Workin' for the weekend

It's Friday which means I'll be tending bar at my dad's restaurant, Mezzanotte's. (It's on South Maryland Parkway, across from the UNLV campus if you want to stop by for a drink and a bite to eat. I recommend the crab and mushroom ravioli.) I help out on weekends since I don't have a love life to speak of, much to my mother's disappointment.

One of the most popular drinks I've been mixing lately is my own creation, a little something I call

Mesmerize
Take 2 oz of Hpnotiq (a liqueur of vodka, cognac and tropical fruit)
Add 1/2 oz white cranberry juice
Shake with crushed ice until very cold
Strain into a flute then
Add 2 oz of champagne
Stir gently and garnish with a strip of lemon peel

Mesmerizes are blue and bubbly, a bit sour, a little sweet and several of them will eventually knock you on your ass so make sure you have a designated driver. Dad hates when people sleep in the parking lot.