Recipe • The Quarantini

I don’t know about you, but I’ve lost track of time since ‘the lockdown’ and, in my head, it’s still mid-March. This applies equally to the day of the week and, for those of us not working, every day could be a Friday.

Knowing this, Derek Brown tweeted if anyone needed any ideas on how to combine the contents of their cupboard into a drinkable recipe and, just like that, created a 1000 tweet thread (click on the image to take you to the original post).

Luckily, Derek has some knowledge whereof he speaks, as he’s the author of Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World” and owner of the Columbia Room cocktail bar in Washington, DC.

The 1920s had prohibition and Speakeasy’s, with many of classic cocktails created during this period in an effort to cover up the harsh taste of illicitly distilled alcohol. The 2020s equivalent may well be the Quarantini, a loose term based on whatever happens to be lurking at the back of your cupboard during a period of self-isolation when you are unwilling or unable to leave the house.

Here’s Derek’s rough guide to creating one:

THE QUARANTINI

30-40ml of a base spirit like vodka or gin — or something that isn’t too sweet
1 lemon or lime (for a pop of Vitamin C)
10 to 15ml of simple syrup*

PROCESS

i. Shake everything together with some ice.
(If you don’t have a shaker you can improvise with two pint glasses and join their rims.)

ii. Strain and drink.

*Simple syrup is made by boiling equal parts sugar and water together until they liquefy together.

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