Youth, Only Better – 5:00 Fridays

Whenever a new year creeps in I am reminded of the magic of Time. 2012 will usher in my 44th year, inching me closer to yet another chronological milestone. That picture up there was taken when I was in my early 20s but still passing for 17. Now when I look in the mirror I wonder who is that woman looking back at me – the one with the graying temples and dark circles who has lost her dewy youth in favor of the exuberance that comes with wisdom. And I must admit, when I see myself these days I am jolted a bit because I feel like I am face to face with my mother. This is neither good nor bad, it is simply a strange mind game that Time is playing with me.

I don’t believe that Youth is slipping away. I believe that Youth had her time in the limelight, and now it’s time to make room for a new chapter. Youth is not better than aging, it is simply different. Youth was fun and fleeting and peppered with exhilarating displays of whimsy. I don’t think I’ve lost any of that as I watch Time tick on. I did lots of irresponsible and downright stupid things in my youth. I made mistakes. I have regrets. Such is life. But I also had a lot of fun, and that fun didn’t require a trip to the ABC store. In my youth I of course did not drink. *cough*cough* But let’s be honest, there were some damn fun times along the way that were certainly enhanced by our friends Bud and Sam.

In my collegiate youth, when I was of legal drinking age (for the most part), I remember having my first drink on my 21st birthday with a friend who hailed from the mountains of Virginia whose Bible thumping family would have roasted her alive had they known the shenanigans she was indulging in. We drank bourbon and then split a hot fudge sundae at a local spot that I was sad to see had its doors recently. Later that year I sat on my living room floor with my friends Rich and Clay drinking white zinfandel. We thought we were so refined because we had to use a corkscrew. We were tall cotton back then, not realizing we were drinking the wine version of The Beast. The treacly sweetness made the wine easy to drink, and I guess there was something erudite and high brow about drinking wine instead of beer (or Jello shots). We were in the midst of our misguided youth.

Back to the bourbon…

In college there was a tradition of drinking Virginia Gentleman at football game tailgates and parties. This is why there was so much Coke sold at UVa. games…nothing mixes better with the VG. Virginia Gentleman is bourbon, and not the kind you’d keep in a crystal decanter, unless of course you wanted to fool your guests into thinking you were serving up bourbon that cost more than a Happy Meal. In my youth, we drank (bad) bourbon mixed with soda to make it palatable. I remember going to a swanky restaurant with my mom and ordering a Virginia Gentleman and Coke. My mom audibly gasped and ordered a white wine spritzer for me instead.

Now that my youthful daze is behind me, I drink bourbon sparingly and only the kind that actually belongs in a crystal decanter, which is precisely where we keep it. 

Youth, Only Better

1 ounce Bulleit bourbon
3 ounces ginger beer (Blenheim is by far my favorite.)
Sprig of fresh rosemary
Squeeze of lemon

 

Put a few ice cubes into a rocks glass. Sidebar: Are they even called “ice cubes” anymore? I mean, no one actually uses an ice tray these days, right? The ice my fridge makes looks more like a half moon than a cube. Pour bourbon over ice. Top with ginger beer. Squeeze in some lemon juice and give it all gentle stir with your sprig of rosemary.

Cheers!