It’s not hyperbole to say that these have been the craziest times in anyone’s memory, but one tiny silver lining for us was the creation of the Honey Chamomile Whiskey Sour!
After the first giddy “feels like a snow day” rush, the Ground Hog Day effect set in.
Every day was just like every other.
No schedule.
No where to go.
No reason to get dressed.
Nothing to look forward to.
…During Prohibition, the expression “the Bees’ Knees” meant something really, really good. When I hear the phrase, it conjures up images of speakeasies and flappers and bathtub gin. The original Bees’ Knees cocktail was a classic, probably made from bathtub gin, and probably not so very tasty, but it got the job done!
Somewhere along the line, gin fell out of favor, replaced with cosmo’s, wine, vodka martinis, and an infinite variety of vodka infusions, but I think it’s time to bring this classic back! Not Your Nana’s Bees’ Knees is the perfect way to reintroduce gin: light, balanced, sweet and sour, and just a touch floral.
This may or may not be my Nana’s coupe glass ( and there may or may not be a story there!) but this lavender scented cocktail is definitely Not Your Nana’s Bees’ Knees!
BB: Before Barcelona…..vermouth was a liquor cabinet staple, an essential ingredient for a Manhattan or the occasional Negroni, but I would never have thought to drink it on its own. That changed on our first trip to Barcelona, where we discovered vermouth culture, where locals and tourists “fer el vermut” or ” do the vermouth” as the perfect excuse for day drinking Sunday morning after church or as an aperitif. It is low in alcoholic content, big on taste, and quite inexpensive. Naturally that means that we had to learn how to make homemade vermouth!
Vermouth was probably first created in Turin, Italy in the late 18th century, where various botanicals were added to wine for their medicinal effects. The name comes from the German word for wormwood, which is the ingredient that creates its typical bitter taste. Today this aperitif is made by large producers as well as small, artisanal ones, but each has a proprietary blend of herbs, bark, roots and spices.
Winter is coming. With only one real weekend of summer left, say goodbye with a batch of Watermelon Coolers!
I have made this cocktail (often!) for several years and I realized it was a thing when the first question after a dinner invitation was “Will you be making the watermelon drink?”. My daughter in law loves them so much that they became her signature drink (The Blushing Bride—so pink and pretty!) at the wedding.
