Welcome back!
Somehow, 10 months (!) have passed since my last post. A lot has happened in the interim - I sold my house, moved in with JL, and learned to play guitar - but the main reason has been a pandemic-induced sense of malaise. The rhythms and routines of daily life were replaced by an untethered, amorphous existence. COVID put an end to the happy-hour hosting, along with the motivation to create cocktails. During the initial outbreak, I hoped that widespread adoption of basic public health measures would be sufficient to limit the damage until a vaccine became available. Silly me! My well-deserved reputation for cynicism was no match for the obstinate rejection of science by a substantial slice of the populace. And so, the pandemic raged on.
It’s enough to drive a man to drink…
But the development of near-miraculous vaccines, in record time, provided a path forward. I slowly emerged from isolation, relearned how to interact with others, and adapted new norms for socializing. I began hosting cocktail parties again, virtually at first, then outdoors as spring arrived. The advent of summer music festivals (with vaccine requirements for attendees) marked a return to normalcy for me. The season culminated with TreeFort, a multi-day, 400-band music and cultural extravaganza in Boise, Idaho. I discovered a number of new bands, but the highlight for me was Calexico, an old favorite from my days in Tucson. They closed out Friday night with a killer show - awesome!
I also discovered a fantastic new cocktail, the Naked and Famous. Created in NYC speakeasy Death & Co. (another old favorite), it’s a mash-up of the Last Word and the Paper Plane. All three drinks follow the same four-components-in-equal-measure recipe: one base spirit, one citrus, two different amari or herbal liqueurs. Much like the Negroni triad (base spirit, amaro, vermouth), it provides a template for near-infinite variation. I believe I may have rediscovered my motivation!
Naked and Famous
¾ oz. mezcal (I used Del Maguey Vida)
¾ oz. Aperol
¾ oz. Yellow Chartreuse
¾ oz. lime juice
cocktail shaker, coupe glass, ice
Steps
combine all ingredients in shaker
half-fill with ice and shake until well chilled
strain into coupe glass; serve up
