
Cocktails to bid adieu to a horrendous year
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
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