Valentine's Cocktails at Home
How to make February Wet, St. Martin, New Books
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Cocktail Lovers -
January is the Monday of the year. I’m always happy when it is the rear-view mirror. I spent late December in HOT Cartagena only to come home to COLD North Carolina. But since I’m from The North, I know what to do - read and write.
I spent January finishing a giant writing project that took all of ‘24 to complete. I hope to share it some day. But I can’t talk about future projects until they head out the door (ie, some publisher buys them) or it jinxes the whole thing.
Which brings me to the second project I cannot talk about yet because the contract hasn’t been signed but which IS happening for sure and I’ve already started work on it. It’s due in May. Is your year going as vaguely so far? All the news next month, I promise.
I’m headed to St. Martin next week for my partner Janine’s birthday. We fell in love with Grand Case on our last trip to the island, so it’s off to the French part where I sip pastis while eating Epoisses and foie gras perched on a beach chair with my feet in the sand. Tropical French is a wild experience, don’t knock it.
Sadly, we’ve learned that one of our favorite restaurants anywhere - Le Bistronome - run by husband and wife team Chantal and Alex - has closed. It was a must on the island, and one of the most romantic spots in the world. A place where tight tables made for camaraderie. And oh the food. Luckily, one of my favorite bars on the planet - Quai 58 - is just fine, and you’ll find me there for aperitif hour every afternoon for a couple weeks.
French islands, romance, and aperitifs brings me to this month’s big holiday - Valentine’s Day. Whether you celebrate it with someone or alone, it is a damn fine time to have Champagne. When I think of Valentine’s Day I do not think of syrupy red drinks. Instead, this year I present to you a meditation on the classic Bees Knees that I’ve evolved as a blend with Hemingway’s famous mix, Death in the Afternoon. I’ve swapped the absinthe for pastis (but absinthe or Pernod will work) because pastis has been on my mind. Plus, it makes for one of the great gin sour combinations avec bubbly. I’ll call it Chloe in the Afternoon, after French director Eric Rohmer’s sparkling 1972 film. The movie is a study of fidelity and game-playing, and is a delightful V-Day watch.
CHLOE IN THE AFTERNOON
1 ounce gin
1 ounce pastis
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce honey syrup
1 dash orange bitters
2 ounces Champagne
Lemon twist, for garnish
Shake gin, pastis, lemon juice, honey syrup, and bitters with ice. Strain into a champagne flute, top with champagne, and garnish with a lemon twist.
COWBOY COCKTAILS GETS A RELEASE DATE AND SIZZLE
The preview verbiage for Cowboy Cocktails (Fall ‘25) is here! The date for release has been set for September 23!
Raise a glass to more than 60 of country music’s biggest hit albums with this spirited collection of music and mood-setting drink pairings complete with recipes—a delightful companion to the bestselling listening party guide, Booze & Vinyl. Features more than 100 cocktail recipes!
Together, craft cocktails and vinyl music create sonic imbibing adventures that are both deeply personal and fun to share with others. Saddle up and let Booze & Vinyl Country take you on a journey through the harmonies, heartbreaks, and highs of country music. Covering a range of favorite movements and styles, this is your guide to more than sixty of the most beloved country albums from the 1950s to the present. Each entry features “liner notes” on the album and two accompanying boozy beverage recipes that complement the music or mood or connect the drink to the artist. Select food recipes and full-color photography throughout complete the experience.
Among the albums featured: Moanin’ the Blues (Hank Williams), Coal Miner’s Daughter (Loretta Lynn), Give It Up (Bonnie Raitt), Jolene (Dolly Parton), Come on Over (Shania Twain), Fearless (Taylor Swift), Cowboy Carter (Beyoncé), D-I-V-O-R-C-E (Tammy Wynette), Charley Pride’s 10th Album (Charley Pride), Stardust (Willie Nelson), Why Not Me (The Judds), No Fences (Garth Brooks), Everywhere (Tim McGraw), Golden Hour (Kacey Musgraves), One Thing at a Time (Morgan Wallen), John Prine (John Prine), The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy (David Allen Coe), American IV: The Man Comes Around (Johnny Cash), Weight of These Wings (Miranda Lambert)
It’s way early yet, but the book pages are up! Pre-order HERE. Cover release soon.
THANK YOU FOR READING
Have a lovely trip to St. Martin—great time of year to leave the continent. Congrats on completing the big project. Enjoy your break!