Labor Day Sips and Sounds — Beauty News NYC — The First Online Beauty Magazine
On the last, official summer weekend, let’s celebrate the hottest one in our lifetimes, pay homage to the trends that we’ll soon forget, and savor the bittersweet lessons learned by going out with a boozy, bopping bang. Enjoy the cocktails and accompanying Beautygeoise Late Summer Cocktails Playlist to maximize this Labor Day Weekend.
When you feel like an island of sanity in an archipelago of crazy, yet can’t help but laugh at life’s absurdity, the perfect drink to savor the complexity of life, to appreciate the balance of sweet and bitter, brat and demure, is not a cocktail at all. At all times of day, the sweet, refreshing, and floral notes of Lavender Lemonade are made possible by All the Bitters Lavender Bitters . From bartenders who earned top mixology bonafides at none other than culinary mecca The French Laundry, All the Bitters bitters are alcohol-free and work equally well in traditional cocktails and wellness-guided mocktails.
This effervescent mocktail is equally centering before going out or in the afternoon to power through work like a boss. “Haha” by Belgian 2019 Music Industry Awards nominee Charlotte Adigery captures the battle to maintain one’s cool with a rhythmic blend of electronica and R&B.
All the Bitters Lavender Lemonade
- ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup (or lavender syrup)
- 5–7 dashes All The Bitter Lavender bitters
- 5 ounces sparkling water
- Add lemon juice, simple syrup, and bitters to a highball glass and stir.
- Fill glass with ice, top with sparkling water, and stir to combine and chill.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge.
If you are lucky enough to snag dinner or bbq invitations overlooking the Hudson, the East River, or Ditch Plains, there’s no better way to mark the beginning of an epic weekend than toasting the sunset with refreshing herbs like basil. Common Ground’s Basil and Elderflower Gin №1 paired with additional basil is the perfect post-prandial sip to plan the rest of the night. While grooving to Julia Go and Nu’s “ Places,” it conjures up activities along the Amalfi Coast to get the night started just right.
A Vodka Cocktail for Dancing
Now that the brat energy of early summer may have settled into more demure lifestyle options, Labor Day is an occasion to rally and get pumped by a girl anthem with staying power. For a party vibe that celebrates girl empowerment with an irresistible call to dance the night away, pair the OOLA Distillery Spicy Mule with the “ mute” remix. This collab from Shygirl, Lolo Zouaï, and Club Shy brings the party every time.
If feeling introspective, in need of decompression to dissect a romance, the climax of family issues, and/or drama in a friend group, the night lends itself to sipping an artisanal foraged liquor with soul-searching lyrics from Lana Del Rey’s “ Summertime.” OOLA Left Coast Gin, like the female crooner, is a one-of-a-kind blend of roots and flowers nourished by the Pacific. The non-saccharine spirit in a gorgeous, rose pink hue evokes Lana herself.
A Tequila Cocktail to Tantalize
Sometimes a little contemplation only scratches the surface of what we’re going through. All the thoughts racing through our minds, the self-doubt of imposter syndrome and the guilt of success, are akin to talking to our demons. Let Doja Cat, the e-girl who stuns with every performance and never shies away from her darker side, guide this conversation in tandem with a cocktail that epitomizes the struggle between sweet and spicy natures. Tequila Travesuras Chili Lime Mango Margarita kicks up a standard margarita recipe with the spiciness of chili powder and hot sauce.
- 1 oz Triple Sec or Orange Liqueur
- 1–3 tbsp Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup
- 1 cup Orange Juice
- 2 Small Limes
- 1 Dash of Hot Sauce
- 3 Dashes of All Bitter
- 1 Lime Wedge for Rimming
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp Sea Salt
- Add the ingredients to the blender. Blend until creamy and smooth.
- Add ice and shake vigorously. Rim a serving glass with a lime wedge and dip the rim in salt
- Garnish with a wedge of lime and serve.
A Whiskey Cocktail For The Amorous
Whether spent from all the partying and ready for an intimate conversation that ends in a hot and heavy makeout session, DuBlasé’s Paradise Isle balances the vanilla notes of artisanal bourbon with the chill vibe of a night cap. Sweet and smooth, it sips perfectly while setting the mood for a downtempo cover of Sade’s most beloved song. Mix, serve, and put The Sweetest Taboo Dub Remix by Scubba on replay all night long…
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
STAFF WRITER & SENIOR EDITOR
Not bland at all. Gesha-Marie Bland is an essayist, Vanity Fair-published film and television writer, and unrepentant beauty junkie who jumpstarted her career at NYU’s Master’s Program in Cinema Studies. In homage to her beauty icons Jeanne Moreau, Dolly Parton, and Grace Jones, she is forever in search of the perfect cat-eye liner, a killer pair of heels, and unforgettable statement accessories. Currently NYC-based, this dual American-French citizen still wears all-black and has a soft spot for clean beauty, pharmaceutical-grade actives, and most ingredients sourced from vineyards in the south of France. She loves New Wave cinema, Mary Gaitskill’s fiction, Spain, and matcha double-shots. After selling “The Ripper,” her Alexander McQueen-Issie Blow biopic to the Cannes-winning production company Maven Pictures, she remains convinced fashion and couture are the next frontiers for edgy cinematic stories.
Originally published at https://www.beautynewsnyc.com on September 1, 2024.
