New London Photo in Place of a Cocktail

I totally meant to post this yesterday, but I was too busy taking down trees with my trusty chainsaw. I only got it stuck in a stump one time, and I didn't lose any limbs at all. 

I know!

New London Photo in Place of a Cocktail - Victorian Colors

Now next winter's wood pile is growing, and our backyard is slightly less disorganized. Amazing!

New London Negronino

We celebrated the end of September by taking the train in to the city for a long weekend, enjoyed perfect weather and Midtown adventures (adventures that featured a great cast, including 'The Hotel Clerk Who Thinks That DP Is A Secret Service Agent' and 'The Woman Who Claimed To Have An OpenTable Reservation But Probably Did Not'), and returned to a gray and rainy Connecticut. One big bonus: the leaves are starting to turn, and the red and gold is already flaming outside our windows.

So it's definitely Autumn in our part of the world, but I'm not ready to let Summer go just yet. Mostly because I need to catch up on some of our Summer cocktails. 

Like our very first cocktail in New London, the Negronino!

Negronino (Maxence Traverse, Hong Kong)

Ingredients:

4 parts Amaro Nonino

2 parts Campari

5 parts Gin

5 parts Sweet Vermouth (go ahead, use the Carpano Antica, even if you have to go to New Haven to replenish your supply...  You can stop at Trader Joe's and LL Bean while you're in the neighborhood)

Directions:

Stir with ice and serve over an enormous ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass. Enjoy on your front porch while recovering from unpacking your newly arrived POD.

I know it's been less than three months, but it already feels like a million years ago.

New London Photo in Place of a Cocktail

I played tourist in my own town today, and wandered around the Hempstead Historic District. Such a gorgeous autumn day! And there I was, the only tourist to be found.

New London Photo in Place of a Cocktail - Hempsted Houses

The 17th and 18th century Hempsted Houses were closed; the streets around were empty, and lined with unrenovated 19th century housing stock. So strange - it must be what Charleston was like, back in the day!

And then I went around the corner to Fiddleheads to pick up some hot fennel garlic sausage (Orsini's, of course!) to use with pizza tonight (maybe with the kale from the Farmer's Market? no, DP just suggested using the beet greens, which will be great!), and things seemed much livelier. 

So I should just appreciate 'undiscovered' New London, and be grateful to be missing the hordes of tourists pouring off the cruise ships? Probably. It does make navigating traffic easier...

Sound and Slurry

I had a birthday - yay! 

DP's sister and brother-in-law know me too well, and got me the gift of Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist. 

Super fun, and perfect for those of us who are having a bit of a struggle pushing through the next few drinks in the Guide

Despite the outrageous price of citrus in these parts (one lemon, one dollar?) we shook up The Sound And The Slurry, the book's tribute to The Sound And The Fury. Because a little bit of Southern inspiration is welcome when the Autumn nights start to get cool.

Tim Federle's Sound and Slurry

4 parts Gin
1 part Crème de Cassis
1 part Lemon Juice

Directions:

Shake and strain into your chilled cocktail glass, or serve on the rocks

Do you like Gin? Good! Then this is totally the drink for you...  a blast of juniper and floral notes from the Gin, sharpened by the citrus twist and sweetened just a bit by that hit of blackcurrant from the Crème de Cassis. You won't be chilly anymore!

Other things that will keep you from being chilly...  Creating a built-in desk from scratch; yanking an ancient air-conditioner out of a wall and replacing it with a new window; stacking a few cords of wood; weeding, weeding, and always weeding.  The good news is that our electricity has been upgraded, our wood stove is working, and a new driveway is in the works!