Spirits and Style

Spirits and style…. that just rolls off the tongue!  Cocktails and cocktail dresses, fashion and frivolity, wine and wearing clothes – they just go together, and so in May, I plan to combine my love for mixology with my love for thrifted fashion and share some drink/outfit combos!  First up, a classic 70s drink inspired by a $4.20 button-up tunic with a retro vibe…

I love this top!  Love orange, love the nice long length and roomy fit!  Actually, I thrifted this top before – long ago, I found it for my friend Alanna and had a serious case of thrift-envy!  Patience pays off in the game of thrifting, and now I will be able to style it up in many ways just like Alanna!  Today, I kept it simple because I was late for church as usual with denim and silver accessories.

These pumps are so comfortable!  I’m not quite up for walking far in heels but they were perfect for this ensemble, so I *had* to wear them.  I have no idea if this outfit is actually reminiscent of the 70s when I was born but it gave me a good excuse to Google classic 70s cocktails!  A familiar favourite came up – the Tom Collins!  Though I have made this drink before, I don’t think of it automatically… till now!  It’s so easy and refreshing and sounds so intriguing compared to baser contemporary drinks!  Who is this Tom Collins?!  I bet he would like my shoes.

There are several variations on the Tom Collins recipe but all include: gin, lemon juice, sugar and soda.  I pulled the recipe I used today from the Intoxicologist – click there and check it out!  Her recipe calls for simple syrup, in fact, several cocktail recipes call for simple syrup so I decided it was time to make a batch…

and give it a permanent home in my fridge…

The recipe also calls for fresh lemon juice and lo and behold, I had lemons!  I would not hesitate to use bottled lemon juice – I don’t know about your palate, but mine isn’t that discerning.  Sure, fresh is best but in a pinch, I’d rather have Tom Collins with “Real Lemon” than no Tom Collins!

My glasses are not specific “Collins glasses” so basically, I’m sharing the “real-life style” version of mixology and in my real life, if I don’t have the “right” glass, I carry right on and drink it anyway!  I’m klassy like that.

The recipe recommends a maraschino cherry garnish; I had maraschino cherries in my fridge… that expired in 2013.  #RealLifeStyle

I used Bombay Sapphire Gin but I’m sure you could use whatever your little ol’ heart desires.  My heart desired sword toothpicks but I couldn’t find any today so regular ol’ toothpicks had to do.  #RealLifeStyle  Also, I had hardly any room in the glass for club soda, so it was more of a glass of Tom Collins mix with a splash of soda.  Twist my rubber arm.  Soooooo, I may not be much of a food/drink blogger/photographer, but the drink tasted great and that is what’s important to me!

Now, just in case you’re wondering, though I make plenty of vodka jokes, I by no means condone excessive drinking or drinking and driving or any irresponsible behaviour related to drinking.  Nope, keep your “spirited” attitude sassy but safe and enjoy the pleasure of a nice cocktail.  Or two if it’s the weekend. 🙂