Friday Happy Hour: "Traditional After Five Happy Hour"

The five o'clock whistle just blew -- now let's wet our whistle! Our dear friends from Southern Comfort bring us this week's Friday Happy Hour, via their 1968 recipe booklet on themed happy hours. This week, we feature the "traditional after five happy hour" and -- as you've seen -- we're hoisting our Happy Hour flag!

Happy Hour is a place to met friends and relax after a hard week! With Southern Comfort, you can even try some interesting variations on your favorite drinks! Here are some other "best sellers":

They have all of our favorites! See you at Happy Hour! Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: hosting the hit soiree!

Now that we're in the early social season, why not think about hosting a swanky soiree? Let's turn to our friends at Wolfschmidt Vodka for some advice from their "Instant Hospitality Party Book":


It's all about making it easy so that you can enjoy the comfort and company of friends! Keep it flexible and casual -- while keeping it strictly coat and tie! The menu sounds delicious, and the preparation is a snap. Here are the drink recipes you can have at hand so that your guests (or your bartender-of-the-moment) can enjoy:

See what a hit you are! This is shaping up to be the social event of the season! Just don't forget to pick up your best tie or cocktail dress from the cleaners. Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: A Patio Supper

Nothing says "summertime" like a cookout. Hungry for some barbecued chicken, potato chips, and roasted corn? How about a chocolate sundae?

Well, here's the 1-2-3 steps for the "Easiest Patio Supper":

Oh, and don't forget the drinks!

You'll be a hit!

Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: the Gimlet

English sailors, you say?

Staving off boredom, huh?

Getting off to a good start!

This colorful introduction to the Gimlet comes from the 1999 book "Vintage Cocktails: Authentic Recipes and Illustrations from 1920-1960"

And, no doubt about it, the Gimlet is an authentic old drink. So old that you'd probably struggle to remember the last time you ever saw anyone drinking one. Probably never, huh? Us too.

So, what is a Gimlet? Going back to "cocktails 101," here's the instructions from "Cocktails for Dummies" (circa "timeless"):

See? They even show you what kind of glass to use! To boot, they give you choices for your glassware.

But, not so fast. There is actually a diversity of opinion about the ingredients for a Gimlet. This is from a 1979 edition of Old Mr. Boston's:

(Maybe a cousin to those English sailors from before, there) So, two variations are arising: one is the age-old vodka vs. gin battle. The other, and more significant, one is whether or not there's a sweetener. Rose's Lime Juice (which we saw in the first recipe, too) is a proprietary syrup you've probably seen in grocery stores. There may or may not be actual lime juice in it, but it's certainly sweet.

Consider this version from a 1961 edition of Old Mr. Boston's:

In this earlier version, we find sugar -- also throwing in the curve ball of carbonated water. A little bit of sparkle!

So, the Gimlet is the kind of drink you can hang around casually with -- say, as you would with a gin & tonic -- or you can get dolled up with for a nicer occasion.

If that kind of sophistication and pedigree isn't really your thing, you can dismiss the Gimlet as the "granny drink" you might have thought of it as all along:

From "You Are What You Drink" (1974).

Note: doesn't say they aren't having fun!

Cheers!

Friday Night Happy Hour: Southern Comfort's "Barmate"

How many home bartenders have you met who look like this?

This is the cover of a recipe booklet printed by Southern Comfort in 1964.

They were obviously trying to latch onto the Playboy "philosophy"

So, what's on the menu for this cocktail soiree?

How about a cold toddy?!

A little soft music . . . some ambiance . . . tonight is going to be kind of special.

Oh, and that key? Toss it in the bowl. You aren't driving anywhere tonight!

Cheers!