Mary was already booked for another event last week, so luckily that meant I was able to take her place at an awesome evening of food sampling, vodka tasting, and hosting education – and let’s just say I think I definitely got the better end of the deal!

The event included delicious drinks made with Pinnacle Vodka, which were mixed by Lauren Mote of Bittered Sling, along with incredible food parings by her business partner Jonathan Chovancek.  Andrea Helmer from Praxis PR gave us decorating and entertaining tips for different themes (which were matched up perfectly to the food and drinks with each) and included La Minimaliste, La Bonne Vie, La Boheme, and Maitre D.

Each theme was in French because the drinks were all made with French vodka.  Pinnacle Vodka is award-winning and five-times distilled, making it a high quality vodka (and yet more affordable than some of the others).  We learned how to properly taste it on its own (a light sniff, another closer, a little bit to prepare the palate, then some more that you hold and swish, and swallow while exhaling through your nose, keeping your mouth closed… or something along those lines… by the end of the evening I had consumed quite a bit of the stuff so my memory is a bit foggy!) and we enjoyed it in everything from martinis to cocktails.  My favourite was the Vod Vod Baudet, which was a mix of Pinnacle vodka, ginger syrup, lime juice, Bittered Sling Lem-Marrakech Bitters, and sparkling elderflower.  Dangerously light and refreshing – so I had to be careful not to drink it too quickly!

Since I have a comedy YouTube channel I decided to also make a video of the experience and talk to a couple of the other tasters in attendance to get some of their thoughts. Check out what Allison-Elle and Janelle Saccucci had to say about the event (and you’ll even get to enjoy a sample of my vodka-inspired musical stylings)!

My key takeaway from the evening was that you really should consider how everything works together when hosting a party, including the food, drinks, and atmosphere.  You don’t have to stress yourself out about it, but it can really take your event to the next level if you’ve put some thought into the decor, and what kinds of beverages would help accentuate that theme, as well as which kinds of appetizers and snacks would bring it all together.  If you want to leave your guests with the impression that you are the host(ess) with the most(ess), putting at least some consideration into ensuring those three things are in sync can really take your party from good to great – especially when you include high quality ingredients. Happy Hosting!