Hello friends.
This week’s Hump Day Happy Hour cocktail is a celebration of all things early February.
You see, my birthday is in early February, and this year it was extra awesome. For this was the year that we experienced Hedwig and The Angry Inch live on Broadway. And what an experience it was.
If you are not familiar with Hedwig, allow me to give you the two dollar overview. An East German transgender singer fronts a rock and roll band, mentors a shy teenage prodigy who steals all her songs and becomes famous while Hedwig is left eating gummi bears and performing odd jobs – “mostly the jobs we call blow”.
Hedwig carries many memories for me and my wife in our life together. She was there when we met and she was there when we broke up (twice). She was always kinda there. So much so that when we saw her live last week, my wife cried (twice).
For this weeks cocktail, we are paying homage to Hedwig with a simple, classic sipper – the Vermouth on the Rocks.
In one of the more classic songs from the story ”Wig In A Box”, Hedwig “looks up from her Vermouth on the Rocks”. That’s reason enough for me to test it out.
So here we go…very simple.
Vermouth on the Rocks with a Twist
- 2 oz Sweet Vermouth
- Twist of lemon
Add Vermouth to chilled rocks glass. Look up. Drink down.
Now, getting back to early February. The day BEFORE my birthday is Groundhog Day here in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I guess it’s also Groundhog Day elsewhere, too. Not sure though. We keep it pretty weird here in PA.
As it were, the great Bill Murray is in a movie that pays homage to the groundhog day called (you guessed it) Groundhog Day. Bill plays a reporter trying to get some brownie points with his producer, played by Andie MacDowell and he is forced to hammer down a sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist, which is her favorite cocktail.
He hates it.
Frankly…so do I. They kinda just taste like burnt wine.
Turns out, most Americans don’t get down on the straight Vermouth, but our European brethren swear by it to stimulate the appetite before a meal…an “aperitif” if you will.
That being the case, consider me an American. Better yet…a Pennsylvanian.
Go see Hedwig. Skip the Vermouth.
