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Kibble and Cocktails: Bites, bevs and barks

This tasty little tidbit recently flew into my inbox. The second annual Kibble and Cocktails is back, bringing together chef-crafted bites, freshly mixed beverages and cute canines, all in a festive party space. DFW Rescue Me is the beneficiary of the monies raised, and the all-volunteer org does some admirable work — it’s devoted to saving dogs in shelters from being euthanized.

The April 9 party will feature culinary treats from Nick & Sam’s, FT33 and Nosh, among others, and cocktail pairings concocted from spirits from the William Grant & Sons family of liquors (which includes Hendrick’s Gin, Stoli and Milagro tequila). We have bevs, we have bites, but where do the barks come in?

DFW Rescue Me will have dogs in attendance that you can meet and greet and consider for adoption. So get your cuddle on! (You may be able to pet and love on the dogs all you want, but do refrain from bringing them a cosmo.)

Kibble and Cocktails

What: A sweet party featuring dining and cocktail stations, a raffle and super-adorable dogs
When: Tuesday, April 9, 7 to 10 p.m.
Where: Maison Kiki Gallery, 1111 Dragon St., Dallas
How: Tickets are $100, get yours here!
Why: Because you like dining, drinking and making out with cute dogs (the actual canine version). AND you can party and benefit DFW Rescue Me all at once!

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Modern Mixologist meeting … and a giveaway!

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting and learning from a mixology master, in Dallas to promote a new line of liqueur called Shellback Caribbean Rum. Author of the book “The Modern Mixologist,” Tony Abou-Ganim has made a name for himself crafting clever and thoughtful cocktails reflecting his love of fresh ingredients, including fruit, veggies and herbs.

In Dallas he led a crowd of media guests at the Marc Events venue in the Design District in a hands-on class on mixing fantastic bevs. What fun! Check out our “toolbox”!

Before us was a veritable cornucopia of utensils, knives, glassware, fruit and nifty tools ready for us to use to whip up some sublime drinks. My favorite ingredient had to be the flavored simple syrups, which added the perfect sweet touch to every drink we used them in.

My favorite by far was the Milestone Mojito, full of fresh mint and orange flavor, and starring a little fizz. I might’ve added a tad more simple syrup than required, because that’s just what my palate likes!

Shellback makes two varieties of rum; the clear Silver, which has a remarkably creamy, almost candylike finish (in a pleasing way!), and the Spiced, which is imbued with a hearty caramel flavor. Both are sublime when added to the perfect cocktail, as Tony showed us. And you can learn how to stir some up at home!

Tony was gracious enough to autograph a copy of “The Modern Mixologist” just for one of my Diva readers — is it you? Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. And good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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My Baton Rouge hotel and a cocktail king

As a guest of Baton Rouge, I had the pleasure of being hosted at the super-adorbsHotel Indigo right downtown! What a gem — located right near the water, the hotel is close to the bars and eateries of 3rd Street, the gleaming Shaw Center for the Arts, and the North Boulevard Town Square, as well as the Old State Capitol. And inside, ahhh, it’s what’s inside that counts …

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Baton Rouge Day 1: Eats, drinks, blues

Earlier this month, I traveled to Louisiana as a guest of Baton Rouge to check out how the “Red Stick” city rolls. I had an exquisite time, and found the capital city to be full of charming corners, good eats and drinks and fun things to do. And no wonder — in the last few years, the city has poured resources into revitalizing its compact and very walkable downtown area. There’s a handsome new greenspace called the North Boulevard Town Square, at the heart of downtown that entices folks to walk around or grab a table for lunch. A classic trolley runs through some popular stops in town, including the town square. A stretch of 3rd Street offers nightlife options aplenty, and sites such as the Old State Capitol and the riverfront’s USS Kidd Nautical Museum and Louisiana Art & Science Museum make for supremely interesting visits.

But what kinds of trouble did I get into? Read on!

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Savor Dallas recap

This weekend, the 9th annual round of Savor Dallas came and went in its typical splendid style. As usual, it was a lovely occasion, and for the first time, I got to attend a wine panel! Read on!