Is drinking on Easter sacrilegious?
Let’s face it, the answer is ‘no’ unless you live in a church or a house full of religious zealots. Don’t get me wrong, religion has its time and place, but let’s face it; even I drop to one knee and “Tebow” every time I enter a bar and see several full shelves of magical bottles. I remember many an Easter with thick ham, luscious turkey, deviled eggs and wine flowing around the table.
Picture this: a chubby adolescent descending a staircase, holding the rails as training wheels. It is a cool, brisk, spring morn. The day is Easter – the day Christ has risen again. Christ rose from the dead and fatty sat cross-legged in front of a basket of plastic, green grass. In celebration of the rebirth of Christ, the corpulent child dug candy from the fake turf and licked his lips as he devoured it as it smeared his cheeks.
That fat kid was me and I can remember when I first outgrew the candy phase. I had started bartending and I rose one Easter morn (or afternoon depending on how you look at it) and went downstairs to find a basket full of airplane miniatures, a martini shaker and matching martini glasses.
“What is this?” I started. “Where’s the candy, the Peeps, the basket?”
“I didn’t know what else to get you,” my mother replied.
“Are these Drunken Olives?” I quipped as I dug through the synthetic grass.
“You’re a bartender now. You’re older. I figured you would like this kind of stuff.”
“You’re right,” I said. “Let’s have a cocktail to Jesus.”
“Well just a small one,” she said.
There is nothing better than making your own mother a cocktail to enjoy. We had two drinks each and went to Easter service with a slight buzz. We sang the songs, celebrated the rebirth and even enjoyed the wine they served at the sacrament. We returned home and drank wine with a late Sunday brunch and I fell asleep on the couch by six o’clock.
Another Easter celebration I remember was being with my parents in New Orleans, LA. We went to Commander’s Palace during Jazz Brunch and my father ordered a Bloody Mary. Out came a glass of tomato juice which was followed by a waiter with a bottle of vodka encased in ice. Having been one of the coolest presentations I had ever seen, I ordered one and the whole table followed suit.
The lady at a table next to us said, “That entire table is drinking! On Easter!”
I asked our waitress to give her one. The religious stranger initially scoffed at the drink, but sipped when no one was looking.
Listen, I’m not trying to poke fun at Easter or religion, but the fact is that you can drink during any holiday; especially those that include family. That being said, here is a quick list of some Easter cocktails that I thoroughly enjoyed serving while behind the bar.
The Easter Bunny
Ingredients:
3 oz Absolute Vodka
3 oz Dark Creme de Cacao
1 tsp Chocolate syrup
1 tsp Cherry brandy
Method:
Shake creme de cacao and vodka with ice. Strain over ice in a rocks glass. Float chocolate syrup and cherry brandy.
Carrot Cake Martini
Ingredients:
3 oz Bailey's Irish cream
3 oz Kahlua
1 oz Goldschlager
Whipped Cream Rim
Nutmeg dusting
Method:
Shake over ice the Bailey’s and Kahlua and strain into a martini glass. Pour chilled Goldschlager on top and rim the glass with whipped cream. Dust with nutmeg.
Jelly Bean Shot
Ingredients:
½ oz Kahlua
½ oz Anisette
½ oz Bacardi 151 proof rum
Mixing instructions:
Add chilled Kahlua and Anisette to a shotglass and float the Bacardi 151. Light it on fire. Blow it out after 5 seconds and shoot.
The Jolly Rancher
Ingredients:
3 oz Belvedere Vodka
1 oz Midori melon liqueur
Fill with Cranberry juice
Method:
Shake the Belvedere vodka and Midori, pour over ice in a high ball and fill with cranberry juice.
The Candy Bar
Ingredients:
3 oz Cream
2 oz Kahlua
1 oz Creme de Cacao
1 oz Frangelico
Method:
Shake Kahlua, creme de cacao, Frangelico and cream with ice. Strain and serve over ice cubes in a highball glass.
Yellow Bird
Ingredients:
1 oz Bacardi 151 proof rum
1 oz Ketel One Vodka
½ oz Galliano
4 oz Sour mix
Method:
Add all of the booze in a blender with a handful of ice and pour into a highball glass. Stir in sour mix to fill the glass.
Tootsie Roll Shooter
Ingredients:
1/3 oz Tia Maria
1/3 oz Dark Creme de Cacao
1/3 oz Frangelico
Method:
Pour all ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a rocks glass and enjoy.
I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you enjoy Easter with friends and family. If you gave up booze for Lent, then I know you will have a great Easter celebration!
Remember to pick up your copy of Swig Knowledge: 2011 Vintage by clicking here!
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