NEIGHBORHOOD FINDS: Cocktail accessories

1) "PORCH PARTIES: Cocktail Recipes and Easy Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining"

Cookbook, $16.95

Full disclosure: I knew nothing about this store before walking through the front door, but since I write for a magazine with the same name, how could I not take a peek? And I'm so glad I did. Everything was breezy and light and the atmosphere just made you want to rub your earlobes and exhale. Woo-sah!

This cookbook by Denise Gee, "Porch Parties: Cocktail Recipes and Easy Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining," is a perfect accoutrement to our other finds. It gives you tips on everything from decor to setting up your outdoor bar, and provides recipes on treats with such tantalizing names as "Rum Yum Punch" and "Red-Deviled Eggs with Crispy Bacon Crumbles."

Happy July 4th!

Grace

46 Pennsylvania Ave., Niantic

860.739.4333

http://gracestores.com

— Katrina T. Gathers

2) ON THE ROCKS

Set of six drink chillers, wooden serving tray and two glass tumblers $35.95

The next time I offer someone a drink on the rocks, I will mean it — literally! I don't know whether these drink chillers will catch on, but they should. They are made of granite, from stones collected on New England beaches, according to the manufacturer. But unlike ice, they don't melt and dilute your drink.
We use the ocean for recreation, transportation; we harvest so much from the water and the shore — food, materials for ornamenting our bodies and our homes. These drink accessories feel like a natural extension of that, one more way to bring the sea home.
The hardwood tray can be stored in the freezer with the rocks, and no two are alike, making it easy to keep track of your beverage these long, leisurely summer nights.

The Bowerbird

Old Lyme Marketplace, Old Lyme

860.434.3562

www.thebowerbird.com

— Faye Trafford

3) KOI FISH COASTERS

Set of 4 for $40, or $10.95 each

Try not to be too jealous. These are just about the sassiest coasters I have ever seen in my life. There was no way I was going to leave the store without them.

I did, though, have a hard time leaving with just one set. They offered such a wide variety of styles to choose from. The quality is truly fabulous, they are a thick, heavy tile and — believe it or not — this photo does not do them any justice. A heart-healthy pour of Malbec would look so nice resting on one of these bad boys right about now.

But as a coworker put it, "You can't use those as coasters, they should be displayed as artwork!"

The Velvet Swan

13 West Main St., Mystic

860.536.3842

— Kara T. Walters

4) JULISKA HANDCRAFTED GLASSWARE

Martini glass, $68

Pitcher, $149

There's a game I like to play called the "What if...?" game. It's a fun list of all the things I'd do or buy if I won the Megamillions jackpot. Along with contributing to several key philanthropic ventures, there's a short list of things I'd like to buy. The first? A pair of Christian Louboutin's, size 10. In the top five would be some really nice glassware.

I was initially looking for a martini glass, but when I saw the pitcher (that goes with the glass, but doesn't quite match) I had to write about both. The nice clerk told me Juliska, a company located outside Prague in the Czech Republic, has artisans hand-blow each piece, which makes every item unique.

A girl can dream!

The French Hen

16 Main St., Essex

860.767.7781

www.thefrenchhen.blogspot.com

— Katrina T. Gathers