21 Drink salute

Happy Flag Day! And welcome to my quasi-annual "21 Drink Salute to America." For the 21 star-spangled summer days between Flag Day and the Fourth of July, I'll be mixing up a different cocktail each day and celebrating our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today I've just added a little summer swag to the classic Gin and Tonic: gin, lime and tonic water, with some cantaloupe chunks and cucumber slices, and a garnish of mint, because... why not?! Cheers!

Kentucky Coffee! It's a joltingly delicious boozy brew to take the edge off a sultry summer Monday. Day 2 of the "21 Drink Salute to America" finds me adding a shot of Kentucky Bourbon to my glass of brewed coffee on ice, with a little Amaretto and a frothy, creamy top. Cheers!

Celebrating Koni's birthday AND Day 3 of my "21 Drink Salute to America" with a refreshing batch of Pimm's Cup cocktails. Nobody's quite sure what's in Pimm's liqueur (we think it's gin and unicorn blood), but I can vouch for the rest: ginger ale, strawberries, lemons, clementines, and cucumber slices. Cheers!

Vieux Carre! All the Interweb sources told me this is pronounced VOH-CARE-AY but my special guests from Louisiana set me straight: VOO-CARE-AY. Either way, this New Orleans classic (the cocktail's name is French for "Old Square," referring to the French Quarter) made our cares melt away: rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine liqueur, and a dash of aromatic and Peychaud's bitters, with a twist of lemon and cherry garnish. For Day 4 of my "21 Drink Salute to America," we say: Laissez les bon temps rouler! Cheers!

Shirley Temples for the sweet kids and Morning Mules for the cantankerous grownups! My sister and her kids dropped in on Day 5 of my "21 Drink Salute," so I got to mix up a mocktail for the tots (grenadine and ginger ale) and a cocktail for Mom and the favorite uncle (vodka, ginger beer, lime and orange juice). Cheers!

On Fridays we do shots! For Day 6 of my "21 Drink Salute," I tried a dreaded layered drink. This one ended up being easy as ABC: Amaretto, Bailey's and Cognac. Went down pretty easy, too. Cheers!

The Zombie! In retrospect, I rally should have done this cocktail right after the New Orleans-inspired Vieux Carre. The Zombie is equal parts light rum, gold rum, dark rum, and apricot brandy, with some pineapple and papaya juice, and... more rum! The top layer of 151-proof black rum is combustible, but my homeowners insurance doesn't cover cocktail-related losses. So the non-flammable version will have to suffice for Day 7 of my "21 Drink Salute." Cheers!

Relaxin' after a day of yard work with what I'm calling the Gilligan's Island Iced Tea: coconut rum, Canadian whiskey, and mango nectar over a tall glass of iced tea. It's Day 8 of my "21 Drink Salute," and today I offer a toast to all the fathers out there... make 'em a cocktail or two. Cheers!

What's more American than a good rye-based cocktail? How about one named for a voting precinct in Boston linked to political corruption in the late 1800s? Today's drink, the Ward 8, ticks off all the boxes. It's a shot of rye whiskey, some orange juice, lemon juice, and grenadine. Celebrating participatory democracy (with all its flaws) on Day 9 of my "21 Drink Salute to America." Cheers!

Behold, the Sexy Alligator: some nutty Amaretto, some sweet Midori melon liqueur mixed with pineapple juice, and a top layer of Jägermeister to give this 'gator its bite. It's Day 10 of the "21 Drink Salute," and this drink reminds me of the time I called my local Western outfitter to ask if they had any alligator boots. "You bet," came the reply, "what size does your alligator wear?" Cheers!

Gin and Sin: gin, orange juice, lemon juice, grenadine. And speaking of sin... a nun walks by a tavern and scowls at one of her former students she sees bellied up to the bar. He walks out and greets her, then offers to buy her a drink. "Certainly not!" she replies. "Alcohol is the Devil's drink!" Finally, after some back and forth about the relative evils of drink, Sister agrees to try just one drink, on the condition that it be served to her discreetly in a teacup -- lest she give scandal to anyone walking by. The man returns to the bar and orders two whiskeys, neat, requesting that one be poured into a teacup. The bartender rolls his eyes and says, "Oh, is that damned nun here again?" With apologies to any nuns who may see this... Cheers!

The Horse's Neck: bourbon, ginger ale, some bitters, and a lemon twist on steroids. Great example here, kids, of the maxim "begin with the end in mind." Garnishes can be an afterthought ("sure, maybe I'll drop a cherry on top, why not?"), or -- as in the case of the Horse's Neck -- the raison d'etre of the whole dang cocktail. Had I not been able to peel this comically long lemon garnish, the cocktail for Day 12 of the "21 Drink Salute" may have been... oh, I don't know, a Jack and Coke. This is better. So think big... picture success... dare to fashion a fancy garnish for something you have yet to begin. Cheers!

Hemingway Daiquiri: light rum, lime juice, grapefruit juice, cherry liqueur, simple syrup. I invited one of my favorite English teachers over for lucky Day 13 of the "21 Drink Salute," and so mixed up a cocktail in honor of one of our literary giants. Also known in Havana as the "Papa Doble" (for its double dose of rum -- just as Hemingway preferred it) this cocktail was plenty boozy for us lightweights... but probably would have been too fruity and not nearly boozy enough for Papa H. I like to think he was smiling on us nevertheless. Cheers!

Dirty Banana: dark rum, coconut rum, coffee liqueur, vanilla ice cream, and one fresh banana. So, a banana and his buddies in the produce aisle are chatting after the store has closed. Broccoli says, "You know, my mama always said I kinda looked like a tree." Walnut replies, "Weird, my mama always said I look just like a brain." Mushroom chimes in, "Oh wow, my mama always said I look like an umbrella." Finally Banana just says "Can we please change the subject?" Cheers!

The Salty Dog: it's just vodka and grapefruit juice, friends. Purists would insist on gin rather than vodka... but if yer gonna play that card you may as well just take away the salty rim and call it a Greyhound. My local grocery store only sold grapefruits by the bag, so you know what that means... stay tuned for more grapefruit cocktails. Cheers!

A particularly odious trip to the dentist warranted a post-ordeal morning belt. The Melon Patch cocktail is vodka, melon liqueur, triple sec, and some bubbly club soda to soothe my sore gums. Next time I'll have the drink before I go. Cheers!

Dutch Paloma: tequila reposado, grapefruit juice, blue Curacao, club soda. Day 17 of the "21 Drink Salute" means we're in the homestretch, which means it's time to let loose and start getting a little creative in the ol' home bar. The Paloma is basically a margarita made with grapefruit juice and bubbles. I tossed in a little of the blue stuff (which is a citrus liqueur originating on a Dutch island in the Caribbean called Curacao -- don't ask me how it's pronounced)... and, voila! A new fancy blue drink by your favorite fancy Dutchman. Cheers!

Friends, how can it already be July 1?! In just three short days our "21 Drink Salute" will come to an abrupt end. So let's keep the summer vibes going with this berry, berry delicious rum cocktail. The Knickerbocker is gold rum, raspberry liqueur, orange liqueur, and some lime juice. Poured over crushed ice and garnished with a handful of frozen blackberries and raspberries, the Knickerbocker is a real morale booster as we forge ahead into the thick, languid days of deepest summer. Cheers!

Breakin' out the goofy hats on this next-to-next-to-last day of the "21 Drink Salute." The Panama cocktail is brandy, creme de cacao, and cream, with a dusting of grated nutmeg. Do you like my Panama hat? It was actually a gift from a friend who had travelled in Panama. It's not quite grande enough for my cabeza gigante... but a celebratory hat is, after all, a celebratory hat. Go ahead and don your favorite one -- right now, I'll wait -- and drink up! Cheers.

Whiskey Rebellion: rye whiskey, Pimm's #1, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Mmm... a cocktail named for violent protests against a tax on booze levied by the new federal government in 1791. We've got insurrection in our blood, don't we? Even George freakin' Washington had his feet held to the fire by surly constituents. A nice reminder on Day 20 of my "21 Drink Salute" that our little republic has weathered a lot of storms in the past two and a half centuries. We'll be OK. Cheers!

The Roosevelt: dark rum, dry vermouth, orange juice, simple syrup, orange twist garnish. We wrap up this year's "21 Drink Salute" with a cocktail celebrating one of America's great presidents -- take your pick of which Roosevelt, the Republican or the Democrat. (Or, if you're more of a third party animal, you can even celebrate the failed 1912 Bull Moose candidate if you like.) In case you haven't heard, it's an election year, so you've got between now and November to sober up and evaluate the candidates. Or... maybe just keep on drinking. Cheers!