Like many others this holiday season, I hosted a holiday party. In an attempt to be incredibly classy and ultra sophisticated, I distinguished this party from the others that I typically throw. This wasn’t going to be a beer guzzling, hotdog roasting type event- this was a cocktail party. I sent out fancy invitations and even purchased red and green cocktail napkins depicting partridges in what I assume to be pear trees. I stocked up on fancy hors d’oeuvres and plenty of mixers…and then there was the booze. I spent more cash at the liquor store than I did on most of my family’s gifts. As I perused the aisles wondering how much of each spirit I should have on hand, I recalled my friends who would be attending. I thought that I knew their tastes and I chose accordingly. The party was a huge success and it led me to major realization… gin is in!

I had purchased more vodka than anything else – expensive vodka, cheap vodka and flavored vodkas spanning from blueberry to espresso. As I evaluated the post-party mess in the morning I couldn’t help but notice that many of the vodka bottles contained remains. The gin bottles however were dry as a bone.

I have always enjoyed gin and tonics as my “summer drink” and most of my friends have teased me for ordering them, “Gin and tonic? My grandpa drinks those…”

I have news for those friends (the ones who probably drank all of my gin)… your grandpa was onto something!

If you’re like my judgmental friends and think that drinking gin is only a benefit that comes with your AARP membership, I urge you to reconsider. If you’re already a proud gin and tonic fan like myself, try your favorite brand of gin with the new Q-Tonic Water. You won’t be disappointed!

Also keep in mind that there are plenty of other drinks that use “the other white spirit.”

One of my personal favorites, hailing from the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, is the Blue Moon.

Ingredients:

1¼ oz gin (I prefer Tanqueray)
½ oz Blue Curacao
1½ oz fresh sweet and sour mix
3 oz pineapple juice

Mixing instructions:

Mix all ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Shake and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

That being said, my new New Year’s resolution is to drink more gin, all year round.

Cheers!

TAGS [ GIN | TONIC ]