With 2021 right around the corner, we all are seeing that light at the end of the 2020 tunnel!
Thank goodness!
This year has been, well, rough! To say the least…And we’ve all felt it at some point or another. So here are six real drinks (no I didn’t just make them up) that sum up 2020. Maybe you’ll make a couple at home to celebrate it coming to an end!
1) Champagne
You’re probably thinking, “Amanda! 2020 sucked! Why would you put such an awesome wine in the line up?” Well, if you recall, the first 3 weeks of January were awesome! We just hit the 20’s! Coachella, tickets were selling, and people legitimately thought this was going to be a rad year! So Champagne, being a celebratory drink seemed to fit the part. And after 3 weeks of January, it all went downhill…
Champagnes to try (Under $100):
NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé
NV Laurent-Perrier Brut Rosé
NV Perrier Jouiet Brut
NV Taittinger Demi Sec
NV Fleury Pere et Fils Blanc de Noirs Brut
2) Death in the Afternoon
This is a cocktail with 3 parts Champagne and 1 part Absinthe. Come the total lockdown in mid-March, there was nothing to do. We were BORED TO DEATH and SCARED TO DEATH. I would go to the grocery store fully masked, gloved and covered up. Then, when I got home, I’d remove my clothing, throw them in the wash, shower and then grab the groceries from outside to wash and clean them.
This is also when we started excessively drinking. With all of our clocks backwards, why not have a cocktail at 3pm, it’s not like I had to drive anywhere…
Death in the Afternoon
3oz Sparkling Wine (Champagne)
1oz Absinthe
Pour directly into a Champagne flute.
3) The Cosmopolitan
Let us never forget the Ina Garten special on how to make Cosmos. Once we realized we were going to be stuck here for a while, Ina showed us how to make the biggest Cosmo our eyes have ever seen! Because, let’s face it, what else were we going to do. You became your own mixologist concocting fancy drinks that you’d typically order at a bar because bars were closed! So why not add a little Carrie or Samantha to your average day?
Cosmopolitan:
1.5oz vodka
3/4oz triple sec
1/4oz lime juice
1oz Cranberry Juice
Shaken with ice, strained into a martini glass with a lime or orange garnish.
4) Adios Mother F*ckers (AMF)
Once we get to July and cases were consistent, at that point we were all exhausted and in agony! “We want to go out again!” “I miss my friends.” The only logical solution was to get plastered. The drink of the Frat boy definitely describes us mid-2020, a total sh*t show. But man, those things really taste good. It’s like an electric lemonade.
AMF:
½ oz gin
½ oz vodka
½ oz tequila
½ oz rum
½ oz blue curaçao
3oz sweet and sour mix
Top with sprite
Lemon and Cherry garnish
Pour all ingredients directly into a glass.
5) Dark and Stormy
And just when we finally thought it’d be over, summer ended and in came a storm. It was like we were finally enjoying a nice day in the Caribbean when all of a sudden a hurricane hit and we were forced once again to stay inside. This drink being rum based makes it seem like the perfect Island drink, but don’t let that stray you the wrong way. This drink tastes like the perfect storm with dark rum’s vanilla and cinnamon flavors mixed with the spice of the ginger beer. A shocking wakeup call.
Dark and Stormy:
2oz Dark Rum
4oz ginger beer
Dash of bitters
Lime Garnish
Pour directly into a glass and enjoy.
6) Bloody Mary
And finally, we come to the last drink on the list. The one that is supposed to cure this hangover of a year! The classic Bloody Mary. New Year’s Day is National Bloody Mary Day and National Hangover Day. My expectation is that this year’s hangover is going to be bigger, longer and worse than the last. So, buckle up. But I believe this is the most suiting drink to end the year. I’m exhausted, you’re exhausted. Get me the heck out of this horrible excuse for a year.
Bloody Mary
2oz vodka
4oz tomato juice
6 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1oz of Buffalo sauce
1/2oz lemon juice
1/4oz honey syrup
4 dashes black pepper
Hot Sauce to taste
Garnish: pickles, olives, shrimp, celery, onions etc.
Pour together and stir.
Let's end this year already! And I HOPE 2021 starts to bring life back to normal.
Stay Safe & Healthy.
Cheers!
Amanda