor and is the perfectly swanky drink to begin a night that you know will degenerate or a brunch that is destined to go downhill. A super simple, super elegant drink that speaks of good taste, fine connoisseurship and a prelude to a great night.

La Coupole, historical French brasserie in the 14th arrondisement of Paris

But then that is the particular thing about champagne. In my previous post on sparkling water, I had mentioned how effervescence or bubbles are a harbinger of good times. Champagne is a symbol of celebration and hence a natural luxury. It conjures with its impetuous bubbles a magical lifestyle of grace and a good life - a reminder of a product that has been painstakingly prepared in pre-mediated conditions of humidity and temperature to cause an elusive double fermentation of wines made with a combination of choicest grapes of varying vineyards and vintages. Add to that the importance of champagne in popular culture, it is found in art, literature, music and James Bond, is a veritable shade of color and comes with its own unique set of etiquettes to be followed from its uncorking to its spraying. Thus, when you take the most luxurious of alcoholic beverages and try to make it more interesting with a cocktail, you basically add a personal touch to what is already a luxury thereby creating something quite special and more exclusive than champagne itself! And there, this amazing vibe effortlessly permeates into your party or brunch making everything and everyone feel a bit more unique. To add to this, these cocktails make the best use of fresh seasonal fruits, look beautiful in perfect day colors - blush pinks, corals and peaches, work fantastically in crisp proportions, look chic on guests being sipped elegantly from a flute and don't leave irreparable wine stains! Easy sophistication, isn't that what all of us are looking for in our lives?

Celebration in a flute, anytime anywhere. 
Como, April'14

So let's begin. Here are a few things you will need to make and serve some cool champagne cocktails at your next party :

1. A good sparkling wine - At this stage, I would like to make the rookie distinction between champagne and sparkling wines. Though the word champagne is more or less generically used to describe any kind of sparkly wine, Champagne is a sparkling wine that comes from the Champagne region in the north of France and grapes nurtured in that appellation. Krug, Ruinart and Moet et Chandon are some celebrated producers reigning from the Champagne region which contributes over a hundred producers. Sparkling wines are thus producers based in other areas of the world, for instance Cava in Spain or Prosecco DOC from Italy, names you might have had. In essence, sparkling wines are either white or rose and for your DIY cocktail experiment, you are most likely to bring home a 'champagne'. Also, as most champagne cocktails tend to be on the sweeter side, when in doubt, choose the Brut (dry) version.

Whatever the choice of champagne, do ensure it is chilled as hell.

2. A mixer - A fruit-based mix to add flavour, color and seasonality to your champagne cocktail. The more natural they are the fresher your cocktail would be. Another reason I prefer preparing fruity mixers at home is because you are likely to get stuck with big bottles of store bought peach schnapps or creme de cassis for a long time and it will stop you from trying newer cocktail variations.

3. A glass - A nice champagne flute, that is a stem glass with a tall, narrow bowl (in all the photos below) or the more traditional coupe, a wide cup with a shorter stem make champagne cocktails look the best. Flutes deliver better on aesthetics and fizz. Alternatively, white wine glasses are GTG.

4. Some garnish - Orange and lemon twists, mint springs, muddled flowers, cubes of ice.

Here are 5 quick and easy champagne cocktail ideas to luxuriate your next party (I swear to God I didn't know luxuriate was a legit word till like last night, isn't it cool?!) These are ranked in order of my favourites. I have further simplified most recipes with easy to find ingredients and they should not take you more than 5-8 mins to conjure should you have everything ready.

1. Bellini

or champagne with fresh pureed peaches. Created by Giuseppe Cipriani, owner of Harry’s Bar in Venice. He named the drink after his favourite painter Giovanni Bellini and the matching oranges of the cocktail and one of his paintings. It's probably the best known champagne cocktail in the world and I simply lurrrrve it!

You will need : 6-8 parts extra dry sparkling wine, Peach Schnapps (because freshly pureed 

peaches are hard to find!). Grenadine or raspberry puree, if available for a hint of blush.

How to make : Pour the Peach Schnapps at the bottom of a champagne flute. Add a dash of      

    raspberry puree on top. Top it up with sparkling wine. Don't stir!

P.S. If you were to endeavour to make peach schnapps at home, take 2 ripe peaches (seeded and diced) and process it with 1 spoon of lemon juice and 1 spoon of sugar in a food processor. Sieve to remove the peach solids and its ready to pour into glasses.

2. French 75

basically your good old Tom Collins, with soda replaced with sparkling wine. It is named after the French 75mm gun used in World War 1 and apart from being the perfect example of a classic French cocktail, is super refreshing and citrusy.

You will need : Sparkling wine, gin, some lemon juice and a lemon swirl

How to make : Shake 2 ounces of gin, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp superfine sugar in a cocktail shaker. Pour out in a coupe glass or flute. Top with champagne. Add a lemon swirl for the garnish.

3. Ritzy Raspberry Revelry

or champagne with fermented raspberries. Created at The Hemingway Bar at Ritz hotel Paris it is the perfect twosome morning-after brunch companion, and needs a little bit of pre-planning (as with all perfect nights <3).

 You will need : Sparkling wine, vodka, raspberries

How to make : Mascerate (a process to soften and deskin ripe or preserved fruits by soaking them in a liquer so that they also absorb its flavour) about 10-15 raspberries in vodka for about 10 days. Pour 2/3rd of the vodka-ed raspberries into a champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a red rose from your garden for the ultimate Ritz version. La amour is now served in your glass.

Champagne with fresh raspberries thrown in is ALWAYS a good idea!

Raspberry champagne and dark chocolate - simply the best diet ever.
Paris, April'15.

4. Kir Royale

or champagne with creme de cassis. Kir originated in Burgundy France and was founded by the Second World War hero Felix Kir who made it with local white wine made with Aligoté grapes (extra dry) and creme de cassis (dark colored sweet liquor made with mascerated blackcurrants). Kir Royale is Kir's more swish cousin as it replaces wine with champagne and a popular feature in French aperitif hours.

You will need : A bottle of Creme de cassis or Chambord (raspberry liquer), champagne

How to make : Pour 15ml of creme de cassis (3 tea-spoons) in the bottom of a champagne flute. Pour champagne on top and be guided by the color - stop when the cocktail gets a pale pink blush. You can garnish with blackcurrants.

 P.S. If you were to endeavour to make creme de cassis at home, pour vodka over blackcurrants in a large jar and leave it for like...5 months. Later, mash with a potato masher and strain and keep aside.


5.  Champagne Sangria

or sangria blossomed with champagne instead of wine. This colorbomb berried concoction is the most ambrosial of all champagne cocktails and the most DIY of all with a pick as you feel combination of liquers and fruit.

You will need : Thinly sliced oranges and lemons, a handful of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, 1 cup orange juice, a bottle of sweet wine (Reisling is a good choice) and a sparkling wine

How to make : Soak up all the chopped fruits in a large bowl with a cup of orange juice and a bottle of sweet wine overnight. Pour the fermented fruits over ice into white wine glasses and top up with champagne before serving. Garnish with mint juleps.

These easy champagne cocktail recipes will see to you drinking and serving more champagne in the upcoming months while ensuring your daily fruit intake. Infact I think you should make one soon because the weekend just called and she said she is bringing champagne. So cheeeeers from me and Jay Gatsby!

Sneaker Couture - Your Definitive Lust List

Disclaimer - There is a mighty overuse of the word 'cool' in what you are now going to read.

I bet you all have noticed the sneaker's phenomenal and monumental rise from the street to the runway and the red carpet. If there is one accessory that has seen a giant transformation in design, context and even philosophy over the past decades it is your humble sneaker, now innately stylish worn with a slim suit and totally proper worn to work. Let's take a moment here to hail the triumph of the fashion sneaker.

Bill Cunnigham shoots designer sneakers on the street

Few wearable accessories transcend their basic utility to become steeped in popular culture and embody youth spirit the way sneakers have done down the ages. Converse is to sneakers what Levi's is to jeans and and if denims saw their designer transformation in the 70s, sneakers are coming of fashion age as we speak.

So what has led to the soaring popularity of designer sneakers and made it perhaps one of the more perfect examples of little luxuries? Because I am a sucker for lists, I'll give you 8! :)

1. The dichotomy of a sneaker, an everyday pragmatic wear as an object of luxury is innately cool to begin with. An everyday part of our lives, made luxurious yet accessible.

2. They help you push the boundaries of your otherwise understated sartorial style and signal a sense of experimentation and irreverence when you wear them. Sneakers are all about keeping it cool.

3. They are definitely legit work wear now (thank you Zuckerberg!) and speak of your cool, new age profession when you wear them at parties.

4.Yet they look a bit off duty- the unassuming glam of the uniform of someone who is too busy to think about their clothing. Exactly what you feel when Marc Jacobs or Phoebe Philo (Celine) do their post-show runway walk in their Stan Smiths. Or when fashion editors do their fashion week running around in them.

Phoebe Philo, Creative Director of Celine, always in her Stan Smiths

5. You can wear what your favourite sports idol or designer or CEO is wearing in less than $200

6. They make you feel inherently athletic, even though you haven't been to the gym or the track since cicadas chirped.

7. They fit in seamlessly with the now prevalent normcore trend. Normcore is essentially highly-comfortable-grey-sweatpants-and-dad-jeans kind of anti-fashion statement. And sneakers are right on top with the subdued luxury of something very utilitarian.

8. They go with everything! Yes they do! Even suits and dresses when worn right. Then they are a bit like hats, they look cool only on the genuinely cool.

9. Gisele has posed nude in them for Vogue Paris. I rest my case.

Gisele in Stan Smiths, Vogue Paris 2004

The history (sorry for this- I have tried to make it interesting by making the entire history shoppable!) of celebrity collaborations in sneakers (Rise of the Sneaker Culture- an exhibition dedicated to the sneaker's exonerable rise is now playing at the Brooklyn Museum)  started as we all know with Converse's Chuck Taylors All Stars in 1930s and haven't stopped since, thanks to the brand wars between Adidas and Nike. It was Nike that took sneakers in the realm of fashion with Nike Cortez in the 70s milking the twin trends of conspicuous consumption and fitness obsession of that time. At the same time Adidas collaborated with Tennis star Stan Smith to launch the eponymous Stan Smiths. Gucci launched the first official designer sneaker in 1984 (year of my birth, so luxurious!). Nike's Air Jordans ushered in the cult of the Sneakerhead. Run DMC made sneaker hip-hop culture mainstream with the Adidas SuperStars. Then in 2002, Adidas again upped the game with a proper designer collab with Jeremy Scott. And this was just the beginning. In 2004, Hedi Slimane dropped all-white hightop sneakers on the runway at Dior Homme and we all knew that the rules had just been broken. These days collaborations can be a lot more demand-driven marketing gimmicks - only 5000 pairs of Kanye's Nike Air Yeezys were launched in 2012 to propel exclusivity and sneaker heads lapped up the collection in about an hour. Kanye swiftly moved to Adidas then and his Yeezy Boss 350 launched this August sold out just as quickly.

Take your Kanye West designer sneaker pick!

So now that we have logically concluded the rise and dominance of sneaker couture and you are all lusting to get your hands on a pair, I present to you my 11 favourite designer sneakers :

1. Raf Simons for Adidas

    Launch date: SS 2014

    MRP : 427 euros

    Why : Bold colors and contrasting materials, these come with mesh, leather panels and silicone 

               details

    Buy it here : Most sold out but you can find a few pairs here.

2. Jeremy Scott 'Wings' for Adidas
    Launch date: June 2008
    MRP : 220 euros
    Why : The sneaker with wings
    Buy it here : The cut out version is available here.

3. Louboutin Louis Black Stud High Tops
    Launch date: 2011
    MRP :  800 euros
    Why : Studs on anything are fierce, and luxe when they come with red soles
    Buy it here : Also available in all white ;)

4. Gucci Vintage Low Top Tennis
    Launch date: 1984
    MRP :  440 euros
    Why : The first ever luxury sneaker
    Buy it here.

5. Rick Owens for Adidas
    Launch date: 1984
    MRP :  402 euros
    Why : The deconstructed sneaker with 2 separate soles, in uber luxe black and white leather
    Buy it here.

6. Tom Ford Glam Sneakers

    Launch date: 2014
    MRP :  967 euros
    Why : Russel leather high top sneaker with a understated white sole - Made In Italy
    Buy it here.

7. Nike Air Yeezy Red October

    Launch date: Feb 2014
    MRP :  220 euros, and a resale value of 2000 euros
    Why : Perhaps the hardest to get sneakers EVER.
    Sold out

8. Valentino Camo RockRunner Sneakers

    Launch date: SS 2013
    MRP :  840 euros
    Why : Camo becomes Valentino chic in this one in a range gorgeous colors and stud details
    Buy them here

9. Buscemi 125mm Leather High Tops
    Launch date: 2014
    MRP :  800 euros
    Why : Rich leather in edible colors including gold, golden padlock with keys and more out of stock                than on shelves. They don't advertise.
    Buy them here

10. Giuseppe Zanotti 
    Launch date: 2014
    MRP :  475 euros
    Why : In crocodile leather, all white and all black lace ups with gold metal hardware, widely worn
               by hip hop bigwigs
    Buy them here

11. Saint Laurent Court Classic High Top Sneakers

    Launch date: SS 2013
    MRP :  795 euros
    Why : Because when Mr Hedi Slimane sends something down the runway whether for Dior
               Homme in 2004 or YSL in 2012, we know we gotta have 'em. This one comes with fringe.
    Buy them here.

Sneakers today are fore-fronting our modern day shoewear evolution and surprisingly are dominating in the men's category by far compared to women's. Sneakers are to men today what handbags are to women. And just how when men were boys they always cared about who had what sneakers, the rise of the designer sneaker will ensure that this illogical relationship and adult love for one's sneakers is a a phenomena that continues!

What would a French girl do?

Hello everyone and désolé for the hiatus. :)

Well I got a bit bored (..umm basically out of topics) of doing those erudite posts on little luxuries and decided to break it up with some shorter, less meaningful and more fun How To posts for much needed inspiration here and there. And this is for you, my dear ladies!

We have to admit, no one carries off that je ne sais quoi vibe as well as our ladies in France. It permeates all age, social class and other demographic and is recognisable from as far as the corner cafe where you see them go by as you sip your espresso. If I could sum it up in one phrase in English (although je ne sais quoi is by far the most apt description), it would be - I have cared a hell lot about my I-couldn't-care-less look and well hello, the rest is because I was born French. What does that even mean? The French, with their carefully cultivated passion for the slow and good life, quality over quantity and the ability to genuinely appreciate the petite pleasures of natural living, are actually a little less bothered about the real pressing concerns of the world than the flavour profile of the saucisson (artisanal sausages) bought at the neighbourhood boucherie. This certainly adds in good measure to their alluring charm to an unsuspecting audience too consumed with his routine, boss, parents, relationship status and other trials and tribulations of life. It's simple logic, focus on the little things and the larger ones will take care of themselves. Cute no?

So how do you bring on this cool French appeal wherever you are and whatever you might be doing? With my 5 essential tips that follow which will cover all aspects of mastering it - the clothes, the make up, the hair, the lifestyle and the attitude, and improvising on how you lead your life as much as the on way you look.

Alors, on commence :


1. The Clothes : Black, black and black. Black over black. Head to toe black. Black in multiple textures. There is no such thing as too much black in not just a French, but any self-respecting wardrobe. Intersperse the blackness with :

• The Breton - you know the sailor tops with horizontal blue stripes
• Finely knit grey cashmere pulls 
• Sheer white tops/tees - made of great quality cotton, and perhaps some lace and crochet
• Distressed cropped blue denims
• A fantastically fitted black leather jacket 
• A fantastically oversized camel coat
• A fantastically well cut navy blazer
• A colorful, preferably silk, prerferably Hermes scarf
• Ballet flats in black, blue, camel or a tres shocking fluoroscent 
• Pointy heels 
• Black booties with stud accents

Pin-up French woman for fashion : Vogue France Editor Emmanuelle Alt is the perfect embodiment of this classic French chic and a personal style icon and barely stirs away from the elements mentioned in the list above.

Pin-up French fashion quote : Having just a handful of clothing items that fit perfectly is better than having a whole closet full of items that aren't all that great.

The Vogue girls after show with Alt (second from left) - Get the drift on black?

Pin-up French fashion quote 2 : Androgyny is forever trés chic.

2. The Makeup - Au naturelle all the way. French ladies are big time believers in good skin being the essence of good looks and hence don't really use too much makeup, despite being home to the world's largest beauty major - L'Oreal! When it comes to skincare, they rely on good pharmacy or pharmacosmetic brands - Avene, La Roche Posay and Nuxe to name a few and average in the top 5 women nationalities in terms of daily time (and euros- a staggering 2.2 bn per year) devoted to skincare. A French woman's bathroom mantle is full of a dedicated battalion of hydrating creams, serums, sunscreens, night creams, cleansers, toners, peels, masks and essential oils to be used religiously and starting at a startling early age. Self care is an absolute top priority and no wonder French women are known worldwide to age really gracefully. You can use this damn useful link to guide you through French pharmacy skincare wonders and buy them rightaway!

The makeup thus acts only as an accentuation to the really fabulous skin and normally consists of only  the following:

• A light, well blending, moisturising foundation
• Cream-base rose-tinted blush for a pretty pop to the cheeks
• Some highlighter on the cheekbones and under brows
• A line of black mascara for nicely defined eye lashes (French women are not too big on eyeliners)
• Soft natural pink or strong red lips

Pin-up French woman for makeup : Marion Cotillard, the Oscar winning French actress and Dior ambassador at large. Her makeup at any red carpet appearance is the perfect case study of looking naturally beautiful and radiant and never ever overdone.

Marion Cotillard at Dior SS'14 show looking barely made up.

Pin-up French make up quote : Invest in great skincare and let your natural radiance shine through your makeup.



3. The Hair - Carefully unkempt. Heavily blowdried or perfectly straightened is just not a French. thing. Leaving home without brushing hair is. Hair must look and be as natural as the skin with the wave and the out-of-place strand right where it's supposed to be. Yes we are talking the 'I woke up like this' bed-head. French women never die their hair, never use a hair dryer, never shampoo their hair daily and never leave their house with wet hair. Most women rock their natural brunettes without any hair accessories except perhaps a dash of perfume to make sure you and your hair smell seamless.

French women normally leave their hair open but if you must try a hairstyle, opt for a messy French braid or a messy French chignon (bun) and go from day to night.

Pin-up French woman for hair : Caroline de Maigret, need I go any farther? Naturally tousled, messy hair with those perfect bangs that are styled exactly the same way no matter where she is. She has also recently authored the instant bestseller - How to be Parisian Wherever You Are and is these days your go-to French babe on all things parisienne.

Caroline de Maigret and her perfect 'rough night' mane.

Pin-up French haircare quote : I just had some great sex.



4. The Lifestyle : It has long been a topic of debate and endless frustration that French girls eat all they want without ever wanting to or needing to go to the gym? Is that true? Well yes. French women walk (and talk, especially during meals) a lot and shed their pain au chocolats as they traverse the rues on the way to work every morning and evening. French women spend tonnes of time outdoors. They also smoke a fair bit (how is one ever supposed to pull off a je ne sais quoi look without blowing a stylish puff?) and we all know that helps us stay gloriously thin!

A French woman has her portion control down pat, and she knows that a little baguette and brie never killed anybody but any foodly overindulgence is promptly followed by a day of conscious eating. Petite isn't just a dress size but a serving size as well. They love to eat farm fresh, organic foods as much as possible (going to the sunday marche is national obsession and a thoroughly gratifying experience for all senses) rather than mass produced supermarket snacks. French women love cooking their meals with fresh market buys keeping natural flavours high and seasoning low. And finally the trick is in savouring every bite (quality over quantity as we spoke of earlier) thus by by all means eating well.

Wine is paired (not poured) with meals and is had as more as a meal accent. Sugary sodas are avoided while sparkling water guzzled by the gallon essentially to to feel more full without pounding the excess calories. I still remember my American boss at L'Oreal ate a bottle of sparkling water and a few springs of rocket leaves for lunch everyday enviously eyeing the 5 course meals of all French girls ate in office. Life sometimes is unfair!

Besides, strict hours of lunch services closing at most restos force them to not delay lunch while store services closing promptly at 7:30 pm every evening forces them to have dinner on time, sleep on time, wake up on time et viola that's great well being right there!

Pin-up French woman for lifestyle : Garance Doré. A fashion photographer, illustrator and writer known for her eponymous blog, Garance Doré on fashion, beauty, travel and culture.She is charming, witty and just the perfect picture of cool elegance combined with cool job. A creative polymath, she shuttles between Paris, NY, Milan and London capturing it all on her blog with genuine anecdotal stories, inspiration moodboards and slice of life episodes straight from her friends, a gang of cool French girls who along with Garance, embody the live the good life attitude. Garance herself and her blog offers daily French girl secrets on eating well, working out and simply being beautiful while leading a very active life.

Garance, doing what she does best - being totally herself.

Pin-up French lifestyle quote : Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup. (Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly).

5. The Attitude : The ultimate art to be truly French girl lies in improving our day to day attitudes towards things around us and more importantly towards ourselves. Here are a few places to start.

a) Be self-indulgent - French women love themselves and are unabashed about cooking themselves a great meal, buying themselves flowers or spending weekends together simply taking care of themselves. After all, you are your own favourite!

b) Treasure the small pleasures - A freshly baked croissant from the bakery, fresh roses, an espresso at the cafe, good cheese, good olives, good meat, good wine, good music, good conversation and including all of the above, picnics. It is these small things that make our lives deliriously happy or the joie de vivre.

c) Let light in - Don't underestimate the myriad powers of the sun. Keep your room, your house, your office and your demeanour light and airy.

d) Old is beautiful - Wine that has aged well, smell of old furniture from your parents, postcards you send to friends, the cheque you write at the supermarket in France and the heritage lift you take to your office are all quaint joys that make life a wee bit more interesting.

e) Vacation more - Take your vacation time very strictly and don't compromise on its quantity (3 weeks at the minimum) or quality (Corsica or Portofino?).

f) Be culturally evolved - Always good to know your Proust from your Plato, your Merlot from your and your Montepulciano, your Monet from your Matisse and your Fauvism from your fashion. Visit gardens, museums, churches and cemeteries with the ardent vigour and surprise of making a discovery about yourself everytime.

h)  Create the balance - In work, love and life let there be spaces in between.

i) Be natural - Take all your time to be moody, melancholic or reticent on a not-so-good day or week. But then also always look your best, invest in your beauty and own your body. In life as in art, original version is the real masterpiece.

Pin up French girl for Attitude : They are everywhere.

Girls at a cafe in Paris the 1920s, as in today.

Pin up French attitude quote : Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future. Act now, without delay. (Simone de Beauvoir)


Have fun working on your French-itude ladies and here's an amaze Nouvelle Vague playlist to slip into the night!

La vie est faite des petities bonheurs.
 Paris, 2013 avec Valerie Bucek