In Search of the Next Hot Spot: Charm City

Summer is upon us, the sun is shining (finally after sooo much rain), and the temptation to do another show is upon me. Some colleagues and fans have gotten in touch with me about what they think my next drink paintings should be. And let me tell you, there have been some great suggestions! I hope that Happy Hour Studio has not outgrown its home town of Baltimore, Charm City hon!

Our events attract such a large crowd that we need a good location that is roomy and spacious. Our first show was at Red Maple, an upscale lounge over in Mt. Vernon. And let me tell you, this place was very nice! We had full access to the lounge and bar, and the crowd was hoppin’. The art hung beautifully against the exposed brick walls. It doesn’t get much better. Then I had the joy of doing the last show at Lemongrass, which I suppose would be considered Canton area. We had their exclusive upstairs lounge (private party all the way) and the food was delicious!!

But where’s the next hot spot for our show? If you know of a good spacious bar/lounge/restuarant with ample wall space and a nice vibe, or if you own one and are looking to partner up with us for an event, contact us: mojito@happyhourstudio.com. Thank you!

Fusion Happy Hour @ Lemongrass

Thanks so much for coming out to Fusion Happy Hour in Baltimore on February 26th. We could not have asked for a better event. Lemongrass was very accommodating, and the exclusiveness of the upstairs lounge was definitely worth it! Walking up the stairs and being able to see the “Get Happy” banner before reaching the top was very exciting!

As soon as guests made their way to the top of the stairs they were immediately greeted with beautiful art across the exposed brick walls. This show featured four new paintings, the Lemongrass Martini, Pomegranite Martini, Mudslide, and ever popular Dirty Martini. Art prints will gradually become available for the new drinks in our ever growing series.

In addition to this, the food was on point, so much that when the second round of appetizers came out, they were gone just as quick! We take this as a compliment that everyone enjoyed the appetizers and passed the compliments along to Lemongrass. One of my favorite parts about the food was that they provided a variety of dipping sauces! YUM!

Last but certainly not least, the Lemongrass Martini! It’s their signature drink so I hope you got to try it. If not, watch the video to learn how to make it yourself!

We would truly appreciate your feedback on the event. Your thoughts and comments will help to shape future Fusion Happy Hour events. Thanks again!

Also see write ups on CurlyRed | A Design Blog and on The Cocktail Cafe.

And the online photo gallery: http://photobucket.com/happyhourstudio

Winter Fusion Happy Hour is Here!

This post will serve as all of the additional information you need about what’s going down for
Fusion.

Thursday,
February 26th,
6 – 9pm

@ Lemongrass (visit their website)
1300 Bank Street
(Entrance on Central Ave, before intersection of Bank St.)
Baltimore, MD 21231
410.327.7835
We have the upstairs lounge!

$8 in advance* | $10 at the door

Drink: Exclusive Happy Hour Specials for duration of event

Here is the list so far of the specials:

$5.00 Cosmopolitans
$5.00 Lemongrass Martinis
$4.00 import drafts (stella)
$3.00 house red or house white wine
$3.00 micro drafts (#9, sierra nevada, sam adams, blue moon & magic hat seasonal)
$2.00 domestic drafts (bud lite & yuengling)

Taste: Complimentary hor d’ourves

See: The original abstract alcoholic beverage series, for one night only (small art prints available) There are new drinks in the series!

Be: at Lemongrass, the happenin’ spot in Baltimore for Thursday, February 26th from 6 – 9pm

There will be door prizes!
Jessica has been painting some exclusive new cocktails in her studio that will be unveiled at this show!

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
You can register in advance all the way up to Wednesday, February 25th. This is a great way to take advantage of the $2 discount.

*Register with one guest or more and get in for $7/each. Please visit our website to register online!

A New Look For The New Year

A new year means a new look! We have been working hard to give our website a much needed facelift. After much planning and thought we decided to develop a site that that was fun and a little more interactive.

The new site will feature updates when we create new blog posts and when we add new merchandise to our online store. In addition, we now welcome advertisers to explore our space and consider advertising here. All ads have to be approved by Happy Hour Studio staff, and pricing for ad space varies. We want to thank the designer at Artistic Escape for creating our identity!

Over the past couple of months we have received a couple questions that we would like to address:

Where is Happy Hour Studio Going (in the future)?
We know that the economy has not been the greatest lately, especially for small businesses. We are being forced to cut costs and think about money for even our daily routine decisions. It’s a tough market, but we want to assure you that Happy Hour Studio is not going anywhere! We intend to stay afloat, but we need your help! Please continue to spread the word, to purchase our awesome products, and to come out to our events. We appreciate your support and we have nothing but love for you! You keep us going! And you definitely keep happy hour going!

What about the next Fusion event? What happened there?
In early November we were in the midst of putting together a winter happy hour for December. Unfortunately, the venue we had in mind fell through. No worries though, we are a company of our word, and we do have another event in the works. We don’t want to put the details out there before everything is confirmed. Also, this time around we are partnering up with a couple other great, local companies, so we are looking forward to creating an event that is bigger and better than ever. We appreciate your patience! A new Fusion is on its way!

Spicy Tomato & Vodka: The Bloody Mary

The Bloody Mary is the latest beverage to be released by Happy Hour Studio. Just a reminder, you can order prints and merchandise online through our website.

The History of this Drink:
The way the story is often told, Mary was the brainchild of Fernand “Pete” Petiot, an American bartender working at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris during the Roaring 20s. As you probably know and have experienced before, bartenders regularly mix up all kinds of concoctions to keep their clientele interested.

Research suggests that it was pure luck, not strategic planning, when Petiot combined tomato juice and vodka. A colleague named it, and not after the Rogers and Hammerstein character. In this version of the tale, the drink preceded the show “South Pacific” by some 25 years (the show opened on Broadway on April 7, 1949). Nor was it named after Mary, Queen of Scots. According to research by McIlhenny Company, makers of Tabasco brand pepper sauce, an essential Bloody Mary ingredient, Petiot said that “one of the boys suggested we call the drink ‘Bloody Mary’ because it reminded him of the Bucket of Blood Club in Chicago, and a girl there named Mary.”

In 1934 Petiot took a job at the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City (ultimately becoming head barman). It was there in the 1940s that he introduced the Bloody Mary. The hotel tried to change the name to the Red Snapper, but it didn’t have the same snap. While they like the name, New Yorkers found the cocktail a bit bland, and encouraged Petiot to add some seasoning. He chose black pepper, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, lemon, and, for patrons who liked it spicy, Tabasco sauce, largely formulating the Bloody Mary we know and love. When the drink became a national sensation in the 1950s, Petiot claimed he had invented it while working at Harry’s New York Bar in the 1920s. (this history lesson is from http://www.thenibble.com)

How you make a Bloody Mary:
Nothing is better in the morning or on a cold day than the spicy tomato flavor of a Bloody Mary. You can make it as spicy or mild as you want, using either more or less hot sauce, or by adding a little spice from tequila if you want a different taste. Bloody Marys are often garnished with a celery stalk (for something different, try garnishing with a pickle).

Ingredients:

• 3 oz tomato juice
• 1 1/2 oz vodka
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce
• celery salt
• ground pepper
• hot pepper sauce to taste
• celery stalk and/or pickle spear for garnish
• lemon and/or lime wedge for garnish

Preparation:

1. Build the liquid ingredients in a highball glass ver ice cubes.
2. Mix well.
3. Add the seasonings to taste.
4. Garnish with celery stalk.

If anyone knows any variations of this drink, feel free to post them as comments here! Happy drinking!

Winter Fusion: Will You Be There?

We are in the midst of planning a Winter Fusion for Saturday evening, December 6th, but before we book and set everything in stone, we need to know: Will you be there?

Creating Fusion events is a time and financial commitment on our part, and knowledge of your presence will determine whether or not to make this event happen on December 6th, or wait until the Spring to plan a new show.

We have new art, and a great location with delicious food, but we still need you! Please take a moment to check your calendars, planners, iphones, or random stack of post-it notes by your phone. Let us know here  if you can make this event. Thank you for your support

Creating A New Series: Coffee Fix

With the holidays fast approaching Happy Hour Studio is interested in expanding its line of beverages for the cooler weather. That’s right, we’re still all about alcohol, but really we’re all about the concept and personality of the beverages you enjoy every day.

Our loyal clients not only go out to enjoy the night life, they also wake up early for work the next day! With that in mind, we want to know what makes you tick. When you go to your favorite coffee shop or cafe, what do you usually order? Happy Hour Studio is looking for some new beverages to add to our series.

Post your suggestions here and we’ll take it from there. Cheers!

Between the Sheets: Try This Drink!

This beverage comes to us from the Pocket Guide to Cocktails: The Essential Pocket Book of Cocktail Recipes.

As the name of this cocktail always seems to imply romance and hints that the sheets in question are, at the very least, satin, make it for two people. Certainly, this delicious concoction is as smooth as silk.

Ingredients:

-8 to 10 cracked iced cubes
-4 measures brandy
-3 measures white rum
-1 measure clear Curacao
-1 measure lemon juice

Serves 2

Put the cracked ice into a cocktail shaker.
Pour the brandy, rum, Curacao, and lemon juice over the ice.
Shake vigorously until a frost forms
Stain into two chilled wine or cocktail glasses

Fusion: September 4th @ Red Maple in Baltimore

Fusion:

You don’t want to miss this! Brought to you by Happy Hour Studio and Red Maple lounge in Baltimore, Maryland. Come out and experience Happy Hour Studio like never before. Gaze at original art and enjoy your favorite cocktail, all while mixing and mingling in one of Baltimore’s finest hot spots!

Date: Thursday, September 4th

Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm (stay for live salsa music to follow)

Where: Red Maple, 930 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201

What: One night only Jessica Watson’s original work will be displayed on the exposed brick walls in Red Maple (small art prints available). There will also be drink specials and exclusive hors d’oeuvres between 6 – 8:30pm.

Mark your calendar! More details coming soon! If you plan to attend FUSION, let us know here!

Happy Hour Studio Site Colors: Your Thoughts?

This little section is for you to post your thoughts on the new background color and overall ambiance of our super great site, www.happyhourstudio.com! Let us know what you think here! And if you have suggestions, post them here too! )