MERCURY RISING

MERCURY RISING

1 ½ measure vodka

1 measure orange juice

1 measure mango or tropical juice

½ measure lime juice

Dash of simple syrup

Mint leaf

On this day in 1946, Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the iconic British rock band Queen, and one of the most popular songwriters and performers in the 20^th century, was born in what is now known as Tanzania, Africa. Back then, the small island was known as Zanzibar and Freddie was known as Farrokh Bulsara. Though Freddie was lost to AIDS years ago, his beautifully strong voice lives on in the many great Queen songs. One of my favorites is “You’re My Best Friend.”

I found a new friend in the MERCURY RISING cocktail I drank today in Freddie’s honor. I got the recipe from freddieforaday.com, a non-profit that raises money for AIDS by asking people to dress like Freddie for a day. To make the MERCURY RISING, put the ingredients above, except the mint, into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a martini glass. Top it off with the mint leaf.

Like Freddie, the MERCURY RISING cocktail is flamboyant and powerful. The mint serves a higher purpose than just garnish. It mixes well with the cocktail’s citrus ingredients to make a unique and wonderful combination of flavors that sings in your mouth. The floating leaf makes a dramatic impression as well. I had to use tropical juice in my cocktail, which made it more “orangey.” It would have been better with mango juice. Still, Hubby and I both loved it, and our glasses were empty quicker than you can listen to “Bohemian Rhapsody.” I imagine Freddie would have loved it too. And just like one of his songs, the MERCURY RISING cocktail gave me a buzz.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie