Sunday, April 23, 2023

In Praise of Cocktails.



RHYS BOWEN: As you found out yesterday, I’m in Hawaii for a few days of rest and relaxation (which I’m now getting after a traumatic first day: bags took an hour and a half to arrive. Fire alarm went off at two in the morning at the hotel. Strong winds dropped black stuff from the ceiling vent onto my counter etc etc)



One of the treats in Hawaii is COCKTAILS. I love the look of that pretty tall glass with colored liquid inside, an umbrella on the top with a chunk of pineapple and a cherry. So fun. So festive. So far I’ve had a mai tai (naturally), a passion fruit something… (forgot the name) and a pina collada. And I love the cool fruitiness of a long drink (with a touch of alcohol, of course)

And the good thing about cocktails is that they have now become fashionable at home. When I first arrived in America drinking was all about hard liquor. Men at business lunches had a martini or two. (I shudder to think about the deals made)

Then it was all about wine. America became a country of wine lovers. We went from white Zinfandel to boutique Sauvignon Blancs. And that was fine with me.

But now every good restaurant has a fun cocktails list with interesting and different ingredients. I’m a fan of the lavender mojito, as well as classics like the Moscow Mule.  Recently I had a Dark and Stormy, which was a dark rum with ginger beer and lime juice. Good.

I don’t make cocktails at home apart from margaritas or bloody marys in the summer, but as I’m writing this I think that I should try and invent my own. Yes, that will be my quest for the summer. A signature cocktail to be served at future Rhys Bowen signing events!  The Rhys’s Piece?

Or how about the Jungle Red? What ingredients would go into that? It could be a twist on a bloody mary, couldn’t it? But if we wanted sweet? Marachino cherries definitely. Cassis? Passionfruit juice?  Suggestions, please?

Are you a fan of cocktails? If you invented one what would it contain?

43 comments:

  1. It looks lovely and warm there, Rhys! I love a good cocktail, but I don't care for sweet ones. If there's too much fruity stuff, I forget it has alcohol in it and drink it too fast. But a good martini, a well-mixed Manhattan (my cousin's wife turned me on to orange bitters - yum), a tangy mojito, or a whiskey sour? Bring it! And a spicy bloody Mary on the weekend is always a treat.

    I invented a peach-based cocktail for one of my Country Store mysteries, No Grater Crime, that was yummy. I happened to have some peach moonshine around, added peach nectar, bourbon, and juice from a quarter lime. I called it the Peach Hoagy after Hoagy Carmichael, who was born in Bloomington, Indiana and wrote "Georgia on My Mind."

    Have a relaxing time in Hawaii!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Peach Hoagy cocktail sounds yummy, Edith!

      Diana

      Delete
    2. It is! https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2021/08/peach-hoagy-from-maddiedayauthor-plus.html

      Delete
  2. Rhys, sounds like you are having a great time in Hawaii.

    When I dated this young man (he was five years younger than me), we used to go to his club and I discovered Appletini. Yummy! Yes, I have a sweet tooth and I can still taste the alcohol so I am very careful about drinking it.

    And on another date with another man years later, we had Lemon Drop at this restaurant in Sausalito. Again, it is very sweet and I could still taste the alcohol, though.

    We have wonderful wines in California. When I studied at Oxford, we had this wonderful port wine in the junior common room one evening after dinner that tasted like peppermint candy.

    If I was going to have a signature cocktail, it is more likely to be a mocktail these days. There was a wonderful recipe for a mocktail - I cannot recall the exact recipe though it had elderflower something in it. And maybe some kind of fruit juice in it?

    Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diana, one of the great things about the intersection of the rise of cocktail culture and more and more people embracing sobriety - at least part time - is the sheer number of amazing products and recipes for mocktails out there. They're fun, festive, and a lot of them have subtle layers of flavor. We've come a long way from the Shirley Temple!

      Delete
  3. Rhys, I love Hawaii ❤️. Best vacation destination ever. Have a wonderful, relaxing time.
    On occasion, I will order a cocktail. The ones you have sampled on vacation all sound very yummy. Once upon a skinny time ago, I thought Brandy Alexanders and Grasshoppers were delicious. I quit those when I realized it was like having an ice cream sundae for a drink. Pina coladas and Margaritas are a nice change for me, but mostly, I like my Scotch neat, and I don't know enough about other liquor to create a cocktail. I'll try your concoction if I am ever at a Rhys Bowen event.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judy, back in the disco days, Brandy Alexanders were my once-in-awhile choice. Now I'm more likely to have a White Russian--no one knows how to make BAs any more.

      Delete
    2. I’m still recovering from a Brandy Alexander hangover from spending an evening with them over 50 years ago. LOL, but oh my, they tasted wonderful! Elisabeth

      Delete
    3. Karen, some day we will attend the same event and we will order Brandy Alexanders and toast JRW!

      Delete
    4. You're on! Like you, though, I prefer a good single malt to sip.

      Delete
    5. First one's on me, Karen!!

      Delete
  4. Hawaii is lovely--glad you are having a great time! I mostly drink wine these days, but back in the day I enjoyed a White Russian, as did my mom. In a couple of weeks comes the first Saturday in May and the Kentucky Derby. My friend has a Kentucky Derby party and always serves mint juleps. So good, but I generally ask for mine with less alcohol.

    ReplyDelete
  5. P.S... Today the blog emailed me yesterday's link, Yesterday I also got a link for the day before's post and the day before, no email at all. If you are seeing fewer comments, it may be because the links are wrong. I had an easy time finding the real new post, but had to go look for it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why does anyone need a link to Jungle Red blog in the additional layer of an email? Just type Jungle Red Writers into your search engine of choice.

      Delete
    2. Gillian, the delay is because midnight in Hawaii is 6 hours later than midnight in Connecticut.

      Delete
    3. Judy that makes sense, and anonymous, I'm just used to having the email as a way to help me get here on a regular basis.I do find the blog on my own too :)

      Delete
  6. I am laughing- a Jungle Red is a great idea and passion fruit sounds appropriately jungle-y to me. Tart and refreshing too. I have to add that after years of following this wonderful blog, I only recently learned where the great name came from. I happened to watch that very old, funny (and sarcastic, to say the least) movie The Women on tv. And there it was. What fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When we drink those Jungle Red cocktails, we all need to wear Jungle Red nail polish!

      Delete

    2. Judy, that is a genius plan

      Delete
  7. Rhys Piece sounds delish! I am a fan of cocktails, but college taught me I have no talent for creating them! Lesson learned.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I thought we already had a Jungle Red cocktail? Hank?

    My youngest likes to invent cocktails. They recently made their own gin in South Africa, as one of their cruise activities. She brought me a bottle of the distillery's most unusual gin, in a terra cotta bottle. It's almost like a fortified sherry, very rich. A cocktail all on its own.

    My tastes tend away from sweet cocktails and towards lighter ones. Recent favorites are pineapple jalapeno margaritas with Mexican food, and the Keeneland Breezes a friend serves every Derby Day. A good Kentucky Bourbon, Grande Marnier, gingerale, and a splash of soda over ice, with an orange slice. So refreshing. As soon as the temps rise a bit we'll be having Aperol Spritzes on warm Friday evenings on the porch.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My ultimate cocktail would consist of beer and beer, in equal parts. Don't bother with the fancy little unbella.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh gosh, I'd forgotten Brandy Alexanders (thanks, Judy and Karen). My oh-so-sophisticated drink of choice when I was first working downtown. Yes, the 1970s, when we somehow had time to take long lunches. Or any lunch.
    Now I'm partial to a Zaza (the late Queen's favourite drink) or a Dark & Stormy. Granted, the sugar content of dark rum & ginger beer is off the charts.
    Or a more adult Crown Royal (whiskey) on the rocks. (not a cocktail...)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm still stuck in the 90s with Cosmopolitans. I order it with "dirty rocks" which means they give me the ice cubes it was shaken with. I add the melted cubes gradually so the drink lasts much longer because getting drunk is not a good look for me. More and more I'm looking at non-alcoholic drinks. Anyone have a great mocktail?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hallie, this is not exactly alcohol-free, but very close to it. There are some absolutely delicious bitters flavors now, used for fancy artisan cocktails. Bitters are generally 100 proof or higher, but you only need a couple drops. I like to use them in club soda over ice, sometimes garnished imaginatively. A drop of bitter orange and dark chocolate is a good combo, or dark chocolate and black walnut. There are several other citrus options, and my daughter gave me one made with sour cherries. Very refreshing.

      Delete
    2. Thanks Karen! I know not bitters - great tip - Hallie

      Delete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Some years ago, as part of satisfying my continuing education requirement, I took a course in how Breathalyzers work (or don't), and stopped drinking if I was going to have to drive over the next eight hours-- which pretty much rules out drinking when I'm in my home town. Settled into my hotel while on vacation, however, I'm partial to a GOOD gin and tonic (I've had a lot of bad ones), a margarita, or a kir, depending on the circumstances. Maybe a Singapore sling. Maybe a Pimm's. Or the occasional mimosa. Or a nice Prosecco. Just one, but so nice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ellen, I had never had gin until we went to Africa. The traditional "sundowner" cocktail is a gin and tonic, since the quinine in the tonic is supposed to help with malaria prevention.

      Delete
    2. Rhys: Ellen, these are usually my treat of choice! Kir in Europe, mimosa with brunch and Pimms in England. So refreshinh

      Delete
  14. I enjoy cocktails, usually of the sour type. My complaint is that bars tend to be lazy and use "sour" mixes when all they need is fresh lemon or lime juice and simple syrup. The mixes are too sweet and taste "off" to me.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I avoided gin cocktails for years because I hated the taste of gin. But something changed. I've been making gin rickeys, gin and tonics, Pimm's cups, etc. and loving it. I went to a real live bar a few months ago and had a Bees Knees. Delicious. I like mojitos and margaritas if made from scratch. Those mixes aren't very good. And a mint julip made from scratch is yummy. I declared 2023 the year of the cocktail and I was only half kidding.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the quality of both gin and the tonics have improved. We had some great G&Ts in the Netherlands with a variety of Fever Tree Tonics.
      Lisa in Long Beach

      Delete
  16. I adore cocktails, especially citrus-y ones, and they're frequently my go-to when I'm out for dinner because 1) they're fun and 2) I drink less then I would if I was having wine. Especially when there's a bottle at the table - that can go down way too fast!

    I agree with Libby that mixes, either powdered or liquid, taste unappealingly off to me. I like to think that's because I've developed a palate in the decades since my college days of Jack and Coke (ugh!) It's easy to have a few regular items on hand like bitters, grenadine, and simple syrup, and if you toss a lemon and lime into your shopping cart, you're all set for a variety of easy cocktails.

    Or you can go the route of my friend Shari, who loves good bourbon and decided the Old Fashioned would be her signature drink. She keeps bitters and simple syrup on hand, has a set of chunky, pleasant-to-hold lowball glasses, and uses a nifty silicone ice cube tray to make large, single, perfect ice cubes. It's such a treat to be served one of these drinks, because it feels so special - and therefore makes the guest feel special.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I highly recommend reading THE SPARE MAN by Mary Robinette Kowal. Along with a nifty space mystery, every chapter starts with a cocktail recipe (including a few zero-proof options).
    Lisa in Long Beach

    ReplyDelete
  18. For the laziest possible cocktail, save your jam jars when they are virtually empty, pour in your favorite spirits, and give it a good shake.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm so bad and boring at ordering a cocktail. I usually just end up with vodka and cranberry juice. I don't like anything too sweet. I remember drinking mojitos when a friend and I went to Key West together, a kind of signature drink for us, but I don't know if I really like them all that much. I am a disgrace to my state of Kentucky, as I don't drink bourbon, but I do love the candy, bourbon balls (see Ruth Hunt Candies in Kentucky).

    Rhys, in one of your FB posts from Hawaii a commenter and I mentioned Lulu's at the end of the Waikiki Beach strip. The zoo is on the same side of the street across from it a bit. It was one of my favorite places to sit and sip on a cocktail in Honolulu. It was open-air where you could sit and have a cocktail and look at the beach and ocean. They put beautiful flowers in the drinks, and you feel so tropical and relaxed. It's not a fancy place at all, but for me, it was a great find. Well, actually it was my husband's find when he was there ahead of me with his work.

    Even though I wish I could find that one perfect cocktail for me, I really don't drink often enough to conduct a serious campaign. I do think it's fun to have a cocktail with dinner when on vacation, and occasionally I would have one at my favorite restaurant here where I live, occasionally being once every three months or so. And now, my doctor advises against drinking alcohol at all. My liver is a bit enlarged (just had a scan), so the nurse said avoid alcohol when she called with my tests results. I didn't say anything when she said that, but later I wondered if she thought I drank a lot. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I'm looking forward to making that clear next month at my check-up.

    ReplyDelete
  20. What fun, Rhys! Love those tropical drinks in the right setting. Love cocktails, too. At the beginning of the pandemic, when we were locked down, I ordered David Lebovitz's drinks book and made all sorts of weird things. And I have invented a cocktail, the usual one I make at home. It's very citrus-y, with gin, a bit of orange liqueur (I prefer Creole Shrub but it's not always available,) lime juice, pomegranate juice, and a splash of sparkling wine. It's fabulous and not heavy on the alcohol.

    ReplyDelete
  21. YUM! we invented the Agatha around here--it's fizzy pink grapefruit juice, vodka, and a squeeze of fresh lime, shaken and in a martini class. SO delicious. And I am a big pina colada fan. Ten million calories, though, just saying. And Karen, we DO have a Jungle Red cocktail..let's see if we can find it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hank, it seems to me it was around the early part of the pandemic, when we had a big Zoom cocktail party. But that might also have been the Agatha.

      Delete
  22. That sounds delightful, Rhys! I love a good mixologist’s creation. I even put a drink recipe in my upcoming Summer Reading called Liquid Sunshine. Life is better with cocktails or mocktails.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh dear no. So happy there are mocktails now. My favorite is still sparkling water and cranberry juice. Love the tart tails; yes I do.

    ReplyDelete