Do You Drink Like A Celebrity?

Brad Pitt did what? Jessica Simpson did who? Johnny Depp drank what?

Celebrities have held the public’s fascination since the dawn of civilization, and emulating them has become a mainstay of our society and an obsession with many. A dress worn on the red carpet quickly becomes a fashion icon; a dingy burger joint frequented by an A-lister is now a hip dining hot-spot; a Rolex watch worn by Daniel Craig (as Secret Agent 007) suddenly doubles in price.

This stuff happens all of the time, and celebrities, who inundate our inescapably media-filled lives, are trend setters. Our fascination with movie, music, and TV stars delves into all aspects of their lives. And while we may not be able to afford Charlie Sheen’s $500,000.00 Maybach 62 (it’s a car…),

Mike Tyson’s $2,000,000.00 bathtub, or we can’t afford to buy a $1,700.00 plane ticket for our favorite hat, like U2’s Bono, we can most certainly drink like our favorite stars (well… maybe not like Jay-Z, who recently spent $250,000.00 on a bottle of champagne!).

See if you have a favorite beverage in common with the famous… or infamous.

Jennifer Aniston and Jack Kerouac.....Margarita

George Lucas......Old Fashioned

Chevy Chase......Pina Colada (with one of those little umbrellas, of course)

Elizabeth Hurley......Stinger (very cool Liz!)

Jeff Gordon......White Wine Spritzer (Wow! How totally NASCAR!)














David Bowie and John Travolta......Bombay Gin Martini

John Bon Jovi......Chartreuse on the rocks (John, really?)

Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss......Champagne Cocktail

David Lee Roth......Jack Daniels (straight from the bottle… of course)

Christina Aguilera and Ashton Kutcher......Bombay Saphire Gin

Liv Tyler......Strawberry Daiquiri (natch!)

Pamela Anderson......Mai-Tai

Clint Eastwood......Beer or Cabernet

Justin Timberlake......Beer

Dan Aykroyd......Vodka (he owns a distillery – Skull Vodka)

P Diddy......Cavalli Martini

Cameron Diaz......Pink Taco (3/4 oz vodka, 1/2 oz Sour Puss raspberry liqueur)

Vince Vaughan......Red Bull and Vodka (freakin’ party animal!)

Teri Hatcher and Madonna......Fountain of Youth Martini (vodka and pomegranate Juice)

Paris Hilton......Oro Mijito (made with Oronoco Rum) or Tequila

Johnny Depp......Wine (he owns a vineyard and hates American wines but loves Bordeaux third growth Chateau Calon Segur, Petrus, and Chateau Cheval-Blanc. What a wine snob!)

While the above stars have favorited some of the more common cocktails (perhaps in a slightly more ritzy form), many celebs have adopted less common beverages as their favs, or have actually come up with their own alcoholic concoctions. For instance…

George Clooney......Cool-as-a-Cucumber Cocktail (2 oz white rum, 1 oz cucumber-cilantro syrup, frozen cucumber and lime slices, club soda over crushed ice)

Megan Fox......First Class Punch (1 oz vodka, 1 oz Domaine Canton Liquor, 1/2 oz agave nectar, 1/2 oz fresh lime juice, 1 strawberry, 4 basil leaves)

Jessica Biel......Angry Dragon (2 tbsp of dragon fruit, 1 tbsp Yuzu, 3/4 oz jasmine syrup, 1 oz sake, 1 oz Ketel One Citroen)

Julia Roberts......Scorpino (2 oz vodka, 2 oz cream, 1 oz Grand Marnier, 1 big scoop of Italian lemon ice) Gee, who would’ve thought that she would be high-maintenance!

Kiefer Sutherland......Jade Mistress (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 2 1/2 oz Han Asian vodka (infused with red chilies overnight), 1 oz fresh sour mix, 1 tbsp and 1 tsp diced apple, 3 Thai basil leaves) Do you think he likes it because it takes 24 Hours to make?

Kate Hudson......Passionate Saketini (3 oz chilled sake, 2 oz chilled passion fruit-cranberry cognac, 2 oz chilled guava nectar)

A few celebs have inspired drinks that have been named after them, some for romantic reasons; others are not so kind…

The Lindsay Lohan......1 oz peach schnapps, 1 oz Jagermeister, cranberry juice, cola (basically a red headed slut with a splash of coke!)

Mike Tyson Fruit Punch......2 shots apple schnapps, 2 shots Seagrams Rye Whiskey, 2 shots strawberry schnapps, 2 shots raspberry schnapps, 2 shots wildberry schnapps (I’ll bet the hangover from this one hits you like Tyson’s fist - ouch!)

The Charlie Chaplin......1 part apricot brandy, 1 part sloe gin, 1 part fresh lime juice (this recipe was invented at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York)

The Greta Garbo......1 part brandy, 1 part dry vermouth, 1 part orange juice, ¼ part grenadine, dash of crème de menthe (her first line in the talkies was “Gimme a whiskey, ginger ale on the side, and don’t be stingy, baby.”)

The LeBlon James......2 ounces of Leblon Cachaca, 1 ounce fresh watermelon juice, 1 ounce freshly squeezed Florida citrus juice, dash chipotle-infused agave nectar (OK LeBron, I didn't invent this, I'm just reprinting it...)

If you find some of these beverages interesting and have a yearning to assemble any of the “star-studded” craft cocktails in the privacy of your own home, here’s a list of some of the better liquor stores around town, where you can locate the more difficult-to-find ingredients.

Spirits - 2825 Canton St. Dallas, TX 75226 214-748-2459

Goody Goody – approximately a dozen locations across the Metroplex

Spec’s - 9500 N. Central Expy. Dallas, TX 75231 214-369-2800

Sigel’s Addison - 15003 Inwood Rd. Addison, TX 75001 972-387-9873

Pogo's Wine and Liquor - 5360 W. Lovers Ln. #200 Dallas, TX 75209 214-350-8989

Being scrutinized so closely by the public is a bane of many a star’s existence, but some thrive on the attention, and whether their actions produce the rise in popularity of a run-of-the-mill cocktail, or their behavior merits a “personalized” beverage, celebrities will always have an impact on our lifestyle choices. Now, run out there and get famous so that we can name a drink after you. Look for next month’s article where I’ll tell you the best Dallas hot-spots to spot a celebrity. Cheers!

It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets... Drunk?!

It’s already freakin’ hot and there’s no doubt that summer’s on the way, so “let the games begin!” This month I thought that I’d write about DFW destinations that allow you to do more than just sit and watch sports or listen to music while you drink; this month it’s all about fun and games.

Who hasn’t played beer pong, quarters, beer hunter, the Star Trek drinking game, or Edward 40 Hands (my personal favorite).





According to Dr. Rupert Thompson, the Orator of The University of Cambridge, man has been playing drinking games for centuries, and in fact, the earliest reference to drinking games in Western literature comes from Plato's Symposium The Drinking Party written in the 5th to 4th centuries BC! The Ancients definitely knew how to throw down and we proudly carry on that tradition today!

Here in the present, Big D takes drinking games to a new level and Dallas has a considerable number of venues that allow you to drink while enjoying sports, driving, electronic, or pneumatically powered thrills. What could be more fun than that? C’mon, let’s party like Plato… Consume!

Here I’ve listed some places that run the gamut from the simple pleasures in life to extreme thrill rides. Starting on the lower key end of the spectrum we have…

The Beauty Bar - 1924 N. Henderson Ave. Dallas, TX 75206







Girls (…and guys) can drop by for a manicure and a martini, while listening to DJ-spun tunes here at the “B.B.” An extremely cool, retro interior harkens back to a simpler time when cocktail hour was a thing of “Beauty”. http://thebeautybar.com/dallas

Barcadia - 1917 N. Henderson Ave. Dallas, TX 75334









Right across the street from the beauty bar sits Barcadia, “Home of the Giant Connect 4 and Life Size Jenga, 24 beers on tap, a huge patio, HD Sports, killer bar food, vintage arcade games (like Asteroids, Joust, and Galaxa), and Skeeball”! A great place to play and watch the traffic pass by, on Henderson. http://www.barcadiadallas.com/

Speed Zone







11130 Malibu Dr. Dallas, TX 75229 – Who says drinking and driving don’t go well together? Well… OK, most people say that, and they would be right, but the gang over at Speed Zone (the old Malibu Grand Prix for us old-timers) have a different opinion. Get yer drink on and go race one of their dragsters or go-karts! And if you’re up to it, try one of the extreme thrill rides, play some miniature golf, or some video games. http://www.speedzone.com/

Billiards Den – 580 W. Arapaho Rd. Suite 136 Richardson, TX 75080





This large club, just West of I-75 on Arapaho, in Richardson, has 23 pool tables, a 10-foot Snooker table, 8 dart boards, video games, poker tables, board games, lotsa of TVs, and even a Ping Pong table! League pool and darts, and tournaments abound here, and they have a full bar with a decent kitchen. http://www.thebilliardden.com/

Whirly Ball – 147 E. Harwood Rd. Hurst, TX 76054

What the hell is Whirly Ball? Imagine a cross between basketball and lacrosse… with bumper cars… and beer. Originally on NW Hwy., this hell-on-wheels fun-fest has relocated to a new facility in the Mid-Cities. While it can be a bit pricy (check out their website for details), it’s great for bigger groups and team-building meetings. They also have laser tag. A location is now open in Plano too. http://www.whirlyballdallas.com/

The Main Event





With locations in Grapevine, Plano, Frisco, Lewisville, and Ft. Worth, a Main Event is near almost everyone in the Metroplex. Bowling, billiards, laser tag, an arcade, Glow Golf, and rock climbing, mean that almost everyone can find something to keep them sousefully entertained as well. http://www.maineventusa.com/

300 Dallas – 3805 Belt Line Rd. Addison, TX 75001







“Bowling With a Twist” A light and video show play while you’re bowling on one of their 36 lanes, and add a cool, modern element of distraction, making strikes and spares more sparse. They also have a six-lane suite for private parties. Six professional-sized billiards tables, big screen TV’s, and a full-service bar add to a slightly more classy ambience than some of the other destinations on this list. http://www.threehundred.com/

Dave and Busters





Dallas, Arlington, and Frisco locations make getting to a D&B’s a piece of cake. Play games, win tickets, and trade them for prizes. Funky interiors and copious amounts of games including billiards, shuffleboard, Super Shot Basketball, Skeeball, Golden Tee, and many, many more are waiting for you! Food and game packages are available. http://www.daveandbusters.com/

While there have been rumors floating around that Six Flags over Texas is considering selling beer, it hasn’t happened yet, but for those who want to experience the drunken thrill of the 70 mph, 200 foot, 180 degree inversion loop on Mr. Freeze, we’ll keep crossing our fingers.



Beer-y-Go-Round

 























Get out and enjoy some food and drinks in an atmosphere of fun and frivolity; exercise your body and mind while intoxicating your body and mind, but most of all, have fun! However, if you do find yourself stuck at home, unable to join the festivities at one of these havens of libatious fun, here’s a link to a huge list of drinking games, to help pass the time safely at home… http://www.webtender.com/handbook/games.










Party on Wayne… car comin’!