You may not know this about me, but I have quite the love {read, obsession} of life in the 1800’s & early 1900’s. Saloons to speakeasies, I just can’t get enough. My husband and I are moving out of our house we started our lives together in soon (oh, memories…). Well, by soon I mean we have been house hunting for the past year or so, but are having trouble. You see, Mike and I are struggling with the buy new vs. historic & old, problem. Every time we walk through an old plantation house for sale built in 20’s the phrase, “Women couldn’t even vote when this house was built, Michael!” screeches out my mouth. “Oh my gosh, there is a butler’s pantry!” and every time we enter a dining room with a glamorous chandelier…”Can you imagine the lavish dinner parties that were held in this room, I can just feel them!” said in a matter of fact way by yours truly. If the house was built before cars, oh trust me, …the realtor inside can hear me from the car before we pull up, “This was a dirt road, Michael!!!! With horses!”. My husband can mouth it as I say it at every house we visit. So true. When we are on the flip side and we walk in the new houses, even then he knows a, “It’s divine, but women could vote in this house,” is coming at any second. I think I have a dream of holding a speakeasy in my living room. When the front light is on-everyone can come on in! …but I digress.
Speakeasies are where I was going with this story. I just love them. I have two favorites and they just happened to be in my favorite city, other than the Charm City of course, Charleston, South Carolina. There is one called the Gin Joint where adorable guys dressed in bowties and suspenders serve you right out of the vintage bottles filled with liquor. The other is more of a modern version and is simply a red light on the street. When it is on, they are open. Again, I digress… The point is I am never the girl to order off the drink menu, I mean really…we are in a speakeasy, here. I always smile politely and ask them to just, “make me something good.” Now 99.99% of the time I love their concoction and 99.9% of those times it is…a bourbon drink. Yes, bourbon; little ol’ me sipping bourbon in my high heels and pearls. The college version of me is laughing in disbelief as she remembers the pucker-sweet “sex on the beach” being the only drink I would even consider at fraternity parties. Well, Missy College Self, trust me.. when the southern boy in a bow tie slides you a bourbon drink in 10 years, you are going to love it!
So here we are and I am writing to tell you about a bourbon based drink. Now for starters, there are two kinds of bourbon—1. The really good kind and 2. The really cheap kind-yuck. (What? Did you think I was going to give you an actual bourbon education lesson? Another time…) I have been experimenting with different kinds, different tastes and what I have found is that strawberry and bourbon go together divine. Blueberry and bourbon go together even better. Strawberry, blueberry, & bourbon… some kind of jackpot. I topped each with cotton candy instead of using sugar or simple syrup which takes some of the heat off. It melts slowly into the drink so its adorable, yet yummy. So here it is. Enjoy and drink slowly…
The frozen kind: Makes 2 drinks
2 shots of Bourbon
1/2 cup fresh chopped strawberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
8 ounces of coconut water (or coconut milk for a thicker texture)
Garnish with cotton candy
Blend in a mixer and drink with umbrella.
*To make it even prettier and layered, blend the blueberries & 1/2 cup of coconut milk and pour at the bottom first. The highest sugar content stays at the bottom--yum.
