Tippling

I didn't start drinking til late in life. I really never drank alcohol until after I was of legal drinking age - how odd is that?

My bar drink has always been gin and tonic. It seemed like a grown-up drink, wasn't too fussy, didn't involve a blender, and never caused bartenders to snarl at me when I ordered it.

(Unlike my friend Tom at an NYC bar. Tom is from California. Tom: "I'll have a strawberry daquiri." Bartender: "We ain't got no strawberries." Tom: "Then a plain daquiri will be fine." Bartender: "We ain't got none of that, neither.")

My dad drinks gin while out on the town, too. We go to Applebee's for lunch and he orders, in his subsonic growl, "Beefeater rocks." This inevitably puzzles the young server, who looks like a deer in the headlights.

"Pardon?"

"BEEFEATER ROCKS," he barks. I want to point out to him that saying "Beefeater ON THE rocks" might help with their comprehension, but for my dad to insert the extra two words would be for some reason tantamount to him saying he loves to have his nails done and owns Brokeback Mountain on DVD. Ain't gonna happen. Nev-ah.

After a 20 year flirtation with Pinot Noir, I have recently begun drinking gin and tonics as my adult beverage of choice at home. Tanqueray and tonic, specifically. With a lime. Yes.

A couple weeks back, Trader Joes ran out of Tanqueray, so I switched to Beefeater. Cheaper ($16.99 a liter instead of Tanqueray at $16.99 per 750 ml) but not nearly as tasty. Sorry, Pa.

The last time I went shopping, TJs had the highly-regarded Hendricks Gin ($24.99 per 750 ml - if I am ever to become a serious lush, I had better find a cheaper beverage), so I gave it a whirl. I am not a fan. It lacks Tanqueray's lively juniperness and is a bit of a disappointment.
Today I read the little tag on the bottle that tells you how wonderful it is. Its recipe for gin and tonic calls for serving it with a slice of cucumber instead of a lime.

CUCUMBER?? Heresy. While they're at it, why don't they tell me how great it would be to listen to some cover versions of Sinatra tunes? And that chocolate is something you can put in cheesecake. Feh. They have lost my vote. Gimme a Tanqueray and tonic. With lime.

Neglect not your Linkateria