Behind the Bar: Cocktail Photo Shoot Secrets

When I first kicked off my weekly cocktail series with this Herbal St-Germain Margarita, I wasn’t really sure how it was going to go. I knew it was going to be challenging, but it was something I really wanted to do. I’ve always enjoyed a good cocktail, and making them at home is an activity of sorts that I’ve truly enjoyed. Now, I’m sharing some behind the bar secrets!

Behind the Bar Secrets

I love coming up with a new cocktail every week to share with you – and well, you know, concepting on the weekends isn’t too bad either ;). But, it’s not always easy to come up with a new cocktail (that will actually look and taste good) every seven days! My biggest “secret”? Sometimes I’m just throwing things together and hoping it works out! If the flavor is abysmal or the cocktail doesn’t look appetizing, then I don’t post it. Or if there’s something I know that I did wrong or that would make the drink better, I’ll tell you.

Like with this Mint and Blackberry Bramble, I added lemon and it was not the best move – so I pointed it out. I won’t do you wrong, I promise. Or the Strawberry Kiwi Champagne Cocktail…..our first go at it tasted okay, but looked horrendous. So we started all over again.

I’m still learning, but I’ve been enjoying it so much! You can’t beat a (blog) happy hour every Friday, right? My favorite posts are my cocktail posts – they’re colorful and sweet, and new each and every week. I also have a blast shooting them, though I’m not sure if I can say the same for my guy, T. He’s such a good sport though. He’s my hand model, taste tester, and basically everything else.

Another behind the bar secret? I make a mess. My kitchen typically looks like it imploded after my weekly cocktail shoots. I’ve got ingredients cluttering my counters, spilled drinks all over our bar cart, and towels and napkins everywhere. I also have to remind T. not to drink the cocktails until the shoot is over (or until I need an adorable photo of him with the cocktail – see two of the many outtakes below).

I know, I know, another week without a cocktail – but I wanted to share some of my behind the bar secrets with you. And next week there’s a real yummy, summery cocktail coming your way! Stay tuned, y’all. For even more cocktail inspiration, check out my page on Drizly 😉

ps. I’m off to D.C. today! AND, I’ve been invited to join the White House #FindYourPark Instameet tomorrow! Follow along on Instagram (@gabivalladares) and Snapchat (bygabriellaco) to see all of my photos from the White House grounds/gardens. I can’t wait to live-gram, snap, and more from the event!

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