It all started innocently enough a few months ago. A new aparment brought about old habits. Many a night had been whiled away in college, sipping Martinis or Tom Collinses or the amazing Clover Club. But cocktail night faded away in the tropics with the availability of cheap beer, attractive ladies, and uncouth friends. Relocating to New York City on a budget of zero also put a crimp in the cocktail style. That all changed in May, with the first declaration of a liquor of the month and a band to accompany it.
May started strong and was difficult to top: gin and Beatles. Has there been a greater band than the Beatles or a greater liquor for cocktails than gin? Particularly notable was the Jasmine - 1 1/2 ounces gin, 1/4 ounce Cointreau, 1/4 ounce Campari, and 3/4 ounce lemon juice shaken hard over ice. The result is like grapefruit juice with a wallop.
June introduced me to bitters and Bob Dylan - Campari, Pimm's, Cynar and others. For those of you interested, Pimm's goes down well with ice and some bitter lemon soda. Chances are you've never tried bitter lemon soda (sort of like Sprite mixed with tonic water) but if you're looking for it in the New York area, try Gristedes grocery stores.
July, and with it the heat of summer, was dedicated to the Beach Boys and rum. Thanks to my windowboxes, I have a steady supply of fresh mint for mojitos which are very refreshing on a hot summer night.
I approached August with some trepidation. What to drink? What to listen to? After much debate and deliberation (The Kinks, Queen, XTC, The Who, Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones and ABBA were all considered) the winner was David Bowie. To match Bowie, I went with anise flavored drinks - so far I have Ricard, Pernod, and a bottle of Absinthe. In the coming weeks, Ouzo, Raki, Sambuca, Arak, and others are expected.
If there is a point to this project and this blog, it is to discover and appreciate interesting drinks and interesting music. Tune in regularly to learn more!
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