Usually when we invite friends for dinner, we are careful to ask about food preferences and allergies. My husband had invited a consultant from out of town to spend a couple of days at the Local Trade Partners office, and we had everyone to dinner the first night she was in town – the two gentlemen from the office and their girlfriends and, of course the consultant. My husband had extended the invitations, but neglected to ask about aversions and allergies. As the meal progressed, we discovered our guest of honor didn’t eat beef (our main course), was allergic to garlic (heavy in our vegetable side dish) and avoided wine (we had a local expert pair wines for each course). However, she was very gracious, and did enjoy our opening cocktail, the bourbon based Old Faithful, which she sipped even while going outside intermittently during the evening for a cigarette.
OLD FAITHFUL
1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar
750 milliliters of bourbon
275 milliliters of St. Germain
4 cups pink grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
20 dashes grapefruit bitters
30 mint leaves
20 grapefruit peels
1 bottle (750-milliliters) sparkling water (I forgot to add this!)
In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, bourbon and St. Germain. Whisk until sugar dissolves. Add pink grapefruit juice, grapefruit bitters, mint leaves and grapefruit peels. Stir gently, then sit for 1 hour before adding sparkling water (or not).
Serve over ice.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Delish
