It’s not a stretch to say 2020 has given us plenty of reasons to drink. It hasn’t been a great year and we have all been affected by this pandemic. Whether you’re an over-worked essential worker, one of the many who have lost their job, struggling through quarantine, not seeing loved ones, or, like me, becoming your kid’s most underqualified teacher, it’s been hard! But through the struggle, we can still find things to cheer for, like distilleries who are using their resources to make much-needed hand sanitizer, spending more time with family, Netflix binges, and the nation’s instant gratitude for all teachers.

I’ll admit that I’m not the most creative person when it comes to cocktails, anything beyond a vodka soda is fancy. I asked my friend Luke Barrey, a bartender at Gander and Ryegrass, to show me a couple of simple-yet-delicious drinks to make the last day in 2020 special. Let’s drink away 2020 and cheer in 2021.

Luke’s Bartender’s Tips

• Shake if there’s juice, and stir if there is not.

• Always double-strain your drinks to ensure that there is as little sediment as possible.

• Ice is a crucial ingredient, and bad-tasting ice will melt into your drink and leave a lingering flavor.

• The ice size is important—too small and it will dilute your drink quickly. Best to shake or stir with small ice serve with bigger ice cubes or “gentlemen’s ice.”

• When garnishing with citrus zest, try to zest over the glass so that any oils from the rind will add flavor to your drink, or at least twist the zest over the glass. Also, give the rim of the glass a zesting before dropping it into the drink.

An Old-Fashioned Midnight Kiss

Serving size: 1 cocktail

The addition of blackberries brings a traditional Old Fashion to a dark and moody place, fitting for 2020.

Ingredients

2 oz whiskey

3 blackberries

1/4 oz simple syrup

5 dashes of bitters

1 sprig of thyme

Instructions

Add everything except the thyme into a shaker

Muddle until the blackberries are crushed well

Rub the sprig of thyme in your hands to expel the oils and add to the shaker

Add ice and shake for ten to fifteen seconds then strain into a low ball glass over a gentleman’s cube

Add a few fresh blackberries and a sprig of thyme as a garnishment

Horse Necking

Serving size: 1 cocktail

A simple drink that has a big wow-factor, making your guests think you’re a better bartender than you really are.

Ingredients

2 oz bourbon

5 shakes of bitters

6 oz ginger ale

1 lemon

Instructions

Using a paring knife, cut a few inches of lemon peel and twist over a Highball glass to capture the essential oils

In your highball glass, add ice, bourbon, bitters

Top with ginger ale.

Cheers to a Less Misérable 2021

Serving size: 1 cocktail

Like looking through rose-colored glasses into 2021—gin, lemon, raspberries, and champagne… what more do you need?

Ingredients

1.5 oz Gin

1/2 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

3 oz Brut Champagne

3 raspberries

Pinch of luster dust (color of choice)

Twist of lemon

Instructions

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, and raspberries

Add ice and shake for ten to fifteen seconds.

Use a fine mesh cocktail strainer to strain into a Champagne flute

Top off with Champagne and gently stir in the luster dust

Garnish with a raspberry and a twist of lemon

2020 Done-Me-Dirty Martini

Serving size: 1 cocktail

It’s bad luck to have an even amount of olives in a dirty martini. Let’s not press our luck: add three olives to this dirty martini to avoid a 2020 repeat.

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz sweet vermouth

Splash of olive juice (pimiento-stuffed manzanilla olives)

3 olives for garnish

Ice

Instructions

Hours if not the night before, put the vodka, mixing pitcher, and a martini glass in the freezer.

In the pitcher add everything but the olives, stir vigorously for ten to 15 seconds

Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with olives