Dry January

Eureka and all that. I did it.

 

Decided on a lark, after being drawn in by a couple of clickbait articles, to do Dry January. Didn’t think I was that much of a drinker and that it would be lots easier than NaNoWriMo. 

Act in haste, repent at leisure.

 

Soon after that national election with those unexpected results, we got in the habit of starting happy hour at 4 PM and once, sufficiently lubricated, listen to the five o’clock news on NPR.* 

Other than a cocktail on dinner out events, I didn’t drink. Alcohol, that is. Much preferred cherry coke, Italian soda, Starbucks Double-Shot espresso, green tea. 

 

Right.

Apparently good habits are hell to establish and bad habits sneak in on kitten paws. 

 

Besides learning to make one hell of a good Old Fashioned,** I got used to sipping an adult beverage while making dinner or listening to the five o’clock news. And silly me, when I didn’t, because of an arbitrary goofy internet decision, I missed it.

 

As in, I really, REALLY wanted a drink.

 

And that was enough incentive to keep me dry all January. 

 

So, what did I learn? 

 

I paid attention to the times when I wanted a drink. Really, REALLY wanted a drink. 

 

Realized an adult beverage could be both a comfort and companion, and brother that could easily go seriously wrong. Decided I wanted a drink to be a treat not a reflex.

 

Were there complications or benefits?

 

Luckily all my no alcohol angst was in my mind. I did notice a bit of better memory this month, but I’m at the age where memory is a come and go event,*** so can’t substantiate that.

And now, EUREKA, and all that. Dry January is over.

Since no reasonable person has a martini with breakfast, I’m planning on a nice juicy cocktail with dinner tonight. 

Dry January is an effort worth making. Live and learn.

 Cheers.

 

*to see how former guy was destroying the world as we knew it. 

** classically made with bourbon, but 16 year old Irish won’t go amiss.

***Alas. 

Home Brew

 I found a book called DRINKING FRENCH (not an affiliate link. I just love Powell's Bookstore) and it sent me on an exploration of different adult beverages. (and brother, was last year the year for that.) 

My favorite from the book is THE LAST WORD -- ounce of gin, chartreuse, maraschino liquor and lime juice -- (don't plan to do anything after one of those except sit down.) 

Consequently, became aware of drink recipes and started experimenting.

It's quiet at night here in the wilds of Montana absent blizzards and forest fires.

Found a recipe for Brandy Alexander on the New York Times website. Well, that sounds good. Decided to make my own creme de cacao because the store-bought version was --meh--. And it had a recipe that took over a week to complete so I thought, this is better than sourdough. Anybody can make bread. How many bootleggers out there?

Vodka, sugar, water, vanilla, chocolate nibs - which are roasted cacao beans (who knew?) - and time.

 Homemade looks richer and tastes more chocolate.

Pretty too.

 

Brandy Alexander -- ounce of Cognac, ounce of creme de cacao, ounce of half and half, garnish with ground nutmeg.

And, yes, I finished that photo shoot while the drink was still cold* yum.

*in other words, on the day they impeached that fool for the second time, I started drinking at 2 P.M..

Le French Cuisine

Hollandaise Sauce 

Eggs Benedict 

Brandy Alexander.