Gin, Vodka, Mixers, and How to Get My Dad to Like You.

by Caitlin

I had several solid ideas for posts this week. Good ones, too. But then it turned out that this short, tiny little three-day week of mine sadly has a Napoleonic complex, and is gaily throwing wet blankets over my life hither and yon. This week may be small, but it's been cruel and ruthless, and is probably invading Russia as we speak.

So those other posts are going to have to wait while I take a few moments to discuss my current favorite adult beverages. I mean, there are only so many times you can go to the gym or blast Rolling in the Deep before you must turn to the power of a pint glass of vodka.

So! Let's start with the vodka then!

Now, with the exception of gin & tonic, which I will get to in a minute, I am traditionally a beer girl (beer is a whole 'nother post. Maybe even a whole different website.). But lately I have fallen for the power of vodka soda. It's light, refreshing, and generally goes down pretty smoothly. My husband is the one who first introduced me to my current favorite brand of vodka, and I've never looked back. Svedka is smooth, tasty, and shockingly inexpensive. It isn't carried everywhere, but if you come across it I recommend picking some up. 

It's Swedish, so you know it's good.

Photo credit: vodkabuzz.com. Which: HAHAHHAAA vodkabuzz.com

Svedka gets high ratings -- in the 90s -- from Wine Enthusiast. I am not that picky about my vodka though. I will drink pretty much anything when I am out at a bar or a friend's house. I generally add plain soda water and a squeeze of lemon and/or lime. I find this is tasty enough but when I want to punch it up a little I use flavored seltzer. Cherry seltzer is SO GOOD with vodka. And I'm not talking about the psuedo-soda stuff with artificial sweetner. I'm talking good old fashioned soda water with nothing but carbonation and mysteriously calorie-free flavoring.

Speaking of flavors, this winter I happened upon Svedka's Clementine vodka and that was ALSO quite tasty. I have also fallen a little in love with Stoli Blueberry as of late. I don't know why I'm slightly ashamed of that, but I am. Why is that? 

Earlier I mentioned gin and tonic. Gin and tonic is basically a right of passage on both sides of my family. Neither side are big drinkers, really, but the gin and tonic is a Thing. When I was a kid I spent some time every summer on Cape Cod with my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and the smell of a gin and tonic in a plastic cup brings me right back there.

There are rules about the summer gin and tonic, though. Important rules, which must be followed. First, there must be two limes in the drink at a minimum. Second, and most importantly, they absolutely must be in blue plastic SOLO cups, or my Dad will cutchoo. Do not think you're going to skate by with generic plastic cups merely, because they were on sale. Do not expect leniency because "they only had red at the store!" Oh no. my friend. There will be no leniency for such a transgression. FACT: Things taste different depending on the color of the SOLO cup. 

The most delicious in all the land! Photo from www.webstaurantstore.com.

And as the years go on, the Blue Solo cup has become more and more elusive. They're becoming a little difficult to find. But this point is still non-negotiable. In fact, this requirement is so well-known in our family that when my husband and I got married, as a thank-you gift we got my parents some custom cobalt bar glasses engraved with -- wait for it -- SOLO.

Yes we did.

 

On the other side of my family, the older cousins engage in tradition by attempting to sneak "Sprites" to the younger cousins. The parents thought the older teenagers just loooooved Sprite ... I guess? Either way it worked well enough that younger cousins routinely fell down stairs and landed at the feet of their Not Too Pleased parents, sooo ... FAMILY TRADITION. 

I digress.

I generally prefer Bombay Sapphire, but am not opposed to Tanqueray either. My parents always drank Beefeater or Gordon's in the plastic bottle and I maintain a soft spot for those as well. 

Photo from http://offthepresses.blogspot.com/. Batting 1000 today with the random photo credits. 

I used to default to using Schwepps tonic. But last year my husband and I discovered something much better: Q Tonic. 

Photo from http://lovelypackage.com. I SWEAR TO GOD. 

I like it because it has fewer calories, no corn syrup, and some organic ingredients. It's also available in small bottles just like Schwepps, so no wasting a whole liter because you only want a drink or two. I dislike it because it's a little pricey and brags about its "hand-picked quinine." I mean ... really? Because NOBODY likes machine-picked quinine! I can ALWAYS taste the difference, and machine-picked quinine is the WORST! 

So this summer don't forget the two limes, and don't even think about using a generic red plastic cup. 

What are your go-to drinks? Does any one drink have special meaning in your family? And is there any drink you like that you're ashamed to admit?

PS: Other great coping mechanism? These cookies. Apparently you people didn't listen to me, and are now complaining in the comments section. YOU'RE WELCOME.

Comments

[Swistle]

1. I love your dad.

2. I love your idea for the wedding thank-you gift.

3. I will totally pick up some of that vodka the next time I'm at the liquor store. I made some vanilla with that once, because I thought the bottle was pretty, but I didn't drink any of the vodka.

4. I like the seltzers of which you speak. There's a cranberry-lime one that's a favorite. Or is it raspberry-lime? It seems like if it's a favorite, I should KNOW.

5. I love the part about machine-picked quinine.

6. I feel embarrassed that I like vodka-and-orange-juice. It feels like such a BORING thing to like. But: I like it.

[K]

I love me some Svedka. We picked it up the first time because it was inexpensive but I really loved it so I keep going back.

[Tessie]

Vodka and soda is my Official Drink of 2011! I'm partial to Tito's myself, which is local (to TX) and quite a good value for the price. BUT! I will be trying Svedka!

AND I use the flavored seltzer, too! TWINNIES!

[Randall Rodgers]

Ting is a great mixer! I also love a good Moscow Mule with a spicy ginger beer on a hot summer's day. Also, spiced rum mixed with grapefruit soda (Squirt, Fresca and the like) tastes like sherbet ice cream.
Also, Reyhorst makes a good vodka and gin (made in Milwaukee, WI and is Wisconsin's OLDEST distillery!)

[jennielynn]

I like a nice 7&7, which I ordered while dating my husband and he was instantly impressed, since that was his mothers drink of choice. (Not sure if that was a red flag, but 10 years later, we're still happy so whatever.) Once summer gets into full swing, I default to an amaretto iced tea, which is heaven when you're floating in the pool. Heaven.

[Heather]

I like Diet Coke with vanilla vodka.
And margaritas.
And mojitos.
Man, I am mainstream and boring.

This post was hilarious.

[Kara]

I like Bombay Sapphire too! Will look for that tonic suggestion though. Oh, and your cousins sound awesome! ;-)

[rebecca]

you guys think you are embarrassing? try my standby...vodka and diet cherry coke. I saw a commercial for wild cherry stoli the other day, and now cannot wait for this in utero child's eviction. 9ish weeks!!!! Though i may also have to be a grown up and give vodka-tonic a whirl.

[Caitlin]

Swistle - There is so much to respond to in your fantastic comment, I don't even know where to start. Suffice it to say: YES to all of it!

K - YAY!

Tessie - SAMSIES! Low cal and so good!

Randall - You are correct, sir. Ting is the best! I want to try your spiced rum and grapefruit rec now.

Jennielynn - HA HA let's not think too hard on that, shall we? PS - I don't think I've ever even had a 7&7.

Heather - But all of those things are DELICIOUS. Same with Blueberry Stoli. So WHY the shame? I guess we all just want to know that we are special little snowflakes.

Kara - they ARE awesome AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE. Although that sentence should have read "younger cousins routinely did things LIKE fall down stairs and land at the feet of their Not Too Pleased parents"...but then again I think you DID do that twice?

Rebecca - Am now on a mission for this wild cherry stoli. It sounds DELIGHTFUL.

[Maxie]

I'm too a fan of vodka tonic and am going to hunt down that fancy kind -- and hahahaha at lovely package. People... people are oblivious.

[Duncanhannah2]

Caitlin, CAITLIN --Ooohhh, Caitlin, this is the ghost of the blue solo cup. My child, you have learned your lessons well. The blue Solo cup, two limes, truly, you are an aficionado of the elusive 'perfect G&T'.

You did miss one point though. When you cut off the end of the lime, there is a little juicy part in there that must not, MUST not, be wasted. You obviously have forgotten this part of the ritual. You look around the room and decide who you like the best (its always you...) and you squeeze that teeny little extra bit of lime juice into that person's drink because.....
ITS THE LIME THAT MAKES A G&T!!!

I do see that you are getting these important messages out to the masses and you get extra points for that. Good work!

Love,
Dad

[ant_danielle]

Your dad is awesome.