Drinking Bacchus by Guido Reni.
A preface: Talking about reducing the amount you drink is often still taboo. In a strange reversal of meaning, saying you want to cut back is somehow inferred to mean that you are an alcoholic. This newsletter caused a little bit of a stir, with fears that me talking about reducing my drink intake meaning that I have a problem. I am here to assure you, I don’t. This newsletter was meant to comment on the recent uptick in drinking content that was filling social media feeds during the pandemic, and wanting to reflect on my justifications for having a glass of wine on a Thursday night. It shouldn’t be taboo to talk about reducing your drink intake; in fact, it should be encouraged. Maybe it makes us uncomfortable, reading about other people cutting back, because we stop and count how many drinks a week we have, I don’t know. But regardless, it’s a conversation worth having. There should be no shame in it. If you want to read more about cutting back, I recommend this article and this article.
A few weeks ago, I sat on a telecall with my doctor. Our introduction to each other was pleasant, and then she started to dig into the meat of my lifestyle.
“Do you have any activities you do or ways of exercising?”
“Do you smoke or vape?”
“What’s your alcohol consumption like?”
For questions one and two, I felt prepared, and maybe even a little bit righteous in my answers (I run and bike and rock climb, and I have never smoked anything!). But for number three, well, let’s just say the mental math added up to more than I wanted to admit. I muttered something about 7 drinks per week and she seemed satisfied.
After closing my laptop, what I didn’t say ping-ponged through my thoughts.
I drink because I like wine, cider, cocktails, etc., and during this pandemic goshdarnit if I can’t kick back and enjoy myself! “Plus,” the tiny devil on my left shoulder whispered, “Instagram is replete with people drinking every day. Now grab that shaker set and let’s goooooo!”
Over the course of the past two months, my finger trailed endlessly across images of cocktail recipes, boomerangs of roommates clinking G&Ts on a Tuesday afternoon, and the local wine shop asking me to support small businesses and buy a bottle of pet nat.
I’m supporting the economy, I say as I pop the cork on a bottle of wine. I need to treat myself during these tough times and hey, I am going on a happy hour call, I think as I make myself another margarita and open Zoom.
But while social media has affirmed, if not promoted this mentality, after lying to my own doctor because I was embarrassed to admit the truth—that I could probably cut back a bit— the truth was out.
I realized that we’re going to be living in this corona-verse for a while, and following Instagram’s lead of drinking to “cope with the pandemic” doesn’t mix well with an unknowable timeline.
So, while I do love a good glass of white, I’m cutting back to ~7 drinks per week (the more liberal amount according to CDC’s guidelines; the real recommended amount is zero. Chew on that.).
Do you feel like you started drinking more during the pandemic? Do you think you could cut back? Do you feel like it’s taboo to talk about?
P.S. Next time you decide to kick back and relax—sans or with booze—why not pick up a few oysters to enjoy? (They pair well with a crisp glass of Sauv Blanc, just sayin’). Check out my article on the plight of oyster farmers; they could use your help.
Now, for one of those ~7 drinks…
The Chamomile Cloud Spritz
The Aperol spritz is the Ugg boot of cocktail culture: A good thing that went bonkers, saturating the market with poorly done knock-offs. Many Aperol spritzes look like someone squirted red food coloring in ice water, and they don’t taste much better. But, nonetheless, the Aperol spritz is a great template for a refreshing (and low ABV) spring tipple. This version mellows out the bitter Aperol with floral chamomile syrup, grapefruit juice for brightness, and sparkling rosé for the spritz component. This recipe is for a batch, but if you want to make a single serving, I’ve included that below the batch recipe. For a mocktail version, up the grapefruit juice to 3 cups, add the chamomile syrup, and top each serving with your favorite seltzer.
Serves 8
For the batch cocktail portion
2 cups grapefruit juice
3/4 cup chamomile simple syrup (see recipe below). Add more to your taste!
3/4 cup Aperol
1 cup water
Sparkling rosé
Combine grapefruit juice, chamomile syrup, and Aperol in a large pitcher. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour. To serve, pour ~4 ounces base mixture into a Collins glass (or wine glass) with ice and top with rosé and, if you have them, chamomile blossoms for garnish.
For the chamomile syrup
8 bags chamomile tea
2 cup water
1 cup sugar
Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Add the chamomile tea bags and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags and let cool before storing in a glass jar. Keeps in the fridge for 1 week.
Single-serve Chamomile Cloud
2 oz grapefruit juice
1 oz chamomile syrup
3/4 oz Aperol
ice
Rosé
Place ice in a cocktail shaker. Add grapefruit juice, chamomile syrup, and Aperol. Cover and shake for ten seconds. Strain into a glass filled with ice, then top with rosé.
How to shake it like a bartender
It can be satisfying to crack out the old bar shakers to put on a show for your Zoom audience. Having worked many a summer bartending gig, I learned the hard way that if you don’t solidly pop that top shaker in, you might end up with a cocktail on your guest instead of for them. And why not practice your skills by making a riff on a Between the Sheets cocktail? It’s a simple combination of lemon juice, curacao for sweetness, gin for, well, gin, and I subbed port in for cognac because that’s all I had… #quarantinelife. Turned out pretty good, too. This would also be good with sherry.
Fill the smaller of the Boston shakers half-way with ice. Pour in 3/4 oz port, 3/4 oz gin, 3/4 curacao, 1 oz lemon juice.
Take the large shaker and put it on top of the one with liquids.
The larger shaker fits together on an angle. You’re going to want to really pop that top part in by hitting it with your palm.
This is where it can get a little confusing: Take the top part of the shaker (the side you popped in there) and push it away from you while bringing the other side closer to your face with your other hand. You’re turning the ‘hourglass’ upside down, so to speak.
Lift your top hand past your opposite shoulder; this will set you up for your pro-shake!
Now’s your chance to show off! In a sort of push-pull action, shake back and forth for about 10 seconds, until the sides of your shakers feel chilled. You can try this a few times with empty shakers to get the hang of it.
When you’re done shaking, put your shaker down and take the top off. The trick to this is to squeeze the side of the lower shaker where the two meet and wiggle the top one around in a circle. This will break the suction you created and you can pull the top off.
Voila! To serve, strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon peel if you’re feeling fancy. Enjoy!
Want more cocktail inspiration?
Here are a few of my favorite cocktail/mocktail reads:
Batch Cocktails by Maggie Hoffman: Don’t want to spend your evening “behind the bar?” Whip up a batch cocktail instead! Great for Zoom calls when you want a quick and easy refill to lubricate your awkward conversation. Ahem, but for real, this book has some great drinks (including mocktails) that you can probably fiddle down to a double serving if you’re trying to cut back like me. One of my favorite recipes in here uses an ingredient you wouldn’t associate with cocktails: bell peppers. Called the Reina Punch, it combines tequila with pinot noir, tangy and vegetal hibiscus bell pepper syrup, and lime juice for an ultra-refreshing blend between a margarita and sangria.
Death and Co. Modern Classic Cocktails: These guys are the OG cocktail revivalists, and with pricy recommendations for various liquors, you’ll make sure to drink your tipple slowly because heck that was expensive—no gulping down cheap tequila ‘ritas here! But seriously, Death and Co. is one of the pioneers of the United States’ cocktail revival, steering us away from Slippery Nipples and guiding our hand towards small-batch bourbon Old-Fashioneds. If you feel overwhelmed by all the recipes calling for three types of $40 rum, flip to the Patois Punch. While you may have to splurge for applejack (you could use cider if you’re cheap like me), it only uses one type of rum. Win for the wallet, win for me.
Around the World in 80 Cocktails by Chad Parkhill: Miss traveling? Let your cocktail be your guide. John and I got this book as a gift (thanks Kait!) and it’s taken a beating: earmarked pages, rum splattered cover, and a spine sticky with simple syrup. It’s my go-to because of its easy recipes, fascinating origin stories, and bangin’ cocktail illustrations. As you sip the Coffee Cocktail, you’ll learn the history of England and Portugal’s 18th-century alliance (Fun fact: there’s no actual coffee in this drink; the mix of port, brandy, and egg just looks like a latte), or flip to page 23 to learn why Russian Tsars preferred their Champagne extra-extra.