Quarter Miler
“I live my life a quarter mile at a time.” Me too buddy, me too. Confession. No, that’s not the right word. Truism. The “Fast and Furious” movies are good, silly fun. Alice and I enjoy the crap out of them. We shed a tear when The Bro (Paul Walker, but of course) had his untimely demise and poured one out for our lost homie. When Vin Diesel taught us in the first movie, “You can have any brew you want, as long as it’s a Corona,” we knew exactly what we had to do: make a cocktail to celebrate “Furious 7” using Corona. This one is for you Bro! And Vin! And all you crazy cats! The Quarter Miler.
Cucumber Gin Spritzer
Ah springtime, it’s a truly fantastic time (unless you have allergies, then I feel bad for you and Alice knows your pain). When the flowers finally start blooming, trees start becoming green again and bugs start annoying you everywhere and getting squished on your car, you know it really is time to celebrate. Why yes, by celebrate, I do mean exactly what I always mean: it’s time for a refreshing, cooling and crisp cocktail. Today’s celebrations brought to you by the Cucumber Gin Spritzer.
Cherry Blossom
It’s no secret that Alice and I are big fans of Japan. She lived there for a while; I loved it when we went a couple of years ago. In fact, given the chance, we’d probably move there. All of that is a preamble to the fact that in Japan, when the cherry trees are blossoming, it’s kinda a big deal. They have full on sakura (cherry blossom) festivals. Those amazing cherry trees in DC? Presents from Japan. Long story short: cherry blossoms are huge in Japan. In their honor: the Cherry Blossom!
Legendary Shandy
When it’s getting a little toasty out — seriously, the weather here has been ridiculous — there’s almost nothing better than a nice, cold beer. Cool, crisp, refreshing and pretty much everything you would ever need to ensure relief from any sudden onset heat waves. Unless, of course, you want something a tad more acidic. During my childhood, my go-to hot weather beverage was lemonade. Now, if only there was a way we could combine them together to make the ultimate hot weather beverage. Never fear, now there is with the Legendary Shandy.
Irish Cocktail
Not all cocktails for St. Patrick’s Day are green. Heck, not all leprechauns are short. While, I can’t independently confirm the second one, I certainly can confirm the first one. How am I so confident? Easy, look no further than the Irish Cocktail.
Grilled Pineapple Moscow Mule
With spring right around the corner, it’s hard not to want something a little refreshing. OK, fine, I’ll admit it, we live in California about 10 minutes from the beach so it’s always 70° and sunny, but it’s still fun when the flowers are blooming. So Alice and I got to thinking, “Alright, refreshing? But maybe some fresh fruit? It is spring.” That’s what we did. Enter the Grilled Pineapple Moscow Mule.
Green Fizz
Since I was a young, I’ve loved St. Patrick’s Day. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you why. We have no Irish ancestry, no real ties to catholic saints and haven’t been known to drive snakes out of anywhere. It’s probably the corned beef and cabbage my mother would always make — it’s still seriously one of my favorite meals. As I got older, I discovered the other side of good ol’ St. Patrick: the drinking scene. (You don’t really think about that as a kid.) One thing I’ve never supported? Artificially green beer. One thing I do? Green cocktails. Let’s get our St. Patrick’s Day on with the Green Fizz.
Barrel Aged S’more Martini
I’ve never met someone who doesn’t enjoy a good s’more. It’s something simple, yet satisfying. You get your graham cracker, toasted marshmallow and chocolate. Those three things combine to an amazing and tasty treat. Typically, I’m not much of a sweet cocktail fan, but every once in a while, the urge strikes me and if the bar claims to specialize in a “S’more Martini!” I can’t not try it. Usually, there’s something missing: the toasted aspect. Well, we fixed that. Time to satisfying that craving with the Barrel Aged S’more Martini.
Brown Derby
It’s Oscar time! OK, I’ll admit it, even after working in “The Industry” for a few years, I don’t really care one way or another about the Oscars. High fives to all of those people out there doing good work, entertaining us with their movies and giving us a little escapism. Beyond that, come now, it’s all just getting paid to play make believe. One of my favorite ways to make believe? Have a cocktail. A great one to celebrate old school Hollywood? The Brown Derby.
Ramos Gin Fizz
Mardi Gras! Fat Tuesday! (Not that place where you can get huge sugar bombs of alcohol-infused drinks, the actual day.) If you’re looking for an excuse to drink, there are few finer. Now, if you can’t make it to New Orleans to get your Mardi Gras party flowing, you can at least drink to celebrate it. One of my favorite cocktails from the Big Easy? The Ramos Gin Fizz.