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Cocktail Shakers Poised for New Wave of Cocooning

Credit is frozen, the stock market is seesawing and Americans are staying home in droves. The New York Times reports a precipitous decline in consumer spending. And an old notion is resurfacing.

Consumers are cocooning, hunkering down,according to the Consumer Electronics Association. They report a 40% surge in sales of flat-panel TVs over the last year.

The same is true of all things martini-related, says Jerry Martini Guy Gonto, co-owner of www.MartiniArt.com.

People may be staying home, but they sure aren'st giving up their martinis, says Gonto. We'sre seeing strong, healthy sales - a sign that Americans are hanging onto a few pleasures, like the martini, as we head into a holiday season that promises to be tight.

A martini made at home is luxury at a lean price. You can easily serve up elegant martinis at home for less than $2 each, he notes. And the feel of that cold martini glass in your hand just says that things are going to be all right.

These home cocktail parties recall the days when FDR mixed martinis for guests during when he termed the children'ss hour before dinner, Gonto adds.

Gonto offers these tips for cocktail parties:

Set the scene: Set up a station equipped with a cocktail shaker (http://www.martiniart.com/martinishakers.aspx), rows of martini glasses (http://www.martiniart.com/martiniglasses.aspx), assorted olives, fun napkins and plates. Let guests bring an appetizer. People always ask. Let them. They feel part of the action that way, Gonto says.

Tune in the mood: Make it ring-a-ding-ding rat pack music, Andrews Sisters or martini lounge sounds. Have tunes going when guests arrive, Gonto said. People leave their worries at the doorstep.

Chill. A frosty glass takes a martini from sleek to sublime, Gonto says.

Gonto can talk more about this new cocooning, martini history, and how to throw a cool cocktail party. More tips, recipes, martini music and martini-related gear can be found at www.martiniart.com.

To help people swing into the holidays, Gonto offers this Martini-toddy for the body:

The Bing-tini Martini

2 dashes sweet vermouth

's189; ounce apple brandy

1 ounce white rum

1 teaspoon freshly grated apple

1 curl of apple peel

Add the brandy and rum to cocktail shaker 's189; full of cracked ice. Shake vigorously.

Add the grated apple to the bottom of a freezing martini glass. Strain martini cocktail into the glass and drizzle in the sweet vermouth. Top with the apple peel.

Sit back with your friends and enjoy what you have.

About www.MartiniArt.com

Martiniart.com grew from Jerry and Linda Gonto'ss love of the martini in all its incarnations. The site offers seasonal recipes, cocktail party ideas, glassware, shakers, gourmet olives, and martini mood music (http://www.martiniart.com/martinimoodmusic.aspx). Yes, they'sre all about martinis, but they believe in moderation. If you have a martini, you have no business behind the wheel.

Contact: Jerry Gonto (owner) MartiniArt.com toll free 888.654.8312.

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