The Friday night sip after putting The Boy to bed
Here's three cocktails I make after my son's bedtime on Fridays. Sometimes, it's the biggest reward of my week. We made it, y'all.
It begins around 7:45 p.m.
The Wife and I exchange looks as the clock nears 8. We know what’s upon us. It won’t be easy. Hell, it’ll be a fight to the bitter end. Tears will be cried; yells will be screamed, and threats will be made.
It’s time to put The Boy in the bathtub and then put to bed.
At times, Friday nights can give The Wife and I a bit more gusto in getting the job done. The reason is simple: the earlier we can finish, the more time we have to be selfish.
Binge-watch six episodes of Love Is Blind. Sure.
Play four hours of NCAA Football 25 or Call of Duty? You bet.
Talk on the couch and brainstorm what country we must visit next? Yessir.
Enjoy a post-putting down of The Boy with a cocktail made with love? Absolutely.
So when the sound machine (the thing that keeps The Boy asleep just in case hootin’ and hollerin’ occurs during bedtime) automatically kicks in at 8 p.m., chaos ensues. The Boy, while quite experienced in his bedtime routine, is hellbent on revolting whenever bedtime begins. Cries begin. Comfort is given. Said comfort is rejected. Dictatorship rules supreme.
By 8:17 p.m. The Boy is in the bathtub against his will. Joy is had as he plays in the tub and splashes water everywhere but inside the tub. While The Wife gets a few scrolls in on TikTok and Instagram, I prepare his bed and pull out fresh pajamas that will likely be wet by morning. (The joys of potty training)
At 8:29 p.m., the bath ends, and The Wife and The Boy enjoy a few final cuddles while drying off and receiving a sufficient lotion lather that only a mother can provide. Think back to the egregious face rubbing your mother/grandmother/auntie gave you as a child for sufficient moisturization. Yep, all of that. Pajamas are demanded requested by The Boy — usually a Spiderman or Paw Patrol getup — and final salutations are exchanged. This is also known as The Handoff, as The Wife tiptoes herself out of the room while I sit and finish the job.
Now it’s 8:42 p.m., The Boy is rummaging through his books, trying to decide what to read. Bluey? No. Frog and Toad? No. Inspirational books? No.
I know how this ends.
Me: “Emery, what do you want to read then?”
The Boy: “PJ Masks and Paw Patrol, daddy!”
Me: “You mean the same two books we read every night?
The Boy: “Yes, daddy.”
(stares at the 87 other books we’ve acquired for bedtime)
After the two books are read, it takes another 15 minutes to leave the room. Why? After we pray, The Boy has to say goodnight to every person in The Wife’s family tree and everyone connected to me on Ancestry dot com. However, I don’t have it in me to not let The Boy love on our family members with prayer and sweet dreams, even if it means mentioning distant cousins only seen in photos and his Aunties in Atlanta who spoil him rotten.
At 8:59 p.m., the door is quietly shut and The Boy is down for bed.
The post-put-down cocktail menu
Here’s the thing about this time of night. The cocktail of choice should not be complicated. It should be familiar. It should be fulfilling. It should be easy to make. Old fashioneds. Negronis. Sours. Things like that.
Therefore, here are my ideal selections for a 9 o’clock sip.
MI CASA MEZCAL OLD FASHIONED
If you like old fashioneds, this should feel familiar. I’ve modified this cocktail over time, as the pursuit of smoke has meant tweaking the ratio to more mezcal. The goal here is to get to two ounces of spirit, tweak as you see fit.
Serve: Old fashioned glass
Garnish: Orange zest with a twist
Ingredients:
1 oz — Casamigos Reposado tequila
1 oz — El Silencio mezcal
0.25 oz — Agave syrup
6-8 dashes — Angostura Bitters
Make Mi Caza Mezcal Old Fashioned: Add tequila and mezcal to a mixing glass with heavy ice and stir. Add syrup and bitters and stir. Strain the drink over ice (a big cube is preferred) into an old-fashioned glass. Enjoy.
CELEBRATION
This is essentially a cognac negroni, and we love negronis because they’re easy to make — equal parts for each ingredient. Cognacs are typically more full-bodied than other spirits, and it makes for a savory sip. I might occasionally go for a few more dashes than listed, but that’s just me.
Serve: In a pre-chilled coupe glass
Garnish: Orange zest twist
Ingredients:
1 oz Martel VSOP cognac (my preference, use what you like)
1 oz Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Campari (Use any Italian red bitter liqueur you have/prefer)
2-3 dashes Orange bitters
Make Celebration: Stir with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Enjoy.
FINAL WARD or PETE’S WORD
The Last Word is an iconic drink that is over 100 years old. The original version is made with gin — and if that’s a spirit you like, the recipe below still applies, just swap out — but over here we like whiskey (Final Ward) and scotch (Pete’s Word). This is also an equal parts cocktail — simple and delicious.
Serve: In a pre-chilled coupe glass
Garnish: No garnish
Ingredients:
1 oz Uncle Nearest rye whiskey (my preference, but aim for 100 proof here) OR 1 oz Laphroaig 10-year scotch
1 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur
1 oz Lemon juice
Make Final Ward: Shake with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Enjoy.
If you decide to make these drink, let me know what you think. If you want to come by the crib and get one, that’s fine too. Just wait until The Boy is fully asleep. Cheers.
1) thanks for the drink options
2) need to hop on College Football and COD with you.
Also, your son is adorable!