Our Top Picks: Summer Cocktails

Whether you're planning a product launch, birthday party, or benefit, one of the key elements for your event will likely take into account what is being served at the bar. Knowing this, last week we announced an all-craft beer menu after much deliberation.

This week, we bring you recommendations from the team on some of our favorite cocktails this summer. Personalize your bar menu by renaming these beloved cocktails to reflect your product, cause, or celebration, or go with the classic names, whichever works best! Whatever you do though, please enjoy. 

#1 AMERICANO Stacie Black

Americano's are made with Campari, sweet vermouth & soda - great for a light cocktail. Photo by: Flickr user hirnrinde_de

The Americano is a great, light summer cocktail, composed of Campari, Sweet Vermouth, and club soda. A favorite of our very own, Stacie Black :). Check out the recipe here.

Fun Fact: It is the first drink ordered by James Bond in the first novel in Casino Royale.

#2 MOSCOW MULE ISABELLE M-T

Moscow Mules from above. Photo by: 3stacksdallas on Instagram

This cocktail is ubiquitous on drink menus around the city due to its deliciously refreshing flavor.  It consists of vodka, lime juice and ginger beer. Check out the recipe here.

Fun Fact: The cocktail became popular during the vodka craze in the United States during the 1950s.

#3 White Sangria REBEKAH KIM

Photo courtesy of simplyduostyle on Instagram.

Originally from Spain and Portugal, this is the definition of a refreshing summer drink. It can also be made in advance which is great for quick service. Ingredients include wine, brandy, fruit and more. Check out the full recipe here.

Fun Fact: Sangria was introduced to the United States when it was brought to the 1964 world’s fair in New York City by Alberto Heras.

Have another recommendation? Let us know in the comments!

Tip Tuesday: Centerpieces with personality

Table decor is a great way to express creativity at your event.  I love the idea of adding personality to each centerpiece by incorporating items that are special to the guest of honor.  

Here's a few unique options:

Something sweet!

Book planters!

Fishbowls for an aquatic theme!

Travel inspired!

Totally out of this world solar system!

HELEN MILLS Now Offers All-Craft Beer List

We're very happy to announce that the HELEN MILLS' beer offering is now exclusively made up of craft beer, with one choice brewed just two miles from the venue! 

THE BEER LINEUP

In choosing the beer list, our team aimed to appeal to a wide variety of our guests who attend and host events in the event space and theater, while introducing beer drinkers to new experiences. "It was a tough choice to make - I like having a variety of styles because guests may prefer different options, depending on their preferences or even mood," says HELEN MILLS Operations Manager, Rebekah Kim.

In the end, the choices were narrowed to four excellent brews (clockwise below): Alphabet City Brewing Co. - Easy Blonde, 2. Abita Light, 3. Sam Adams - Boston Lager & 4. Sierra Nevada - Pale Ale

A Robust Selection

1. Alphabet City Brewing Company: Easy Blonde Ale

*This is our seasonal choice - it will be rotated to make way for another tasty choice*

About the Beer: This crisp, light-bodied golden ale has hints of citrus and white pepper and is lagered to give it a smooth, crisp finish. This beer is a great choice if you're looking for a smooth, easy drinking beer.

Fun Fact: Alphabet City Brewing Company is located 2.1 miles from HELEN MILLS in the East Village and is one of just a handful of breweries located in Manhattan.

More About the Brewery

2. Abita Light

About the Beer: An all-malt lager brewed with pilsner and carapils malts and Vanguard hops. It is the smoothest and most flavorful light beer you’ll ever taste.

Fun Fact:  Abita Beer is based in Louisiana and was the first craft brewery in the Southeast.

More About the Brewery

3. Samuel Adams: Boston Lager

About the Beer: This lager is well balanced, complex and full-bodied with some malty sweetness contrasted by hop spiciness and a smooth finish.

Fun Fact:  Boston Beer Co, brewer of Samuel Adams brands, is largest U.S. craft brewery

More About the Brewery

4. Sierra Nevada: Pale Ale

About the Beer: It has a deep amber color and a exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. The fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor are the results of the generous use of the best Cascade hops.

Fun Fact:  This pale ale is the second best-selling craft beer in the United States, second only to choice #3 above. 

More About the Brewery

*Beer drinkers* please leave your thoughts and recommendations in the comments section - we'd love to hear from you.

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For more information on HELEN MILLS' offerings, check out our All-Inclusive Packages or Contact Us.

Tip Tuesday: Mitzvahs

Tip: Don’t forget to rent cubbies for your son or daughter’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

Most kids love to take their shoes off when they’re on the dance floor, so to prevent a large pile of shoes, bags and jackets on the floor, rent or purchase some cubbies to put along a wall in the event space. Most entertainment companies can provide these rentals for you, but you can also purchase your own and make use of them for your home after the event.

Here are two of our recommended entertainment companies that could help you with renting cubbies:

The Entertainment Company
Brian Rosenbaum
brian@theentertainmentcompany.net
201 650 5729

Nelson Cruz Entertainment
Nelson Cruz
nelson@cruzevents.com
212 289 0843

You can also purchase your own shoe cubbies from The Container Store.

To learn more about hosting your son or daughter’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah at HELEN MILLS, email us at info@helenmills.com or contact us HERE.

Repurposing Jars for Fun Party Lighting

Looking for a fun DIY 4th of July project?  Repurpose mason jars as lanterns!  This a great way to incorporate pretty, patriotic decor into your party.  

To get this look:  

1)  On clean, dry glass place sticks in the shapes of stars and dots. Then paint with American Decor Chalky Finish Paint in White all over jars.

2) On jars you would like stripes, section off evenly with painters tape and paint with American Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Romance.   On jars you would like stars, place 1.5 inch star stickers over dry white paint finish and then paint blue over all stickers.

3) After all paint dries, peel off stickers and painters tape.

4) Place votive in jar and light :)

Stop & Smell...the Peonies: A Guide to Event Floral Design

On my walk to meet with Merriel Weston, a veteran florist with nearly 25 years of experience, I passed through what seemed like a pop-up jungle. To my right were small bushes and imposing conifer trees, on my left, gorgeous bright flowers, climbing vines and tall grasses. Despite the appearance, I was not in a jungle, I was walking along 28th street's famous flower district on my way to get Merriel's words of wisdom on event floral design.

For someone unfamiliar with planning for and purchasing flower arrangements, the choices can be daunting. What is in season? What fits with your brand or event theme? Do you want large arrangements, something more discreet or both? How does your event venue factor in to your choice of floral arrangements? 

I tackled these questions with the help of an experienced and talented florist. Below are some quick, high impact tips to get you on your way to incorporating floral design into your next event.

A selection of arrangements in the studio. These were all created for the same event and kept with the white color scheme while varying in texture and type of flower to create variety and different points of interest.

Q: What are the top factors to consider when creating floral design for an event? 

• The venue's architectural details. For example, if the venue has high ceilings, consider creating taller plants or flowers or having a large centerpiece. If the venue has large window sills, can you place arrangements at each one?

• Guest interaction & Event flow. If you are creating centerpiece or table accent arrangements, make sure your guests can see one another across the table. For your centerpiece, make sure it's near the point where guests will congregate most - at a bar or food station may be a good option depending on the size of the space.

• Seasonality. In the spring Cherry Blossoms, Pear Blossoms, and Magnolias are a great way to reflect the season and create a feeling of Spring indoors. In June, peonies and lilacs are abundant choices. In the Fall, berries and dahlias are local, readily available to usher in the brisker weather. For more guidelines of what flowers are available by season, see here.

Succulents are readily available in the summer and a unique and hardy choice.

Q: What are some considerations when choosing flowers or plants for your arrangements?

• Your brand / cause and the event's mood. Consider what mood you want to create for your event and how you want your guests to feel. For example, bright or intensely colored flowers may foster a sense of excitement while subdued, earthy succulents may have more of a calming, comforting effect.

• Color and texture. When selecting items for your arrangements, consider the texture of each selection you make. The arrangement pictured below has not only varying colors but also vary textures to create interesting contrast in a subtle way, while maintaining the overall white color theme.

• Budget. Floral and plant arrangements can become costly. If you are working within a strict budget, consider having one large or high-impact piece and then complimentary small arrangements throughout the space in areas that guests will see such as check-in, on the bar, or on cocktail furniture and in lounge areas.

About Merriel Weston Merriel Weston has been a florist for nearly 25 years, first in Malibu for 7 years and then in New York City for the past 17 years. Her clients include, Estee Lauder, FedEx, Financial Times, and numerous private clients. For more about Merriel as well as photos of her work, see her website.

Merriel Weston, founder of Merriel Weston Floral Design, poses in the walk-in plant refrigerator.

10 Hotels Near HELEN MILLS to Suit Your Guests' Needs

With so many hotel options in Chelsea, Manhattan, here are some to choose from, all of which are walking distance from the HELEN MILLS Event Space & Theater.

Hotels Less Than 150 Feet Away

1.   Hilton New York Fashion District (152 W 26th St): 4-stars with 280 rooms

2.   Holiday Inn Manhattan 6th Ave – Chelsea (125 W 26th St): 3-stars with 226 rooms

Large Hotels with Plenty of Rooms to Book

3.   Affinia – Manhattan NYC (371 7th Ave): 4-stars with 618 rooms

4.   Eventi (851 Ave of the Americas): 4-stars with 292 rooms

Boutique & Upscale Hotels

5.   The NoMad Hotel (1170 Broadway): 5-stars with 168 rooms

6.   Ace Hotel (20 W 29th St): 4-stars with 280 rooms

7.   Flatiron Hotel (9 W 26th St): 4-stars with 64 rooms

8.   Hotel Giraffe (365 Park Ave S): 4-stars with 72 rooms

Budget-Friendly Hotels

9.   Hotel Indigo - Chelsea (127 W 28th St): 4-stars with 122 rooms

10.   Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Chelsea (160 W 25th St): 3-stars with 158 rooms

For more tips on planning your next event at HELEN MILLS, contact us HERE.

4 Tips for Better Food Presentation

This week, a number of innovative food brands gathered at HELEN MILLS for Food Fête, an exclusive, intimate event that introduces food PR and marketing professionals to a targeted group of top food writers. Exhibitors showcased their newest food, beverage and kitchenware products and in the process taught a few lessons in how best to present and serve food and engage their audience.

Below are four tips and photos from the event from the Yulu Asussie Style Yogurt (Tip #1), California Giant Berry Farms (#2), Sunset (#3), and Challenge Dairy (#4) booths. Take a look for inspiration for your next event!

Need some more ideas for your next event? Download our eBook - Essential Event Tips You Can't Forget or Contact Us for an event consultation.