Good Drinks for Bad Days - Kerry Colburn [5]
Good Drink: Love Potion
1½ ounces lemon-flavored vodka
¾ ounce Chambord
¾ ounce cranberry juice
Shake the vodka, Chambord, and cranberry juice vigorously with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Drink while watching reruns of Blind Date on cable.
Bad Day: Wedding invitation from former flame
Somehow, a former big love of your life has found The One—and, unbelievably, it isn’t you. Worse, it’s some loser you don’t even like. When you get an invitation like this in the mail, it’s best to raise a glass to yourself, giving a wedding-worthy toast that covers all your best qualities. Then start working on securing the hottest possible date for the occasion. Cheers to the single life!
Good Drink: Champagne Cocktail
1 sugar cube
2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters
4 ounces chilled dry champagne
Lemon twist for garnish
Soak the sugar cube in the bitters at the bottom of a chilled champagne flute. Slowly top with champagne. Run the lemon peel around the rim, twist, and drop it in.
From Bad to Worse: Not even allowed to bring a “plus one” so you can show off a good-looking date? Drink three more while planning a killer outfit and a substandard gift for the blessed event.
Bad Day: Bad sex
There’s a saying that bad sex is better than no sex. That’s always sounded true, but after last night, you’re not so sure. All you know is that you desperately need a do-over, a chance to fix that fumbling mess that passed for sex last night. And if you can’t have that, you’d like to lie down and forget it all, fast. Either way, it’s time to get Between the Sheets.
Good Drink: Between the Sheets
1 ounce brandy or Cognac
1 ounce light rum
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
Dash of simple syrup (see page 35)
Lemon twist for garnish
Shake the brandy, rum, Cointreau, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist the lemon peel over the drink and drop it in. Drink while visualizing your more illustrious conquests.
Bad Day: Big fight with main squeeze
It started out as some harmless bickering, and then before you knew it, you were saying things you really wish you could take back. How could you fight like that with your beloved Sig-O? It’s time to apologize—but first, a drink. (If your squeeze is still speaking to you, make another as a peace offering.)
Good Drink: Short Fuse
2 ounces tequila
½ ounce apricot brandy
1½ ounces fresh lime juice
3 ounces fresh grapefruit juice
¼ ounce maraschino cherry juice (from the jar of cherries)
Lime wedge
Shake the tequila, brandy, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and maraschino cherry juice with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Squeeze the lime wedge and drop it in. Take one swig and then kiss and make up.
Bad Day: Worst kiss ever
Perhaps you built it up for too long in your mind. Perhaps you were thinking too much about technique. Perhaps your expectations were too high. But wow, that was really the worst. Nothing disappoints like a really bad kiss—especially when you were sure it was going to be perfect. Time to pucker up and put your mouth on something you know will be delicious.
Good Drink: French Kiss
⅔ ounce raspberry purée
1 ounce ginger beer
Dash of apricot brandy
3 to 5 ounces chilled champagne
Fresh raspberries for garnish
Pour raspberry purée, ginger beer, and brandy into a chilled champagne flute and stir. Slowly add the champagne. Garnish with the raspberries, and feel free to fish them out with your tongue.
Bad Day: Stolen date
Sure, you knew you were taking your chances, bringing the best-looking date you’ve had in months to a crowded bar or party. And granted, you guys weren’t exclusive or anything. You were just getting started, hoping to reel this one in. No such luck: you leave for ten minutes, tops, and find someone else putting on the moves. That bites.
Good Drink: Barracuda