Far from fair fare
Cotton candy is sweetening drinks, appetizers, desserts
Donita Day hired Twirl Cotton Candy for the first-birthday party for her daughter, Gianna, in April. Day said she had had some Champagne-flavored cotton candy at the Epicurean Affair, Googled it and found Twirl owner Natalie Winslow.
“This is so cute,” she said, referring to Winslow’s Frenchinspired cart, white with gold lettering, topped with flowers
CANDY
Cotton Candy Martini Cloud, Sugar Factory, Fashion Show mall
The cocktail’s a mix of blueberry vodka, raspberry vodka, Kinky Blue liqueur, blue cotton candy syrup, lemonade and lemon juice, topped with a pouf of strawberry cotton candy, $18.
and a clear dome over the cottoncandy spinner.
Sidney Morris, one of Winslow’s five “Twirlettes; our little spinny artists,” handed partygoers paper cones topped with clouds of Tiki Twirl, Fancy Fizz or razzleberry cotton candy — also known as pina colada, Champagne or raspberry, which Winslow said are natural, organic and allergen-free. They were decorated with the guest’s choice of sprinkles and/or glitter.
Winslow and the Twirlettes learned to spin at Fun City Popcorn.
“Once you pick it up, you just go from there,” she said.
Winslow, a full-time commercial property manager who started the business in April 2015, said it grew out of the extravagant parties she designs for her kids.
Sarvi Esquivel, owner of the I
Luv Cotton Candy food truck, also used to be in real estate. She said she started her business four or five years ago, beginning with a cart for special occasions and birthdays. That evolved into a food truck, with which she does catering, markets and events such as festivals, including First Friday every month.
She said her best-selling flavor is strawberry cheesecake; others include grape, mango, blueberry-
Fluffy Unicorn,
Ice Scroll,
8680 W. Warm Springs Road
Baby blue cotton-candyflavored rolled ice cream is topped with a cloud of pink vanilla cotton candy and a marshmallow twist, in 6-ounce, $5.95, or 8-ounce, $6.48.
Fire & Ice, Camden Cocktail Lounge, Palms
Hendricks Gin infused with jalapeno and sage is blended with fresh Meyer lemon juice and Amarena cherry juice, garnished with a roasted jalapeno and served with jalapeno cotton candy, $16.
raspberry, young coconut, pineapple and banana, and she does custom flavors.
Esquivel was drawn to cotton candy making because she wanted a change.
“I wanted to do something fun
Cotton candy cloud, Chill Haus, 6446 N. Durango Drive
Chill Haus’ nondairy, soft-serve ice cream — vanilla or ube flavor or a swirl of both — nestles gently on a cotton candy cloud, $5.
and different,” she said, “that nobody was doing.”
Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @Hkrinella on Twitter.