TOD'S COOLER

Give me a drink!

TOD’S COOLER

2 measures gin

2/3 measure crème de cassis

2/3 measure lemon juice

Club soda 

See that picture to the right? That represents how my Mom felt when she stopped by my house tonight after a long day of travel and visiting. To help calm her nerves, I chose a gin-based drink -- one of her favorite types of alcohol.

We all have our favorites that we turn to time and again, and that's fine. But it's easy to get stuck in a cocktail rut. A safe way to get out of the rut is to try a favorite alcohol in a new way. The TOD'S COOLER cocktail is a different and delicious way to enjoy gin. To make it, put gin, crème de cassis and lemon juice into a short glass half-filled with crushed ice. Give it a stir, then top it off with club soda. Garnish with a slice of lemon.

TOD'S COOLER was created at the bar of the Palace Hotel in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, by Tod Sloan. Tod was a famous American jockey in the early 1900s who was known in the states as Yankee Doodle Dandy. Old Tod must have loved gin, because his cocktail is mostly gin. But it is a lovely lovely way to enjoy it. The crème de cassis blackcurrant liqueur lends some sweetness to the cocktail and sets off the bitterness of gin, while the lemon juice and soda, though barely detectable, are at just the right levels. The TOD'S COOLER puts me one step closer to always having gin in the house, even after this year is over. It was delightful, and dare I say, dandy.


Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie