The art and science of drinking has been diminished by an emphasis on binge drinking and kids in bars. At the end of a long day a small, nicely chilled cocktail and quiet conversation can help create that necessary transition from work to conviviality.

Artifacts

The trappings of cocktails can also create a relaxed and enjoyable environment. Kristin and I travel with a portable bar set which we have named The Myrna Loy Memorial MiniBar. It looks like a small suitcase; one side contains a set of aluminum glasses and shot glass and the other side has three compartments with a strap to hold bottles of wine or spirits (what a terrific name). When we take a long road trip, a trip to the ice machine and we are set for a relaxing cocktail hour for the two of us and for any friends we may be traveling with or meeting.

Literature

A Drink With Something in It

There is something about a Martini,
A tingle remarkably pleasant;
A yellow, a mellow Martini;
I wish I had one at present.
There is something about a Martini,
Ere the dining and dancing begin,
And to tell you the truth,
It's not the vermouth--
I think that perhaps it's the gin.

--Ogden Nash (see full poem at http://plagiarist.com/poetry/?action=comments&wid=504)

Creating cocktails

As with browsing seed catalogs, the names alone are a large part of the fun of considering cocktails. And then there's the color — literal and figurative — and the conviviality. Broussard's Smiles made us smile in New Orleans, and Steve created his own version after we were unable to find a recipe. See MixingDrinks for the ingredients and steps that go into Steve's Smile, the Smokey Sip, and other drinks.

Sometimes the name comes first. What would go ino the Ruthlessly Convivial Cocktail?