

tipsy tuesday: the averna surely
Just a quick post today. It's been quite a week full of travel and busyness, so I've slacked off here rather terribly. My apologies! In penance, here is one of my favorite cocktail recipes I've put together this past year. This is one of the cocktail trifecta I created for Aaron's birthday party back in January (all the details on that over at this post!) I had wanted to try infusing bourbon for awhile and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity. Pair that up with one of th


sober tuesday - mint julep
It's been a bit of a hectic week, so today will just be a quick post. But I wanted to keep up the Sober Tuesday tradition since there are only two more left in Lent! Granted I can keep them up after that too, but Lent was the premise, so Lenten mocktails you shall get. I've always loved mint. When I was little, I saw my mom doing a lot of gardening so I of course wanted my own garden too. Like you do. So she told me I could have a small bed of my own, but I would be in charge


sober tuesday: morning in manhattan
So today's post is a "guest recipe" if you will. This manhattan cocktail inspired cup o' coffee is an Aaron original. While we were dating, there was a coffee shop in Indianapolis we frequented that served cocktail-esque coffee creations, one of which was a cold brew manhattan. We were dating long distance for our entire relationship, so with all the driving back and forth on weekends, we definitely consumed more than our fair share of coffee. And this particular drink was al


sober tuesday: a cucumber(patch) benediction
So... it's Lent, guys. And (fun fact for those who didn't already know) Aaron is a priest. So I couldn't help it - I had to at least have a bit of a shout out to that niche demographic of you all who are currently doing without something or other for the next month and a half-ish. Since ye olde alcohols seem to be a common do-without during such times, Tipsy Tuesday is getting the axe until April 1 and will be replaced by its more Lenten (and less boisterous) sidekick, Sober


tipsy tuesday - basil rathbourbon
Happy Tipsy Tuesday! And a happy Galentines Day too, to all you Leslies and Anns out there. We know who we are. As promised in an earlier post (I know, it took me a lot longer than I said it would), this week's Tipsy Tuesday is the first of three original cocktails I invented for Aaron's birthday party last month. This was my favorite of the trifecta, both because I am a grapefruit fiend and because its name is taken from my favorite childhood actor. Yes, we can all take a mo


tipsy tuesday - hot ginger-apple toddy
So this is a nostalgic one, guys. Today is our anniversary and I've had a severe case of the Wedding Nostalgias all month. I know at the time I was stressed out like crazy with all the details of coordinating what went where and when, and whether my embarrassingly detailed "Setup Manifesto" was sufficient to communicate all of this. We were on a pretty tight budget and handcrafted the majority of our reception setup to cut down on costs. But looking back from the safe distanc


tipsy (not)tuesday - lavender 75
I realize this isn't a Tuesday, but needs must. New Years Eve's a'comin and I have a cocktail that has to head your way before that bell tolls. So... We Wish You a Tipsy Friday and a Happy New Year! It's New Years, so of course this one will include a bit of bubbly. I know Champagne is the reigning monarch of such things, but I'll admit my partiality leans Prosecco-ward. So that's what I've used for this, though you are more than welcome to substitute the bubbly of your choic


tipsy tuesday - mulled wine
Guess what time it is? For this month's Tipsy Tuesday, we're going with a winter must-have. Aaron and I have both had a fond place for mulled wine ever since we went to the Chicago Christkindlmarket when we were first dating. I'd been multiple times before that in the years I've lived here, but this is the occasion I remember with the most fondness. It was freezing that night - a classic Chicago 4 degrees, not counting wind chill - and the gluhwein in small, ceramic boots was


tipsy tuesday - fernet about it (a hot toddy)
Welcome to the inaugural Tipsy Tuesday here at the Mess! I went back and forth for awhile on what a good starting cocktail would be, but honestly I was overthinking the whole thing and worrying a bit too much about "the perfect first cocktail." So I figured I would shelve the idea for the present and come back to it after the new year. And wouldn't you know, that's when the muse struck. I knew all along that I wanted it to involve Fernet-Branca. Fernet (pronounced "net" rathe