Preggatinis... for all your teetotalling friends

You don't even have to be pregnant to enjoy a preggatini, as we observed at a launch party at Barkeeper for Natalie Bovis-Nelsen's new book Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-to-be. If that name makes you gag, you might want to skip this post. But the book is a fun collection of drink recipes perfect for a pre-baby gift, with recipes like Pants on Fire, which features chili-infused simple syrup, or a Mamarita for enjoying with Mexican food. There's also advice on how to order the best virgin drinks at bars, and a chapter on actual cocktails with alcohol for husbands and other non-pregnant people. I wish there had been sophisticated sodas like Dry when I was pregnant -- they make great mixers for some of the recipes in the book.
All the cocktail cognoscenti came out to toast Natalie, and we talked to several fascinating mixology geeks like gourmet icemaker Michael Dozois from Neve Ice, Chuck Taggart from the Gumbo Pages, and Matt, the Rum Dood.
But I think I'll have to pass on the mocktail called "Release Me," which says it will "get things moving in the right direction," featuring figs, lavender honey and prune juice.