blurry, ginful memories ::::
A college friend posted on facebook that if one is to do something really stupid, that you might as well bring gin along. You must remember my little gin misstep when I was a Resident Assistant, I commented. I’ve never had sloe gin since. He finished with a comment by saying inviting gin along is like inviting Ferris Bueller.
That “little misstep” was actually one night of a blur, sloe gin, beer, and maybe shots of something fierce. It first started out as a happily tipsy night with friends, then progressed to finding more friends, sampling more beverages, dancing, loud music, hooting and hollering, gorging on pizza, and finally needing a trash can close by and a very patient friend to hold my hair out of the way of my wretching. As the night blurred on, girlfriends stole me away from rigorous dancing and sloppily poured drinks, verbalizing their concern. They kept their eyes on me for the latter parts of the night I remember, they drifting onto tiredness and setting their stale drinks aside, having the wisdom to do so. To summarize: it was a night of stupidity, of my knowing better than to drink as much alcohol as I did, for no reason but to do it, and to pay for it later. And it was a night that showed me the kindness of my friends, and perhaps strangers (I don’t remember). The next morning was typical for those days of a college co-ed: it was nervously laughed off, no big deal. Ha, ha, you were sooooooo drunk! I could do nothing but sheepishly agree. I was drunk. And I had the colossal hangover to prove it.
Since then, I have tempered my alcohol intake. Although I still had my share of stupid nights with less and without any alcohol, none were nearly as stupid as that first one. I enjoy a cocktail once a month. Sometimes Eat and I split a bottle of beer if we’re feeling committed to drinking something with dinner and dessert. A bottle of wine could last us a month, even if I cook with it. We just don’t drink alcohol very often. We admit to being very cheap dates.
Even with my low tolerance, I decided that I should try this drink, the flowery and minty Elderflower Mojito. It was the night before my oral exams for my medical boards when I first tried this drink at a Rochester, Minnesota restaurant/bar, calming my nerves, catching up with old friends also taking the exam the next morning, and privately delving into those college memories of being stupidly drunk for no reason. I conducted myself properly that night, not even finishing the drink. I couldn’t take my exam with a hangover. Post-exam, wearily but elated, I went back to the bar the next night and ordered another. And drank the whole thing. And had some of Eat’s, too. And didn’t do anything stupid. (And passed the exam!)
- 12 fresh mint leaves
- 2 shots dark rum (Conversion: 1 shot = 1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons = approx 30 ml)*
- 2 shots St. Germaine (elderflower liqueur)
- 2 shots fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup simple syrup (1:1 ratio of sugar to water, heated to dissolve sugar, then cooled)**
- ¼ cup seltzer water
- Muddle mint in glass with small sprinkle of sugar.
- Add rum, St. Germaine, lime juice, and simple syrup. Mix well. If not already, cool entire mixture, or fill glass with ice (this may dilute your drink, so you may need to adjust the seltzer addition later).
- Strain mixture into a pretty glass. You can choose to keep the muddled mint in the glass or not. (I strained mine out)
- Add seltzer water just before serving with a curvy sprig of mint in the glass.
- Drink under the supervision of a loved one, lest you start acting way too happy and need to funnel those vibes somewhere appropriate.
2 COMMENTS
I am soooo going to try this. Maybe for a dinner party next weekend.
It’s a nice variation on the traditional mojito, especially for summer.