I am having a hard time believing it, but my son is turning 21 next week.  It is simply unfathomable that my baby is officially an adult.  Not that he doesn’t still need his Mama.  He calls and texts me some of the most basic questions about how to adult.  He’s a junior in college and although all of his classes are currently online, he is living at his off-campus apartment with five roommates.  And yet he tells me “I’ve had a stuffy nose for awhile and nothing comes out when I blow.  I think it might be a nasal infection.” Um, what?  And  “I’m taking a new girl out to dinner for restaurant week and it’s a bit pricy, want to help me out?”  Come to think of it, most of his texts have to do with me giving him money.  I think he made more money than I did this summer (he was working the counter at our local pizza place  and the tips were crazy this year because of Covid), so I almost always say no to the cash requests.

In any event, he has grown up to be a fine young man. He’s very respectful, has a firm handshake and looks adults in the eye, and he isn’t afraid to have conversations with adults either.  He’s funny and super smart.  And very handsome.  He’s a good kid.

He’s pretty stoked about turning 21, even though his birthday is on a Monday.  I asked him what would be the first drink he would order (legally) in a bar and he said he hadn’t thought about it yet.  I recently read something about how it can be scary ordering your first drink.  Not that I remember mine, and besides they barely carded people back in those days anyway.  But I can see how it would be intimidating.  You order a shot of Jack Daniels or a beer and you will be pegged an amateur.  You need to order something like a vodka martini or an Old Fashioned to earn the respect of that skeptical barkeep.  Or you can order a Hemingway Spritz, one of the cocktails in my new cocktail recipe book, Girls’ Night In.  

Yes, I am excited to announce that my new cocktail recipe book, Girls’ Night In, has just launched on Amazon.  I started it before Covid and it couldn’t be more relevant this year (IMHO).  Check it out!

I know my son would never ever order a Hemingway Spritz in a bar, but my point is, you want to be confident and ask for a drink that won’t embarrass you.  If you are able to buy a round for the house, or even just the bartender, you will turn a potentially scary situation into a scenario where you are everyone’s best friend.  But kids who are constantly asking their moms for money don’t usually think to buy bartenders a drink.  He will need some time.

Hemingway Spritz

1 oz white rum

3/4 oz fresh grapefruit juice

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

1/4 oz Maraschino liqueur

Champagne

Add the first five ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.  Strain into a tall glass filled with ice, then top with your champagne of choice.  Garnish with a grapefruit wheel and enjoy!