IMBIBE

Veuve Clicquot Origami Ice Bucket

New from Veuve Clicquot comes a brilliant little promotional piece in the form of an origami ice bucket. Constructed from fully foldable, water-resistant material, the bucket is the brainchild of the aesthetically-oriented champagne brand and Belgian designer Mathias van de Walle. Complete with instructions and a bottle of bubbly, this fully-foldable chilling device can be easily carried with the lucky recipient anywhere they go, just incase there’s a sparkling wine-related emergency.

Champagne “Column” Glasses

For those persnickety consumers who always wanted to serve champagne vertically but never had the proper glassware to build the glistening, bubbling towers of their dreams -designer Sebastian Bergne has finally offered a solution: The Column Glass. Tongue-in-cheek melodrama aside, these containers are actually quite innovative and equal parts aesthetically appealing and functionally applicable. Just imagine how stunning a centerpiece several columns of freshly-poured, ice-cold champagne would make at a party or event. Additionally, as far as I’m concerned, any excuse not to drink out of a stemmed glass (which is sure to lead to spillage, breakage and other unpleasantries) is worth taking. Plus, Bergne is no slouch - this July he will be exhibiting some of his latest works at the first ever Haute Cuisine exhibition in Paris, a “festival of the best in gastronomy fashion and food” set to take place at the Jardins du Palais Royal. 

Imbibe responsibly.  

http://www.sebastianbergne.com/

Recipe: St. Germain Cocktail

A refreshing, elegant and classic concoction to help ring in any new year is the St. Germain Cocktail. It’s easy to make, crisp, cold and bubbly - so get to it and celebrate the end of 2010 in style. Here’s what you’ll need:

2 parts dry Champagne (use a Brut, like Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial)  

1.5 parts St. Germain Elderflower Liquer

1.5 parts club soda

1 lemon wedge to garnish

Mix the club soda and St. Germain thoroughly in a tall glas filled with ice. Top with champagne, drop in a slice of fresh lemon and enjoy. 

Imbibe responsibly.

Verner Panton “1963” Bar Boy by Moet & Chandon

Moet & Chandon teamed up with Verner Panton, one of the most classic furniture and bar-wear designers of the past 50 years, to create this special re-incarnation of their 1963 “Bar Boy” storage system in order to celebrate the release of their Grand Vintage champagne. This luxurious Bar Boy is swathed in classic matte black lacquer and lined in a buttery-soft beige leather.

The Bar Boy’s three departments - the bottom one for cooling and holding champagne, the middle one to harbor and chill flutes and the top one left empty (at the discretion of the owner) - provide more than enough room for an evening of high-class entertaining.

This sumptuous mobile bar, which comes pre-stocked with bottles of the 2002, 1992 and 1982 Moet vintages, can be yours for a measly $5,000.

Imbibe responsibly. 

Moet & Chandon “Double Gold” Jeroboam

How do you make a Jeroboam (that’s twice as large as Magnum, for those who aren’t well-versed in ridiculous liquor bottle sizes) of Moet any better than it already is? How about preparing it for the Holiday season by commissioning a Parisian jeweler to completely encase the bubbly monstrosity in gold leaf? That’ll work.

Plus, it’s only $1,045. 

Perrier Jouet’s Dandy Ball

Not to be outdone by Dom’s multitude of art and fashion collaborations, the house of Perrier Jouet has tapped artist Kareem Iliya to help create a series of prints in celebration of their Fleur de Champagne cuvee. The theme of the collaboration is the Dandy Ball, the type of event frequented by one of Perrier Jouet’s original biggest fans, Oscar Wilde. Ever the dandy, Wilde and his extravagant friends would often gather, decked out in their most luxurious fineries, and celebrate life with bottle upon bottle of bubbly. Sounds good to me. 

Dom Perignon X Karl Lagerfeld

About one year before their adventurous alliance with the Andy Warhol Foundation, Dom Perignon tested the waters of artistic collusion by tapping the iconic Karl Lagerfeld to produce a series of photographs for them. The theme of the collaboration was an ode to Dom’s flagship champagne - the Oenotheque (which means “library of wines”). Merging narrative storytelling, classic French decadence, Karl’s sumptuous eye for fashion and Dom’s historic pursuit of quality and craftsmanship - the resulting campaign was certainly both an aesthetic and branding success.