Satin Angel Cocktail

Frangelico is an Italian sweetened, hazelnut-flavored liqueur, with 20% alcohol content. Use a 10 ounce old-fashioned glass (see photos, below).

Ingredients (per cocktail):

 

1 1/2 ounce Frangelico 

1 1/2 ounce Coca-Cola

2 1/2 ounces cream (or half and half)

ice

 

To a 10 ounce old fashioned glass, add the Frangelico, Coco-Cola and cream to the glass, stir and then add a couple of ice cubes, and stir briefly again. 

WORD HISTORY: 

Pillow-The ultimate origin of "pillow" is uncertain, although there is a rather "difficult" theory (I'm not totally sold on it, but it is the best we have) that "pillow" goes back to Indo European "pel," with the general meaning "dust," which was derived from the word's original meaning of "beat, hit," with the idea that grains were "beaten" to separate out the "chaff," with both "flour" (the end result of the entire process) and "chaff" then associated with "dust,"^ and chaff has long been used by some to fill pillows (understand, these were not necessarily the big fluffy pillows we often have today). Anyway, the theory is carried further with the Indo European form giving Latin the noun "purvis," meaning "dust," also "ashes," which then produced the noun "pulvinus," meaning "pillow, cushion." West Germanic borrowed the Latin form as "pulwi," and with the meaning of "pillow," and this gave Old English "pyle" (ending 'e' pronounced 'ah/eh'), which had a number of variants bridging Old English into Middle English, some of which were: "pylwe, pile, pylow, pilowe;" with "pillow" finally emerging as the winner; although it is often, but certainly not always, pronounced as "pillah." 

 

^ See "Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages" (Volume 7 of the Leiden Indo-European Etymological Series, by Michiel de Vaan, Brill (Publishing), Leiden (Netherlands), Boston (U.S.), 2008.   

Citrus Delight Cocktail

There are various cocktails with this name, this is mine (ah, my cocktail, not my name).

Ingredients (per cocktail)

2 ounces orange juice

2 ounces triple sec

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

1 1/2 ounces club soda

ice

piece of orange slice for garnish

In a cup, mix together the orange juice, triple sec and lime juice. Pour over ice into a glass, add the club soda and give a brief stir (not too much, you don't want the fizz to diminish). Garnish with a piece of orange slice.

WORD HISTORY:

Sedge-A large group of grassy and reed type plants that grow in and around wetlands. "Sedge" is related to "saw" (cutting tool), a word more clearly related when you see that English once spelled "saw" with a 'g' (as 'sagu'), and its German cousin still spells it with a 'g' (as 'Säge'), and it is distantly related to "sect" and to words using "sect" (like bisect, insect, intersect, sector, etc), with "sect" borrowed from Latin, but with French reinforcement. "Sedge" goes back to Indo European "sek," which meant "cut." This gave Old Germanic "sagjaz," a plant name with the underlying notion of "a plant with leaves that cut." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "secg," with the same meaning, and this then became "segge" before the modern version. German has "Segge," which was taken and used in written German circa 1700 from Low German (Segge/Segg). "Segge" tends to be more commonly used in northern Germany, which is the ancient homeland of Low German, but all Germans are taught standard German (Hochdeutsch) in school. "Saher" is more common in southern areas, although there are dialect forms too, such as, "Sacher." As with "Segge," "Saher" and the dialect forms also go back to the same Indo European base "sek," and they are related to German "Säge," which means "saw," the cutting tool. Dutch has "zegge," West Frisian "sigge." 

Bluebird Cocktail

A refreshing cocktail that's easy to make. Blue curaçao is an orange flavored liqueur made from the peel of a type of bitter orange that grows on the island of Curaçao, which is located in the southern part of the Caribbean, not very far from Venezuela. The name is assumed to have been from indigenous peoples that was put into Portuguese spelling, as Portuguese ships made frequent visits to the island in the 1500s. The island of Curaçao is a part of the Netherlands. Blue curaçao (cure-ah-sow, rhymes with how) should be available at liquor stores and in some beverage store outlets, as its alcohol content is typically 15 to 20%. The "Bluebird Cocktail" has a variety of recipes, with big differences in some, but I like this one.  

 

Ingredients (per cocktail):

 

1 1/2 ounces dry gin

1 ounce blue curaçao

dash or two angostura bitters

orange slice

2 ounces tonic water

ice

rocks glass/Old Fashioned glass

Add the dry gin, blue curaçao and bitters to a rocks glass, stir to mix, add some ice, then add the tonic water and orange slice, but give the cocktail only one quick stir (you want the fizz of the tonic to remain). 

WORD HISTORY:

Villain (villein)-This word is related to the "-wick" and "-wich" parts of place names (for example: "Gatwick, Brunswick, Warwick, Norwich and Ipswich"), from Old Germanic, which had borrowed the base for both "-wick" and "-wich" from Latin, and to "villa," a Latin word borrowed by English via Italian, and to "village," "vicinity" and the last part of "parish," with the first two being Latin-derived words, and with "parish" a Greek derived word borrowed by Latin, which passed it to French, and English borrowed all three from French. "Villain" goes back to Indo European "weik," which had the notion of "settlement, house, abode:" thus also, "villa, village." This gave Latin "vicus" meaning "series of homes;" thus also, "village," and this then produced "villa," "house in the countryside," thus also, "a farm," and this produced "villanus," noun use of adjective meaning, "farm worker, farmhand;" thus also, "peasant." This passed to Old French as "vilein/vilain," meaning "peasant, person of low social status" (remember, this was in the time of feudalism). English borrowed the word around 1300, initially as "villein," which was retained and used with that spelling for "a feudal peasant," while the spelling "villain" took the more nasty meaning of "scoundrel, one inclined to wickedness." "Villein" is not at all common in American English in modern times.

Mimosa Cocktail

This cocktail uses sparkling wine, likely the best known of which are French Champagne, Italian Prosecco and Asti Spumante, Spanish Cava and German/Austrian Sekt. I tend to use Asti Spumante, but once you select your sparkling wine, all you need is orange juice, and you can use the ready-made type in a carton, mix up some frozen or get yourself some oranges and make totally fresh OJ. It's best to have both the wine and the orange juice chilled when making this drink, which is often served in champagne glasses, but you won't be shot at sunrise if you use other types of glasses, except sunglasses. haha The drink name, "Mimosa," comes from a type of yellow flower known by that name in common usage, but which confusingly is also used for another unrelated flower. The yellow flowers and the drink's yellow color is the common point.    

 

Ingredients (per cocktail):

 

1 part sparkling wine (I use Asti Spumante) 

1 part orange juice

 

Chill both the sparkling wine and orange juice; thus, you don't need ice cubes, which likely would cut into the "sparkling" part of the wine. Add the sparkling wine to the glass(es) first (tilt the glass when adding the wine, so as not to cause too much foaming. Then  

DO NOT STIR, as that will dissipate some of the "fizz." 

WORD HISTORY:

Broad (noun)-From the adjective ^ (thus, of Germanic derivation) in the mid 1600s in the Norfolk region of eastern England, meaning "a river that expands to a shallow lake in flat land," but by the mid 1700s the word itself had broadened into use for the "wide part of things." The early part of the 1900s saw the word used to mean "woman," but exactly why this meaning developed is uncertain, although it could have been a shortening of "abroadwife," a word from the days of slavery, which meant "a married slave woman who worked on one plantation, while her husband worked on a different plantation." This also carried a further meaning of "an immoral woman;" thus also, "a prostitute." "Women with wide hips" may have also been part of the continued development of the word, but "broad" used for "woman" has always had a negative, derogatory sense to it. German has the related "Breite," "Low German has "Breedd," West Frisian has "breed," Dutch has "breedte," Danish has "bredde," Icelandic has "breidd," Norwegian has "bredde" and Swedish has "bredd," all of which mean "width, breadth," but none of these carries the meaning, to my knowledge, of "woman," in any slang form.       

 

^ For the history of the adjective "broad," here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2019/05/chicken-la-king.html

Jack Rose Cocktail: A "Literate" Drink

Ernest Hemingway mentions this cocktail in "The Sun Also Rises" and it was one of John Steinbeck's favorite drinks. The name combines the "jack" of applejack and "rose" from the color of the cocktail. 

Please don't let yourself be consumed by glass types for various drinks. No question about it, sometimes the glass type can make a great impression in a drink's presentation, but I wouldn't go out and buy every shape and size cocktail glass in sight. Once this cocktail is shaken or stirred, it will produce a cocktail of about 4 ounces, which means you can't use a 3 1/2 ounce glass, and I know that, after much trial and error. hahaha  I've seen this cocktail in fluted glasses and in coupe glasses, but myself, I've made it while wearing sunglasses. hahaha (Hey, you try pouring 4 ounce drinks into 3 1/2 ounce glasses, drinking your mistakes, and see what kind of remarks you make.) 

 

 

Ingredients (per drink):

 

2 1/2 ounces applejack or apple brandy

3/4 ounce lime juice (or lemon juice)

1/2 ounce grenadine

slice of lime (or lemon) for garnish + cherry

ice

shaker or other container for stirring

strainer

5 ounce glass (coupe or other)

 

Put the ice, applejack or apple brandy, lime juice (or lemon juice), and the grenadine into a cocktail shaker or other container, like a measuring glass or bowl. Shake or stir the ingredients for about 10 to 15 seconds. Strain the drink into the glass of your choice, garnish with lime slice and drop a maraschino cherry into the cocktail (this is, to my knowledge, purely my own addition, but I can't say that with 100% certainty). 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Letter-This word is related to "alliteration," "literal," "literate" and "literature," all Latin-derived words borrowed by English directly from Latin, and to "literary," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French. The origin of  "letter" is more than a little uncertain, and there is a theory that connects it to Greek via Etruscan, with sound/spelling changes. I can't say it's not possible, but at this point, I'm not really accepting of all of this. What is known is, "letter" goes back to Latin "littera," which meant "a character or symbol used to represent a sound in writing;" that is, "a letter of the alphabet;" thus also, especially in the plural, "writing, document, written message (modern, 'a letter'), book/books." This passed to Latin-based Old French as "letre," meaning "character used to represent sound in writing, a message," and this later became "lettre." English borrowed the word around 1200.     

Bermuda's National Drink, Rum Swizzle

This punch-like drink is the national drink of Bermuda, although interestingly, recipes vary. It is commonly made in pitchers for multiple servings, but I've put together this recipe for one drink. The drink got its name from the "traditional" use of a swizzle stick twirled between the palms of the maker's hands to mix the drink. Originally, the "swizzle sticks" used were small twigs from the "Quararibea turbinata," a type of fragrant, flavorful tree common on many islands of the Caribbean. The tree has long been called the "Swizzlestick Tree," and from what I understand, the twig gave off some of its flavor to the drink, something that was later replaced by angostura bitters. In Bermuda the drink is still often made with a swizzle stick, but some people use a shaker or an immersion blender (stick blender) or some just stir it with a spoon. Damn, what a novel idea!     

Don't get scared or turned off when you see "simple syrup," because it is appropriately named, and it is just equal parts of sugar and water, with the water heated and the sugar stirred in and completely dissolved in the hot water, then cooled. It is a common ingredient to sweeten cocktails.

 

Ingredients (per drink): 

 

1 ounce dark rum

1 ounce golden rum

2 ounces pineapple juice

2 ounces orange juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 or 3 dashes of angostura bitters

1 1/2 tablespoons simple syrup 

cherry and/or orange slice can be used for garnish

ice

tall glass, 10 to 12 ounces

Mix all main ingredients well over just one or two ice cubes, then add more ice and garnish with a cherry or two or also with a slice of orange.

 

That is NOT an olive on the cocktail pick, that is simply a decorative piece by the manufacturer ...  

WORD HISTORY:

Ere (Erst, as in 'erstwhile')-The word "ere," primarily used as a preposition, but also as a conjunction, is closely related to "early," a word from the Germanic roots of English. "Ere" goes back to Indo European "ayeri/aieri," meaning "morning, day," which then gave its Old Germanic offspring "airi" meaning "early" (comparative "airiz," meaning "earlier"), and this gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "ær," meaning "early, before." This then became "er," and then "ere." The Old English superlative form was "ærest," meaning "earliest, first," and it came from the Old Germanic form "airist," meaning "earliest, first, highest." Old English "ærest" then became "erst(e)" and then "erst." In the past, the forms of the word shared usage with forms of the actual word "first," but that word then came into dominant use for that meaning. In more modern times, "erst" is most common in the adverb/adjective compound "erstwhile" (adverb meaning: formerly, adjective meaning: former, onetime). Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "eher" (earlier, sooner, rather/quite), but also, the conjunction "ehe" (before), Low German has "ehr/ehrder" (earlier, sooner), West Frisian "earder, ear't" (earlier), Dutch "eer" (before, early) and comparative "eerder" (earlier). The North Germanic languages apparently do not have forms, although their ancestor, Old Norse, had "ar" (early).   

Singapore Sling Cocktail

This cocktail is thought to have been invented at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore in the World War One era. The use of "sling" for some cocktails seems to be from the idea of "swallowing, throwing back a drink," "seemingly" taken from German "schlingen" (now more commonly "verschlingen"), one of the meanings of which is "swallow (quickly), gulp" (the German form is related to English "sling," a word of confusing history, because of its various meanings over time, although undoubtedly from Germanic, but perhaps there was more than one Old Germanic form; that is, variants; thus, the divergent meanings in the Germanic languages.   

 

Back in the mid to late 1980s, I would occasionally order this cocktail at a Chinese restaurant on Playhouse Square here in Cleveland (unfortunately I cannot recall the name of the restaurant). There are variations in recipes for this cocktail and some shake the ingredients and strain them into a glass, but I prefer ice in the drink (not just this drink, but generally speaking, I'm not terribly fond of strained cocktails, although very occasionally I'll have one). 

 

Ingredients (per drink):

 

1 ounce gin

1 ounce cherry liqueur

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

2 ounces pineapple juice

1/4 ounce grenadine

1 or 2 dashes of angostura bitters

1 to 2 ounces of club soda

ice 

tall glass or another large glass (whatever the glass, it needs to hold 10 ounces, but preferably 12)

orange slice, pineapple chunk or section, cherry garnish 

 

In a tall glass, add the gin, cherry liqueur, lime juice, grenadine and angostura bitters; mix well, now add ice, stir, then top with club soda and stir again briefly. Garnish with an orange slice, pineapple chunk or section and a cherry. 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Dove-This word for a pigeon goes back to Indo European "dheu(b)," which meant "smoke, haze, dust, mist;" thus also adjectivally, "dark." This is "seemingly" in reference to the dark color of many pigeons. This gave Old Germanic "dubon," which meant, "pigeon," which then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "dufa," with the same meaning, and this then became "douve" and "duve," before the modern form. While the original name seems to have had association with dark-colored pigeons, the lighter-colored birds, especially white, were associated with "peace, both personally and in reference to people getting along." The use of white doves as a symbol of peace seems to date to the World War One era (known as "the Great War" in those times, the war came to be known as "the war to end all wars," apparently a slight alteration of the H.G. Wells statement and title, "the war that will end war," as the war was so horrific, it was thought that humans would never allow such an event again; comment: such idealism and naivete can be very dangerous, which was proven when an even more horrific war took place, primarily in the first half of the 1940s). "Dove" also came to be applied to antiwar activists in the latter part of the World War One era; later, as opposed to "hawks;" that is, those who favor using military actions or military might to settle disputes. English generally uses "pigeon" now, but "dove" is used more for "turtle dove/mourning dove." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Taube," Low German has "Duuv" ('Duffer' is a male pigeon), West Frisian "do," Dutch "duif," Icelandic "dúfu," Danish and Norwegian "due," Swedish "duva." 

Dark 'n Stormy Cocktail

This cocktail "supposedly" got its name from a sailor noting that the drink's dark cloudy color made him think of storm clouds. 

 

Naturally beverage companies want you to use their own specific products to make certain drinks, but we can't have all of the many brands of liquors, so use what you have or what you have access to; don't fret over having such and such a brand name of liquor, as it usually doesn't matter much to the actual taste of whatever drink you are making. 

Ginger beer seems to have been first brewed in England in the 1700s and it became a popular drink in all of the British Isles and in numerous (then) British colonies and possessions like Canada, Jamaica, Australia and South Africa. It is my understanding that the original fermentation process produced both an alcohol content, as well as the sparkling fizz of the drink, which was made with yeast; but that later, the process was altered to make an alcohol free brew, and later still, the carbonation process (injecting carbon dioxide under pressure) was used to give the drink its fizz. Ginger beer is made by using real ginger in the brewing process, and this imparts the soft drink's spicier taste compared to ginger ale, which is somewhat milder (typically made with ginger flavored syrup).     

 

Ingredients (per cocktail):

 

2 ounces dark rum

3 ounces ginger beer

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

(optional) candied ginger slice

slice of lime

ice 

Tall glass (10 to 12 ounces)

Fill a tall glass with ice, add dark rum and lime juice, stir to mix, then add the ginger beer, stir. Add a slice of lime and a slice of candied ginger for garnish. 

WORD HISTORY:

Span-"Span" is used both as a noun and a verb, and the word is related to quite a number of words, including distantly to part of "appendix," "dispense" and "expend," all Latin-derived words, with both "appendix" and "expend" borrowed by English directly from Latin, and with "dispense" borrowed via French, and it is more closely related to "spin," "spider" and "spindle," all words from the Germanic roots of English. "Span" goes back to Indo European "(s)pen," with the notion of "stretch, draw out," with implications for "spin thread." This gave Old Germanic "spannan," with the same meanings, and this gave Old English "spann," meaning, "the fully opened (stretched out) hand as a tool for measurement;" thus also, "the distance between the tip of one's thumb to the tip of the little finger." This then became "spanne," before the more clipped modern form "span." The hand measurement idea broadened (no pun intended) to a more general notion of "distance between two points or objects," but other meanings also developed, including, "an amount of time" (circa 1600)^ and "a span of animals" (mid 1700s), ^^ the 1700s also saw the use of the word for the distance between the arches for bridges, and the word has actually become almost synonymous with bridge, perhaps also because a bridge typically "spans" (the verb use) a river, creek, bay or ravine). Latin long ago borrowed the word from Germanic as "spannus," seemingly borrowed from Germanic Frankish via the Latin dialects in Gaul, which would later become the core of the Frankish Kingdom and then France. The Old French form was "espan," which was then altered to "empan." "Spanner," most commonly a type of tool that connects to something to tighten or turn it, a type of wrench;" borrowed from German "Spanner" in the first half of the 1600s. The German word is from the same source as "span." The verb form of "span" goes back to the same original Indo European and Old Germanic sources, and the Germanic form gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "spannan," meaning "to fasten, to clasp, to bind," with a secondary meaning of even "to join in marriage" and "to hitch animals together," and the spelling later became "spannen," before the shortening to "span." The verb's meanings mirrored the noun, including about time (as in, "The diplomat's career spans three presidencies") and distance between point or objects ("The bridge spans the gorge near the highway").     

 

^ No set period of time, rather non specific, as in, "The line was long to get into the movie premier, but we only had to wait a span of 12 minutes," but also, "The storm knocked out our electricity for a span of 4 days."

^^ Two animals typically connected by some type of yoke to pull a cart or wagon. 

Caribbean Rum Punch

Punch, with or without alcohol, is generally something that is for multiple servings which can be prepared in a pitcher. Lots of Caribbean flavors here. 

 

Ingredients (4 to 5 servings):

 

4 ounces light rum

4 ounces dark rum

2 ounces coconut rum

8 ounces pineapple juice

8 ounces orange juice

4 ounces mango nectar/juice

4 ounces Sprite or club soda

2 ounces fresh lime juice

2 ounces grenadine 

1 cup ice 

4 or 5 tall glasses (8 to 12 ounce glasses)

Add all the ingredients to a pitcher, except the club soda or Sprite, stir well, then add the soda/Sprite, stir again. You can certainly mix the punch in a pitcher without the ice, then distribute the ice to individual serving glasses and pour the punch into the ice-filled glasses.

WORD HISTORY:

Fletch (Fletcher)-A variant pronunciation, and thus spelling, of the verb form of "fledge"^ that developed in the 1600s, but under the heavy influence of the noun "fletcher," which is also related to "fledge," and a word borrowed as "fleccher" in the early 1300s from French "flechier," meaning "arrow maker" (French "fleche" means "arrow" ), as an arrow is a shaft or rod with "feathers on the end" (the connection with "fledge"). French got the word by absorbing the form from a close cousin of English, Germanic Frankish (flegja??). I don't know about England, and the rest of the English speaking world, but "fletch" and "fletcher" are not common words in American English, although "Fletcher" is sometimes heard as both a family name and as a given name: from the mid 1980s until the mid 1990s, British actress Angela Lansbury played the character "Jessica Fletcher" on the popular CBS television series "Murder, She Wrote."^^ "Fletcher Christian" was part of the crew of the ship "HMS Bounty," the subject of books and three major films. I also knew a man here in Cleveland with the given name "Fletcher." 

 

^ For the history of "fledge," it is included at the bottom of this article: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2022/06/shirley-temple-mocktail.html

 

^^ Lansbury was born in England, and her father was English and her mother was from Northern Ireland. In the television series, "Fletcher" is Jessica's married name from her deceased husband Frank. 

Tequila Sunset

The "Tequila Sunset" simply seems to have been a follow up to the "Tequila Sunrise"

 

Ingredients (per drink):

 

2 ounces tequila

4 ounces orange juice

1/2 ounce blackberry brandy

orange slice and a maraschino cherry for garnish

ice

tall glass (12 ounces)

Add the tequila and orange juice to the glass, stir to mix. Add the ice and stir again. (I put the the tequila and orange juice in first without ice, because it makes it easier to mix those two ingredients, then add the ice and stir again to help chill the drink.) Now add the blackberry brandy along the edge of the glass and let it begin to settle toward the bottom, DO NOT STIR! Garnish with a slice of orange and a cherry and watch the sun set, while you drink the "Sunset."

WORD HISTORY:

Orange-A common word in modern times, but it has an extensive and somewhat complicated history, as the tree, and more especially the fruit of the tree, spread beyond its original homeland in southern Asia. This word seems to go back to a Dravidian language,^ perhaps to transliterated Malayalam^^ "naranja," which seems to have meant "citrus fruit;" as it was used for both "oranges" and "lemons." This was taken by Sanskrit^^^ as transliterated "naranga," which meant "orange tree," which was borrowed by Persian as transliterated "narang," which was then borrowed by Arabic as transliterated "naranji." This came into Italian from a couple of ways, first, apparently via Venetian dialect "naranza;" likely borrowed as a result of trade, as Venice was a major maritime center with ships from elsewhere, but also with ships and their crews from Venice itself and other parts of Italy which returned from other countries, with the natural importation not only of goods, but of "words!" The Arabic form likely also entered Italian via Sicily, and the Venetians and Sicilians gave Italian "arancia," and yes, no beginning 'n,' and this was taken by Latin as "orenge," with the same form passing to Latin-based Old French, but this then became "orange" by "about" 1100. The Portuguese likely had some role in the development of, or reinforcement of, the word "orange," as Portuguese traders went to Asia, including to China and India, and returned to Portugal which likely helped promote the use of forms of "orange" in Spain and southern France (modern Portuguese uses "laranja," from Arabic, for "orange"). English borrowed the word in the late 1300s from French as the fruit and tree name. It was used for the color in the early part of the 1500s, and it pretty quickly overtook the native "yelwered" which came from Old English "geoluread," (literally yellow-red). 

 

^ Dravidian is a family of languages primarily spoken in southern India, but also to some extent in Pakistan and on the island of Sri Lanka. 

 

^^ Malayalam is one of the Dravidian languages, and it is spoken in southwestern India.

 

^^^ "Sanskrit" is an ancient language from the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo European; thus, it is related to English, although much further down the family tree. It is still in use to some degree, especially in India.  

Malibu Sunset

This is a really good drink in my opinion, "apparently" invented in the 1980s, as coconut rum wasn't really marketed to the public until the early 1980s, so that pretty much shoots a year like 1977 in the hind end. With the "Malibu Sunset," the coconut flavor comes through and the sweetness of the grenadine mixes well with the fruit juices. Grenadine is a type of syrup made from pomegranate juice. It is VERY red and it adds that red color and a sweetness to numerous drinks. It is easily found in supermarkets and liquor stores. It is non-alcohol. 

 

For coconut rum, there are quite a number of choices, but "Malibu Coconut Caribbean Rum" and "Bacardi Coconut Rum" are likely the easiest to find. To my knowledge, "Malibu" is the best selling coconut rum in the world.    

 

Ingredients (per drink):

 

2 ounces coconut rum

3 ounces pineapple juice

2 ounces orange juice

1 tablespoon grenadine

1 orange slice

1 or 2 pineapple chunks

2 maraschino cherries

ice

tall glass (12 ounce)

 

Fill the glass with ice, add the rum and juices, stir to mix, then add the grenadine along the side (it will sink). Garnish with orange slice, chunk or two of pineapple and 2 or 3 cherries.  

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Doom-This word is related to "do," "deed" and "deem," all words from the Germanic roots of English, and it is distantly related to "defect," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French, and to "deficient," another Latin word, but in this case borrowed by English directly from Latin. "Doom" goes back to Indo European "dhe," which had the notion, "to make, to bring about (later in English, as in, "to do harm"), "to be engaged in an activity (later in English, as in, "they got ready to do battle"), to put (into place)." This gave Old Germanic "domaz" meaning "a decision made, a judgment," and this gave Old English "dom" meaning "a judgment, decree, a law, a sentence (in legal sense)." This later became "doom(e)," and "doom." The idea of judgments having bad consequences for some seems to have led "doom" more and more toward its more modern ominous meaning, with its use in Old English as "dómdæg," meaning "judgment day," also "domes dæg," using the genitive case and meaning, "day of judgment," both later becoming modern English "doomsday," and both having a major influence on the direction of the meaning, with the meaning in the religious sense (per 'doomsday'), "undesired or bad fate" taking firm hold as a strong meaning, and with that broadening to "impending danger, feeling of inevitable destruction" becoming the main meaning by the latter part of the 1500s and early 1600s. The verb developed in the latter part of the 1300s, as "domen," from the noun and initially meant "to judge, to give a judgment about," but its meaning followed that of the noun to "give a bad judgment to someone as to their fate;" thus also, "to condemn someone to an undesired punishment or fate," and further, "to bring about a severe or destructive consequence," as in, "The amount of damage inflicted by the iceberg doomed the Titanic." The other Germanic languages have: German once had "tuom" (judgment), Dutch has "doem" (a condemnation, a curse/jinx) and the verb "doemen" (to condemn), both Low German and Frisian once had "dom" (judgment), Icelandic has "dómur " (judgment, legal sentence/punishment), Norwegian "dom" (judgment), Danish "dom" (verdict, judgment, conviction, but also "damnation," maybe this sense borrowed from English?), Swedish "dom" (judgment, verdict).

Tequila Sunrise

What has been known as a "Tequila Sunrise Cocktail" for the last few decades is not the same cocktail as had first been given that name in the 1930s. Back then it was made of tequila, lime juice, club soda, and creme de cassis (liqueur made from black currants), served over ice, and invented at the "Arizona Biltmore Hotel," in Phoenix, Arizona. (Note: I've seen the supposed "original" also include some grenadine, for what it's worth.) Now typically served in a tall glass with the basic ingredients below, not totally mixed together, it was seemingly developed in the San Francisco area in the first part of the 1970s.

 

Grenadine is a type of syrup made from pomegranate juice. It is VERY red and it adds that red color and a sweetness to numerous drinks. It is easily found in supermarkets and liquor stores. It is non-alcohol.  

Ingredients (per drink):

3 or 4 tablespoons tequila (depending up desired alcohol content)

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon grenadine

orange slice

cherries

ice

tall glass of about 12 ounce size, to hold the ice and the cocktail ingredients properly 

Add plenty of ice to the glass. Add the tequila, then the orange juice, stir to mix, THEN add grenadine slowly along the side of the glass (it will sink to the bottom). DO NOT STIR! Garnish with an orange slice and some maraschino cherries.

 

WORD HISTORY:

Strict-This word is related to "strain" (verb and sometime noun, with the verbal meaning of "overexerting, to stress a point to the utmost, to pour a liquid through a sieve"), to "strait" (noun and adjective, meaning "tight or narrow"), both Latin-derived words borrowed by English from French, and to "stringent," another Latin-derived word, borrowed by English from Latin. "Strict" goes back to Indo European "streygh," which had the notion, "to press, to exert pressure on;" thus also, "to pull with force." This gave Latin "stringere," meaning, "to pull tightly, press together." The past participle of "stringere" was "strictus," meaning, "tightened, drawn close;" thus also, "narrowed," and English borrowed this, initially as "stricte," in the first part of the 1400s. By the second half of the 1500s, the word was being used in reference to rigorous adherence to laws, but shortly thereafter this meaning broadened beyond adherence to laws, but to rules or procedures of any kind.   

Rob Roy Cocktail

This cocktail is named after Rob Roy MacGregor, seen by many Scots as a hero and a Robin Hood type, who was born in the 1600s when Scotland was an independent kingdom. In 1707, Scotland joined the United Kingdom, which continues to this day, although Scotland has its own government that has a good deal of control over many matters within Scotland. 

 

I'm not much for stirred or shaken cocktails, I prefer cocktails served over ice ("on the rocks," to those learning English), and I make Rob Roys for myself on the rocks, but for this I stirred it and strained it into a small wine glass. Now, using such a glass for this cocktail will likely get me banned from high society ... (Ahh, you've never been in high society, Randy). Don't let such silly "rules" dominate your life. Use what you have and don't let such absolute nonsense bother you. A martini glass/cocktail glass is considered "proper."

Ingredients:

2 parts scotch whiskey

1 part sweet vermouth

1 to 3 dashes angostura bitters

twist of orange peel (or lemon), in the glass or attached to the glass

In a mixing glass or even just another glass or a bowl, add the scotch, sweet vermouth and bitters, along with some ice. Stir for like 30 seconds, strain into whatever glass you use for serving. Rub the rim of the glass with the twist of orange peel or lemon peel, then add it to the cocktail. 

I know it isn't easy to see, but the orange peel IS IN THERE ...

WORD HISTORY:

Cadet (Caddie/Caddy)-"Cadet" is related to a good number of words, including, distantly, to "head," a word from the Germanic roots of English, to "cap," a long ago borrowing by Old Germanic from Latin, with Germanic passing it to its offspring, to the noun "cape," the garment, a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French, which had borrowed it from Occitan (a Latin-based language of the western Mediterranean region, which includes parts of modern Spain, France, Monaco and Italy), and also "cape," "a piece of land that juts into a body of water," another Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French, which had it directly from Latin, or "perhaps" via Occitan, and to "chapter," another Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French. "Cadet" goes back to Indo European "kauput," which meant "head." This gave its Italic/Latin offspring "caput," with the same meaning. This gave Latin the noun "capitulum," which literally meant "small head;" thus, "in the shape or form of a head," also, "the main divisions of texts." This later gave Latin the noun "capitellum," "a person of less status or position" (initially not particularly used in military terminology, rather mainly used within families for male children), also "a leader, chief" (of lesser status?). This gave Gascon, an Occitan language/dialect of southwestern France, "capdet," meaning, "a younger male of a noble family," and "young nobles serving at court with the purpose of learning to become military officers" (the oldest son being in line to succeed the father as head of the family). French took this as "cadet," with the meaning "young male noble," and also "seemingly" then expanded to "a younger male family member," apparently in a general sense, not necessarily from a noble family. Later in French, the meaning "student military officer, an officer in training," was added. English borrowed the word as "cadet" in the first part of the 1600s initially with the meaning "younger male family member (that is, "younger son," for a father, and "younger brother," from the perspective of the oldest son), and this was followed within a couple of decades by the meaning, "young gentlemen training to be military officers for a career." In Scotland, just before the mid 1600s, the term "cadet" was rendered as "caddie" in Scots English (in those times seen as a dialect, in modern times seen as a separate language) meaning "a student learning soldiering," but by the 1730s the term "caddie" was being used for "a person who performs errands for another, one who does odd jobs," and it seems by the mid 1800s (perhaps earlier?) the person who acted as a helper for a golfer (golf was invented in Scotland) was called a "caddie."  The spelling "caddy" seems to have developed in the very late 1800s. The additional meaning for "caddy/caddie" is "a device with wheels used to transport objects by pulling the device, rather than carrying the objects by hand."

Peppermint Patty Cocktail: Hot or Cold

This is a great chocolatey and minty cocktail, either hot or cold. You can certainly make these without alcohol for children, or for adults who don't drink alcohol, by using some peppermint essence in chocolate milk. You can adjust the amount of ingredients depending upon the size of the glass you use.

 

Ingredients for about a 6 ounce drink:

 

4 ounces milk

1 or 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1 ounce peppermint schnapps 

1 ounce creme de cacao

whipped cream for topping

peppermint patty, chopped

 

For hot: heat the milk, but do not boil. Pour into a cup or mug, add the chocolate syrup and stir well to mix it in, then add the peppermint schnapps and creme de cacao and stir to mix; top with whipped cream and pieces of peppermint patty.  For cold: use good cold milk, add the chocolate syrup, peppermint schnapps, creme de cacao and a few ice cubes; stir well; top with whipped cream and chopped peppermint patty.

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Dull-This word is related to "dust," a word from the Germanic roots of English, and to "fume," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English via French. It goes back to Indo European "dheu/dhew," which meant "vapor, smoke, dust." This seemingly produced the variant "dhewel," which meant "dim, cloudy, hazy." This gave Old Germanic "dulaz," meaning, "foolish, dulled in the mind, confused, mad/crazy." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "dol" meaning "foolish," which then became "dul," and "dull." The idea of "foolish" led to "not sharp in the mind;" thus, in reference to objects, "blunt, without sharpness," and later to "not exciting, boring." (Note: In Old English "dol" was also used as a noun meaning "foolishness, stupidity.") The verb form seems to date from circa 1200 and was tied to many of the adjectival meanings; thus eventually settling on: "to lessen the sharpness of something of physical objects and of the senses or mind of living things, to lessen the brightness of something, to dim or obscure in some manner, to reduce activity." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "toll," meaning "crazy, mad," but also in every day speech "great, fantastic," as in : "Es ist eine tolle Party" ("It's a great party"),^ Low German at least had "dul," but I'm uncertain about a truly modern form, North Frisian has "dull/doll," but I didn't find a modern West Frisian form, Dutch has "dol" (mad, crazy, wild), Icelandic has "dulinn" (disguised, concealed), Swedish once had "dul/dol."

 

^ German "toll" meaning "great, super," is an example of how generally negative words can sometimes be used for positive emphasis, as in, "Dinner was awfully good," doesn't mean the dinner was bad, it means it was VERY good.  

Ice Cream Grasshopper Cocktail

Some say the "Grasshopper Cocktail" was invented in New Orleans circa 1920, but that it took a couple of decades to spread throughout much of the U.S. They aren't as popular (to my knowledge) as they were a few decades ago, and I first tasted this cocktail in the 1970s at a hotel restaurant (I'll guess 1976), where I had taken two of my employees to dinner, one of whom ordered a "Grasshopper." Your average bar did not have the ingredients to make such a drink. Understand, the use of ice cream for the drink was not common (they used cream), as far as I know, back then, but beverage companies are always looking for ways to spark interest in new versions of old drink recipes. As I recall, the "Grasshoppers" back then were usually in smaller glasses, not that you can't do that now.   

 

Ingredients (for each 10 to 12 ounce serving):

 

1 1/2 ounces green crème de menthe (it also comes in clear/white)

1 1/2 ounces clear crème de cacao (there is also dark)

1/3 cup milk

1 or 2 scoops vanilla ice cream

some ice cubes

 

Use a blender, add the ingredients and blend until you have something on the order of milkshake consistency. Pour into a 10 to 12 ounce glass with some ice cubes (you can stir in a little more milk to top off, if needed).

WORD HISTORY:

Insect-The "sect" part of this word is distantly related to "saw" (tool for cutting), a word from the Germanic roots of English, and it is more closely related to "segment," a word borrowed by English from Latin, and of course, it is related to a variety of words that also contain "sect," like: "bisect," "dissect," intersect," "sector," all words borrowed from Latin. The "in" part is a common prefix shared in various forms by Indo European languages going back to Indo European "en." Old Germanic and Latin had the same form, "in," although some derived Latin languages (Spanish, Portuguese and French) use "en," which is the general transliterated form for Greek, also. The "sect" part goes back to Indo European "sek," which meant "to cut." This gave Latin the verb "secare," which meant "to cut, to split, to cleave." The two parts gave Latin the verb "insecare," meaning, "to cut up, to divide by cutting." One of the participle forms was "insectus," meaning, "(that which has been) cut up," the accusative form of which, "insectum," was used as an adjective, but then as a noun meaning, "insect" (from the notion of the insect bodies being in segments). English borrowed the word as "insect" circa 1600.      

Rosemary Sloe Gin Fizz

About 50 years ago sloe gin was a common liqueur in American bars and restaurants. Back then a "sloe gin fizz" was known all over the U.S., even though not everyone made it the same way, as I recall, with some adding club soda to the sloe gin, while others added either Sprite or ginger ale. Nowadays it's still around, but when I went to the liquor store to buy a bottle recently, I had to explain to the clerk what I meant, because I didn't immediately see it on the shelves. She finally got the drift, but she too had a hard time locating it; so, you might say the whole thing was a "sloe" process. Obviously sloe gin is not as well known today. By the way, "sloe" is pronounced like "slow." Sloe gin typically has an alcohol content of 25% to 30%. For a little more, see the "Word History," below.     

I'm not much for shaken and strained drinks, so I use a tall glass with some ice cubes. Of course, you can always adjust the amounts to suit your own taste.

Ingredients (per drink): 

 

1 1/2 to 2 ounces sloe gin

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/2 ounces rosemary syrup*

club soda (fresh, with lots of fizzzzzzz)

ice cubes

rosemary for garnish

 

In a tall glass (10 to 12 ounce), add the sloe gin, lemon juice, rosemary syrup, then stir well. Add some ice cubes, but don't fill the glass with ice. Add the club soda to nearly fill, then carefully stir a little to mix (if the soda is really fizzy, the drink may bubble up or even run over, so be careful). Garnish with a sprig of rosemary. (You: Hey, what's that stem with the green needles?  Me: That's rosemary.  You: What's that little stem with needles next to it?  Me: That's "rosemary's baby." YIKES!)    

* Real easy to make, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/herbal-syrup-rosemary.html

 

WORD HISTORY:

Sloe-This word is distantly related to "livid," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English via French. "Sloe" goes back to Indo European "sleihuo," which had the notion "blue, bluish, dark blue/purple." This gave Old Germanic "slaihon/slaihwon," which meant "sloe, the dark blue fruit/berry of  the blackthorn bush/small tree." (Note: Blackthorn bushes are related to hawthorns and plum trees, among many others.) The Germanic form gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "slah" (long a), with the same meaning, and this then became "sla," then "slo," before the modern form. The sloe berry is a tart, mouth-drying fruit that is common to parts of Europe, especially to England. The English began adding alcohol, one of those being gin, and sweetener to the berries and this became "sloe gin." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Schlehe," Low German once had "sle," Dutch has "slee," but now more commonly used in the compound "sleedoorn," literally "sloethorn," as the hedge-like bush has many thorns, Danish has "slåen," Norwegian has "slåpe," but now used in the compound "slåpetorn" (sloethorn), Swedish has "slån," more common in the compound "slånbär" (sloe berry), Icelandic "sló" (?).    

Spiced Apple Cocktail

You can always adjust the amounts to suit your own taste preferences. I use an apple brandy with a somewhat lower alcohol content, but with a nice apple taste. 

 

Ingredients (for 2 servings in tall glasses with some ice):

4 ounces apple brandy

1 1/2 cups apple cider (or apple juice)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (or mace)

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 to 2 teaspoons sugar (depends upon the sweetness of the cider)

apple slices (with lemon juice sprinkled on if you're not adding the slices right away)

While you can make this without first heating the cider, spices and sugar, it's better when you add those ingredients to a pan and heat them over low heat, stirring often until the sugar dissolves completely (DO NOT BOIL). The heat helps to easily dissolve the sugar and it also helps to release the flavors of the spices. Let the mixture cool, then put some ice cubes into a tall glass, add the apple brandy, fill with the cider mixture and stir well. You can peel, core and slice an apple, if you'd like to add it to the cocktail.

 

 With some apple pieces ...

 WORD HISTORY:

Kern (2)-English has another word of this spelling.^ This is the noun used in printing, more specifically in type setting, and meaning "a letter or a metal letter piece of type that extends into the space of another letter." The origin of this word is unclear, but it may well go back to an Indo European form like "ker-thn," and with the notion of, "turn, swivel," although this is far from definite. It seems to be related to various words from Indo European, including from Germanic (the parent language of English), like Old Icelandic "hjarri," Old English "heorr/heorra," and Old High German "scerdo," all of which meant "hinge (of a door or gate)." It goes back to the Latin noun "cardinem," the principle meaning of which was "axis, pivot;" thus also, "hinge." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "charn," with the same general meanings, and this was rendered as "carne" in Old North French (Norman) and meaning, "angle, corner." English borrowed the word in the 1680s with the meaning, "a letter or a metal letter piece of type that extends into the space of another letter" ("a letter that projects or angles into another letter's space").

^ For the history of the other English word "kern," here is the link to the article with that "Word History:" https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/09/summer-fruit-salad.html

Galliano Hot Shot

I totally LOVE this "layered shot drink;" that is, it is 3 different ingredients, layered one on top of the other, and it is intended to be drunk all at once, not sipped. As such, you'll want to use a shot glass or a cordial glass that can hold 2 ounces or slightly less. I don't have an espresso machine, so I just used my regular black coffee. I grind my own coffee with my little coffee grinder (3 parts whole medium roast Brazilian coffee beans and 1 part whole French roast coffee beans, which are dark). 

Ingredients:

equal parts (if you want a little extra cream or whipped cream, go for it):
Galliano
hot espresso (or other hot black coffee)
heavy cream (or whipped cream)

In a small glass, as noted above, add the Galliano to make it one-third full. Next, use a teaspoon to gradually layer the hot coffee (not boiling!) on top of the Galliano. It is best to tilt the glass and then spoon the coffee down the tilted side onto the Galliano, which will naturally be near the top of the glass because of the tilt to the glass. Use enough hot coffee to add an additional one-third fullness to the glass. Lastly, spoon the heavy cream on top (you can also use whipped cream and spoon it on and even make it protrude from the top of the glass, if you'd like).  

WORD HISTORY:
Viscous-This word is related to "virus" and to "virulent," Latin-based words borrowed into English. "Viscous" goes back to Indo European "weis," with the meaning, "slimy liquid." This gave Latin "viscum," meaning, "sticky matter, sticky substance made from mistletoe and used to trap birds (also known as 'birdlime'), which produced the Latin adjective "viscosus," meaning, "sticky," from the notion, "covered with birdlime." This passed to Old French as "viscos/viscous," which Anglo-Norman also had. This was borrowed by English, initially as "viscouse," in the latter part of the 1300s.

Negroni Cocktail

I love this cocktail. As with a number of cocktails, its origins are somewhat sketchy, but it does seem to go back to the Negroni family from the French Mediterranean island of Corsica. 

https://www.liquor.com

Ingredients:

1 ounce dry gin
1 ounce sweet red vermouth
1 ounce Campari
ice
orange peel

In an "old fashioned glass," also known to some as a "rocks glass," add some ice, then add the gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. Stir for a few seconds, then add the orange peel (twisted to secrete a bit of the orange flavor).

WORD HISTORY:
Obesity-This prefixed word, the main part of which is related to "eat," a word from the Germanic roots of English, goes back to the Indo European root "ed/et," which meant "to bite;" thus also, "to eat." This gave Latin the verb "edere," meaning "to eat." The prefix part goes back to Indo European "epi/opi," which had the broad and varied meanings, "towards, near, against." This gave Latin "ob," meaning, "about;" thus also, "because of," and also, "toward, at, upon, near." Together these gave Latin "obedere," meaning "to eat (away at)," and its past participle form was "obesus," meaning, "eaten away until fat." This produced the Latin noun "obesitas," meaning, "fatness." This passed to French as "obésité," meaning, "the state of being fat." English borrowed the word from French in the first half of the 1600s.   

Campari & White Wine Cocktail: Bicicletta

"Bicicletta" is Italian for "bicycle." Why this drink is called a "bicicletta" is unknown to me, although there is an apparent connection by the drink using 2 slices of orange to represent wheels. Campari is an herbal and fruit drink invented in Italy in the mid 1800s. It is red in color and bitter in taste. The "Bicicletta" is best served in a large cocktail or wine glass, but I don't have such glasses, so I improvised and used the best glass I have on hand. Just to clarify, this is not a small drink, but you could certainly adjust the ingredient amounts to fit a somewhat smaller glass. As for the wine, Pinot Grigio is easily available, and Frascati is also good and available in many stores and wine shops, but you can use any dry white wine you like.

While I knew of this cocktail beforehand, I used the recipe from: https://www.liquor.com

Ingredients (per drink):

3 ounces dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Frascati are good)
2 ounces Campari
club soda to fill
orange slices for garnish
ice

In a large glass, add the white wine and the Campari, stir lightly. Add the orange slices and a little ice, then add club soda to fill.

I put a few ice cubes on the other side of the orange slices for the sake of the photos

WORD HISTORY:
Kite-The origin of this word is thought to come from the shrill and screeching sound made by some birds, and as such, it is hard to separate this word out from the various imitative sound words in other languages and dialects, not only in the other Germanic languages, but in other Indo European languages as well. The imitative sounds then were sometimes used to form the names of various birds associated with a particular sound. Old English had "cyta," the name for middle sized birds of prey, especially the Red Kite. This then became "kyte" and then "kite." Sometimes the word has been used for people who prey on others. By the 1600s, the word came to be used for "a device of cloth (later, often paper) over a lightweight wooden frame used for flying as a form of play and entertainment." This naturally came from this device's hovering and gliding in the air like a bird. Verbal use of the word developed from the noun from the idea of "something rising or soaring into the sky," or figuratively, like "rising prices" or "rising values on some object or property." Also by circa 1800, "fly a kite" was used to mean "a draft or check on a bank account that has insufficient funds to cover the amount at that time." "Go fly a kite" is an expression (from the 1840s?) meaning "to bluntly tell someone to leave you alone" (example: "The sophomore high school boy asked the popular senior girl to go to a movie, and she told him to 'go fly a kite.' " "Kite" has a relative in German "Kauz" (once spelled "kuze" and "kutz," and spelled "Chutz" in some Swiss German dialects), meaning "owl" (perhaps originally "screech owl," and German also has the synonym "Eule," the close relative of English "owl"); Low German had "kutz," but in modern times Low German relies upon the word "Uul," another relative of "owl."