Weekend Cocktail Club – Don’t Drink Basic

*This special edition of WCC will tie into another story I’m on.*

So since the pandemic restaurants have been incrementally sneaking up their prices. With so many people working remote now, there has been a redistribution of how and where many are spending their money.

If you are couped up in your house or apartment most of the time getting outside of there and mixing it up now is critical towards your mental and physical quality of life.

Thus a new cost structure of – how much people are willing to pay” for things

Nothing has seen more of a price gouge than drinks. I’m sure you have seen it slightly at your local places then drastically in any spot people would want to take a photo or capture a memory. While this concept has always existed we are getting to a point where I deem it down right absurd.

But much like I bark about “Who Pays for Porn” or have mental caps on how much I am willing to pay for certain things – others care less. For them it’s more about the preceptable of how they come across and want to be seen. 

Not to sound redundant, but while some people have always spent their money in these outrageous ways, the ability to share and flaunt this now is greater than ever. 

The affects of this ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ way of thinking tends to result in some unique behavior and decision making.

Peacocking aside, some people actually believe that if something costs more it is inherently better. Others just want to be a$$holes and either show off or find ways to separate themselves from others.

So if you are going to spend your hard earned money or that bitcoin ‘roll of the dice’ they got you an unearned lotto win, here are some drink suggestions that are worth the price point.

A meal in a glass – Bloody Mary

The most common drink on this list is the one people mess up the most. I kitchen sink it with what I have in the house or place I’m at, at that time. I will say I’ve had some pretty good ones in Milwaukee, WI in which the toppings are as good as the well-balances spicey-tangy-savory liquid below.

The Commonwealth

I’ve never had it, never seen it, but have read about it. 71 ingredients and it’s said to be pretty good. Invented at some bar in Scottland for the Commonwealth games in 2014.

A Top Self – Original Zombie

One of my all time favorite drinks. When you get one with all top shelf ingredients the raw material cost will be up there, but it’s so worth it.

Ah… makes me think of fun in the sun.

Sazerac

A boozy upscale very easy to mess up and extremely temperamental is you go cheap.

Now your featured cocktail of the weekend:

The Ramos Gin Fizz

What You Will Need

• 2 ounces gin
• 3/4 ounce simple sryup a bit on the thin side and made from processed cane sugar (1:1 ratio)
• 1/2 ounce heavy cream (organic brand if possible)
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 3 or 4 dashes orange flower water –
• 1 fresh egg white
• Club soda, chilled, to top
• Orange zest (just to rim the outside of the glass, not in the drink)

How it Comes Together

The goal of the Ramos is to make basically a big frothy meringue that is so aerated it can rise out of the glass. 

Ramos Gin Fizz requires a “dry shake,” shaking vigorously without ice, to emulsify the egg and incorporate it with the cream and other ingredients.

<I do a reverse dry shake, which I’ll explain in the steps below.>

While egg white is used to create a layer of foam in many classic cocktails, in the Ramos it has an added effect, reacting with sparkling water to puff up into a firm, meringue-like topping.

1. Chill the collins glass in prep for the liquid
2. Separate egg white, gently crack open egg down the middle and juggle yolk between each half until the white falls out and yolk remains in shell, then put off side. Timing is important for some of these steps.
3. Combine the juices, simple sryup, gin, in a shaker with some ice and skake a few times to chill
4. Strain then add the cream (cold from the fridge) and egg whites
5. Seal tightly and shake as vigorously as possible for at least two and a half minutes.
6. Open shaker and look at the consistency – it should it should be shiny and bubbling with an increased volume.
7. In the chilled collins glass pour out the liquid in the shaker and let rest for 1 minute
8. The take the cold soda water and pourslowly in th center of the drink.
9. Last away from the glass pinch the freshly cut orange rind to bubble up the zest and rim the outside top of the glass. It’s just for the smell factor. Add lemon twist on top of foam to garnish. Serve with straw.

I really hope you like this drink. It’s a pain in the butt to make but the effort is worth it.

Final Thought:

Tipping Policy – While I might be considered cheap in thinking tip should based upon effort of the person taking care of you, not so much the cost directly associated.

• One beer, with the exception of Guiness, is getting a dollar.
• Drinks only, or a bottle of wine – about 10% of the pre-tax <think of it like a cork fee>

Buy-backs and hook-ups give the person back about 50% of what that would have cost you.

On the other hand, these forementioned drinks take time, effort, and knowledge to properly execute. 20% hands down if you find a spot that knows how to do it right. For the do-it yourself people, practice makes perfect. Invite a few drinks over so you can make one drink at a time, shared among friends.