Posts
Or, as my daddy would say “Wanna go bar-hopping?”
In the winter, I enjoy a splash of Jack Daniel’s in my tea, or Kahlua in my hot chocolate. In the summer, it’s all about the fun stuff. I did a little research on drinks I knew about, and some I had never heard of before. I do NOT do exact measures. I do stuff on the fly. So if you want an exact recipe, Google it…
The Kalimotxo (Calimocho): Equal parts red wine and Coca-Cola. This sounds awful to me. I don’t like red wine. But apparently it’s a very popular and refreshing drink originating in Spain.
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The Pickleback: A shot of whiskey followed immediately by a chaser of brine straight from the pickle jar. YUCK!
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Scotch and milk: A favorite old-timer drink originally believed to settle the stomach. Um…no.
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The Phoenix: 1 part coconut rum – 2 parts pineapple mango juice – 1 part pomegranate liquer – slice of pineapple for garnish
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Redhead: 3 parts copper crafted vodka (no idea what that means) – 2 parts carrot juice – 1 part lemon juice – 1 part honey – 2 sprigs coriander – ginger beer to top – carrot slices for garnish. I always thought ginger beer was the same as ginger ale. It isn’t. It has trace amounts of alcohol and is carbonated and sweet and has more ginger taste. I would go the cheap route and use ginger ale. This actually sounds quite healthy, since it has fruits and vegetables in it. *wink*
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Diamondback: 2 parts rye whiskey – 1 part apple brandy – 1 part Green Chartreuse (never heard of it before) – brandied cherry to garnish. I have no idea the dif between rye and other whiskey. I use Jack for everything calling for whiskey.
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Flaming Rum Monkey: This was a drink invented by author Pat Murphy in her sci-fi book “Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell” (2002) The book is a hoot and I highly recommend it. The book only mentioned the drink and so many people wanted to know how to make one. So she came up with a recipe. Quite a long recipe… For this one, I will use her measurements.
2 oz. Dark Jamaican rum – 1 oz. Dark Crème de Cacao – 1 tsp. coconut or piña colada syrup – 1 tsp. brown sugar – pinches of ground cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon. Boiling water – 151-proof rum (for the flame)
Mix the base: In a warm mug, combine the coconut syrup, brown sugar, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add a splash of boiling water and stir to dissolve the sugar.
Combine: Pour in the Jamaican rum and Crème de Cacao. Fill the rest of the mug with boiling water and stir. The Flaming Garnish: Fill a large spoon with 151-proof rum and add a small pinch of brown sugar. Carefully warm the bottom of the spoon over the hot mug. Light the rum in the spoon with a lighter, then tilt it slightly into the mug to ignite the top of the drink with a blue flame.
Serve: Blow out the flame before drinking, sip carefully, and enjoy. And then send a “Thank you” to Pat Murphy. She’d be delighted to hear from you.
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Needled beer 1920s – My dad was a big fan of the books by Damon Runyon and my brother and I got him a couple of books of his short stories. I quickly became a big fan as well. His stories took place in the Prohibition Era of the 20s and 30s. Some of the stories mentioned needling beer. During that era, “near beer” had very low alcohol and was legal. To make it drinkable, bartenders would inject ethyl alcohol into the bottle. The beer would then have about 8% alcohol. They kept a syringe behind the bar for this. I asked my dad what needling beer meant. He claimed not to know. Years later I learned he was a bootlegger in that era. Interesting guy, my dad…
Modern version: Can or bottle of non-alcohol beer – Food-grade ethanol (e.g., Everclear). I couldn’t find an exact amount you’re supposed to put in the beer. Swirl gently and wait until the carbonation stabilizes.
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Espresso martini: 2 oz. vodka – 1 oz. coffee liqueur – 1 oz. espresso – simple syrup to taste. If you don’t have an espresso machine, use 1 oz. cold brew concentrate. Pour over ice and put 3 coffee beans on top to garnish.
Cold Brew Substitute: If you do not own an espresso machine, you can use 1 oz of high-quality cold brew concentrate.
I first learned about this drink from a book by Naomi Kuttner, “The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening” (2025) Very cute mystery. One of the characters drank a lot of espresso martinis.
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The Vintage "Ammonia Coke"
Another drink I learned about from a book. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was common for pharmacists and soda fountains to serve an "ammonia Coke.” They would mix about 1/2 teaspoon of aromatic spirits of ammonia (smelling salts) into a glass of Coca-Cola.
Purpose: It was used as a pick-me-up, hangover cure, or remedy for hysteria. NO THANK YOU!
So…what’s YOUR favorite adult beverage??
