Saturday, May 16, 2020

Saturdays are a mental-health-relief day for me.  The news cycle seems to slow down a bit on the weekend, so I try to not log onto the Washington Post page and try not to ask Alexa for the day’s news summary.  But we are in a pandemic, and I really can’t help myself. What if everyone in the White House and the Congress came down with CoVid-19 symptoms overnight? What if an effective vaccine was discovered while I slept?  What if scientists suddenly stumbled on proof that cocktails are the cure for the virus?

Today’s cocktail is my variation of the Classic Vermouth Cassis.  Crème de cassis is made with black currants, which are definitely more popular in northern and eastern Europe than in the USA. In fact, growing black currants is still prohibited by law in several states, since at the turn of the 20th century, the berry was viewed as a carrier of white pine blister rust, a then-threat to the logging industry.  But it’s our loss– the berry is high in vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin B5. You can find black currant-based beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, in England, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and even New Zealand.

In a tall glass with a few ice cubes, mix 3 ounces dry vermouth with 1 ounce crème de cassis and stir.  Top off with club soda and stir again. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel or berries.