The One About John Collins
And also, "the neighbors"
Hey everyone!
I’ve made it 3 weeks since my hip replacement and things are moving along pretty well. I don’t have “pain” per se anymore I have “extreme tenderness” but it’s manageable (ice is my bestie these days, along with those aforementioned slip on shoes). I drove today which felt very freeing. Not very far—just around my neighborhood but still, it was something I was worried about and now I won’t, anymore.
Speaking of “neighborhoods”… I am super stoked to announce that this week my first non-romance novel releases. Tomorrow, June 11 to be exact.
Cul-de-Sac is a domestic thriller in the vein of Big Little Lies. It has neighbors Being Bad (so bad one of them gets killed). I’m proud of it and my pre-publication reviews have been super gratifying.
Enough about me.
Let’s talk about you.
Or rather, let’s talk about the Glen Powell movie marathon I embarked upon this weekend by accident. In this paper I will discuss how a supporting cast can make or break a rom com.
No. I’ll save that for later.
I know! Let’s talk about Summer cocktails. Not the new fancy kind with in-house made syrups and parking lot garden sourced garnishes. I want to talk about a throuple of classics. And yeah, one of these features in A Scene in My New Book Sue Me I’m an Indie Author and Must Always Be Promoting. (also “throuple” but who’s keeping score? Not me!)
Firstly, I’ll recommend the classic Pimm’s Cup. “Pimm’s” is a gin-based liqueur first produced in 1823 by (who else?) James Pimm and served at his oyster bar in London. At 25% ABV it’s not as strong as some liquor but it’s a summer classic, ergo you tend to drink it outdoors in the sun, where you might dehydrate faster, therefore it feels like it gets you pretty plastered.
I mean, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
I discovered this delicious concoction while living in Essex, England and have converted many skeptics into new fans as I tend to bring it to almost every summer cookout and to a few early fall tailgates. It is gin based, but light brown/auburn in color thanks to the super-secret combination of warm spices and caramelized oranges added to it. These ingredients give bitter liquor a smoothness and sweetness you don’t normally associate with a gin drink. It’s also reminiscent of sweet tea with a kick, when served properly. And you know I’m a stickler for these classic drinks being served the right way.
You can find it in almost any liquor store or grocery liquor aisle. If it’s being displayed the right way it’s in the gin section but you’re just as likely to see it with the other liqueurs. Making a “Pimm’s Cup” is easy, if a little labor intensive. Get yourself a highball glass (the tall, slender one), fill with ice. Pour in two ounces of Pimm’s, then three ounces of “lemonade” (which is British for “lemon lime soda” like Sprite, 7up, whatever they call Sierra Mist these days). You can also give it a bit of a different kick by using ginger ale. Stir.
Then you shove one slice each of orange, cucumber, strawberry and a sprig of mint into the glass. Viola. One of the best summer cocktails you’ll ever encounter! Some recipes call for other fruit, like apples, lemons and limes. Go for it. But it’s even prettier if you make a batch in a big glass pitcher and use a lot of fruit.
Rum is not on my top five list of favorite liquors I’ll admit. It’s down around the bottom with the tequila. But as with tequila, there is one drink with rum I do enjoy—the mojito, or as I like to call it: “The Rum Mint Julep.” These puppies are definitely labor intensive but it’s a labor of love so why not?
Ingredients:
12 fresh mint sprigs, each about 8 inches long,
plus 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup light rum
Sugar and 1 or 2 lime wedges for coating rims
Ice cubes as needed
2 cups club soda
For the garnish:
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
4 small fresh mint sprigs
Directions:
In a bowl, using the back of a wooden spoon, crush together the mint sprigs, sugar and lime juice. Pour in the rum, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. This, for me, is a crucial step as it makes the taste of the rum manageable for folks like me.
Spread a layer of sugar on a small, flat plate. Working with 1 glass at a time, run a lime wedge around the edge of the glass to moisten it, then dip the rim into the sugar to coat it evenly. Put the glasses in the freezer to chill for at least 15 minutes.
When ready to make the mojitos, fill a blender halfway with ice cubes. Pour the rum mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the blender. Add the club soda and the 1/2 cup mint leaves and puree until well blended.
Divide the mixture evenly among the chilled glasses. Garnish each glass with a lime wedge and a mint sprig.
One of the best classics around is a Tom Collins—but NOT the kind you get with the commercial Tom Collins Mix which might make you think that this delicious summer drink is made with a lot of chemicals. Of cour, first, a bit of history. Did you know—this drink was originally called a “John Collins” when it was invented in London in the 1860’s and was named after the restaurant where it was first concocted?
Back in 1874 there was a joke in New York that involved telling someone that a man named Tom Collins was saying bad things about them. The conversation would start by someone asking, “Have you seen Tom Collins?” and go on to tell the person that he was in a nearby bar or other business talking badly about them, which would presumably upset the person who’d then go try and find this Tom Collins jerk. The joke gained notoriety and became known as the Tom Collins Hoax of 1874. The first Tom Collins cocktail recipe was printed in the 1876 book The Bartenders’ Guide by Jerry Thomas, known as the father of American mixology who changed the name from “John” to honor this hoax.
It’s keeping with a summer drink theme in that it includes sugar water as an ingredient. Plus Bonus! It has its very own glassware, similar to a highball but a bit taller.
1 1/2 ounces gin
1 ounce lemon juice (fresh is best)
1/2 ounce simple syrup (sugar water)
3 ounces club soda (or enough to fill)
Garnish: maraschino cherry
Garnish: lemon or orange slice
Directions:
In a collins glass filled with ice cubes, pour the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Stir thoroughly. Top with club soda. Garnish with a cherry and an orange or lemon slice. You can pin the cherry to the citrus fruit using a cocktail pick and create a garnish known as a "flag" as well.
Cheers to summer!
Liz