Comments (0)

I put together the annual fundraising gala for Mountain View’s Community School of Music and Arts. The event has been at the forefront of my attention for the past six months, and on Saturday it at last happened. I called the event Copacabaña, and in addition to a 17-piece jazz big band, a vintage photobooth, artists creating work live, and fabulous decor, I of course had to design a signature cocktail for the event.

Here’s what the ballroom looked like just before the guests arrived (you can click to enlarge the picture):

Here is the cocktail I created for the occasion:

The Copa

3/4 oz. Plymouth Gin
3/4 oz. Aperol
3/4 oz. Cocchi Aperitivo Americano
3/4 oz. Lemon Juice
1 dash Peach Bitters

Combine and shake over ice, then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of orange zest.

I’d like to extend a special thank you to Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati for sponsoring the reception, and making it possible for me to share this drink with the guests at the event. Thanks to them (and perhaps in part to this drink?) we raised nearly $200k for the school!

Best of all, we raised $9,000 of that amount by auctioning off my services! I’m donating a complete cocktail party to the generous auction winner, which will include dinner, live music, custom invitations, and a 3-hour-long open bar.