Cocktail- The Rustic Betch
Isn’t is weird to think that there are feminine drinks and masculine drinks? Like, if you are the only girl in a group of men and you order a fruity drink that comes with a fun umbrella, you officially don’t fit in (Gasp! RUDE). While this might sound silly, I learned that there is a “drinking culture” in corporate America. Normally, I wouldn't really care and would just do what I want. However, when you are at a corporate function, there are all of these hidden secrets that you have to learn. This is totally sparking ideas for me that I will share in another blog, should that interest anyone (not that I care, I write about what I want lololol). And no, I am not saying that these are are strict rules that you have to follow, this is more of an observation that I made in my past few years in corporate and is essentially an overdramatized blog about it because that is how we do things around here.
When you are in college, you really just order whatever you want (and what you can actually afford). I genuinely love beer, but quickly learned that this is not a common order when you’re with coworkers or clients in a professional setting (and is not forgiving on the waistline- curse you, Busch Lattes). My first big job out of college, I learned that I needed to be sophisticated with my choices when with clients and often opted for wine. I have always loved wine and have been drinking it since I was like, five years old (my family is Italian and only gave me a little, calm yoself). There is something about being at a corporate function, mingling in your tailored dress and suit jacket with a glass of wine in your hand that makes you feel oh-so-sophisticated. Then, I got a job in a male dominated industry. OY VEY. Let me tell you, this company was alllll about dat liquor. We had beer on tap at the office that you had access to at all times, so that was great for me in the more casual settings. On top of that, we had a couple of times throughout the year that we would have more upscale events with our clients where, once again, I was one of the only girls in the room. How does a woman fit in in a sea full of tailored suits, overly potent cologne, and whiskey sniffers who mean business?? I had always wished that I could like bourbon or whiskey and have tried to get myself to like it time and time again. That, to me, is the ultimate masculine drink (or Scotch, because Ron Burgundy says so). The men in my family love whiskey and always drink it at family parties. I always ask for a sip, and always shove the drink back at them, appalled that they would let me consume that poisonous nectar. What does a girl have to do to grow some hair on her chest?!
Well, fast forward to a few weeks ago, I was sitting at my kitchen table after dinner staring at the little console table in our dining room that doubles as a bar cart. I love wine and J loves whiskey so those two items were sitting out. That’s when it occurred to me- why can’t I mix the two???
I had actually been at a restaurant once where they had done a similar mixture of these liquors. I was not 100% sure what all they used, but I knew there was something sweet in it. To get started, I grabbed a rocks glass and a large ice cube. I have this ice tray that makes the large, square ice cubes. Obviously, any ice will do in the effort of just keeping your drink cold. I like to use these for whiskey drinks because they are intended for drinks that you will sip on, taking longer to dissolve.
Once you have your glass prepared, you can start adding your liquor. I started by filling my glass halfway with red wine. I think that this drink would be particularly good with a Cabernet or a Pinot Noir. I happened to have a Sangiovese already open so that’s what I went with. One of my good friends lives in Idaho and sent me this wine from their local winery. Pretty darn good!
Now, you are ready to add your whiskey. I would love to sit here and educate you on all of the delectable options that would pair well with this drink BUT… I don’t know squat about whiskey. My choice was influenced by the whiskey that we already had out in our decanter. We keep this out year round and always have it filled, ready for whenever guests arrive or for when J and I want to wind down with a cocktail at night. On this occasion, it was filled with Woodford Reserve, so that is what I used (we got a ginormous bottle of it at Costco, God bless). The only other one I could really recommend would be Angel’s Envy. This is one of J’s favorites and another that he has often chosen to fill the decanter with. It is one of the few where I have had a sip of his drink and not wanted to vom. Don’t you go getting excited now, though. I didn’t say I liked it, I more so can just tolerate it.
You will want to add 1 part whiskey to two parts wine, leaving the last section for the final ingredient.
Alright, home stretch! At this point, you want to add something sweet. I thought about making a simple syrup, but then you have to test out flavors and there seemed to be more room for error (and let’s be honest, I just didn’t want to make a simple syrup). I opened up our liquor cabinet and saw that we had a bottle of Sweet and Sour mix. I LOVE this stuff. In college, one of my favorite mixed drink to order was an Amoretto Sour. I would suck those things down like my life depended on it, then wake up the next day to call my friends and complain about how I was gaining weight and had no idea why (eye roll).
You will add the sour mix until the glass is full, then stir to combine. And there you have it! You’re classy…you’re rustic…you’re the most interesting woman who ever lived!
INGREDIENTS:
Red Wine of Choice
Whiskey of Choice
Sweet and Sour Mix
Ice
DIRECTIONS:
Fill a rocks glass with ice, preferably a large ice block
Fill your glass halfway full with red wine
Fill the next 1/4 of your glass with whiskey
Fill the last 1/4 of your glass with Sweet and Sour Mix, and stir to combine
