Thirsty Thursday: The Brandy Fizz

Hello Vintage-istas!

Since we cracked open a bottle of sparkling wine last week for our Thirsty Thirsday, we decided we would do a whole series of champagne-inclusive cocktails to use up the rest of the bottle! This week, we're going to take a look at a slightly modernized (and more alcoholic!) take on the classic Brandy Fizz:

 
A "Fizz" is a family of cocktails containing a spirit, some kind of citric juice, and-you guessed it-something carbonated. Typically, Fizz cocktails contain club soda or seltzer, but we here at The Vintage Chanteuse prefer to substitute champagne or sparkling wine as a way of giving a classic cocktail a contemporary kick! We first stumbled upon this recipe listed as a "Cognac Fizz" in Here's How: The Home Bartender's Mixing Guide, a small booklet printed by the Schieffelin & Co. liquor importing company in the 1940s. Let's take a look at our Brandy Fizz's ingredients:

• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 sugar cube
• 1.5 oz brandy or cognac
• Sparkling wine to top off
• Lime twist for garnish

Preparation:

In a cocktail shaker, pour lime juice and brandy over sugar cube and allow to dissolve (if you grow impatient, you may gently muddle to encourage the process to speed up). Next, add ice and shake well until ice crystals begin to form around exterior of shaker.

Then, strain into a highball glass, top with sparkling wine, garnish with a lemon twist, and enjoy responsibly!

Recommended accompaniment:

Our version of the Cognac Fizz is steeped in Francophilia (ignoring that we used brandy instead of cognac and sparkling wine instead of champagne!), so we recommend you accompany your fizz with Paris Combo's "Fibre de Verre." Paris Combo is a contemporary Parisian ensemble blending classic French styles with American jazz and swing, amongst many others and is sure to compliment your fizz perfectly!

Until next drink!

Jerron J.

over the weekend

Hi all!  This is a little late but better late than never, right? Things have been a bit crazy as we are preparing for 5th Street Vintage's grand opening on Thursday night!  If you are in the Beatrice, NE area we would LOVE to see you! Check out our Facebook page for more information on our Little Black Dress Party!

Okay, enough of that! Here are 5 things that I found so wonderful this weekend:

1. Life magazine photographer, William Vandivert, took these incredible color photos of Paris in the Summer of 1939.  This was just eleven months before the Nazis invaded the city and more than 2 million Parisians fled the city. 

2. The history behind the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster is so much more than I thought. The saying has been parodied so many times, I had no idea the real meaning behind it! This is fascinating and truly touching...

3.  Frank Sinatra singing opera! Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson sing a duet from Don Giovanni in the 1947 film It Happened in Brooklyn. Ah! Mozart sounds beautiful even when crooned...

4.  This is my M.O. 

5.  These vintage Toronto Transit etiquette guides are hilarious!

Sault!

The Vintage Chanteuse

Thirsty Thursday: The French 75

Hello Vintage-istas!

And we're back! This week we've been reminiscing on our time spent in Paris last summer and, naturally, missing it greatly. This walk down nostalgia-lane lead us to this week's cocktail: The French 75!

The French 75 made its first appearances early in the 20th century, purportedly in the famous New York Bar of Paris. Legend has it, the drink received its famous moniker because it "kicked like a French 75mm," a notorious piece of French field artillery used predominantly in WWI. The champagne component also justifies the name, but we've opted for a cheap sparkling wine option because the combination of these ingredients makes the quality of champagne/sparkling wine indiscernible!

This week we inherited a large basket of fresh Connecticut blueberries from a member of my church choir who owns a farm. Trying to think of unique ways to avoid letting these berries go to waste, I remembered a similar version of this cocktail I stumbled upon back in 2011 and knew this was the cocktail to make! Of course, we here at The Vintage Chanteuse have tweaked the ingredients a tad, so let's take a look:

• 6-8 blueberries
• 2oz gin
• 2oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Splash of simple syrup
• Champagne/Sparking wine
• Lemon twist for garnish

Preparation:
As you may have already noticed, we've chosen to serve this cocktail in vintage pilsner glasses simply because we received them as a gift this summer and think they are so neat! However, these glasses' round bottoms do not lend themselves well to muddling, so begin by muddling your blueberries in a flat-bottomed glass first. Then, if you wish, transfer ingredients to your glass of choice.

This is Isabelle, named after the French composer Isabelle Aboulker, she was patiently waiting for her chance at a fresh blueberry...little did we know she was eating them off the counter when our backs were turned! Eek!

Next, combine gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice and stir gently until well-combined. Finally, top with a couple of ice cubes and champagne/sparkling wine and garnish with a twist of lemon!

Recommended accompaniment:

We highly encourage you accompany your French 75 with "Je ne veux pas travailler" by the band Pink Martini! If you haven't heard of this band yet, it's time you familiarize yourself. They are a modern band drawing clear inspiration from the 1940s and have earned The Vintage Chanteuse seal of approval!

Until next time, salut!

The Vintage Chanteuse

Styling with Vintage Brooches

When I first started buying vintage pieces it was mostly because I was broke and need cute and cheap furnishings for my college apartment. Little did I know it would be the beginning of a love affair. However, it wasn't until my early twenties that I began dressing with vintage pieces.  I was a little hesitant that I wouldn't look normal...I've now realized that is the point!

I began my journey by adding small vintage pieces to my outfit everyday. I began small with vintage brooches! I became very creative with how I would incorporate them into my outfits. Here are some of my favorite ways to accessorize with brooches.

Pin a brooch to a necklace...

or pin it on your evening clutch!

Brooch too big for your handbag? Try a scarf!

Or even a French beret!

Makes me miss Paris...

Or, perhaps my favorite, in your hair!

Of course, if you're not in a brave mood, stick with the traditional location on a sweater or blazer lapel!

I have completely changed my mind in regards to wearing vintage. I am now fully committed to wearing vintage and vintage-inspired pieces in my everyday life. There is something very special and unique about wearing a vintage piece. I feel one-of-a-kind and distinctive. I can't help but make up stories about the woman who wore the piece before me and the wonderful places it has traveled. 

Salut!

The Vintage Chanteuse

Wanderlust

I have incurable Wanderlust; my heart longs to travel nearly everyday. My fiancé and I have a travel "bucket list" nearly a mile long! We love to showcase our adventures in our apartment through the use of globes, maps, souvenirs, and photos. With our impending road trip just hours away, I can't help but think on the adventures we have taken together and the gentle reminders of our memories throughout our apartment. 

We have hidden globes in every corner of our apartment, tilted to various geographic locations on our bucket list. Oh, and did I mention we got engaged in Paris?! Hence the overwhelming amount of French poetry books, Eiffel Towers, and overtly romantic pictures of us drinking champagne on the streets of Paris and biking along the French countryside in Versailles.

As a classical musician, I tend to look at life as art and what better way to capture pieces of life's happiness than through photos. I love the idea of being able the change out my photos and a have sense of déjà vu by hanging photos from tiny clothes pins!

And souvenirs, of course! We bought these from a painter outside of La Bohème du Tertre on Montmartre in Paris. 

Since moving to Connecticut, I have garnished a slight obsession with vintage globes and maps! Thank goodness we don't have much room in our apartment, otherwise I would have an entire living room full of globes if I could! 

And lastly, my favorite photo in our apartment: a 1950's painting of Notre-Dame de Paris and a view of the bridge where we were engaged.

I hope these inspire you to find a little wanderlust of your own. Life is about making memories and finding happiness, so go now and plan your next adventure!

Salut!

The Vintage Chanteuse