Luck is a funny thing. When it shines on you, nothing can stop your efforts, when it turns away, even the simplest plans fall to ruin. I’ve always been a contrarian when it comes to the traditions here. 13 is my lucky number and I have a certain fondness for black cats, which makes today’s final thirteenth drink of Halloween so fitting. Won’t you please join me now as we stand and make a tribute to the tiki classic, Black Magic.
There is something comforting about cemeteries. In spite of the spooky connotations in our literature and culture, I don’t know that I have ever felt fear in one. Sadness, nostalgia, loss, comfort, relief and even hope, but not fear. Well, that is not quite true. I have felt fear of the unknown, not wanting to leave the confines of the graveyard into a world without the person you just laid to rest. That is a different kind of fear though, and one I cannot help you with. There are many things we must face alone, but not yet. So, please join me as we stand and make the Haunted Graveyard.
There has been a large rise in “do-it-yourself” projects during “these unprecedented times.” We are no different from the rest of the country, we have redone the back yard, trimmed trees and bushes, made repairs around our house and grandma’s house and our outbuildings and the barn. We have started making our own pastas and breads, drying fruits and vegetables, making candleholders and coasters from old whiskey barrels. It’s funny how making things helps to fill the time. You could make a pretty convincing argument that this whole “Cocktails From Quarantine” series has been a big DIY project. We can’t go to the bars where we would normally enjoy our drinks, so we took matters into our own hands. The point is, there are a lot of folks out there who are doing what they can to make their corner of the world a better place and they are doing it on their own. That is mostly a good thing, so let’s make a drink today that honors the do-it-yourselfers out there, the folks steady crafting their way through 2020. Won’t you, please, join me now, as we stand and make, The Bitter Clipper.
Call it kismet. Sometimes, the drink sneaks up on you. Well, to be fair, often drinks will sneak up on you if you forget your moderation in your other suit, but in this case it was one that just showed up out of nowhere. Seriously, I had never heard of this drink, but there it was in a sponsored post. Please join me now, as we stand and make the classic Lion’s Tail.
Welcome to my report on the drink that I made today. This is the drink chosen for October 3rd. I made this drink, because today they ran a postponed horse race that was originally scheduled for May. If you want to make this drink, then join me as we stand and make The Preakness.
My two most recent kicks have been tiki drinks and bitter liqueurs, so why not go for something that doesn’t really belong in either of those worlds, but lives next door? Tiki and bitter adjacent. This one combines a heavy dose of Angostura Bitters, which is not really a liqueur, but is definitely bitter and a Piña Colada, which isn’t really a tiki drink, it is a boat drink and those are different things. Weird I know, but that is where we find ourselves. Are these two great tastes that go great together or are we about to waste a ton of Ango? Let’s find out as you join me now while we stand and make the Angostura Colada.
Every once and a while you stumble across something amazing. That is exactly what happened with today’s drink. After making the French 75 a while ago and then the Lone Ranger, I started researching other drinks that incorporated champagne or sparkling wine. This one seemed a little weird, but we had some cheap prosecco burning a hole in our pocket so we gave it a shot. Join me now as we stand and make the Old Cuban.
This drink is a result of a few things coming together at the right time. We are on a tiki kick, because that is fun. We had fassionola, since Laura had made it for The Curse of Jean Lafitte the other day and I had this sweet rattlesnake mug that I have wanted to make a drink in. Since the stars aligned to make this drink possible, well mostly aligned anyway, join me as we stand and make the tiki classic, Cobra’s Fang.
I’ve been thinking about New Orleans lately, a lot. I’m not sure if I am missing it or if it is missing me, but there is something in the air. Who am I kidding? I am missing everywhere. I’ve been having dreams about dinners in truck stops in Oklahoma and driving across Kansas. Both noble activities, but hardly exciting, well except during tornado weather. Where was I, oh, dreaming about cafe au lait and beignets, green ones and yellow ones and wondering if the room is spinning or if it’s just me in the bar at the Hotel Montelone. Yeah, I know what it means to miss New Orleans. So, join me as we stand and make a Crescent City classic, the Vieux Carre.
Part of the fun of being an adult is getting to make your own rules, for the most part. So, if I want to try something new and I have the stuff, I can do that. If I want to go into a full blown cocktail at 10 AM, who is gonna stop me? You? Societal conventions? Propriety? D. None of the above? I’ll tell you that a cocktail before breakfast is terribly efficient, getting that alcohol down your gullet early, pre-coffee, with no annoying foods to get in the way of your weekend buzz. So how do we do that? Easy, you start the day with a classic Martinez.