Volume 10, Issue 122 - June 20, 2006

Good Day ,

Something exciting happens every day. Something monumental happens every so often, thank goodness. The authors of The Daily Cocktail, 365 Intoxicating Drinks and the Outrageous Events that Inspired Them, have chosen a past event for each day of the year and delivered a cocktail to go with it. Not that is Intoxicating!

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March 28:

Nuclear accidents can be such fun! Just ask the residents around Three Mile Island in Middletown, Pennsylvania.

On this date in 1979, the Three Mile Island "incident" occurred, known since then as the worst accident in U.S. nuclear power history. Apparently, mechanical failure caused an increase in pressure in one of the reactors. A valve was opened to alleviate the pressure. The valve remained open, and coolant leaked out of the reactor. This caused the core to overheat. A portion of the reactor suffered a meltdown. On-site personnel misread the gauges and other measuring whoozi-whatzits and exacerbated the problem. Frying pan, fire, anyone?

The problem worsened: Gases were released into the environment, eventually necessitating that pregnant women and children under the age of five be evacuated from the area. Those lucky enough to be six years old and older got to stay home! The accident was not as bad as some had expected, though it significantly and perhaps permanently undermined the faith of the American public in nuclear energy. Why not try the Nuclear Iced Tea before you fill up the gas tank on your SUV?!

Nuclear Iced Tea

Ingredients:

1/2 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce gin
1/2 ounce rum
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
1 ounce melon liqueur
sour mix
7-Up

Preparation:

Mix the first five ingredients in a Collins glass filled with ice. Fill (almost) to the top of the glass with the sour mix, and top off with 7-Up.

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March 30:

On this date in 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. in what appeared to be a straightforward assassination attempt, right? Nope. Hinckley was a certifiable wackadoo. A bit of a recluse to boot, Hinckley spent one whole summer watching the Robert De Niro - Jody Foster classic Taxi Driver. Discontented with the depravity in New York City, Travis Bickle, De Niro's character, decides he's had enough and violently lashes out - partly to protect a 12-year-old prostitute (played by Foster). His first move is to plan the assassination of a presidential candidate.

What does the plot have to do with Hinckley? First, you may have noticed Hinckley and Bickle shared "loner" status. Apparently, Hinckley noticed that, too. So, he moved to New Haven, Connecticut, to get closer to Foster, a Yale student at the time. He slipped notes and poems under her door and the two even spoke once or twice. To really impress her, though, he tried to assassinate Reagan. (What says "I love you" to a woman more than murder?) Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity (big surprise!) and is serving time in a mental hospital. Reagan served two terms in office. In his honor, we present: The Gipper.

The Gipper

Ingredients:

2 ounces whiskey
2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce Coca-Cola

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients over ice in a Collins glass. Drink until you feel like you, too, can win one.

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May 7:

Today is the birthday of Argentina's most powerful first lady of all time. Eva Perón was born on this day in 1919 to a poor family in a village outside of Buenos Aires. She rose to fame through acting, and met Argentina's future president Juan Perón at a fund-raising event in the capital city. Their climb to power was a struggle, but luckily they were able to stop and catalog it through catchy songs along the way. Or at least, that's how it happens in the world of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Evita, as she was called, is perhaps best remembered for her impassioned speeches. Some of our favorite quotes are as follows:

"When the rich think about the poor, they have poor ideas."
"Answer violence with violence. If one of us falls today, five of them must fall tomorrow."

Contemplate that while enjoying an Argentine Julep!

Argentine Julep

Ingredients:

1 ounce orange juice
1 ounce pineapple juice
1 ounce Spanish brandy
1 ounce claret
1/4 ounce Cointreau
1 slice orange
1 sprig mint

Preparation:

Shake the liquid ingredients with ice and strain into a Collins glass. Garnish with an orange slice and a mint sprig.