The Bubbly Bride

The Shower Diva Review

preggatinis — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:28:06 +0000

Many thanks to our friends at The Shower Diva who gave The Bubbly Bride this glowing review:

The Bubbly Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Cocktail Guide by Natalie Bovis-Nelsen

Whether you’re throwing an intimate bridal shower, wedding brunch or fabulous all out reception, keep a copy of The Bubbly Bride in hand!

Preggatini’s author, Natalie Bovis-Nelsen, professional mixologist blogs and mixes spirits for a living. With her new book, The Bubbly Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Cocktail Guide, Natalie guides readers through outfitting a home bar, hand-crafting simple syrups for signature cocktails, and today’s chic flavors. Are you ready to learn champagne basics or how to put a libation twist on pre and post wedding parties?

A perfect little bartender’s bible for the newlywed’s household, The Bubbly Bride’s washable cover is au courant, complimenting the contents. For those who don’t know the difference between a shot glass or a shaker,The Bubbly Bride will be their go-to handbook.

We’ve mixed up a few of the more than 70 tasty cocktails to try; just the names invite giggles and a race to grab the shaker and ice! Try Battling the Bridezilla jitters with a frosty flute of Chill Pill, filling a martini glass with a White Pomegranate Teani or raising a toast to the newlyweds with a Love in Bloom cocktail.

Don’t get the idea these recipes are just for bridal showers and girly get-togethers. Bachelor parties can serve up more than a pony keg or cases of beer. You may have to arm wrestle the man in your life for your copy ofThe Bubbly Bride once he’s mixed up the Jackalope, Dirty Harry or Bachelor Party Punch!

There are plenty of tried and true recipes plus new renditions of traditional favorites. The Bubbly Bride has suggestions for cocktails with muddled herbs, fruit, nuts, and yes, even vegetables.

We loved the idea of planning a function around personalized cocktails. Think of fruity cocktails and mocktails from a juice bar at the reception or creating designer cocktails that compliment the wedding menu.

From first blush to happily ever after, the contents of The Bubbly Brideguarantee glasses will be raised and sprits bright, toast after inventive toast. Order online today!

Ultimate Last Hurrah?

preggatinis — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:08:43 +0000

If you’ve got the bucks, the connections and the membership, the brand new SoHo House opening in West Hollywood (already in London and New York) could be the ultimate location for a small, sophisticated soiree with a selection of your best girlfriends.

The bride-about-town who is beyond tacky bachelorette parties and drunken sorority girl behavior, now has SoHo House as the ultimate elegant backdrop for the woman who already has it all – with or without a husband. Members include successful businesspeople, Hollywood elite and those looking for an exclusive good time without having to wade through the rif-raf to get a nightclub’s VIP lounge.

Not to mention, its an ideal spot to husband shop for the singles in your wedding party…

Read more in Kevin West’s article, W Magazine: Society: Wmagazine.com.

Glammy Pixie Press Party

preggatinis — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:47:46 +0000

I just love splashy parties – even more so when they involve books, Hollywood gliterrati, celebrities, hot men, cool cocktails, titillating tunes and an over-the-top fabulous location.

Such was the launch party for Pixie Press Worldwide atop the London Hotel (yes, appetizers by Gordon Ramsey) off Sunset Boulevard earlier this month.Famous faces from Grey’s Anatomy, Sex And The City, Brothers & Sisters and more celebrated the brand new stylish publishing company specializing in unique photography-driven coffee table books fit to grace living rooms from Malibu to Martha’s Vineyard.

Its debut title is called About Face, a limited edition of black & white portraits shot by John Russo. Using Polaroid type 55 film Russo captured some of the most stunning faces of young male stars in Hollywood. Just a few of the featured hunks include Jason Lewis (Sex and the City), Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), Ian Somerhalder (Lost,Vampire Diaries), and Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, Summerland) Yum, yum.

In celebration, the London’s rooftop was transformed into a sparkling wonderland of glamour by Alex Inc Events a sought-after wedding and event designer based in Los Angeles. The cement floor was replaced with plush carpeting, lined with cozy cabanas and elegant cushion-lined sofas, draped with luxurious tapestries and glittering chandeliers hung throughout.

Pixie Press CEO Jordana Woodland gracefully sashayed her baby bump (welcome her to thePreggatinis™ club!) amongst the see-and-be-seen crowd, who happily grooved to DJ Mr. French. As if the nibbles and sips weren’t enough, attendees couldn’t help but drool a little over the gorgeous men in the book (most of whom were also in attendance). Yowza!

Best of all, a percentage of sales from About Face will benefit Smile Train which provides cleft lip and palate surgeries to children around the world.

A Bride Cannot Live By Wine Alone…

preggatinis — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:18:29 +0000

I’m already a big fan of all things Kiwi (“kiwi” as in “hailing from New Zealand”). It has one of the lowest population densities on the planet, nature reigns supreme and is regarded as one of the purist places in the world.

So, when Waiwera Water crossed my path, I was excited to try it. The word “waiwera” comes from the indigenous Maori word ‘Te Rata’ or ‘The Doctor.’Legend has it that New Zealand’s Maori warriors would go to Waiwera to bathe in the waters to recover from the rigors of battle. Scottish-born Robert Graham found Waiwera in 1875, decided to sell this “elixir of health” and the family-owned business still thrives.

According to the company, Waiwera water is carbon dated between 7.6 and 15.3 thousand years old, and pumped directly from one of the largest aquifers in the world. The bore is sunk 400m (1/4 mile) to protect against surface contamination and goes through an advanced filtration process before it is bottled, capped, and shipped out.

Waiwera was voted the world’s best water in 2008 by Decanter Magazine and its bottle won several prestigious design awards including “Best Bottle in Glass” at the Bottledwaterworld Design Awards in Milan and the Gold Medal for “People’s Choice for Package Design” at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Awards.

What I like about both the still and sparkling versions is that Waiwera is not too salty and has low minerality, so it tastes “clean,” and its alkaline (ph 8.5) is believed to help counter the naturally acidic conditions of the modern human body. Waiwera is available at upscale hotels, restaurants and gourmet stores in California and Hawaii. Plus, after hydrating our bodies with refreshing, pure Kiwi water, reusing the decorative glass bottle is a way to keep our whole planet pure.

Northern Virginia Magazine Review

preggatinis — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:52:00 +0000

Big thanks to Warren Rojas of Northern Virginia Magazine for this great review.

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Former Cocktail Corner columnist cum author Natalie Bovis-Nelsen, AKA The Liquid Muse, is back with another tome on proper tippling–this time tackling the always anxiety-ridden task of wedding planning.

And who couldn’t use a dose of liquid courage before taking that LOOOONNNNNGGGGGG walk down the aisle?

Bovis-Nelsen hopes to take the edge off the big day with “The Bubbly Bride,” a feel-good guide for brides-to-be that weaves wedding etiquette (Hate hangovers? Hydrate, eat, shun sugar and pop aspirin before bedtime; freezing water in bundt cake pans yields eye-catching ice wreaths for punch bowls) and cocktail lore (Angostura bitters were created by a German physicist while living in Venezuela; Pisco is a direct descendant of Roman Catholic communion wine).

She also shares dozens of drink recipes, as well as a tutorial on designing your own wedding cocktail (base recipe: 1 1/2 ounces spirit of your choice + 1 ounce simple syrup + 3/4 ounce sweetener/bitters + embellishments of your choice = custom coolers).

Noteworthy selections include: Lambrusco Rosemary Fizz (herby sparkler), D.C. mixologist Derek Brown’s Jackelope (bourbon, oak-infused maple syrup, ginger liqueur), the Schoolgirl Fantasy (black cherry vodka, vanilla liqueur, flavored soda) and Nuts About You (cava, tawny port, almond extract).

She even breaks out the calorie count of many cocktail ingredients–the biggest offender? Liqueurs (120-150 calories per ounce). The most waistline-friendly additive? Lemon or lime juice (8 calories per ounce)–to allay any fitting-through-wedding day disasters.

–Warren

Tagged: Press

LA Weekly Review

preggatinis — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:41:00 +0000

If you are not already familiar with ‘girl-about-Los-Angeles’ blogger CarolineOnCrack, its about time you are! In addition to covering all sorts of fun stuff on her own blog, she also pens a column for Squid Ink on LA Weekly’s website. Here is her wonderful review of The Bubbly Bride:

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Books about weddings are usually sappy and serious, filled with romantic (read: corny) traditions. But for her new book, The Bubbly Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Cocktail Guide, which comes out today, The Liquid Muse blogger and cocktail consultant Natalie Bovis-Nelsen ups the ante. With cocktail recipes ranging from champagne cocktails to party shots, Bovis-Nelsen invites the newly enfianced to toast bridezillas and male strippers, clink glasses with new in-laws and even secure their wedding dress size with low-cal concoctions.
The author invited L.A. bartenders Eric Alperin of the Varnish and The Roger Room’s Damian Windsor to add their own recipes to the collection. For a bachelor’s last hurrah with his boys, Alperin did his take on the classic Corpse Reviver in the Ruse cocktail. His recipe, plus another from the book, after the jump.

Claire Barrett

A collection of bachelorette party shots by Natalie Bovis-Nelsen.

Claire Barrett

The Ruse cocktail by Eric Alperin.

Order your copy of The Bubbly Bride ($16.95) on Amazon.com or through Bovis-Nelsen’s site, TheLiquidMuse.com, where she’s offering a signed copy of The Bubbly Bride and her first book, Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-to-be, for 10% off through the end of 2009 when you enter discount code “LA Weekly” at checkout. Sign up for her newsletter on her site to be notified of her upcoming booksignings in L.A.

The Ruse
From The Bubbly Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Cocktail Guide by Natalie Bovis-Nelsen. Use a Boston shaker, jigger and wire strainer.
Serves: 1
3/4 ounce gin
3/4 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur
3/4 ounce Cointreau
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 bar spoon green Chartreuse
1 lime twist
1. Shake all liquid ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
2. Gently squeeze the lime twist over the surface of the cocktail, peel side down, and serve it with the drink.

La Bruja
From The Bubbly Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Cocktail Guide by Natalie Bovis-Nelsen. Use a Boston shaker, jigger and wire strainer.
Serves: 1
1 1/2 ounces Partida Reposado Tequila
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce pineapple juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 ounce egg white
1 ounce ginger ale
1 slice fresh ginger
1. Omitting the ginger ale, shake all ingredients once without ice and again with ice.
2. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Add ginger ale. Stir. Garnish with a slice of fresh ginger.

Tagged: Press

Los Angeles Times Review

preggatinis — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:52:00 +0000

Many thanks to Jessica Gelt who wrote this splendid review of The Bubbly Bride (in stores now) on the Los Angeles Times Food Blog!

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Sometimes I get so excited about something I got in the mail that I have to rush back to my desk, put on my headphones, crank my favorite Sade CD and write about it. Which is what I’m doing this very minute as I gaze admiringly at a book titled “The Bubbly Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Cocktail Guide” by Natalie Bovis-Nelsen.

People get married for many reasons. Because they’re lonely, because they’re madly in love, because their parents arranged it for them. Others get married because they like to party.

So, bachelors, I have to ask: Will you marry me so we can get to making these drinks?

I’m particularly worked up about the section titled “Getting Cozy With the In-Laws.” I just love other people’s parents and I find that you get to know them more quickly with a few drinks in you. Perhaps the Mother-In-Law Cosmo or the Prenup Punch with a pinch of cloves and an edible flower will do the trick.

Or we could just skip straight to the chapter titled “Happily Ever After.” I love that one, I really do. We could mix up a Trousseau Tickler with Champagne and rhubarb bitters and just kind of giggle at each other until we fall asleep.

If the whole marriage thing works out for us, we can buy Bovis-Nelsen’s other compelling work of faux-cocktail wizardry, “Preggatinis.”

– Jessica Gelt

Tagged: Press

Cut off the bridesmaids…

preggatinis — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:11:00 +0000

Tagged: Video

Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego California

preggatinis — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Less than half an hour from the sandy beaches of San Diego and a mere 2 hours from Los Angeles, Rancho Bernardo Inn Golf Resort & Spa is a quick romantic escape from the bustle of city life. Trickling fountains, wild bunnies hopping through lush grass, Romanesque statues and Spanish style architecture provide the perfect backdrop for a weekend getaway for two or a homey-yet-stylish Southern California wedding.

The Inn offers many idyllic settings for The Bubbly Bride-to-be’s ideal spot to exchange vows from a leafy canopy upon a grassy knoll to an elegant ballroom, the Inn provides several venues in one location. Having undergone an extensive renovation in 2007, the enchanting destination is able to accommodate parties of 10 people to 1000. There are 287 spacious guest rooms starting at $229 per night as well as 15 suites fit for wedding night bliss.

Once you and your guests drop your cars at the complimentary valet service, there is a myriad of indulgent activities. The spa offers various styles of massage as well as facials, and made-fresh daily herbal spa treatments for the body and face. The sun-filled fitness center boasts all the necessary machines to keep tone and relieve stress in those last days leading up to the waltz down the aisle. Rent a tented cabana for lolling around sipping cocktails poolside. And, golf enthusiasts will revel in the 45 holes on-site including the 18-hole Resort Course designed by William Bell, and the Oaks North 27-hole executive course designed by Ted Robinson.

Dining options include El Bizcocho restaurant featuring seasonally inspired modern French and California-influenced cuisine. La Taberna bar keeps things lively with nightly piano entertainment. And, your guests in town from chilly climates will love dining alfresco on the patio of La Veranda Bar & Grill, which overlooks the 18^th hole. Quell pre-wedding jitters with a round of pool or darts at La Veranda’s game area. Depending on the date of your wedding, a fun bachelorette party weekend or rehearsal dinner could be centered around the El Bizcocho’s annual beer vs. wine pairing dinner, an interactive foodie’s fantasy where patrons vote on the best supper / sipper matches. And, of course, catering banquet halls can be designed to suit your wedding reception.

Whether popping the question, escaping the kids for the weekend or celebrating your “I Do’s,” Rancho Bernardo Inn could be the destination of your dreams. And, one of the best things about living in Southern California is that a short drive down the freeway can transport you to a world away.

Tagged: Dream Destinations

Welcome!

preggatinis — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:53:00 +0000

I’m very excited to announce that the book is finally about to hit shelves!

After closing “The Bubbly Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Cocktail Guide” book deal in 2007, confirming the title in 2008, writing the book, creating the cocktail recipes, doing the photo shoot, and having the publisher ship it off to be published — the wait is finally (almost) over!

More to come as the release date gets closer (December but you can pre-order your copies on Amazon.