Happenings

As part of Rolling Stone's “Rock Weekend” festivities at the Super Bowl in February, artists like Pete Wentz got behind the turntables in a flying DJ booth during a bash at the Crane Bay.

DesignScene created a custom DJ booth reminiscent of a South Beach lifeguard tower.

The Washington National Opera Ball took over the ceremonial building at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in 2010. Event producer Sandi Hoffman of Sandi R. Hoffman Special Events transformed the lobby into a winter landscape with plush white carpets and white birch trees lining the hallway.

The cocktail reception featured a custom, 32-foot bar adorned with vintage-inspired "sundowner" drink signs. Elsewhere in the tent, burlap-wrapped food carts held appetizers. The bar was designed by Northern Decor and Logistics.

Rather than creating elaborate centerpieces for the Central Park Conservancy's 2006 ball, Grayson Bakula (now known as Bakula Design) used intersected pieces of laser-cut plexiglass to form the ghostly dining table decorations.

Costumed performers brought the storybook theme to life within the party space.

City of Hope, a nonprofit cancer treatment and research center, held its Spirit of Life award gala in November in Los Angeles. The event, which was produced and designed by Namevents, had a sunset beach theme with blue, yellow, and pink tones. Rising from the stage was a series of oversize panels hung from the ceiling, creating the overall effect of a setting sun.

Hotel Sofitel's Le Bar served a Pink Fog martini made with vodka, lemon, cherry puree, egg whites, and a dash of ginger beer. Chandon-sponsored bars served a signature cocktail of rosé poured over a dollop of lemon sorbet and garnished with a lemon wedge.

New York-based catering company Abigail Kirsch offers three fruity mocktails for events. The first is the pom fizz mocktail, which has pomegranate, orange, and lemon juices mixed with sparkling cider.

Abigail Kirsch’s peach rosemary mocktail includes peach puree, rosemary infusion, and sparkling soda.

Abigail Kirsch’s also offers an alcohol-free mango mule with mango and passion fruit puree, honey syrup, lime juice, and ginger beer.

Bar Mercado, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Atlanta, serves the Tomato King. The drink has fresh-squeezed watermelon, basil-infused agave, muddled cherry tomatoes, and fresh lemon juice, topped with club soda and a half tomato sprinkled with smoked sea salt.

Civana, a wellness resort located just outside of Scottsdale, serves the Citrine. The cocktail features whiskey, simple syrup, 20 mint leaves, fresh carrot juice, and ginger beer.

Atlanta-based Oak Steakhouse serves the From Nowhere. The alcohol-free drink includes lemon juice, Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters, soda, and basil.

The Conservatory at the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, located south of San Francisco, serves a mocktail called the Juniper Tree. The drink has elderflower tonic, juniper berry syrup, and lime.

Sushi restaurant O-Ku in Atlanta serves the White Dragon mocktail, made with lychee, mint, and sparkling green tea.

The New York and Las Vegas outposts of American restaurant Beauty & Essex serve specialty mocktails. The Platinum Peacock is made with two slices of cucumber, mint leaves, apple puree, pineapple juice, lime juice, and mint simple syrup.

Beauty & Essex’s also serves a mint lemonade mocktail, made with lemon simple syrup, lemon juice, six to eight shredded mint leaves (not strained), and club soda.

Beauty & Essex’s third mocktail, the garnet gimlet, includes white cranberry juice, strawberry puree, lemon simple syrup, lime juice, three shredded basil leaves, and a splash of ginger ale.

Donetto, an Italian restaurant in Atlanta, serves a rosemary limonata, which has water, lemon juice, simple sugar, lavender bitters, and rosemary.

Tequila brand Patrón has two reduced-guilt cocktail ideas for January. The first is a cucumber-coconut margarita, made with Patrón Silver, coconut water, lime juice, simple syrup, and slices of cucumber.

Patrón’s second cocktail is the Detox Tonic: Patrón Silver, Fever Tree citrus tonic water, 10 mint leaves, a cucumber slice, and a cucumber ribbon and mint spring for garnish.

Spanish eatery the Iberian Pig in Atlanta serves a dark green drink called the Dreamsters. It has cacao-infused almond milk, cinnamon matcha syrup, and tapioca pearls.