Macgyver Cocktails

Last week, two of my colleagues and I found ourselves for a week at a work-related convention in the city of Austin. One might assume that finding good drinks in this city of live music and bars would be as easy as finding free tickets for an Astros game before the All-Star break. After an evening of attempting to eat at Uchi, we left, being unable to secure a table. We were in search of a little food and a few cocktails—something to start the week off on the right foot. After a bit of quick research and a crappy Manhattan at the hotel bar, we came to the conclusion that either we were going to spend our coming nights explaining to bartenders how not to wreck a drink, or we could make the best of our situation and concoct our own libations. So, we lowered our dinner sites a smidge and settled on grabbing a bite at the Whole Foods headquarters near downtown Austin (we’re talking 80,000 sq. feet of retail space people).

While we were eating our salads, one of the girls I was with piped up and exclaimed, “Hey I brought a half-bottle of gin, what can we do with that?” After getting over the initial shock that the two ladies accompanying me not only liked gin, but actually brought some (they’re good eggs, these two broads), my mind began its internal search for cocktails we could make in a hotel room with limited spirits and limited barware. After we finished eating, we took a quick stroll around the store. The ingredients we needed had to fit a certain criteria. I mean we didn’t have cutting boards, knives, shakers, strainers, etc., so we opted for a bottle of freshly squeezed lemon juice and some local honey (also some pine tree syrup, which I’d never seen before and forced myself to buy). Remembering a drink that showed up a few months back on the Married with Dinner blog, we had the perfect opportunity to make an old David Embury drink, The Bee’s Knees—or some variation thereof.

After a little more browsing we also found some Maine Root Ginger Brew that looked tasty (meaning it was packaged so well that we couldn’t NOT buy it). Upon arriving back at the hotel we (I should say the girls, not me) dropped by the bar to bat their eyes at the bartenders in hopes of securing a shaker. Unfortunately, the best they were able to do was a pint glass and some plastic spoons. Really, who cares about the equipment we had? These drinks weren’t going to appear in front of a tasting panel at Tales of the Cocktail. We made do with what we had.

When we got back to the room, Katie cracked out her bottle of gin, Bombay Sapphire, and we began the experiment. After the first round, hygienically strained from the pint glass to the drinking glass through my grimy fingers, we all agreed that the Bombay might not be the gin of choice for this drink. Then out of nowhere, Katie says, “I like Hendrick’s better anyway, let’s make a liquor store run.” (Good eggs, I tell ya.)

Thirty minutes later, we were back from the Austin Spec’s with a bottle of Hendrick’s and some Fee Lemon Bitters. Our previous attempt was very similar to Embury’s, served up. Without the right tools though, it was too much of a mess and a hassle, so we went in a different direction. Just as I side note, I gotta say, even though the girls really dug the Hendrick’s, I went for Plymouth at the house.

The IRWA Collins

2 oz. Gin
¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
½ oz Rich Honey
1 Dash Lemon Bitters (optional)
Splash of Ginger Beer

*Combine all ingredients except the Ginger Beer in whatever container that is available. When ready to drink, pour the contents over a glass full of ice and stir to chill. Top with ginger Beer.

After filling our thermos with the booze mixture, we grabbed the ice bucket and glasses. Instead of bouncing around 6^th Street to do “X” with the college crowd, we spent our evening relaxing by the pool and staring at the Austin night skyline. What more could someone ask for?

The drink turned out to be incredibly delicious. It was nicely refreshing for a hot, summer, Austin night and was so easily drinkable that the kids by the pool had no idea there was even liquor in it…just kidding, they knew there was liquor in it…just kidding…relax people, we didn’t give any of the kids booze…geeze.

*The honey needs to be combined with the other liquid before it is chilled, or else it will seize up. Once it seizes, good luck getting it to combine with the rest of the drink.