21 Drink salute

If you're new to the "21 Drink Salute," here's the Big Idea. For each of the 21 days between Flag Day (today) and the Fourth of July, I'll drink a toast to America while sampling a different cocktail each day and posting a pic with some inane commentary. It's a good way to kill time AND superfluous brain cells during these dog days of summer. I did my first "21 Drink Salute" in 2007 and have done it about seven times since -- trying my best not to repeat cocktails from year to year. In the past I've mixed most of these drinks at home; this year I think I'd like to venture out to patronize local drinking establishments a bit more. So if you're in eastern Nebraska during the next 21 days and want to help me get this done (while working on my crippling social anxieties in the process)... drinks are on me. Cheers!

Root beer floats AFTER dinner for the kids, and a root beer cocktail BEFORE dinner for the grownups. Everyone's happy. I enjoyed dinner in the Old Market this evening with my friends Thad and Kim and their kids, where I was able to kick off this summer's "21 Drink Salute to America" with a Crown Vanilla Highball. As the name suggests, it's vanilla-flavored Canadian whisky in a tall, mildly frothy glass of Upstream's own "Bugeater" hard root beer. Smooth and creamy and delicious, with a nice local home-town touch. It was hard to just have one of these!

The Colonial: rye whiskey, dry vermouth, orange bitters, grenadine, and lime. An appropriately named drink for Day 2 of my 21 Drink Salute to America. Did you know that our nation's most famous Colonial -- none other than George Washington himself -- had a distillery at Mount Vernon that produced as much as 11,000 gallons of rye whiskey each year? So... be patriotic... be like George... drink more rye! Side note: when I first moved to Omaha, the Colonial Apartments (above the lounge where I enjoyed this drink with my friend Susie) was kind of a sketchy "rooms by the week" kinda place. Now, like just about everything else in this neighborhood, the apartments and lounge are revamped and hip and happening. I can't speak to the gentrified apartments above, but I can say the lounge below has a swank vibe that I kind of enjoyed -- complete with a giant (but tasteful) nude painting above the bar that gave me some inspiration for redecorating my basement. Cheers!

Viva la Tequila: cilantro-infused tequila, mezcal, watermelon, lime, pineapple, and chile liqueur. ¡Ay caramba! Day 3 of my "21 Drink Salute to America" shows why sometimes it's best to leave the mixology to the professionals. Nite Owl always has a nice selection of unique seasonal cocktails, and this delicious, smoky, spicy, refreshing summer drink -- served in a cool transparent tiki glass -- reminded me that summer is just now kicking into high gear. The charred, dehydrated lime garnish was genius. Cheers!

Lunchtime Sangria at the Jackson Street Tavern! Red wine, Chambord berry liqueur, triple sec, peach liqueur and ice cold, bubbly lemon lime soda. A blood-red drink on Day 4 of my "21 Drink Salute to America," in honor of the valor of those who shed their blood for liberty. Cheers!

Your basic mojito: light rum, muddled mint, lime, simple syrup and lemon lime soda. A quick check of the archives revealed that some variation of this classic Cuban drink has been enjoyed during each summer run of my "21 Drink Salute to America" going back to 2007. My preference would be to sip this on a beach somewhere, but... I guess a mojito makes the day a little beachy-er wherever you are. Cheers!

El Diablo: jalapeno-infused tequila, blackcurrant liqueur, lime, bitters and ginger beer. Burrito Envy & Tequila Bar in Omaha’s swank Benson neighborhood served up this mule with a kick for Day 6 of my "21 Drink Salute to America." And speaking of mules, did you know that George Washington -- in addition to being Father of Our Country -- is also considered Father of the American Mule for his role in breeding the animals for use in American agriculture? The story is that he sent away to the King of Spain for an appropriate jackass to begin his breeding program. Of course, it wasn't too long before America was full of jackasses... and mules. Cheers!

La Batanga: tequila, lime, and Mexican Coke. I got to enjoy this drink at Mula in Blackstone with my nephew Freddie on his 21st birthday! If this seems a decidedly non-American drink for Day 7 of my "21 Drink Salute to America," recall that some 500,000 square miles of the good ol' USA used to be Mexico. ¡Salud!

Kentucky Blue: bourbon, blueberry liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup, and mint. Today -- Day 8 of my "21 Drink Salute to America" -- I did my drinkin' in Lincoln with my brother John and nephew Ben. Our assessment of this cocktail was that it had great potential but maybe needed a bit more pizzazz... maybe a lemon wedge or some mottled blueberries or something. Nevertheless, it IS truly an all-American drink. Blueberries are native to North America, AND bourbon is America's official distilled spirit (by an act of Congress in 1964 -- back when our federal legislature could garner bipartisan support for such pressing matters). Cheers!

Manhattan: American rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and yer basic bitters. Nothing fancy this afternoon for Day 9 of my "21 Drink Salute to America." Everyone knows about Manhattan, KANSAS, but did you know there are eight other places named Manhattan in the U.S.? I vaguely recall that there's even a tiny little island on the east coast with this name. Go figure. Cheers!

Fog Cutter: light rum, gin, sherry, TWO kinds of brandy, almond syrup, orange and lime. A delicious, artfully created tiki drink on Day 10 of my "21 Drink Salute to America," with a passionfruit flavored Belgian white ale chaser. My favorite Omaha tiki bar closed down a few years ago (R.I.P. Mai Tai Lounge), so I was excited to try the Laka Lono Rum Club in the Old Market. It had fewer black velvet nudes than the Mai Tai Lounge had, but other than that it did not disappoint. Speaking of disappointment and Fog Cutters... the foggiest place in the United States is Cape Disappointment, Washington. Cheers!

Madeira Sour: rum, honey, lemon, and madeira. Madeira -- an amber-colored fortified Portugese wine -- was quite popular in the British Empire in the 18th Century, and would have been the drink of choice among our snooty, white-wigged Founding Fathers. After they signed the Declaration of Independence, they all chugged down a few cases of madeira to celebrate. This is a CUSTOM cocktail... when I explained the "21 Drink Salute" to cocktail expert Kari at Proof Whiskey Bar, she immediately suggested -- and created -- something extra special featuring this extra special wine. Cheers!

Two ruby red Campari cocktails at Mercury in downtown Omaha for Day 12 of my "21 Drink Salute to America." On the left, the Hail Hydra is Campari (a red herbal liqueur) with scotch, chocolate, pear liqueur, honey, and a Hawaiian salt garnish. The one on the right is a special Negroni cocktail (you DID remember it's Negroni Week, right?) whose recipe is under embargo until the World Negroni Competition on Sunday. (My friend Sean and I were convinced that with the right garnishes this one COULD be a winner.) Both were just the right combination of sweet and bitter -- just like me. Cheers!

Pimm's Cup Cocktail: Pimm's Number 1 liqueur, lemonade, and... some fruit and stuff. Sat outside at the Old Market’s oldest bar with my oldest niece and two nephews tonight, lucky Day 13 of my "21 Drink Salute to America," swilling this refreshing British cocktail and wondering how much Pimm's Number 1 could be consumed before I had to excuse myself to go Number One. Also, what exactly does Pimm's Number 2 taste like? Much to ponder. Cheers!

Sazerac! A classic New Orleans cocktail with rye, bitters (Peychaud's, of course), and a blast of the Green Fairy, absinthe. I don't think the absinthe caused me to hallucinate the giant portraits of Tolkien and Willa Cather on the wall. I've resolved to do more reading this summer, and the Sazerac at Inkwell has inspired me. Cheers!

Secretariat: bourbon, lime, ginger beer. Day 15 of my "21 Drink Salute to America" features another mule -- in this case, Blackstone's take on the Kentucky Mule cocktail. Fun fact: legendary Kentucky Derby and triple crown winner Secretariat sired 453 foals... and only two of them followed in his hoofsteps by running the Kentucky Derby. A sobering little tidbit for all you parents out there. Cheers!

South O Bomb: a shot of Dr McGillicuddy's Intense Cherry Liqueur, Red Bull Energy Drink, and fear. Day 16 of my "21 Drink Salute to America" (or as my friend Jenni calls it, my "summer drinking habit") brought me to rough-and-tumble South Omaha, a bit further afield for a cocktail than I've been this year. And what better place for a patriotic drink than a veterans club that doubles as a Mexican restaurant? This medicinal tasting drink had the twin benefits of making me wide awake AND clearing up my sore throat. Cheers!

Chartreuse Sour: Chartreuse green liqueur, lemon, simple syrup and egg white. Brunch at Dario’s was even more enjoyable and more brunch-y with an egg white cocktail on Day 17 of my "21 Drink Salute to America." The largest egg-producing state in the USA is right across the river in my home state, Iowa. Cheers!

The Godfather: scotch, amaretto, ice. Walking in Dundee around lunchtime, I didn't really need a cosmic sign to stop off and enjoy my favorite scotch cocktail... but there it was. Cheers!

Full Moon Over Manhattan: rye, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, yellow Chartreuse liqueur, honey, orange garnish. Today is actually a NEW moon, when the lunar surface is completely invisible, but... it seemed as good a day as any to try out this new monster-themed bar in the Old Market. The cocktail I chose was a nice variation on the classic Manhattan (which we all know is just rye whiskey and sweet vermouth). Fun fact: when America declared its independence 243 years ago, the moon was waxing gibbous. (I'm sure I learned in college astronomy what that means.) Cheers!

Red Rooster: vodka, cranberry juice, orange juice. Also known in some quarters as the "Madras" cocktail, this drink -- on the penultimate day of my "21 Drink Salute to America" -- is named for an American euphemism. The English, of course, refer to a male chicken as a cock. Apparently the Puritans in 18th Century America found that word -- rather its vulgar, slang connotations -- offensive, and so called the bird a rooster instead. The Puritans would have found this 21 Drink Salute to America offensive, too, so... today we stop in at The Verdict and drink a hearty toast to the, um, rooster, and to the Puritans whose puritanical values continue to make America what it is today... or something like that. Cheers!

Crazy Bob Star Spangled Red Solo Cup Special: well whiskey and off brand citrus soda. You go to small town America on a holiday, you content yourself with simple pleasures. Bought a jar of hooch to take home with me to drink during the fireworks as I wrap up the 2019 edition of my "21 Drink Salute to America." Good times with good fam. 'Merica!

Stone Fence: rum, Angostura bitters, and apple cider. An unprecedented Day 22 of my annual "21 Drink Salute to America" to share some summertime cheer with my friends Jenni and Michelle. The Stone Fence is a colonial-era drink that is said to have fortified Vermonter Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys as the Americans took the fight to the Brits at the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. Vermont went its own way as a republic in 1777, finally joining the union with the original 13 states in 1791. Cheers!