Watch out, Brian Flanagan!

May Day at the water's edge - cosmos, bouquets, and lemon cake!

So, we have all been at home for a couple of months. No restaurants. No get togethers at the local wine bar. No theatre or large events. And let me tell you, there have been days when I really needed a drink.

I've never been one to make cocktails at home. If I want a drink with dinner, I'll pour a glass of wine, saving fancy cocktails for a night out with friends. (And frankly, I'm not much for holding my liquor. About two drinks of anything, and I'm done.) But now, there are no nights out with friends. Sad face.

This bartender kit has all the tools I need to make yummy drinks!

Which led me to bringing cocktail hour back at home and learning how to make all sorts of yummy drinks! I started out by purchasing a bartender kit and a few new sets of glasses. I had a motley collection of wine glasses, which I replaced with a matching set of eight. Ditto for highball and old-fashioned glasses. (We actually use these glasses for drinking everything, every day, so it was nice to replace them with matching, complete sets.) Lastly, I bought a lovely set of eight coupe glasses, which I think are perfect for boozy, beautiful drinks that you really only need a small portion of (like cosmos).

I've had such fun experimenting and learning! First of all, making cocktails is really not that hard. Most drinks only have a short list of ingredients. Secondly, I've quickly learned that these recipes are just like any other. Find a basic structure you really like, then improvise based on what you have or what you feel like drinking right now. A blueberry bourbon smash can become a blueberry vodka smash. Don't have blueberries? Use blackberries. If you like mojitos and you like blackberries, try a blackberry mojito. You can really do anything you want if you have a stocked kitchen, stocked bar, and a good grasp of your own tastes.

As I got deeper into my study, it struck me that my existing wine cabinet was woefully inadequate. Cue ordering a more robust version from Wayfair.com, putting it together, and stocking it to my heart's content! (I LOVE IT.) I've also ordered a shelf from Etsy to hang over it. (Because the shelf is handmade, it will take it a while to arrive, but no matter. I can wait. I'm in this for the long haul.)

Cocktails, anyone? I love our big, beautiful new bar cabinet. 

So far, we've made tons of mules (and mule variations), mojitos (and variations), traditional margaritas, several different smashes, a lovely spiked mint ginger tea, and our usual lemonade hooch with berries (a perennial summer fave).

The night of May Day, it was a gorgeous evening. Our girl group decided to meet for socially-distanced cocktails at the reservoir to celebrate. Everyone brought their own blankets/chairs and glasses, and we spread far apart for safety. Shawn brought cosmos in a cocktail shaker, and I brought bouquets and individually-wrapped lemon cake for everyone. We stayed out there for nearly three hours, talking, laughing, and watching the sun go down over the water. It did my heart such good.

Next up, I'm going to try cosmos (in my new glasses!), some fruit-based margaritas (watermelon?), and maybe some gin-based drinks. Adventure awaits!

Happy May Day!