There’s no two ways about it. It’s a hard time out there in the workaday world. Whether you’ve been laid-off, had your hours cut, or taken a pay decrease there’s less of the green to go around. Those hard facts are the theme for this month’s Mixology Monday. My esteemed friend Matt Rowley is hosting the grand sioree over at his whiskey forge. Please add it to your RSS feed if it isn’t already: He’s a good man — and thorough. ((He’s a good man, Jeffrey — and thorough.))
I’ve been absent for a bit on the blog an MxMo front lately. There is good and wonderful reason for this however: The birth of my first Son, Sebastian Milton Felix. ((Yes, Sebastian M.F. Hermann for those playing the home game.)) I was tempted to “pull a doug” and post Sebastian as my “broaden your horizons.” Because believe me, my horizons now are broad and far.
Babies as they say, however, ain’t cheap. Even more the reason for a hard times drink. The fabulous wife was also hard-up for a tipple for nine months. ((Ask her about it for a lark.)) Hard times all around. I have a panacea to cure all these ills: Home-made Southern Comfort. This recipe is the #3 or #4 version and finally ready for release into the wild. Sebastian has another 17 years and 10.5 months till he gets to say the same. My friend Martin gave me this recipe back in … 2004? Time – where does it go? During Tiki Kon II, while we were chatting in the kitchen Heather mentioned how she loved southern comfort while I complained about the artificial flavors. He said something along the lines of “Really? Make your own. Easiest thing: just add orange rind, a bit of juice and vanilla syrup to cheap bourbon. It’s delicious.”
Along the way, I’ve picked up a few extra ingredients and methods and it is cheap and delicious. This batch was made during the summer especially for Heather when she was out of labor (don’t tell anyone I sneaked a flask of it into the hospital) ((I love posting ‘secrets’ on publicly available media.))
Home Comfort Liqueur ($11.60)
1 750ml bottle Old Crow ($8.95)
2 peaches ($1)
1 orange ($0.50)
¼ cup vanilla sugar ($0.30)
¼ cup orange blossom honey ($0.75)
Cut the peaches into chunks, zest the orange and reserve the juice. Add the peaches, zest and juice into a mason jar with the bourbon. Let this infuse for at least a week (or two). Strain and blend with the sugar and honey and let sit for at least a month in a cool dark place, shaking regularly. Strain again and enjoy (in a cocktail below?)
—
Home Comfort & Soda
2oz Home Comfort (recipe above)
4oz Lemon Lime soda
ice
build a la highball in whatever glass that’s clean
Stop on by and Heather might let you have a sip. ((You’d better bring her a gift.))
Gotta love the “Mama’s So Co for After Labor” hand-written label!
Congratulations! Sebastian is such a cutie. And now mama has her homemade Southern Comfort to calm her nerves when baby has been put to bed.
Homemeade Southern Comfort, what a great idea! When i see Sebastian i`m so transformed to the time when my 2 kids were that small..time flies for real.
Cheers!
T
I’m home sick this week. All week. Fevers, shakes, vertigo, a throat that feels like some mean bastard took a bottle brush to it. Meant to take two Sudafeds this morning to help with congestion and in my febrile state swallowed two Ambian instead. Only as I screwed the cap onto the little pharmacy bottle did it hit me: “Ah, damn, Sudafed doesn’t come in a bottle…” Good thing I found a bed that could take my weight. Throughout the afternoon’s spontaneous, unwanted, and delirious dreaming, visions of bourbon and peaches swam in my head. When I rose — I wouldn’t say “awoke” — I turned on the television and parked my glazed eyes on “Lola Rennt,” only realizing after nearly twenty minutes that this movie was Not. In. English. But I was haunted by a thought as I watched the flame-haired Franka Potente, of something elusive, something about Summer, perhaps, and porches. Something something fireflies. My mind a muddle of German and sleep logic, I realized that watching fireflies while drinking on the porch was what I wanted. Porches? Or was it peaches? And then in a crystal moment of clarity, I recalled, dear sir, your liqueur. A flat of peaches sits on the kitchen counter, there’s a fresh handle of bourbon, and a bowl of oranges from the farmer’s market means that — even though we’ve no fireflies this far south — there’s still plenty of Summer left to enjoy a spot of Home Comfort under the waving bamboo. I should shake this thing by the time it’s ready.