Even committed weekend-only drinkers find themselves in need of the occasional weeknight cocktail or glass of wine. With the number of sworn-by or sworn-original recipes out there, cocktails can seem especially daunting. That should not be the case, especially with a boundary-crossing boss willing to try nearly every motivational tactic in the book except for higher compensation. That requires a simple, quick drink. The kind to accompany you on whatever vacation from the real world you need tonight.
The simplest mixed drinks require three components: liquor, flavor, and something to dilute the liquor. You will find that some combinations work better than others, but there is no accounting for taste.
Erica’s standby mixed drinks are vodka and seltzer and a Moscow Mule. So obviously her preferred liquor is vodka. And her food preferred dilutant it is something with bubbles. For a vodka seltzer, she often pours a tall glass of seltzer and adds a splash of vodka and a splash of sweetened lime juice. These are perfect for hot summer nights after a day spent outside, or any evening after she has received a lecture from her boss on how all people need to achieve their goals is motivation. Or how some people just don’t want to work. The kind of indirect criticism one can easily smile and nod along to without taking personally.
For days when the needling is more direct, I suggest a Moscow Mule. This can include any such incidents as being asked to do menial tasks despite not being your boss’s assistant or being held to the same expectations as higher-level staff without any additional compensation because you just need the right motivation. On evenings like that, Erica will make herself a Moscow Mule in a much smaller glass with slightly more vodka, seltzer water, sweetened lime juice, and the ginger syrup which I wrote about a little while ago.
So, when you are looking for an invigorating refreshment, or just to take the edge off a particularly terrible day, don’t let a complicated cocktail recipe stress you out even further.
-Ella
