While I’m happy that businesses are slowly allowed to re-open to hopefully get society back to some reasonable form of normalcy, the Tatsumoto’s personally are still not anywhere near back to our usual routine. Because Ms. S and I both work at the same health clinic and probably are at greater risk of contracting COVID just because patients potentially infected will naturally try to see their physician at the clinic, we try avoiding family and friends unless absolutely necessary. Of course, my 85 year old mother is as pragmatic as they come; “I’m 85, if I die, I die”. But I don’t want to be the cause of your demise, Mom! Same for the same couple we’ve had dinner with on a couple of occasions. So we’ve decided that we don’t want to be the bearer of bad viruses. But restaurants are taking multiple precautions as mandated by the State so why not do a date night with Ms. S? Our reasoning moves to the other end of the spectrum as we also don’t want to be the recipients of another diner who’s the bearer of bad viruses.
You see, though the State mandates wearing a mask while being seated, while roaming the restaurant and while leaving, diners obviously have to remove their mask while eating. And what do diners do other than eating? Socializing! And simply speaking causes the release of vapor particles that can travel up to 6 feet hence the 6 foot separation of dining tables. But adding recirculating air also known as air conditioning increases the distance these vapor particles can migrate. So we continue to do take-out to patronize our favorite restaurants. And if you’ve been paying attention to the daily reports of new COVID-19 cases, I’m sure you’ve noticed that we’ve been trending upward. And that’s simply due to residents relaxing due to the re-opening of the economy. Just wait until we re-open tourism without any 14-day quarantine restrictions!
So if we’re still not getting reacquainted with daily life outside of the home, how do we pass the time? Cocktails Anyone? I’m not advocating the consumption of alcoholic beverages as a coping mechanism to deal with the multiple stressors that accompany COVID-19 but I’ll admit that my purchases of adult beverages have increased over the past 3 to 4 months. Part of it is simply to support local restaurants and the local liquor regulations that were relaxed allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine and liquor during the shutdown if patrons also purchased food for take-out. Before indoor dining was reinstituted in early June, restaurants basically had liquor sales drop quite drastically and, in many cases, that usually accounts for about a third of restaurant receipts. So, whenever we place take-out orders, we also always purchase a bottle of wine or take-home cocktails to also help relieve restaurants having “cash” in the form of liquor sit idly on their shelves. Because restaurant sales nationally have flattened to the point of permanent closure, wine distributors and wineries are now left with an abundance of inventory. Therefore, many wineries are now offering special wines usually reserved for their wine club members to the general public. Just the other month, the Cliff Lede Vineyards offered several different bottles of their Rock Block series of Cabernet Sauvignon which usually is only offered to wine club members and it included older wines from their library which were over 10 years old and as an order bonus, two day FedEx shipping to the 50th was only $20 which normally runs in the $50 to $100 dollar range.
Of course, over the past month or so, there has been an uptick in my consumption of adult beverages but it has nothing to do with COVID-19. It’s simply because we’re now in the grapple of summer and its unbearable heat and that a chilled beverage is just what the doctor ordered. And on weekends that usually means something with Prosecco, tonic water or gin… or all three!
Variations of an Aperol Spritz
If this libation is offered at any restaurant, Ms. S always starts her evening with the classic Spritz Veneziano or commonly known as the Aperol Spritz. Aperol was created in 1919 by the Barbieri brothers in Northern Italy and is an aperitif (a drink served before meals meant to stimulate the appetite) containing gentian, rhubarb and cinchona to give it bitterness inherent in most aperitif. It wasn’t until after World War II that the popularity of the Aperol Spritz gained worldwide popularity. It’s a simple cocktail using 2 parts of Aperol and 3 parts of Prosecco then splashed with 1 part of sparkling water and is usually served in a balloon wine glass with a slice of orange. It does help to balance the heat of those dreaded Hawaii summers. After Ms. S makes her Aperol Spritz, I usually concoct my own version with Campari in place of Aperol as I enjoy the bracing bitterness of Campari and in place of an orange slice, I usually add a couple of dashes of orange bitters. To tone down the alcohol (since Campari has double the alcohol, 24% to Aperol’s 11%), I usually add a little more sparkling water. I’ve also been known to substitute gin for Prosecco and tonic water for the sparkling water then add sliced grapes and a sprig of fresh rosemary for my version of an Italian Gin Tonic. Still very refreshing on those hot summer days.
Cucumber and Lime are my
Friends
Sometime after I passed that 5th decade in life, I scheduled that dreaded medical procedure recommended for everyone hitting their golden years, the colonoscopy. And after my procedure, my designated driver, the other half asked if we could make a quick stop at Ala Moana. Sure, I simply felt like I had a mild hangover but walking (and carrying shopping bags) wasn’t an issue. We then stopped at Mariposa for a light lunch and that’s when I saw their cocktail of the month, the Envious Green Martini with Hendricks gin (which has a pronounced cucumber and rose infusion), cucumber, lime juice and Green Chartreuse (an herbal and slightly bitter liqueur). Because Ms. S saw me staring at the cocktail description and knew that my discharge instructions said “no alcohol” for 24 hours, felt some pity and ordered the cocktail just to allow me a little sip… epiphany! Once the propofol, midazolam and fentanyl were purged from my system, I tried to recreate this libation. However, just last month while waiting at the supermarket check-out line (6 feet apart), I noticed a bottle of Svedka Cucumber Lime vodka. And since it was reduced to $11.99 (regular $16.99), I couldn’t pass it up! And since Farm Link consistently offers locally grown cucumber and limes, I came up with this libation.
No Longer
Envious
4 peeled, thick slices of cucumber ½ ounce fresh lime juice ½ ounce simple syrup (equal parts of sugar dissolved into water) ½ ounce Green Chartreuse 1 & ½ ounce Svedka cucumber lime vodka ½ ounce club soda Muddle (smash) the cucumber slices in the lime juice in a tall glass. Add the simple syrup, Green Chartreuse and vodka and ice then swirl until chilled and strain into a cocktail glass over fresh ice. Top with the club soda and garnish with a slice of cucumber and lime.
When the mercury starts pushing close to triple figures, I usually avoid cocktails with bourbon, rye or scotch as their higher alcohol levels and smoky qualities tend to make me feel hotter than the ambient temperature. Until I tried this simple mixture of rye and amazake. What’s amazake? When sake is brewed, the cooked rice is first mixed with a koji or mold starter that breaks the complex carbohydrates in rice down to simple sugars that yeast can then ferment into alcohol. Some sake breweries bottle this pre-digested rice slurry on its own as a nutrient rich rice beverage and because it hasn’t been exposed to yeast, is alcohol free so even children can indulge in amazake. The creamy, sweet qualities balance the spicy qualities in rye whisky and helps temper the alcohol. Amazake Sipper 1-part rye whisky 2 parts amazake Squeeze of lime Fill a lowball glass with ice then then fill with the rye and amazake and finish with a squeeze of lime. Where to find amazake? The Sake Shop occasionally receives shipments of amazake – we purchase the frozen bottles and store it in our freezer as once amazake is thawed, it continues to ferment and will sour after 1 week even refrigerated. More reason to enjoy an Amazake Sipper to beat the summer heat!
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