If you haven’t already made plans for happy hour today, consider meeting your pals at the Rio for a marg on the rooftop. And on the way, would you mind picking up some new school supplies for Crayons to Calculators?
We’re talking pencils, crayons, notebooks, calculators, glue, folders, pens, erasers, etc. for kids in our community who don’t have everything they need to start the school year. You can even Adopt a Student – that means filling up an entire backpack – and you’ll get a Happy Hour Boulder pint glass and an etched mini marg glass from the Rio.
See the post below or visit our website for more details.
Showing posts with label margarita. Show all posts
Showing posts with label margarita. Show all posts
Friday, July 25, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Drinking for a Cause - Crayons to Calculators
Yay! It's our first Drinking for a Cause event! Read on . . .
Admit it, you know you’re going to find yourself at the Rio sometime in the next few weeks. It is summer, after all, and who can resist a frozen marg on the rooftop?
So, if you’re going anyway (and you know you will), we have a favor to ask . . . could you please bring some school supplies?
Here’s why . . .
Did you know that thousands of kids right in our community will start classes in August without pencils, crayons and calculators, much less backpacks in which to tote their supplies?
You remember how exciting it is to shop for colorful notebooks and cool pens, so imagine what it would be like to be the only kid in your class without nice, new things to learn with.
Please join Happy Hour Boulder and the Rio Grande Restaurant in our quest to collect school supplies for Crayons to Calculators, a non-profit organization that gives backpacks and more to underprivileged kids in the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley School Districts.
Drop off any of the items from the list below between July 21 and August 4. And, if you’re really inspired, you can Adopt a Student. That means filling up a new backpack with all the supplies on the list.
Bring in a full backpack and get a Rio etched mini margarita glass and a Happy Hour Boulder pint glass. (See supply list at right.)
Thanks so much for helping students in need! You get to enjoy your happy hour, and a little kid can be proud to show up for the first day of school. Everybody wins!
Visit www.crayonstocalculators.org for more information.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Perfect Margarita
Nothing beats a good margarita, its limey, tequila goodness, spiked with a little citrus - salt or no salt, blended, over ice, or straight up - quenching thirst and bringing on a little buzz with each delicious sip. If you're me, it's the perfect summer beverage, and if you're not me, it's because you've not found a marg that suits you.
Margaritas are to summer (and for some, every season), like the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, the Kremlin is to Moscow or the Great Wall is to China. You simply can't identify with those places minus such landmarks, like you'll never really know what it means to enjoy summer without a good margarita.
So, what constitutes a good margarita? The criteria are somewhat subjective, as there are those who like flavored margs, like strawberry or mango, and some people like theirs sugary sweet, while others prefer tart or bitter drinks. But, there are some basic guidelines to follow when in search of the perfect marg.
First of all, use a little common sense. Ordering a margarita at a restaurant that serves, say Thai food, is probably not a good option. Yes, there are exceptions, but typically, you’ll raise some eyebrows at the bar, as maybe the fifth person ever who’s ordered a marg in such a place. Margaritas are super basic, but there are bartenders who can completely screw them up, so unless it looks like the bar is equipped to handle your order (that means, no margarita mixes), go with a beer instead.
That leads to our next lesson, which is ingredients. While some people really enjoy pre-made mixes, unless you’re in a pinch, don’t order a marg unless you know that the bar is using fresh ingredients or making their own mixers. Why pay a bartender to make your drink if you can do the same thing at home with a little Cuervo mixer from the liquor store?
The best margaritas usually come from the bar’s proprietary margarita mix. They may or may not tell you the exact ingredients, but you can be pretty sure that if a restaurant is taking the time to create their own special mixer, they mean business when it comes to margaritas.
Finally, ask around. Everyone knows a margarita connoisseur, and this person will probably be more than happy to point you in the direction of their favorite marg.
In Boulder, this usually means the Rio. Ask anyone in town where to get a good margarita, and they’ll, without hesitation, tell you about the legendary drinks at this famous Boulder establishment. Known for being exceptionally strong, they have a marg to suit every taste – flavored, frozen, on the rocks, etc. They even have mini margs so you can try out a few different varieties.
Another go-to margarita can be found at Tahona. This tequila bar features a full menu of margaritas and an even bigger list of tequilas. Made from fresh ingredients, these are margaritas in their truest form.
Other good margs can be found at Zolo, Illegal Pete’s, Mamacitas, Terrace Maya (margarita coupon) and Casa Alvarez. And, though not part of the happy hour lineup, one of Boulder’s best margs can be found at Efrain’s on east Arapahoe. This hole in the wall has a loyal local following, most of whom would argue that an Efrain’s marg ranks among the world’s best. Try a Premier and see what you think.
Have a favorite marg not on this list? Share the margarita love by adding a comment to this posting.
Cheers!
Margaritas are to summer (and for some, every season), like the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, the Kremlin is to Moscow or the Great Wall is to China. You simply can't identify with those places minus such landmarks, like you'll never really know what it means to enjoy summer without a good margarita.
So, what constitutes a good margarita? The criteria are somewhat subjective, as there are those who like flavored margs, like strawberry or mango, and some people like theirs sugary sweet, while others prefer tart or bitter drinks. But, there are some basic guidelines to follow when in search of the perfect marg.
First of all, use a little common sense. Ordering a margarita at a restaurant that serves, say Thai food, is probably not a good option. Yes, there are exceptions, but typically, you’ll raise some eyebrows at the bar, as maybe the fifth person ever who’s ordered a marg in such a place. Margaritas are super basic, but there are bartenders who can completely screw them up, so unless it looks like the bar is equipped to handle your order (that means, no margarita mixes), go with a beer instead.
That leads to our next lesson, which is ingredients. While some people really enjoy pre-made mixes, unless you’re in a pinch, don’t order a marg unless you know that the bar is using fresh ingredients or making their own mixers. Why pay a bartender to make your drink if you can do the same thing at home with a little Cuervo mixer from the liquor store?
The best margaritas usually come from the bar’s proprietary margarita mix. They may or may not tell you the exact ingredients, but you can be pretty sure that if a restaurant is taking the time to create their own special mixer, they mean business when it comes to margaritas.
Finally, ask around. Everyone knows a margarita connoisseur, and this person will probably be more than happy to point you in the direction of their favorite marg.
In Boulder, this usually means the Rio. Ask anyone in town where to get a good margarita, and they’ll, without hesitation, tell you about the legendary drinks at this famous Boulder establishment. Known for being exceptionally strong, they have a marg to suit every taste – flavored, frozen, on the rocks, etc. They even have mini margs so you can try out a few different varieties.
Another go-to margarita can be found at Tahona. This tequila bar features a full menu of margaritas and an even bigger list of tequilas. Made from fresh ingredients, these are margaritas in their truest form.
Other good margs can be found at Zolo, Illegal Pete’s, Mamacitas, Terrace Maya (margarita coupon) and Casa Alvarez. And, though not part of the happy hour lineup, one of Boulder’s best margs can be found at Efrain’s on east Arapahoe. This hole in the wall has a loyal local following, most of whom would argue that an Efrain’s marg ranks among the world’s best. Try a Premier and see what you think.
Have a favorite marg not on this list? Share the margarita love by adding a comment to this posting.
Cheers!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Live Music @ The St. Julien
Last Tuesday evening, the exceptionally pleasant weather left me no choice but to arrange a last minute happy hour outing. Seeing as it was already after 5 o'clock when inspiration hit, and my partner in crime wasn't free until 6 pm, AND we wanted to sit outside, our search for the perfect happy hour venue led us to the patio of the St. Julien Hotel.
Were we ever glad that our narrowed options led us to what might be Boulder's best kept happy hour secret. Not only does this happy hour run from 5-7 pm (click on the link above for details), but they also feature live music Tuesday thru Sunday. On this particularly perfect evening, AfroSamba provided jazzy tunes under a Flatiron backdrop while we enjoyed cold beer, frothy margs and a plate of nachos (I know, this is probably not what most people order while at the St. Julien, but sometimes you just want beer and nachos).
As hard as it was to resist the temptation to sit there all night enjoying the band, the cocktails, and the yummy bistro menu, all good things must come to an end. The good news is, you can have this same happy hour experience almost any night of the week at the St. Julien. Check out their website, http://www.stjulien.com/events.cfm, to see who's playing and to browse their extensive menu and creative cocktail list.
*Note: We were psyched to stumble upon AfroSamba! If you have a chance, definitely try to go to happy hour on a night when this stellar band is in the house.
Were we ever glad that our narrowed options led us to what might be Boulder's best kept happy hour secret. Not only does this happy hour run from 5-7 pm (click on the link above for details), but they also feature live music Tuesday thru Sunday. On this particularly perfect evening, AfroSamba provided jazzy tunes under a Flatiron backdrop while we enjoyed cold beer, frothy margs and a plate of nachos (I know, this is probably not what most people order while at the St. Julien, but sometimes you just want beer and nachos).
As hard as it was to resist the temptation to sit there all night enjoying the band, the cocktails, and the yummy bistro menu, all good things must come to an end. The good news is, you can have this same happy hour experience almost any night of the week at the St. Julien. Check out their website, http://www.stjulien.com/events.cfm, to see who's playing and to browse their extensive menu and creative cocktail list.
*Note: We were psyched to stumble upon AfroSamba! If you have a chance, definitely try to go to happy hour on a night when this stellar band is in the house.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Trattoria on Pearl
We at Happy Hour Boulder have always loved the Trattoria on Pearl. It was there, in fact, that we had dinner after conceiving our happy hour idea at Trilogy over bottomless glasses of wine (amazing that we ever launched a site after that). Sadly, we were never really able to celebrate happy hour success at this location, as they did not have a happy hour. Happily, they have remedied this situation and come up with something that looks worth our celebration. While we have not tried it out yet (according to our sources, it just recently launched), we have spent ample time fantasizing about the limoncello margarita. And, I'm done. You'll have to click on the link above to see what else their happy hour has to offer. I simply can't move on from the limoncello marg once I've gotten to thinking about it.
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