Friday, March 27, 2020

Yeah, I know it’s not exactly a cocktail, but red wine also calms my anxiety.

I couldn’t resist making a LAY OFF pun, since I keep hearing about furloughs and firings.

This French beaujolais was 4 years old, and perhaps would have tasted even better had we consumed it earlier.  However, the bottle was toward the back of the wine rack, and had been rather neglected and forgotten.  Could that be an analogy for other aspects of my quarantine life? Should I look for neglected and forgotten skills and dust them off and use them?  Stay tuned.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

The Moscow Mule standard recipe calls for 2 ounces of vodka, 4 ounces of ginger beer, and 1/2 ounce lime juice.  Combine, and add ice to fill the cup.  Garnish with a lime wheel. The copper Moscow Mule cups are ideal, since the metal helps retain the coolness.

This is Birthday Boy’s favorite cocktail. He is home with his parents for the quarantine, and we acknowledge that this is not how most 20-something-year-old American males want to spend a birthday.  Cocktails did help the situation, as did a Zoom birthday party with 8 out-of-town relatives.  We discovered that singing Happy Birthday simultaneously does not always sound too good, but the wishes were heartfelt and sincere.  I am fairly certain that this was the largest group of people to gather for his birthday since we threw him a party when he was 10 or so.  See?  There is a silver lining to the quarantine!

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

This cocktail is also known as the 50/50.  Combine, in a shaker full of ice,  one part gin and one part dry vermouth.  Strain, pour into a chilled glass, and garnish with a lemon peel.

According to an internet search, this is a favorite cocktail of the Prince of Wales.  We learned today that HRH Prince Charles has been diagnosed with the Corona virus, which goes to prove that the no one, not even blue-blooded royalty, is immune from infection.

Cheers to Charles, and get well soon.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Purée one ripe mango (peeled and cut into cubes) in a blender with 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 ounce lime juice,  1 1/2 ounces tequila, and 1/2 ounce triple sec.  Dip the edge of a margarita glass into lime juice, then dip into margarita salt(mine happened to be mandarin orange flavored).  Add ice cubes to glass, and pour drink into glass.  This makes a large cocktail, or perhaps 2 smaller ones.

The name of the drink should speak for itself, although perhaps the admonishment should be extended to WOMAN as well as MAN.  Go home and stay home!

Monday, March 23, 2020

Unsweetened iced tea, 1 ounce fruit-flavored liqueur, 1 tablespoon simple syrup, and lemon slices. Add lots of ice!  I used Paw Paw liqueur from Vitae Distillery in Charlottesville, Virginia, because I am once again promoting locally-made products.

This drink’s needed here in Virginia, since our governor has now closed all schools until June 10, which is a few days after summer break was originally supposed to start.  In other words, I will not be reporting to my job at the high school until the fall.

Cheers to the teachers out there, who now have to prepare virtual-learning plans.  Your summer break is still weeks away, isn’t it?  And although I often heard many of you complaining about the (pre-quarantine) job, I know you would still rather be in the classroom than stuck at home in front of a computer screen. I admire you all greatly.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

This batch was made by Husband, since the Manhattan is his signature drink. Blend two ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon, 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth, and a dash of angostura bitters. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass.  Garnish with bourbon black cherries.

And yes, Manhattan and all of NYC are closed except for essential businesses.  Wow.  I cannot imagine that vibrant city being empty–but I can imagine how dire the situation can get if hospitals become even more strained.  Good luck, New York–you are strong enough to get through this!

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Orange juice, splash of vodka, splash of amaretto.

I made my drink a little weaker today, since the liver needs a bit of rest even though my–and the world’s– anxiety is growing.  T

The classic Screwdriver cocktail calls for 2 ingredients, orange juice and an undetermined amount of vodka, served over ice.  So easy!  I like to add some amaretto to give it a deeper flavor.

Whenever I think of a Screwdriver, I think of all those big Polish weddings I attended in my younger days.  There was always an open bar, and drinks served in flimsy semi-opaque plastic glasses.  The bartender would happily make screwdrivers by the pitcher, and happily serve them to any teenager bold enough to order one.  And when the parents asked us what we were drinking, we would reply, “Just orange juice.”

Friday, March 20, 2020

Rosé wine with raspberries. Buy local! Support small businesses! This particular bottle is from Barboursville Vineyards in Barboursville, Virginia.

I chose this blush-colored wine today since I was in the mood for pink.  Spring is coming!

My family teases me about my rosy cheeks, which show up whenever I drink a bit too much. I argue that it’s merely a feminine blush. During these scary quarantine days, I welcome the blush and dread the flush that comes with fever and illness.  Stay healthy out there!  Stay home!

Thursday, March 19, 2020

The classic Gin and IT cocktail (I do believe the IT stands for Italy, home of sweet vermouth) calls for 1 1/2 ounces of gin, 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth, and a dash of citrus bitters.  (I actually made it with grapefruit bitters.) Stir with ice, and strain into a glass with fresh ice.  This cocktail was popular as early as the 1880s, and was called a Sweet Martini.

Cheers to my Italian and Polish friends, celebrating tonight at home.  St. Joseph is a favorite of both cultures, and many communities celebrate with parades and parties, and by “the wearing of the red,” since red is found in both the Italian and the Polish flag.  My salute comes in the form of a red swizzle stick and a red sweatshirt that I wore while “working” at home.  The cocktail looked good next to my laptop.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Frozen banana, almond milk, splash of vanilla vodka, teaspoon of Stevia, and nutmeg.

I consider myself to be frugal, and I hate the idea of throwing out over-ripe bananas.  As a result, there are always frozen bananas to be found in our spare freezer.  When I remember, I pop one into a breakfast smoothie, but today, I needed a creamy treat a bit later in the afternoon, so this spiked smoothie was born.

I think the vanilla vodka added an extra layer of flavor, as did the nutmeg.  Since the almond milk was unsweetened, I added a spoon of Stevia, but sugar may have worked better.  This drink went down very easily on a day when I felt everything around me was off-kilter and everyone was going bananas.