What's in Your Tumbler?

Hi to all the ReaderBlogReaders and newcomers from guest post-er Kate P. There are some thoughtful (and creative!) guest posts below, and I hope this one—one of a few thoughts I’d been brewing since Nina asked for guest posts—is of the same caliber.

There are several common motifs or themes that come up often here on this fine blog. Lately two that have been coming up often are prayer and booze, especially as many of us have been praying for Nina’s dad and those who love him and/or raising a glass to the same effect. I was one of the “and” people—praying and drinking. And drinking one cocktail, or a variation thereof, in particular. It doesn’t have a name* but I kind of started from this recipe and ran with it. (As an aside, I used to have a really hard time liking the creator of the recipe. She looks like a Barbie doll, and all that processed food and ready-made stuff she would use to make recipes weirded me out. Then I watched the “chefography” they did of her and it impressed me. She didn’t have it easy in life, and she has an inventive mind. I kind of respect her now. . . but I still have a hard time calling her a chef.)

So, here’s what I do. I don’t measure when it comes to mixing drinks for myself; I count or eyeball it. Is that weird? Or just dumb? Those of you with actual bartending skills might have a better idea of how much of each.

2-3 ice cubes
Peach nectar (count to three)
Pineapple juice (count to three)
Citrus rum—I did follow Sandra’s advice and use Bacardi Limon (splash, or if it was a bad day at work, double splash)
Ginger ale (top off the glass)
Stir, raise your glass to some good thoughts for Nina and her family, and drink.

Variations:
Place half a canned peach at the bottom of the glass before adding ice. Or instead of ice, use frozen sliced peaches.
Ginger ale too sweet? Try plain seltzer or lemon-lime seltzer.
Don’t want booze? Squeeze in a little lemon juice, or swap out half the ginger ale for lemon-lime seltzer.

I will be having variation #3 tonight, as I took a bunch of Advil today. . . and I still hurt. Gonna offer the whole thing up. This time last week I’d just been through my great-uncle’s funeral, and he and my cousins are on my mind. I’ll be raising the glass to them as well.


*Feel free to suggest a name in the combox. The crazier the better—my family laughs just as hard as it cries when these times come around.