Scroggin's Punch

With Montanya Rum!

Colorado Cocktail talk

Bryan, Sean and Brian and a whole lot of vodka collins'

THE Colorado Cocktail....coming Monday!

Being a born-and-raised, die hard Coloradoan, plus a super cocktail nerd, I'm pretty excited about the idea that this Monday night, Colorado will FINALLY have an official cocktail. Up until this point the closest we had to a drink that represents our great state was the Colorado Bulldog, which is...ew. Bartender and Westword cocktail blogger Sean Kenyon put forth the challenge to local bartenders to mix up what they thought was a cocktail befitting the Centennial State.

The rules:

1. The base spirit (at least 1.5 oz.) must be produced in Colorado.

2. The drink has a maximum of 7 ingredients (includes garnish)

3. All ingredients must be readily available. No homemade ingredients.

4. Anyone submitting a nominee must be a bartender working in a Colorado restaurant.

Many stepped up to the challenge and now it's been narrowed down to just a handful who will compete this Monday at the Colorado Cocktail Project. They'll be announced tomorrow on Westword's Cafe Society page.

Sean and the COBG, the Distiller's Guild, Westword and the MCA combined forces to present two days celebrating Colorado's cocktail culture- the Colorado Cocktail Project June 26-27. Starting Sunday from noon - 6 there will be a marathon of cocktail lectures and a chance to taste a ton of Colorado spirits (including my delicious Montanya Rum- come by, say hi!). Then Monday night 5-9:30 you can throw your vote in for the best Colorado cocktail and find out which drink is the big winner.

I'll definitely be down at the MCA on Monday anticipating which amazing concoction will be certified and recognized as THE signature Colorado Cocktail. Join me?

"...and the band plays the polka while she strips!"

I heard the Andrew Sisters singing "Strip Polka" long before I ever even dreamed I'd be the modern version of the song's subject "Queenie". Once I'd found myself part of the new burlesque in 1998, I was dying to put together an act to it, but could never quite get it together. This Saturday night at the Rover on Broadway, the dream will be realized as punk polka outfit the Polkanauts will be backing me up- playing the polka while I strip. Be there at 9 pm and watch (my personal) history be made. It'll look something like this:

In way less fun news, the great Eddie Dane (aka Eric Christensen) passed away today. He started Danes Dames around the same time I started Burlesque As It Was. We met at Tease-o-rama in New Orleans where we connected as we commiserated about how we'd each brought at least one crazy unmanagable broad with us to the show and ended up bonding as we shared stories and secrets about producing burlesque. When I interviewed him for my book a few years later I realized he was really the only guy trying to bring back the vintage comedy along with the vintage strip- and doing it in a way that was actually funny (head over to your library and read old burlesque skits- they are beyond groaners). Just like the ladies of the new burlesque, he was taking the male roles, the 'men in the baggy pants' and giving them new life. He was a sweetheart of a man, and would do anything to hear the audience roar with laughter. I'm glad I got to spend a few minutes with him in the fall at Sparkly Devil's wedding and I hope he knew I was thinking about him at the end. I'm sure that wherever he is now, there are plenty of gorgeous be-pastied ladies, he's got a full glass of whiskey and he's telling dirty jokes to a room full of people clutching their sides.

Worst blogger ever

Ok, not the worst, but I am slacking way more than I'd like. Right now I'm excited by two spots on 38th, the new Lou's and just opening tonight, Stingray Lounge. I'm just always excited to see cool stuff moving into neighborhoods and on to streets that need a little boost. Frank Bonanno's new eatery has fantastic menu and a great cocktail list with eager and thoughtful bartenders and I'm sure the new spot Leigh and Margaret of Jonesy's, Bar Car and The Horseshoe are opening will be a welcome edition to what has always been a bit of a no-man's land (at least for places I would frequent --except for the tasty Buchi Cafe Cubano).

I'm also heading to Chicago in a couple weeks. Writer James Teitelbaum offered to spend his vacation time showing me the windy city, I'm booked to play the Everleigh Social Club March 27 and dance with a live band (my favorite), and I'll be spreading Montanya Rum love all over the city. Hoping to meet up with some of my LUPEC sisters, drink lovely cocktails, eat good food, and get to know a city I've only flirted with in the past.  Anyone reading this (if anyone is reading this) - let me know if you have any must-see suggestions!

Scattered!!

Feel like I'm pulled in a lot of directions today! Spent this morning taping my April March tribute act, so April can take a look and give me any last minute tweaking advice before I submit it next week for the Burlesque Hall of Fame event in June. Since then I've been working on the fashion show for LUPEC Prom, gave an interview to Simone at the DPL for their Overdue Love Club that I'm now hosting starting this Friday. I just compiled a list of my favorite downtown bars for the author of my favorite book on rum, Wayne Curtis who is swinging through D-town later this week, and tonight I'll be tasting scotch with my fellow Denver Whiskey Club members.

Right now I'm cracking a Yeti and stepping outside to enjoy the last minutes of a 65 degree February day in Colorado!

Spreading the Burlesque Love!

I started my burlesque school as the answer to all the ladies from my audiences who came up after a show asking, "How do I do this?". At the time I had a troupe, but it was already chock full of talented glitter queens, and I wanted a way to show all these other ladies how to shake it, and give them the tools to create performance and take it to the stage.

When I started Vivienne VaVoom's School of Burlesque in 2006 I took the great advice I received from Michelle L'amour and her Studio L'amour, Miss Indigo Blue, headmistress of the Academy of Burlesque in Seattle and Jo Boobs, headmistress of the School of Burlesque in New York and combined it with how I trained the girls who joined Burlesque As It Was, plus added a dash of all the things I wish I'd know when I started in 1998 with only videos and books to train with.

The school has grown and grown and now I sell out nearly every month! It started as a place for all those girls who wouldn't fit into my troupe, and has become an absolute labor of love. Every time I see a girl hit the stage with her first Queen number, every time a girl peels off a glove in the group Starlet act, and feels the warmth and encouragement of the audience and then runs off stage exclaiming, "When do I get to do that again!" I fall in love with burlesque all over again.

Most of my students come in ready to break out of some kind of shell- shyness, body image issues, stage fright, or the crippling idea that she'll never feel sexy onstage- and the process of breaking and finally destroying that shell is SO gratifying. They thank me after, but really I have to thank them for including me on their journey, for trusting me to take them where they want and need to go.

Last night was our first burlesque recital at Bender's Tavern and that room was filled with so much love (literally filled- standing room only) and encouragement. The back stage was chilly, but I never felt cold as I stood beside the light that filled all the ladies who took the stage last night- and I mean took it.