Our final NSS sneak peek comes from a brand new exhibitor – An Open Sketchbook (Booth #1957)! I love the painterly watercolor cards and playful confetti cards, which are combined with sweet illustrated greeting cards and hand lettering. Pretty!
Thanks Suzanne and Edgar!
Photo Credits: An Open Sketchbook
My husband is always lamenting the lack of sophisticated stationery designed for men, so I’m thrilled about this new masculine collection from Kelp Designs (Booth #1775)! Katie started with thank you notes, and the collection includes a mix of classic patterns, handsome colors, and clean lines inspired by Katie’s dapper 2 year-old son. The cards are all offset printed on thick, recycled (100% PCW) stock.
Thanks Katie!
Photo Credits: Kelp Designs
This year’s Stationery Show booth from the ladies of Sugarcube Press (Booth #2047) promises to be a lot of fun! Kelsie and Elizabeth are introducing tons of new greeting card designs, gift tags, coasters, and even stamp kits! How cute are those anchor note cards below??
 
 
 
Thanks ladies!
Photo Credits: Sugarcube Press
Nole reminded me recently that we have been remiss in writing about one of the most basic, and one of the best, cocktails of all time: the Manhattan. Sweet and oaky, spicy and rich, the Manhattan should be a cornerstone of every cocktail repertoire. – Andrew
Illustration by Caitlin Keegan for Oh So Beautiful Paper
The Manhattan
2 oz Rye Whiskey
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 Dashes Bitters
Combine everything with lots of ice, stir well, and strain into a chilled tumbler. Enjoy!
The recipe above is my personal favorite and will serve up a fantastic drink, but treat it as a template rather than a rule. Consider bourbon instead of rye for a smoother, sweeter version. Or Punt-e-Mes instead of sweet vermouth for a bitter, sharper drink. Or try flipping the recipe, with two parts vermouth to one part whiskey, for a lighter and more aromatic drink. Or try adding a dash or two of absinthe or maraschino liqueur, two ingredients that pop up in many of the original versions of this recipe. Over ice or straight up, with a cherry or a lemon twist or no garnish at all, this is a pretty good drink.
 
Just make sure that, whatever permutation you try, you don’t forget the bitters. Bitters make this drink. I’m a fan of a dash of Angostura and a dash of Fee Brothers Black Walnut bitters, but just make sure there are bitters. (I think that, for a long time, bartenders forgot that Manhattans need bitters and served many terrible Manhattans. Fortunately, most have remembered again.)
 
The Manhattan is – for very good reason – one of David Embury’s six basic cocktails that everyone should know. It’s easy to see why: incredibly simple to make, incredibly delicious. If I was limited to just one cocktail for the rest of my life, it would be a close call between the Manhattan and Sazerac.
The Manhattan was almost certainly invented in New York (for reasons that are hopefully obvious). Beyond that, not a lot is known about its origins. The drink probably dates back to the late 1800s, but most stories of its invention don’t pass the smell test. I suspect, without any evidence but taste and a bit of logic, that the Manhattan descends (like the Martini) from the Martinez cocktail, making it the cousin of the Martini.
I like the idea of drinks having family trees.
Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper
It’s time – I’m off to NYC for the National Stationery Show! Next week I’ll report back with the best of the best from the Javits Center – from booth design to new paper goods. I can’t wait! But in the meantime…
Photo Credits: Nevara
…a few links for your weekend!
This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:
Check back soon for this week’s cocktail! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you back here for NSS recaps next week! xoxo
p.s. I’m looking for a couple of volunteers to help out with my annual Paper Party on Tuesday! If you live in the NYC area and can spare some time on Tuesday, please email me! I promise to send you home with lots of pretty paper!