At the time of this writing, The NHL, NBA, MLB, NCAA and elements of Lesser Footy have postponed games. Saying this is unprecedented is just a bit of an understatement. So, now what? In the short term, we’ll have to take things day by day, and make sure we do all that we can to stay healthy and hope that the world returns to normal soon, and we can go back to focusing on the sports world and gambling on said sporting events. In the meantime, I think we all need a drink to chill out and take our minds off of COVID-19 for a while. I wanted to keep it simple this week, and take a broad approach and pick something that  I hope you all have the ingredients for in your own home bars. From the New York Cocktails book, This is the Improved Cocktail:

2 oz. Spirit of choice (gin, bourbon, rye, brandy)

.25 oz simple syrup

2 dashes (equal to 1 barspoon) Maraschino liqueur

1 dash Absinthe

2 dashes bitters

Lemon peel for garnish

In a rocks glass, stir together the syrup, maraschino, bitters and absinthe. Add the base spirit of choice and stir to combine. Add a large ice cube and stir to chill. Take the lemon peel skin side down around the rim of the glass. squeeze to express the oils into the glass and drop into the drink.

A quick housekeeping note to begin with. Swapped the absinthe for anise liqueur. I know, I know. I really need to pick up a bottle of absinthe. Perhaps the next time I go to the land of cheap liquor I’ll look for a bottle. Anyway, on to the drink. I decided to use Bulleit Rye as the base spirit this time since rye is delicious and I happen to have some.

The first thing I notice is a distinct aroma of maraschino and anise. I’m a little surprised lemon isnt the first scent I pick up since it is the freshest ingredient and it is used to rim the glass as well as squeezed onto the surface of the drink. Upon the first sip, the maraschino/anise domination continues, muting the initial spiciness inherent to the rye. That flavor comes in towards the middle of the sip, and finishes with a muted, but still bright lemon flavor.

Overall, I think this is a great drink. A step up from a super easy highball, but nothing too complicated. Plus it is extremely versatile. So if you’re short on a particular base, whatever you happen to have on hand should work quite well here. Until next week, stay healthy and safe everyone.