World Cocktail Week: 2011

 I often think that it would be lovey and sophisticated to have a cocktail but then I look at a recipe, look at a wine bottle, and just can't pull myself together for the increased effort. Plus, I really do love wine a whole lot.

Once a year, though, Stan and I branch out. Somewhere along the way, someone decided that May 6-13 would be World Cocktail Week. [click here for the when/where/why] For this week each year, Stan and I set aside the wine and have a different cocktail each night after the kids go to bed.

Thursday, May 5: The week hasn't officially started but Stan and I decided to warm up (and give a shout to Cinco de Mayo) with a South of the Border (Tequila, Kahlua, Lime.)
     The recipe said to rim the glass with a 50/50 brown to white sugar mix. Huh? That really shouldn't be necessary so we skipped that step. Since I don't like the super sweet stuff and adore the tart of lime, the decision worked well for me. Stan's sweet tooth balked at the pucker, though, so next time [which might end up being next year] we'll make that extra effort.

Friday, May 6: The official start. Gin Fizz (Gin, simple syrup, lemon, club soda.)
     I don't know how I've managed to not have this before. Gin is my favorite spirit. Citrus is my favorite flavor. Bubbly is my favorite water. This drink was tailor-made for me but somehow I've missed it all these years. Gin Fizz was a slam dunk, except that we weren't sitting on the deck of the cruise ship but instead in our living room after dark. Cool, refreshing, light, and a small enough amount of alcohol that I could still drive the speed boat if I needed to. (and if I had one.)

Saturday, May 7: Stan started installing our new microwave as a Mother's Day present. There were far more difficulties than expected and he included Monkey & Peanut as junior electricians. Finally, an hour past kid bedtime, they hit a hurdle that couldn't be jumped that night and called it quits - with the new microwave still on the floor. After all that work (while I played math games on my phone) Stan made a grocery run to buy me flowers. For all that and more, the drink of the day was Stan-centric. Mud Slide (vodka, Kahlua, Bailey's, cream) but not the frozen kind, which would have required cleaning the kitchen a little bit.

Sunday, May 8: We had a big family shabang for Mother's Day and I'm pretty much always in charge of bringing the drinks. We packed up a mini-bar and hit the road. (Many thanks to Pa who helped out with all the stuff I forgot - namely the equipment. I didn't forget any ingredients but didn't take a lick of bar ware. The three choices of the day were Daquiri (light rum, lime, simple syrup,) Parisian Blonde (dark rum, triple sec, cream,) and XYZ (light rum, triple sec, lemon.) The Daquiri (classic, not frozen) was the big hit of the night. The second batch we made used a light/dark rum mix and a lemon/lime mix. It went over quite well but we're not sure if it was the actual ingredients or the accumulation of them. It has been suggested that Parisian Blonde would be better with chocolate ice cream instead of the half & half we used. Also, by the time we got around to making the XYZs we were out of light rum and had to use dark instead. This turned out just fine but would probably be more lovely in the lighter version.

Remember the part at the top where I mentioned that hard work of cocktails vs. the ease of wine? Three drink choices, 6 adults, lots of juicing. It was worth it: we enjoyed tasting and experimenting, which is what this week is about for Stan & me. Next get-together we're going back to wine though.

Monday, May 9: Kamikaze (Vodka, Triple Sec, lime, simple syrup.)
    It's like a margarita with vodka. Nice refreshing drink to finish off a day that wasn't refreshing on it's own. Kid drama melted away as I sloshed gently into relaxation. Note to self: light dinner and then cocktails doesn't work so well. And that was with the toned down version of the recipe.

Tuesday, May 10: Maiden's Prayer (Gin, Triple Sec, Lemon Juice.)
    I came home from Bible study and Stan met me at the door with this suggestion. I love the simple play on events here. I don't think Stan did it on purpose but maybe we should give him credit anyway. We had to substitute lime juice since we'd run out of lemons. Don't know if you noticed but so far this week only two of the eight drinks haven't requited lemon or lime. Citrus pleases me greatly. This week has been hard on our citrus stash - although we're flush in grapefruit right now. Not too many drinks calling for grapefruit, which is a shame, if you ask me. Anyway, the drink was a little more bracing than a maiden might want with lime but would be lovely and subtle in the lemony version called for.

Wednesday, May 11: White Russian (vodka, Kahluà, milk.)
     This is a go-to drink for Stan so it's sort of cheating when we're supposed to be exploring. We had a lot going on with a school activity so we went simple for this night.

Thursday, May 12: Sea Breeze (vodka, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice.)
     We finally found a way to use our grapefruits! This one is light and breezy (go figure,) the kind of drink I could easily drink too much of accidentally.

Friday, May 13: Grand 'O (Grand Marnier, orange juice, soda water, lemon juice and a strawberry garnish.)
     I wanted to finish the week with a bang- something totally new and unheard of in our house. I noticed we had plenty of Grand Marnier so I checked their site and found this recommendation (among many other tasty-looking options.) The lemon and orange blend nicely with the Grand Marnier so make a rich, tangy treat.


On Saturday night, Stan and I had a date and I jumped at the chance to go to a wine bar for dinner. The adventure of cocktail week is great fun - and we'll probably play along again next year - but it's good to be back in the grape.