Regrounded

I'm technically in the middle of my move. I no longer have an address, but I'm not quite headed to California just yet. I took a pit stop at Intervention, an internet convention in Rockville, MD (http://WWW.interventioncon.com). I've been going to this convention for years, unfortunately missing last year due to work. And holy shit, I needed this weekend! It was an honest intervention in every sense for me.

The stress over the past few weeks has rattled me more than I had realized. I have been a needy, clinging, desperate version of myself that I haven't been since high school. And then I came here, and it felt like home. I still have a pile of responsibilities I need to sort out, but being here? Seeing familiar faces, reminding myself of the person I grew into over the years- it's like I've refreshed as a person. I am not the depressed twit that left Atlanta with shame and tears. I am a stubborn, crass, sweet hellion with the best intentions and the some of the worst jokes. I am going to California to kick ass, make wine, and cook hard. I will be responsible and refuse to grow up. I'm a series of contradictions, and I am so happy I got reminded of that before I lost myself entirely.

I'm making a cocktail to celebrate the occasion. I'm probably going to make it with a sparkling sake base- clean, effervescent, and one of the first alcohols I figured out I enjoyed in Atlanta. Seems appropriate for a new beginning!

"Grounded in the Desert"
Served in a champagne flute

2 parts sparkling sake
1 part St George's Terroir Gin
Dash of angostura bitters
Topped with cranberry juice

Memorial Day!

It has been soooooo long since I had such a perfect day like yesterday!  Originally, I was supposed to go camping with a friend Sunday night until this morning, a quick day trip to get the hell out of dodge and reset our brains. However, work needed me to work a double that Sunday, and I wound up being stuck there until 1am. So what did my friend and I do?

Splurged on a cabin.

We left for the cabin immediately after I got out of work and drove out to Helen, GA, where we had booked a place on Yonah Mountain. After nearly getting lost on the mountain at 3am, we finally found the place, and let me tell you, it was amazing. Beautiful wood flooring and a deck that overlooked a gorgeous Appalachian mountain range. Extra perk? Hot tub! We celebrated our arrival, then proceeded to pass out until 11am.
It was rough getting out of bed, but we didn't want to waste the entire day in bed, so we shuffled to the kitchen and made brunch.
Pro chefs make the best cabinmates. Breakfast that day was homemade biscuits with pimiento cheese and bacon, followed by some intensely savory bloody marys. To celebrate the holiday, we watched "Major Payne" with a few beers, and followed it up with hot tub time. Afterwe felt too lazy to function,  we rolled back inside to snipe at episodes of "Cutthroat Kitchen" (we both hate the show), then made our own take on pasta carbonara while I invented a cocktail- the Sunshine & Summertime! After hiking a bit and mor hot tub time, we ended our day with "Family Guy", wine, and perfectly cooked steaks. I passed out, blissed out, shortly after.

This trip is precious to me. It's not often industry folks really get time off to disconnect from work, and we had definitely needed a break. Plus I got to spend time with a dear friend I rarely get to see,  and once I go west, may not see again for years. Thankfully, at the very least I now have a signature cocktail that will remind me of this weekend for the rest of my life. Here's my recipe:

Sunshine&Summertime

2oz Vodka (We used Belvedere)
1.5oz Grapefruit juice
Splash of Amaro
1 egg white
Torn rosemary and sage
Pink moscato

Combine everything except the moscato in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously,  then strain into a wine glass. Add a splash of pink moscato and a large ice cube, and enjoy while cursing out the numbnuts on "Cutthroat Kitchen".