Tea and Sympathy

Recently a friend was in the midst of a personal conflict and was asked if I could suggest a good drink to comfort her. I remembered a drink that I had in the past by the name of “Tea and Sympathy”.

Sometimes things get tough and you just want a warm cocktail to comfort you.

Ingredients for Tea and Sympathy:

- 8-10 oz. Hot Bigelow Constant Comment Tea (cinnamon spiced tea will do)

- 1 shot of Grand Marnier (Contreau will work if you don’t have the good stuff)

- A twist of lemon
- Honey to taste

This drink is satisfying when you need comfort. It’s also great when you get off the slopes and want something different than a Hot Buttered Rum.

Cheers!

The Blender Hot Toddy

It’s that time a year: "Season of the Cold and Flu"… And a friend of mine just told me that she’s laid up in bed with one of the worst sore throats she’s had in a while. I suggested she try my Hot Toddy remedy and then thought: "Why not share it with everyone?":

- 10 oz. Hot Chamomile Tea
- A Squeeze of Lemon
- Honey to taste
- 1 shot of Brandy or Cognac
- A couple of slices of Fresh Ginger, if you have it (optional)

The taste isn’t “amazing”, but it’s not bad either and can really soothe the most irritable throat.

A Case of Cocktail Plagiarism

Unbelievable... United Airlines just staked claim on a mixer that has already been well established. They’re calling it the “Sunrise Sunset”, but I believe it’s more commonly known by bartenders and drinkers alike as the “Madras”. In fact, this drink hit its high in popularity in the 80’s, according to Marissa Walsh, author of “Tipsy in Madras”.

What’s the difference between the Madras and the Sunrise Sunset mixed drink? United uses cran-apple juice instead of cranberry in their cocktail. Is United Airlines now entitled to sue a bar for using cran-apple juice instead of plain cranberry and serving it up as a “Madras” to their customers?

Apparently, United thought so highly of their “new” drink that they decided to publish a press release about it. Are they aware that their new signature cocktail already existed? There’s no mention of the Madras in their press release. Maybe they’re just hoping that their plagiarism of the popular Madras mixer will go unnoticed…