Winters are for whiskey. That’s always been the case for me. The cold, dark, and sometimes harsh months require a strong drink with complex flavors. No cocktails for me. When it’s freezing outside, I’ll take a good bourbon or Scotch neat. But what about when it’s February…and 70 degrees out? As I sit here and type this, the window is open and my ceiling fan is on. Spring training baseball plays on the TV. A few friends and I played hockey yesterday at an outdoor rink. It hit 78 as I drove there. The human psyche works in weird ways. As we were playing, I thought for a moment it might be summer. Not just the temperature, but that smell when the air is warm. Certainly a strange winter it has been. 

The gin and tonic has always been my go-to in the summer. Last week while staying at the Double Tree Philadelphia West, we landed in the bar the afternoon we arrived. It was another 70+ degree day. My mind automatically went to a gin and tonic, while he had a Malibu and pineapple juice. But it’s February? 

They made a good G & T, by the way. I finally had the sense to ask for a splash of Rose’s Lime Juice, which is something I always add when drinking at home. To me, it’s the perfect cocktail. The fresh, summery botanicals of the gin with that bittersweet tonic water and a slight hint of  citrus. Their house gin happened to be Gilbey’s, which is my favorite lower end gin. I can never understand why people would use a premium spirit such as Bombay Sapphire and the like when mixing it with soda. In a martini, by all means, yes. The Bombay brand is my favorite for Martinis, and I have developed a liking for Bluecoat as well. But not in a G & T.

Anyway, just a quick note on the weather. Is anyone experiencing the same issue? Tell us what your favorite summer and winter drinks are in the comment section below. I’ll enjoy it for now. With the way things have been, it might be snowing in a few days. In which case I have a new bottle of Johnnie Walker Green Label just waiting to be opened.