Good Drinks for Bad Days - Kerry Colburn [1]
Glassware
Champagne flute [ ]: Designed with a tall, narrow opening to retain effervescence, this is the glass of choice for any bubbly cocktail.
Cocktail glass [ ]: Also called a martini glass, this sophisticated stemmed glass is the one to use for shaken or stirred cocktails.
Highball glass [ ]: Also called a Collins glass, this tall, straight-sided glass is the most versatile for your bar, perfect for any long drink (and for making short drinks into long drinks).
Old-fashioned glass [ ]: Another handy glass to have on hand, this one is short and stout with a heavy bottom, ideal for any drink on the rocks. (Also called a rocks glass, tumbler, or whiskey glass; the larger version is a double old-fashioned.)
Shot glass [ ]: For cutting to the chase, there’s no substitute for a shot, no chaser. This two-ounce bad boy is your go-to glass when even ice seems extraneous.
Wine glass [ ]: Any wine glass, especially a larger goblet-style one, is a nice choice for punch or any tropical or frozen drink. It can also be used as a change of scene for a highball.
Beer mug [ ]: ’Nuff said. (To take it up a notch, put it in the freezer before using.)
Pint glass [ ]: This tapered, pint-size glass with no handle is usually reserved for beer or hard cider (it’s best not to use a pint glass for a mixed drink unless you really mean business).
Brandy snifter [ ]: This short-stemmed glass with its very round bowl is ideal for swirling and sniffing the good stuff—brandy, liqueurs, and Cognacs—and for feeling superior.
Garnishes
Most garnishes are straightforward: just slice a wedge of lime or grab a few raspberries and toss them in your drink. But here’s a quick primer for when you’re going a bit more highbrow.
Twist: If a drink calls for a twist, use a paring knife to cut an approximately 2-inch strip of peel from a washed piece of citrus, avoiding as much of the pith as possible. Twist the peel just above the drink, then run it around the rim (if desired) and drop it in.
Spiral: A longer version of the twist, this streamer-like curlicue adds festive panache to a cocktail. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove a thin, continuous peel from one end of the fruit to the other, then twist it around your finger and drop it in the drink.
Slices and wheels: When a drink calls for a fruit slice or wheel, use a sharp paring knife to cut off the end of the fruit and then cut a crosswise segment about ¼ inch wide. To use as a garnish, cut a slice in the wheel and balance on the side of the glass.
Salted or sugared rims: To salt or sugar a rim, coat the rim of the glass with a citrus wedge and then dunk it onto a small plate or bowl of salt or superfine sugar. Turn gently to distribute, shake off any excess, and then carefully pour in your cocktail.
BAD DAYS: WORK
Bad Day: Nightmare commute
What better use for your commuter mug than to hold a delightful traffic-angst antidote? (We’re talking once you’re safely home, of course.) If you dealt with traffic today that made you bang the steering wheel, make obscene gestures, or contemplate moving to rural Iowa, you deserve more in your mug than humdrum French Roast. Make it all better with a cup of Joe like only the Irish can make!
Good Drink: Irish Coffee
1½ ounces Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon brown sugar
6 ounces strong hot coffee
Heavy cream or whipped cream
Pour the whiskey into your warmed commuter mug, add the brown sugar, and stir until dissolved. Pour in the hot coffee. Slowly add the cream to float on top, or top with whipped cream (or both).
From Bad to Worse: Had to endure that commute while carpooling with an annoying coworker? Double the whiskey and use half the coffee.
Bad Day: Bombed interview
Did you stutter? Forget where you went to college? Arrive late? Burp? Say something really, really dumb? Accidentally insult the interviewer? No matter. A cocktail named for an even more infamous bomber will make you start to believe that it wasn’t the