Change is the only constant in this world and how you adapt says a lot about who you are. You know, the long line of evolution coming down to us is not really the survival of the fittest, but the story of how those who were most ready to adapt to the changing landscape were able to thrive. I had planned a much more complicated cocktail this evening and I had grand visions of how I’d talk about the simplicity of enjoying a complex pleasure, but it was not to be. I’ve got chores to do for my grandma and when grandma calls, you go. So, a quick and easy, chosen by Liam, cocktail it is. Like those stalwart apes in ’49 who followed the stories in the papers only to find that things were not as rosy as they’d been told, we are gonna adapt and thrive with the Gold Rush. 

It’s like three chords and the truth only in a glass. Three simple ingredients, 2 ounces of whiskey, I chose a long neglected bottle of Gentleman Jack, 3/4 of an ounce of lemon juice and 3/4 ounce of honey syrup. A couple of drops of 18-21 Bitters Ginger Lemon Tincture and you are ready for a hearty shake with ice. While you shake till your fingers get cold, think about the lads and lasses who set out for California to find their fortunes, only to discover that all that gold was locked in a bank in Beverly Hills, in somebody else’s name. As you pour the drink over one large cube in a rocks glass, contemplate how they adapted and thrived as merchants, dungaree salesmen and bartenders. Garnish with some freshly picked mint and consider these folks who took the lemons they were given, added some honey and whiskey to make a little sip of happiness to share with their fellow humans. As you take that first sip, enjoy those simple flavors coming together to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts and recollect that at our best, this is what we do. We come together, we blend our efforts, we adapt and we thrive. Together. Stay safe, stay hydrated and stay sane, my friends.