#mardi gras cocktail

[mixergiltron]

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

It's that time of year again. Time to listen to cool jazz,throw beads to wild women,and drink powerful cocktails. Mardi Gras has nothing to do with Tiki,but both feature cocktails made with rum,so that's good enough for me.

Mix #138 The Hurricane

2oz aged Jamaican dark rum 1/2oz Demerara rum 1/2oz overproof Jamaican rum 2oz fassionola red 1/4oz grenadine 1oz lemon juice 1oz orange juice

Shake with ice and pour into hurricane glass.

The Hurricane is the classic drink that is associated with both Mardi Gras and New Orleans. Its creation is attributed to Pat O'Brien's,a famous bar in the French Quarter. There are several versions of the story,but basically they had a whole lot of cheap rum they wanted to get rid of,so they created a drink to do just that. The classic Hurricane features anywhere from two to four ounces of rum,citrus juice,and either fassionola or grenadine(or both) to give it a sweet taste and its signature red color. It's infamous for both its potency and hangovers. This version is from mixologist Brian Maxwell. As with most Hurricane recipes,I know there's rum in this,but I just can't taste it. It's very sweet with a touch of citrus on the end,and packs a punch. This drink will use up both your rum and inhibitions. Exactly what a Hurricane is supposed to do.

Mix #139 When the Levee Breaks

1.5oz Barbarcourt 8yr rum 1.5oz multi island white rum blend 1/2oz overproof Jamaican rum 1.5 oz fassionola red 3/4oz falernum 1oz lemon juice 1oz orange juice 4 dashes bitters

Shake with ice and pour into hurricane glass. Float 1/2oz of Fernet Branca on top.

This is a Brian Maxwell creation,his riff on the traditional Hurricane. Call it a grown ups' Hurricane. It's not as sweet and you can actually taste the rum and some spice. It'll smash you up just as bad as the classic Hurricane,but you'll feel classier drinking it. I left out the Fernet because it doesn't agree with me,but this was definitely an upgrade over the classic tourist drink.

Mix #140 Tangipahoa Planter's Punch

2oz aged Virgin Islands rum 3/4oz lime juice 3/4oz orange juice 3/4oz pineapple juice 1/2oz grenadine

Shake with ice and pour into zombie glass.

This is a classic drink from the '30's,modernized by Brian Maxwell to sweeten it up a bit. A very nice drink with a nice sweet/tart balance.

The original Tangipahoa Planter's Punch came from a recipe published in the 1937 book,Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix'Em. I was actually able to track down a pdf of this volume on the web,and in there found a drink named for a pirate which crosses over into Tiki territory. Here's my modernized version:

Mix #141 Jean Laffite Cocktail

1.5oz dark rum 1/4oz orange curacao 1/4oz Demerara syrup 2 dashes absinthe 1 egg yolk*

Shake well with plenty of ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass.

*I used egg substitute.

Jean Lafitte was an infamous pirate who operated out of New Orleans. In his honor I used Smith & Cross,a proper pirate rum. It's similar to a traditional sailor grog,with the other ingredients serving to take the edge off the rum. A bit harsh for my taste,but give it a try if you like your drinks to be liquor forward. By the way,the cocktail actually has the correct spelling of his name,the one F two T version is the misspelling that was used in English language documents at the time,and is used for places that are named after him. Another fun fact,the original recipe called for "absinthe substitute". This was because at the time absinthe was illegal. Fortunately it's available now,since it features in many Tiki drinks.

So put on some Dirty Dozen Brass Band,catch some beads,and let the good times roll!

[thedroneranger]

An aviation with Javy, comin' up! You're drinking this treat on Bourbon Street. Javy has no qualms about showing you everything New Orleans has to offer.

Javy "Coyote" Machado | Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler | requested by @indynerdgirl

See what others are drinking!

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[annefretz]

The ultimate Mardi Gras cocktail…Cheers!

[elminx]

Fat Tuesday is 2/13 this year!

I will definitely be making some fashionala syrup and hurricanes!

For those interested to know WHY passion fruit, in particular, is associated with Catholicism and the Lenten Season, the term "passion" in the fruit was so named in reference to the crucifixion by Spanish missionaries*. Its scientific name Passionola most likely gave way to the name of the syrup: Fassionola. Passionfruit, like the raspberries I add, has a strong association with protective magic so I will happily enchant the syrup for protection for the next 40 days and nights.

Source

Celebrating Fat Tuesday with Fassionola Syrup and Hurricanes

As a kitchen witch, I love a good food holiday. There’s nothing quite like taking the time to spend a full day cooking for the people that you love – lovingly crafting a set of dishes from start to finish. Enter Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) – a day meant to celebrate excess (and potentially clean out your cupboards of all of those tempting foods and drinks) before the Lenten season. I by no means consider myself to be a Catholic witch but I do come from a large French Catholic family (as does my coven mate Dora) and our third coven mate’s family was “born from the Mississippi mud” – so Fat Tuesday is a great holiday that we can all celebrate together as a means of ancestral veneration if nothing else. Plus, I have a love affair with the trappings of Mardi Gras (jambalaya and king cake are SO GOOD!) and I have been obsessed with good versions of the Hurricane cocktail since my first trip to NOLA in 2011.

I’ve been obsessed with the Hurricane since I tasted one a Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop on Rue Bourbon on the advice of an over-zealous tour guide. This was not the candified blue slush nonsense that I had been served elsewhere in the quarter but a (very strong) rum-based punch. My partner and I were intrigued and have been trying to replicate it ever since. So it should go without saying that I have tried a LOT of Hurricane recipes in the last ten years. Since the “original recipe” for the Hurricane has been lost to time (if it ever existed), we are always up for some experimentation. I’ve also “experimented” by ordering any rum punch on a menu that sounded anything like what we drank that day. Most were too much like a tiki drink – I love tiki drinks but it doesn’t seem to me that pineapple juice belongs in a Hurricane. Too much and you’ve basically just created a Mai Tai (a drink that I adore) – no, the Hurricane and we had and remember so fondly was something else entirely! I even tracked down some Falernum syrup in the hopes that would be the secret ingredient (it wasn’t). Finally, I came upon references to the idea that the long-lost “secret” ingredient to making a hurricane is Fassionola syrup, a cocktail syrup that has mostly gone out of style. Even the recipe for Fassionola syrup in its original form has been lost but most people suggest (and there are some references to it being called passionola syrup which lends credence to this claim) that it was made from a combination of passion fruit, hibiscus, and berries. Color me intrigued. The one ingredient (other than rum) that stands out in my memory from that lovely Hurricane experience was passion fruit juice. Since I happened to have passion fruit juice, frozen raspberries, and dried hibiscus in the house – I decided to give it a shot.

I don’t have an exact recipe as I didn’t measure beyond the standard 1:1 ratio of liquid to sugar needed to make a simple syrup – I simply added a handful of raspberries and dried hibiscus and cooked on the stove. Because of my familial connection to Fat Tuesday and the fact that I was sharing the drinks with my chosen family, I empowered the syrup with a strong family blessing.

I cannot even express to you how fabulous this syrup is. I highly recommend making some if you’re into traditional tiki-style drinks as it’s an important ingredient in a number of them.

Now, for the cocktail. Since I was spending the time to make such a luscious cocktail syrup, I wanted to use a relatively simple group of ingredients. Aged rum, lemon juice, syrup – that sounds about right. Though you can use any type of rum (or a mix as is more often used in the making of a hurricane), I strongly suggested getting yourself a decent aged rum for this one – it makes all of the difference. We used a bottle of 12 years aged Ron Zacapa ámbar but you don’t need to go that far, we just happened to have it on hand.

The Hurricane

4 oz. aged rum 2 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice 2 oz. fashionola syrup

Shake over ice, serve in a highball or hurricane glass with ice. Add a fancy cocktail umbrella and a good cherry if you’re feeling fancy. This recipe makes one drink.

As you can see, at 4 oz. a drink, this recipe is not for the faint of heart. Please drink responsibly and enjoy the Lenten season. – Minx

[rottenpumpkin13]

Fuck the Super Bowl.

AGSZC + the Turks go to goddamn Mardi Gras.

*Zack, Genesis and Angeal appear ready for Mardi Gras dressed as a pirate, a priest and a doctor*

Zack: Sephiroth! How do we look?

Sephiroth: There's nothing more festive than romanticizing piracy, using religion as a costume and making a mockery of a profession.

Zack:

• They absolutely had to drag Sephiroth there. The idea of partying and being out in public are unappealing enough, add them together and add drunk people into the mix and it's a nightmare for him.

• Anyway, Sephiroth is drunk within the first hour because Genesis gave him a heavy cocktail and told him it was juice.

• As penance he now has to look after Sephiroth the whole night.

• Zack is trying to catch as many beaded necklaces as possible as they throw them into the crowd. He catches one with his head but it wraps around his neck too tightly so Angeal and Cloud have to pry it off of him before he chokes to death.

• Drunk Sephiroth tries to serenade a passing group of people with a love song. Genesis is trying to cover his mouth before he makes a fool of himself. Sephiroth bites his hand, he's bleeding, Zack is screaming, Reno just showed up with fireworks, and Tseng is having a heart attack.

• Zack tries to catch a necklace that's stuck on top of a lamp post by climbing it. He gets stuck halfway up there and now Angeal has to climb up there to get him down.

• Meanwhile Genesis passes Sephiroth to Cloud in hopes he can watch him while he goes dance.

• Cloud loses Sephiroth in the crowd. Sephiroth mistakes a street performer dressed as a chocobo for Cloud and brings him back to the group.

• Meanwhile Tseng has dragged Reno and Rude to a café and confiscated their fireworks. This is when Cloud shows up and asks them if they've seen Sephiroth.

Reno: Yeah, he's right outside with Genesis, look.

• They look out the café window and see Genesis making out with a street performer dressed as Sephiroth.

[bullet-prooflove]

Out of sheer curiosity, how do you imagine Ro and Pride spending Halloween? How about the days leading up to it?

Halloween is a massive thing for the both of them. Ro is from Georgia and they do Halloween the same way New Orleans does, big events that go on for days. She kinda loves the pageantry of it.

I think actual Halloween day and night is probably spend prepping the Tru Tone for a huge Halloween themed party. It’s one of the most profitable nights of the year for bars so they decide to take advantage of it. They manage to get on a  few spooky bar brawl tours so the bar stays packed. They hire a mixologist who specialises in smoky, alchemy style cocktails. Dwayne hires an amazing band to do classy Halloween themed songs, stuff like Black Magic Woman, I Put A Spell On You, things that fit the vibe of the bar. He leaves decorating to Ro and she goes all out, we’re not talking cheap streamers, we’re talking getting Sebastian to set up green and purple uplighters outside to give it a Mardi Gras spooky vibe and then play to that vibe within.

Their costumes will probably be a couples costume, white skull  make up with dark hollow eyes. Dwayne would wear a raggedy suit with a top hat, he takes the jacket and the hat off when it gets too warm and rolls up those sleeves. Ro will prob wear a black and white lace dress with limited tulle and a white rose headband that contrasts against her hair.

They’re both work the bar on the actual night so they pack the stuff they want to do into the week before.

Ro is still relatively new to New Orleans (a few years as a transplant) so she’ll probably want to do more touristy stuff that isn’t Dwayne’s thing sometimes. She’d hit a ghost tour with Sebastian and tour a few haunted houses, go to the Voodoo museum. She may go to a psychic reading with Tammy or hit a party with Chris if Dwayne is working.(Dwayne comes home to find her dressed up, passed out on the couch and gets to hear about her and Chris’s antics at work the next morning)

Dwayne would probably have spent some time seeking out the best Halloween decs in the city and would give her a tour in the convertible. He’d buy Halloween cookies for this tour and have a thermos of pumpkin spice ready. Dwayne would ask her about some of her own Halloween traditions and try to incorporate those into the time they spend together.

They would defo do the parade together, Dwayne would love the way she lights up when she sees everything. I also kind of love the idea of them doing a spooky whiskey tasting together in one of the old distilleries. As something very special and probably a surprise Dwayne would take her to one of the haunted restaurants, somewhere that does amazing food and has a rich history.

[adventuressclubamericas]

New Orleans Cocktail of the Month: Absinthe Frappé

“It will free you first from the burning thirst That is born of a night of the bowl, Like a sun 'twill rise through the inky skies That so heavily hang o'er your soul. At the first cool sip on your fevered lip You determine to live through the day, Life's again worthwhile as with a dawning smile You imbibe your Absinthe frappé! ” -Glen MacDonough

The libation that inspired this little ditty was invented by Cayetano Ferrer at the Old Absinthe House in 1874. It wasn't long before the icy delight was beloved by the likes of Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain. Sadly, absinthe was banned in the US for nearly 100 years, so your frappé had to be made with other, perfectly acceptable, spirits. Thankfully, the ban's been lifted, and you can once again get a real absinthe frappé in some of the Crescent City's finer establishments. Perhaps even at our Mardi Gras-themed after party at Belle Epoque? For recipe...

Information provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. Please drink responsibly.

Speaking of our Saturday night Mardi Gras-themed after party at Belle Epoque…you do have your tickets, don't you? (Time's running out)

[wtfsheikura]

Chapter 1

FOURTEEN YEARS LATER

I SWIRL THE TOOTHPICK IN my cocktail, frowning at the lone green olive floating in the watered-down vodka and vermouth. With a resigned sigh, I pluck the olive from the glass and pop it into my mouth, the briny taste doing little to improve my mood.

I expected to be served a top-shelf liquor and a more generous garnish, considering the exorbitant cost of a drink. But I suppose that's the price you pay for hiding out in a hotel bar on the Strip.

If my father were here, he would demand a refund and bring every bartender and server in the place to tears on his way out the door. He's a ruthless businessman, willing to do whatever it takes to come out on top, even at the expense of those closest to him.

My phone buzzes, interrupting my pity party for one. A small smile tugs at my lips when I see who's calling.

"Hey, Sukuna," I answer.

"Aren't you supposed to be schmoozing with clients right now?" he asks with a hint of amusement.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed? It's past midnight in London," I quip.

He chuckles. "It's the weekend. I just left the club, and was hoping my call would go straight to voicemail so I could leave you a message about how lucky I am that Dick sent you to Vegas instead of me."

My lips curve into a sly grin at his comment. My father's name is F/n, but Sukuna has a bad habit of calling him Dick, especially when he's in one of his moods, which is almost always. It would be a disaster if Sukuna ever slipped up and called him that to his face. Thank god my dad moved back to New York  a few years ago and spends most of his time in the States, so we don't have to see him in person very often.

"My last meeting ended early, so I stopped by the hotel bar for a quick drink." I frown at my unimpressive cocktail. "At least I stuck around until the end. If I remember correctly, you skipped out a full day early the last time my dad sent you to meet with a client."

"What did he expect, sending me to Louisiana during Mardi Gras? My clients wanted to party, and who was I to deny them? I closed the deal, so he has nothing to complain about," he grumbles. "You're the responsible one, which is why he sent you this time."

"That's not true. He would have sent Nanami if he wasn't busy running the European division. I swear he sends me to these things just to torment me." I cringe, knowing there's more truth to that than I care to admit.

Dad walked out on us at the end of my and Suguru's senior year.

It nearly destroyed my mom when, only a month after they finalized their divorce, he announced he married a European socialite with ties to the royal family. Sukuna and Nanami, her two sons, were both in their early twenties. They went to work for my dad and have been with Geto International since.

I had no interest in meeting them at first, but after college, I reluctantly agreed to join the company and had to work with them since I requested to be assigned to the London office. Sakuna and I bonded over our dislike of my dad and became fast friends. Nanami is laser-focused on the business, so we don't spend time together outside of work, but we have a great rapport.

Despite my best efforts, Suguru refuses to have anything to do with our dad and won't meet Sukuna and Nanami, even though he lives in London. As far as he's concerned, they're strangers and should stay that way.

"You should be out partying and getting laid, not spending your last night in Sin City in a stuffy hotel bar, surrounded by balding middle-aged men looking to make the most out of their trip before going back to their wives and kids in the suburbs," Sukuna says.

We may be step-siblings by definition, but he is my closest friend, which means we talk about almost everything.

I glance around the room, surveying the other patrons. Most of them fit his description to a tee—older men with receding hairlines and ill-fitted suits.

"I'm going to have to pass on the partying and getting laid." I take a long sip of my martini. "As soon as I finish my drink, I'm ordering room service and taking a nice, long bath." Given the choice, I much prefer a night of solitude over being in a crowded room with people I have no interest in associating with.

Sukuna lets out an exasperated sigh. "Y/n, it's been two years since you broke things off with Naoya. Isn't it time you started dating again?"

I bristle at his comment. "I have moved on," I state firmly.

I swore off dating the day I caught Naoya, my ex-fiancé, cheating on me with his assistant. It had been a typical Tuesday afternoon until I walked in on them doing it doggy style in Naoya's apartment.

Men are far more trouble than they're worth. My collection of handy rabbit vibrators gets me off more times in a week than Landon did in the whole of our five-year relationship.

I've learned the hard way that getting emotionally attached to someone only leads to heartache, and I don't plan to put myself through that again.

"You're in Las Vegas," Sukuna declares with gusto. "One night of making bad decisions, like getting drunk and having filthy, hot sex with a stranger, can't hurt." I wrinkle my nose in disgust. "Haven't you heard the saying, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? This is the perfect opportunity to let loose and have a good time. Then you can return to London and be your boring old self again," he jokes.

"Gee, thanks for the self-esteem boost," I mumble as I take another sip of my drink.

He's not wrong, but his words still sting.

Apparently, the handful of times I've joined him for a night out or met Suguru for dinner doesn't count as a social life. I can see why he finds it unhealthy that, aside from my demanding work schedule, I prefer to spend my limited free time alone.

"Y/n, I care about you and want you to be happy. You deserve to settle down someday and find someone who worships the ground you walk on."

I used to want that, too, but things have changed.

"I don't have any interest in..." My voice trails off when movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention. I glance up just in time to watch a newcomer enter the bar area. From my vantage point, I can only see his profile, but there's something strangely familiar about him.

The stranger has Snow-white messy undercut hair that falls to his eyes and a chiseled jawline. While everyone else in the hotel bar is dressed in business attire, he's wearing dark-wash jeans, a white long-sleeve dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, and leather loafers. Even without seeing his face, I can sense he's trouble.

He's captured the attention of every woman in the room, their gazes locked on him as if he's the ultimate prize. As for me, I have no interest in him whatsoever.

Then why can't I stop staring?

"Y/n, are you still there?" Sukuna's voice breaks through my trance.

It's a good thing we're not video chatting, or he might notice the blush spreading across my cheeks when I realize I've been checking out a stranger. I'm usually indifferent to men, and this one shouldn't be any different.

"Yeah, I'm here," I reply, keeping my gaze fixed on my drink.

"When are you coming home?" Sukuna asks.

"My flight leaves for London in the morning."

"You could always spend the weekend in Vegas," he persists, like a dog with a bone.

"I'd much rather sleep in my bed tomorrow night."

"Fine," he says with a defeated sigh. "But if you change your mind and need a day to recuperate, let me know."

"I'll see you bright and early on Monday, Sukuna," I tell him.

"Travel safe."

As soon as I hang up, a middle-aged man sits next to me, despite plenty of other seats at the bar. My guess is he was waiting for me to finish my conversation before he approached.

I ignore him in favor of pretending to read an email. The last thing I want is to be pulled into a conversation with someone I'm not interested in talking to. I'm scolding myself for not leaving the bar while I was still talking with Sukuna. I blame the devilishly handsome stranger for distracting me.

"Excuse me." The guy next to me taps me on the shoulder.

I look over and meet his dull brown eyes. Sweat drips down his temples, highlighting his receding hairline. He pulls out a grimy handkerchief from his pinstripe suit, which is too small around the middle, and wipes his brow.

I grimace when he sets the used handkerchief on the counter between us.

"Can I help you?" I ask, trying my best to hide my repulsion.

"I'm Larry. I'd like to buy you a drink." A grin spreads across his face, exposing a poorly done set of veneers, which makes it more unsettling than friendly.

"I appreciate the offer, but I already have one." I lift my glass for emphasis.

"You definitely need something stronger." His nasally voice grates against my ears.

"No, thank you."

"Come on, baby. From the moment I saw you, I wanted to tell you that if beauty were a crime, you'd be serving a life sentence."

I let out a choked noise. "I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression, but I'm not interested."

Being direct tends to be the most effective approach when turning down someone's advances. It leaves no room for misinterpretation or for leading someone on for the sake of being nice, which never ends well.

Larry's eyes narrow. "Is this how you treat someone who compliments you?"

"It's how I treat men who don't know how to take no for an answer." I grab my purse, ready to hightail it out of here. I'm startled when his meaty hand clamps around my upper arm.

"Sit. Back. Down," he hisses sharply.

"Let me go," I say through gritted teeth. This guy has another thing coming if he thinks I'll comply with his harassment. "I said I'm not interested." I place my hand over his and dig my fingernails into his skin, causing him to loosen his grip.

"Why you little bit—"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence." The deep voice sends a thrill down my spine.

Curiosity gets the better of me, and I find the stranger I was ogling earlier hovering over my unwanted guest. A sharp exhale passes my lips when I realize he's not a stranger at all—it's Satour Gojo. It's no wonder he felt familiar. He's been my brother's best friend since we were kids, although I haven't seen him in almost fifteen years.

The unwanted sensation of butterflies in my stomach when his eyes soften and he flashes me a smirk before turning his attention back to Larry.

"Leave now, or I'll call security," Satour threatens calmly.

Larry gives him a wary glance, not daring to question his order. He has enough sense to shove his handkerchief in his pocket and scurry out of his chair, and rush toward the exit. His compliance may have something to do with the jagged scar on Satour's face, spanning from his left eyebrow, carving a winding path across his cheek down to the corner of his mouth. The pronounced pinkish color gives him a menacing appearance.

My memory takes me back to after his accident when he expressed how much he hated the scar because it served as a constant reminder that his outward appearance was different from everyone else. It didn't help that Suki, his high school girlfriend, never shied away from complaining about how it looked whenever she got the chance. In my opinion, it's sexy as hell. A reminder of Satour's willingness to help someone in need—consequences be damned.

My hands tremble as Satour gives me a wicked grin. He may be devastatingly handsome, but from what Suguru's told me about him over the years, I was right to think he was dangerous—just not in the conventional sense.

Something tells me he won't be as easy to get rid of as Larry was.

@holylonelyponyeatingmacaroni

[motownfiction]

espresso martini

Will never got particularly good at hanging out in bars. When you get married at sixteen, have your first baby a month after you turn seventeen, and spend your remaining hours trying to do well in college, you kind of lose any opportunity to get a drink with some carefree guys. You kind of lose any opportunity to get a drink at all. For most of Will’s early adulthood, a drink was synonymous with orange juice for Elenore, or picking up a handmade cherry Coke for Lucy.

That’s why he hates it whenever his big sister Sarah comes to the city, and she wants to meet at a bar.

It’s even worse that she’s always late. Will and Lucy have to sit on top of stools where they’re not comfortable, and they have to “look at a menu” to be polite, despite the fact that they know they’re going to order club sodas with lime. It’s the special for when you have a ten-year-old daughter at home (or, in Lucy’s case, when you’re newly pregnant with your second baby – something they’re not sharing with Sarah and her tendency to gossip today).

Will flips through the drink menu like it’s a compilation of personal affronts.

“I don’t understand half of these drinks,” he says.

“What do you mean you don’t understand them?” Lucy asks. “They’re made of alcohol. People drink them so they can make bad decisions and not blame themselves for the consequences later. There’s only one Mardi Gras, but there are 364 un-Mardi Gras. And they all take place in city bars.”

“I know what they’re used for. I just think they sound dumb. When we were young …”

“We are twenty-seven.”

“When we were young, drinks had simple names. Old fashioned. Whiskey sour. Bloody Mary. That one always freaked me out.”

“You did fall for the bathroom trick one too many times.”

“But look at the drinks they have now. Moscow Mule. French 75. Bellini.”

“Will, all of these drinks existed before we were twenty-one. Or sixteen. Whenever it was you think we stopped living.”

“Well, look at this one. Espresso martini. I bet they didn’t have that when we were young.”

“Again, you have got to rethink your definitions of old and young.”

Will sighs. The bartender comes back by and asks if he can get them anything. Lucy orders them both the “We got old before our time” cocktail, and Will buries his face in his hands. He feels Lucy’s hand on his shoulder. For a second, he feels better. Just for a second.

“It’s humiliating,” he says. “It’s humiliating to be an adult man who doesn’t know anything about being an adult man.”

“What are you talking about?” Lucy asks. “You became an adult way, way faster than pretty much any man you know.”

“Yeah, but in a weird way. I didn’t practice ordering drinks or hitting on women. I practiced changing diapers and …”

“Having outstanding sex with a wife you loved?”

Will narrows his eyes at Lucy.

“I heard that,” he says. “Your use of the past tense. You’re trying to trick me.”

“I did no such thing,” Lucy says.

“You’re a bad liar. I mean, not with most people, but with me … you always break.”

Lucy rolls her eyes.

“OK, fine,” she says. “I was testing you. It is … it is present tense, right?”

Will wraps his hand around hers and looks right into her eyes. She looks the same as she always has, and thank heavens for that. She has always been perfect. Not perfect, but perfect for him. Perfect for the life they built because there was nothing better than being together. So what if they found out before Will could learn the names of cocktails and impress his colleagues at marvelous parties? Those parties are never really marvelous, anyway.

“Present, future, all of it,” he says.

The bartender comes back with club sodas and limes. Will has never been so happy to see them before.

(part of @nosebleedclub june challenge -- day 9!)

[alonggoodbye]

Halia Headcannons: Important friendship memories

Circ. 1920s-30s: Halia and Eli end up at an underground queer bar. Halia comes to the realization she's not straight; Eli helps her come to terms with it. Falls asleep against his shoulder, emotionally drained (@waywardcollective)

Halia and Eli hanging out in her dressing room drinking champagne on New Years, wearing feathered boas.

Circ. 1920s: Lee and Halia chainsmoking out of her bathroom window in the middle of the night for hours. Their subjects of discussion are so deeply personal that she feels like he is her closest friend while still feeling like she knows nothing about him. How he felt during his first kill? Sure. His real name, who he works for, where he's from, favorite color- who's to say? (@usethespoon)

Circ. 1980s: Spends most of her time bonding with Paul over music and listens to his collection while she waits for the boys to come back from feeding. Halia secretly becomes a metalhead because of Paul and makes him not tell anyone because she's a little embarrassed about it. Let's him drink her blood so they can go to a Slayer concert in Sacremento (@murdercapitxl)

They have matching concert shirts

Circ. 2010s: Halia in a grimey bar bathroom drunkenly comforting a girl crying in a bathroom stall. Sheri fighting that girl's ex-boyfriend in the parking lot. Halia holding their heels as she and Sheri run from the cops (@magicxecustos)

There is a picture on Halia's mantle of her, Dorian, and Sheri wearing shiny beaded necklaces and holding cocktails with the Mardi Gras parade behind them.

Circ. 2010s: Halia and Everett go to vegas (as platonic bffs do), get super drunk and accidently get married. Get that annulled immediately the next morning before getting absolutely wasted again the next night. Everett gets a call from the local police station in the morning, it's Halia; she's in the drunk tank for fighting a guy who "looked at her husband wrong"// insp. "Waking up in Vegas" by Katy Perry (@budgetburials)

Circ. 2020s: Halia signs Millie up for the Coney Island Hotdog eating competition, assuming that her eldritch appetite will give them the edge. Millie's nerves start manifesting weird shit, so Halia takes her place instead and (somehow) manages to win 3rd place. Millie later holds Halia's hair while she is trying not to fall in the the portapotty. Millie rubs her back and calls her a champ (@tensleepshrike)

This picture, but it's Millie and Halia

Halia takes Millie to see Merctio's band and buys her their band shirt.

[boroughshq]

Welcome to the community bulletin board! Here are some events happening around the Boroughs this month:

February 9-11: Mardi Gras Bar Crawl, Boroughs-Wide (Bronx finish)

February 13: Galentine's Special at Songbirds and Sangrias, Staten Island

February 14: Rom-Com Marathon at Technicolor Theater, Queens

February 14: Anti-Valentine's Day Showcase at Haze Gallery, Brooklyn

February 17: Brazilian Carnival Festival at Queens Night Market, Queens

February 29: Leap Day Star Party in Central Park, Manhattan

Continue reading below to find descriptive blurbs of each event. As a reminder, community events are optional events for members to use during their threads throughout the month of February.

February 9-11: Mardi Gras Bar Crawl, Boroughs-Wide (Bronx finish)

It's Mardi Gras weekend! Take a journey through the bars of the Boroughs in a Mardi Gras themed bar crawl! Order the specialty cocktails comprised of New Orleans inspired drinks at each establishment and get a set of beads to boot! Drinkers with the most beads at the crawl's final destination, Cowbells, win a star-studded, celebratory Mardi Gras mask.

February 13: Galantine's Special at Songbirds and Sangrias, Staten Island

It's ladies night at Songbirds and Sangrias! If it's not a female-led song, it's not allowed to be sung! The house sangria for the occasion is half off in honor of Galentine's Day.

February 14: Rom-Com Marathon at Technicolor Theater, Queens // Anti-Valentine's Day Showcase at Haze Gallery, Brooklyn.

Romance lovers are welcome to bring blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy watching an assortment of classic romantic comedies on Technicolor Theater's outdoor movie projector all night starting at 5pm. Meanwhile, the haters can purchase tickets to a special one-night-only Anti-Valentine's Day Showcase of exemplary fine art at the Haze Gallery.

February 17: Brazilian Carnival Festival at Queens Night Market, Queens

Experience a taste of the Caribbean at the Queens Night Market as it transforms into a brilliant display of Brazilian heritage in honor of Carnival. Food, drinks, merch, dance, and more!

February 29: Leap Day Star Party in Central Park, Manhattan

What better way is there to celebrate the year's extra day than with a star party? A local astronomy club, The New York Galaxy Patrol, has come together in a darker section of Central Park to set up their collective telescopes for an observation party, and all members of the public are allowed to join in! Sure, the city isn't the best place for star gazing, and there's nothing rare or exceptional expected to be visible on the 29th, but a clear night is projected on a leap day, and that's enough cause for celebration!

Admin Note: The above events are all optional events that members are free to use as the setting for threads throughout the month of February. Though each event comes with brief descriptions, writers are free to manipulate and take liberties with them however they like for their threads. Additionally, writers are not restricted to only writing threads on the dates of the events listed; you are free to create threads around these events and post them whenever you like during the month of February.

[archive-of-artprompts]

🎉Celebration Time!🎉

Send in a Number + Character/s to dress them for that occasion, either as a guest or the host!

Bachelor/Bachelorette Party

Banquet

Ballroom Dance

Birthday Party

Black-Tie Event

Bonfire Party

Bridal Shower

Burlesque Event

Cocktail Party

Costume Party

Dinner Party

Disco

Divorce Party

Fair

Fall Festival

Farewell Party

Game Night

Garden Party

Halloween

Hollywood Glamour Party

House Party

Housewarming Party

Karaoke Party

Mardi Gras

Masquerade Ball

New Year’s Eve

Pizza Party

Pool Party

Potluck

Pretend Tea Party

Prom

Silent Disco

Singles Dance Party

Sleepover/Slumber Party

Soirée

Renaissance Festival

Royal Ball

Tea Party

Tropical Party

Valentine’s Dance

Wedding

Wedding Anniversary

1920s Themed Party

1970s Themed Party

1980s Themed Party

[abramsbooks]

RECIPE: Irish Goodbye (from Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em by Neal Bodenheimer and Emily Timberlake)

Matt Lofink describes this as a dry, not-too-sweet, “very crushable” whiskey sour. Fennel and peach is an unexpected but delicious flavor pairing that works amazingly well with the spice notes of the whiskey.

¾ ounce (22.5 ml) fresh lemon juice

1 medium egg white

1. ounces (45 ml) Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey

¼ ounce (7.5 ml) Giffard crème de pêche liqueur

¼ ounce (7.5 ml) Fennel Syrup (recipe follows)

4 mint leaves

10 drops Peychaud’s bitters, for garnish

Mint sprig, for garnish

Combine the lemon juice and egg white in a shaker tin without ice and dry-shake for 30 seconds. Add the whiskey, pêche liqueur, fennel syrup, and mint leaves to the shaker tin, fill the shaker with ice, and shake until chilled. Double-strain into a double old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Dot the bitters on the surface of the drink, then use a toothpick or cocktail straw to swirl the bitters in an attractive pattern. Garnish with the mint sprig and serve.

RECIPE: Fennel Syrup

Makes about 2 cups (480 ml)

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

2 cups (480 ml) hot (190 to 200°F/88 to 93°C) water

2 cups (400 g) white sugar

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the fennel seeds until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, add the water, and infuse until the water is cool. Add the sugar, stir until dissolved, then fine-strain and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

From the foremost figure on the New Orleans' drinking scene and the owner of renowned bar Cure, a cocktail book that celebrates the vibrant city

New Orleans is known for its spirit(s)-driven festivities. Neal Bodenheimer and coauthor Emily Timberlake tell the city’s story through 100 cocktails, each chosen to represent New Orleans’ past, present, and future. A love letter to New Orleans and the cast of characters that have had a hand in making the city so singular, Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em features interviews with local figures such as Ian Neville, musician and New Orleans funk royalty, plus a few tips on how to survive your first Mardi Gras. Along the way, the reader is taken on a journey that highlights the rich history and complexity of the city and the drinks it inspired, as well as the techniques and practices that Cure has perfected in their mission to build forward rather than just looking back. Of course, this includes the classics every self-respecting drinker should know, especially if you’re a New Orleanian: the Sazerac, Julep, Vieux Carré, Ramos Gin Fizz, Cocktail à la Louisiane, and French 75. Famous local chefs have contributed easy recipes for snacks with local flavor, perfect for pairing with these libations. Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em is a beautiful keepsake for anyone who has fallen under New Orleans’s spell and a must-have souvenir for the millions of people who visit the city each year.

For more information, click here.

[hymnsofheresy]

with advent around the corner i have a few more playlists that i have created this past year:

christmas pageant is a collection of children's choirs singing carols

bon krismis! is the louisiana creole way to say "merry christmas." because zydeco ain't just for mardi gras anymore! (also new orleans jazz, and creole & cajun folk music)

yuletide noontide christmas must be quiet for a cowboy wandering lonesome... good thing they have this playlist!

holy night is a nighttime playlist so you sleep like honk shooo mimimimimimimimimi

cocktail christmas is probably a good vibe for a christmas brunch. upbeat jazzy mix.

god rest ye! is a victorian inspired playlist because the brits were tired of being weird and puritan about christmas and decided to get drunk and be ostentatious instead.

ding dong merrily on high bell propaganda

Advent & Christmas Carol Playlists

christ mass part 1 & part 2 - these are hymns & carols you might hear at a church. part two is a bit slower and more meditative.

blue christmas is a carol playlist for when christmastime doesn’t really feel all that jolly, when the darkness of the winter feels too overwhelming.

play me a carol is a selection of soft piano carols to put in the background while relaxing after a long day.

lofi bells to holly and jolly to is a lofi christmas playlist that you can easily use while studying for those finals. anime girl bopping along not included.

joy to the world contains a multitude of christmas songs from all over the world, from east asia to the americas.

old timey christmas has all the classic christmas carols that people in the 50-60s churned out like they were working at the christmas carol sweatshop.

yuletide is a celtic-inspired christmas playlist. a selection of folk-tunes, jigs, carols, and gaelic hymns.

rise up shepherd is a collection of spirituals, carols, and gospel songs from the black american spiritual tradition.

glory to the newborn kin(g) is a selection of christmas orchestral music

emmanuel quite literally translates as “god with us” so this playlist is a selection of american-folk carols.

ye olde christmas is a playlist for all the tumblr medievalist girlies. although before anyone attacks me, i did put some renaissance carols on there as well

bodacious gnarly hella tubular christmas is a 80s-90s pop christmas playlist. yes it does feature the queen of christmas herself.

dulcimer christmas is self explanatory. if you don’t like the hammered dulcimer, i fear that this playlist will be extremely disappointing.

a-caroling provides all of your wassailing needs. i promise you there is no pentatonix. all my playlists are pentatonix free. let me liberate you from their chokehold on christmas music.

[boboprincess]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Betsey Johnson Hola to Love Stretch Ring Sugar Skull Mardi Gras NWT.