One of my favorite traditions is the cocktail hour. It's not so much about starting a night of boozing early, but delighting in a drink or two -- savoring crisp flavor as a bookmark between the finished workday and the on-coming evening. It's an excellent end to the 9-5 grind that doesn't get much love these days, save for the myriad of old folks down in Florida and Jonathan M. Forester's tasty Cocktail Hour series here at Slashfood. But could the cocktail hour once again gain momentum?
The Toronto Star has posed this very question as money woes and governmental bailouts trickle into every area of news. Basically -- as financial stress increases, so does alcohol consumption, which is why illegal homebrews became so prevalent as the Great Depression hit during the end of Prohibition. A boozing lifestyle really isn't the way to go when life stress descends, but perhaps this can reinvigorate a more wide-spread appreciation for alcohol -- not as a tool merely for pub crawls and nightly debauchery, but for an appreciation of taste and a calming moment between work life and real life that goes beyond the high walls of so-called alcohol snobbery.
In a world where finances are in crisis, workdays often blend into worknights, and connection is often maintained through computers rather than oral communication, maybe it's time to make that break, end the day with a great cocktail, and try to relax and reconnect! Who's with me?
10-13-2008 @10:14PM Joe said... PLEASE create another blog for alcoholic beverages. People who visit this site are here for food. I think the number and frequency of these posts have been increasing rapidly and don't belong in the Slashfood blog. Try Slushfood, it should prove to be quite popular.
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10-14-2008 @6:08AM CJ said... Great little article. I allow myself one cocktail on Friday evening. A martini or a manhattan. Usually it is before dinner out but with the budget tightening it may be just for the one drink and a bar snack. Going to Lexington, Ky tomorrow for the Keeneland races. I allow myself one shot of Bourbon from the hotel menu of several each night before retiring.
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10-14-2008 @6:32AM Johnny Bravo said... Joe,
Why don't we eliminate all posts concerning tea, coffee, and Diet Coke too? My virgin mind cannot even bear to see the post headlines advertising these repulsive beverages!
Bottom line: If you don't like it, don't read it. I, for one, only started reading Slashfood for Jonathan M Forester's posts. Don't speak for us all since most of us probably aren't as close-minded as you.
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10-14-2008 @8:45AM JMForester said... Monika- Amen Sister! I'm with you. Of course you already know that the cocktail hour is an important part of my life. I just love the interaction of having friends over and asking them to name their poison, hopefully something obscure that makes me dig through old cocktail tomes and scramble for unusual ingredients. Then as I spend the time painstaklingly creating their cocktails, then kick back and slowly sip, we chat and catch up on our lives and ambitions.
Sadly, I am so busy lately that I haven't had a cocktail since early SEPTEMBER! when i was last out of town in NYC. When I get home from work all I want is a shower, a quick dinner, and bed. You'd think being a partner in a winery, brewery, and upcoming distillery I'd be celebrating Cocktail Hour everyday. Well, at least I got to sip a small glass of our new hard cider this past weekend. My first drink in weeks, and I sure enjoyed it. Aged for almost a year with time spent on oak. Tasty!
So here's a Big Cheers to Cocktail Hour and spending some time with friends, winding down from a long day, hanging out and appreciating each other. Because THAT'S what Cocktail Hour is all about. (Besides enjoying a fine libation ;-)> )
-JMF-
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