One Big Bite: Martinis and Romantics

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Martinis and Romantics

According to my blog description, I’m a “retired” party animal. On occasion, you could still catch me at 3 in the morning in some bar or club at Makati or The Fort, dancing in my high wedges (stilettos have become too much of a hassle for my aging bones), drink in hand, my vodka tonic sloshing around in my glass. Most of the time though, I would much rath

er be enjoying dinner with Matt and a few friends or playing Guesstures at a friend’s house. Sunny weekends would usually bring me to the beach where I can take wine-induced naps in the shade or swim with my nephews and nieces in the clear blue water. After years of going out almost every night, I’m almost happy to say that I’m simply “partied” out.

Sometimes, though, I hanker for those really awesome parties I used to go to- fun, intimate gatherings that consist of a good, easy-going crowd, delicious drinks and great music. So, when my friend Natasha wanted to do events for her chic resto- Aquaknox- I knew exactly what to do and whom to approach.

Promoter, DJ, college buddy and fellow crazy Carlo Ocampo was brought in to do Thursday events and, with him, he brought along the super-cool, up-and-coming band called Techy Romantics. To go with the luxe, laidback vibe we wanted for the event, we decided to offer “drink-til-you-drop” premium martinis from 9pm-12mn for P599, capitalizing on the expertise of Aquaknox’s brilliant bar manager, Marlo Mauricio. Indeed, a very good deal for cocktail junkies like myself who can smell a juiced-down Cosmopolitan from a mile away. Mau uses only fresh fruit juices and premium liquors for his mixes, such as Tanquer

ay and Absolut. This- without being biased- I believe has got to be one of the best deals in the metro, no doubt. If martinis are not your style, their mojitos are also top-notch.

Aside from the drinks, the music is also something to come out for. The Techy Romantics’ chill/house music is reminiscent of Chicane and Kaskade- serene vocals coupled with danceable beats and a great vibe. I found out on the first night they played that they’re all alums of my college alma mater, and their keyboard player, Dondie, is a long-lost “tambay”-mate (translation: a person I used to cut classes with). Their sound is just the right mix of “relaxed” and “party”, inspiring people to get up and dance, while still allowing non-dancers (like Matt) to chat with their friends. In other words, there’s something for every kind of partyphile.

So far, the feedback has been very good. “It’s nice that there’s something new to do on Thursday nights,” one partygoer said. I’m not surprised that everyone was raving about the cocktails, which is something the resto can truly brag about. On the second night, a table of international club promoters happily sampled every martini flavor available, and stayed on way after the martini promo was over. The place itself has gotten oohs and aahs and promises to be the venue of many more posh and fun gatherings.