Christmas, Drinks, Merry Merry

The Internet has gone silent, or nearly so among the tech blogs and news sites I frequent. It’s Christmas day around the world, and if it’s your persuasion, Merry Christmas to you.

Keeping with the season, here are a three wise drinks to spread cheer before your holiday meal. Enjoy!

Hendricks Classic Martini

Two jiggers (3 oz.) Hendricks gin. Only Hendricks gin.
One-third cap-full Noilly Prat dry vermouth. I’m reading disturbing things about Noilly Prat, though, so if you’re buying, give Donil dry vermouth a try.
Three (not two, not four) pitted green olives, plain or stuffed with feta or blue cheese.

Vermouth in shaker completely filled with ice. Gin on top. Shake until your fingers near frostbite. Pour contents over three olives, speared with an olive pick, into a proper, chilled cocktail glass. Imbibe. Repeat as necessary, keeping in mind that one martini is not enough, three is too much. This recipe is considered by some to be a “double.”

Cuba Libre

One jigger Havana Club 7 dark rum. Accept no substitute, Uncle Sam be damned. Google is your friend.
One-quarter lime.
Six ounces Coca Cola, made with cane sugar if you can find it (Costco, from Mexico).

Squeeze the lime into a highball glass, then drop the rind in, too. Add cracked ice to half-fill the glass. Add the rum, top off with Coke. Think warm thoughts, or just go to the Caymans while you wait for Fidel’s end.

Rum Sipper

Three fingers Ron Zacapa 23-year old Guatemalan rum.
One ice cube, two-inches by two by two. Buy a proper ice tray.

Drop the ice cube into a lowball glass. Add the rum. Sip. Repeat.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, well, have a good evening.