Words On Wednesday

It's been a minute since I bought a bottle of gin, but when I saw that Costco carried a new Kirkland Signature branded gin, I had to try it. Name: London Dry Gin Source: Kirkland Signature Style: Gin ABV: 44% Price: $17.99 Volume: 1.75L Price per oz: $0.30 In the early days after I could legally buy alcohol, I bought a lot of things that were new to me. I was raised in a teetotaling household, so I didn't get to try a lot of alcohol through my youth. Some things stuck, but others (like Southern Comfort ) were quickly abandoned. When I discovered that I liked Long Island Iced Tea, I decided to pick up the constituent ingredients (including gin) and make one at home. It would be cheaper per drink than buying them at a bar. I figured out the hard way that Long Islands are pretty tough to make well, so I bounced off that idea after the first one. I bought that bottle of Beefeater on May 24, 2014. That one handle of gin stuck with me for several years. By November 2016, it a...

If there is a drink better associated with late April and early May than the Mint Julep, I couldn't find one. Whether you watch the Kentucky Derby or not, this time of year is dominated by the event, and the Mint Julep is the official drink. When planning out posts for the year, not only had I never watched the Kentucky Derby, I had never tried a Mint Julep. Some time around then, I picked up a mint plant to grow in my bathroom windowsill. It was mostly intended to make a Mojito, but hey, mint is mint. Plus, the Mint Julep is classic enough, I felt obligated to try one. Recipe ( Original ) Ingredients 2 oz. Woodford Reserve® 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup 3 Fresh Mint Leaves Crushed Ice Preparation Express the essential oils in the mint and rub them inside the glass.  To the same glass, add simple syrup, bourbon and crushed ice.  Stir. Garnish with more ice and fresh mint. Easy enough. Other recipes I read suggested muddling the mint directly into the glass, which is the route ...

Want to order an old favorite, but sound fancy doing it? Get a Cuba Libre! It's just a rum and cola with lime, but it sounds cultured. Plus, it's fun to say: Cuba Libre. As the Lima One Capital annual company party was approaching, I was discussing it in the office with the data engineering team. You know, before I got laid off? I really felt like if there were no hard feelings, they should've let us still attend the party to go out with a bang. Alas, I digress. At that point, I still had every intention of attending the celebration. One of the data engineers said she planned on getting a Cuba Libre. I was intrigued, a Cuba Libre? I hadn't heard of that. "Oh, it's just rum and Coke with lime." How droll. I love a rum and cola, and I frequently throw lime in it because lime is amazing. Turns out, I had been drinking Cuba Libre for years and didn't even know it. Beyond being simple and delicious, it's also cheap. When you don't have a job, you...

The first "Thirsty Thursday Eve" of the new year, but certainly not the first in this series. I arrived at a somewhat unexpected drink for January. The AI recommendation went in some fairly standard directions for January: either low-calorie drinks to appeal to resolutions about health and weight loss, quintessential winter drinks, or "classics" for some reason. January Theme 1: New Year, New You.  Focus on lighter, low-sugar cocktails or drinks made with invigorating, fresh ingredients like citrus or herbs. Theme 2: Winter Warmers.  Explore boozy hot drinks like a Spiked Hot Chocolate, a Hot Buttered Rum, or a Chai Toddy. Theme 3: The Classics.  A great time to revisit foundational cocktails like the Old Fashioned, a Martini, or a Manhattan, as people are often cozying up indoors. I already did  spiced buttered rum , so that's off the table. I make hot chocolate with Bailey's or eggnog for my wife frequently, so that was an option. However, the most attract...

This month, I'm discussing a cocktail that isn't so much wintery in and of itself, but one that adopts a winter-themed variation. The peppermint White Russian is basically the cocktail interpretation of those little miniature candy canes you get from the mall Santa Claus. Recipe: 2 ounces vodka 1 ounce coffee-flavored liqueur 1 ounce heavy cream 1/2 ounce peppermint syrup The Gemini suggestion for December was critical: December Theme 1: Holiday Indulgence. The month for eggnog . Other options include rich, creamy drinks or cocktails with festive notes of gingerbread or peppermint. A Peppermint White Russian. Theme 2: Sparkling Celebrations. Bubbly drinks for New Year's Eve. A Cranberry Champagne Cocktail or a simple Prosecco with a twist. I've done a spin on eggnog before. I like gingerbread, but I wasn't sure what kind of cocktail would feature it. And the traditional bubbly drinks served at New Year's Eve parties are just not for me. I don...

The cocktail series continues! This month, I wanted to go heavy on the fall-into-winter flavors that are frequently associated with Thanksgiving. Google Gemini's suggestion for this month wasn't surprising: Theme 1: Thanksgiving & Harvest.  Feature autumnal flavors like cranberry, pear, or maple syrup. A Cranberry Bourbon Sour or a Maple Pecan Old Fashioned. Theme 2: Comfort & Spice.  Use warming spices like nutmeg, clove, and allspice. A Spiced Pear Cocktail or a Mulled Wine. I don't love pear, so that's off the table. Cranberry is alright, but a vodka-cran seemed a little low effort. Maple, though? I love some maple syrup. On pancakes, in a latte, maple syrup and maple flavor in general is a welcome addition anywhere. Hence, the maple pecan old fashioned: Recipe 2.5oz pecan/cinnamon infused bourbon 0.25oz pure maple syrup 3 dashes pecan bitters When Gemini suggested a maple pecan old fashioned, I was intrigued. It seemed like a logical, if somewhat niche, riff...

I'm a basic white girl at heart, so the October cocktail obviously had to involve pumpkin. I wasn't alone in that thought process. A lot of recipes online recommended starting with a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks and adding ingredients to it. In my opinion, that felt like cheating. I, too, can throw a shot of vodka into a Starbee's drink. No, I wanted to make something with pumpkin in it myself. October Theme 1: Pumpkin Spice & Halloween.  The absolute quintessential fall theme. A Pumpkin Spice Martini, a Pumpkin Old Fashioned, or a spooky-themed cocktail with dark colors and fun garnishes. Theme 2: Campfire Comfort.  Focus on whiskey and bourbon. A cozy Spiced Bourbon Smash or an Apple Cider Hot Toddy. The AI suggestions corroborated the focus on pumpkin, but I didn't love the specific suggestions. I don't really love a martini and I wanted another type of old fashioned (to come later). The apple cider hot toddy sounded interesting, but that would be two  ...

I've covered a lot of branded beer and spirits lately, but I wanted to try something new. I want to feature one cocktail per month; something seasonal or somehow themed around that month. For September, it had to be apple. Apple picking is a regular thing for my family. We go up to Sky Top Orchard each year to pick far more apples than we will eat, gorge on apple cider donuts, and pick up a jug of apple cider to take home with us. I've even discussed their  hard apple cider  before, and it's fine, but the non-alcoholic fresh apple cider is just amazing. When the idea for monthly cocktails occurred to me, September was an easy one because I knew it HAD to include apple cider somehow. Problem is, most of the cocktails I make are admittedly very low effort. A craft ice sphere in a mason jar, a shot or two of liquor, fill it the rest of the way up with some sort of mixer. Apple cider and liquor is great, don't get me wrong, but it's rather underwhelming. What could I do...