Creative Crisis? We Have a Cocktail for That.
Honor Code’s List of Cocktails + Mocktails for Every Creative Situation
Honor Code’s List of Cocktails + Mocktails for Every Creative Situation
Judging by our instagram feed, there’s a whole lot of cocktailing going on right about now. Why not make it productive? (Ish.) We’re here to help.
When it’s going it’s going to be a late night: I’ve always wondered why people at startups seem to reach for beers around 5 o’clock. Beer is a downer. Instead, chill out while powering up with a coffee cocktail. Start by brewing and cooling some really killer coffee. Insider secret: Make it into ice cubes, too (using a cheap ice cube tray) so your drink isn’t diluted. For a mocktail add sparkling lemon water. (Lemon works because it echoes the taste of that lemon rind over an espresso.) For the cocktail version, add a few splashes of the water and a few splashes of vodka to taste. If you order your coffee “light” go for plain sparkling water and add a splash of vanilla Nutpod.
When you’re getting a migraine: Creatives very frequently get migraines. And while the last thing you might think about in that situation is drinking, I’ve found one cocktail that actully soothes a migraine … and my mood. It’s called the Mot Chaud and you get it Eastern Standard. (It’s not on the menu but they will make it for you when you ask.) Studies show capsaicin in hot peppers like jalapenos and habaneros can help fight migraines, and this spicy, vegetal drink seems to cure all that ails. For the mocktail version, try a Spendrift cucumber seltzer loaded with ice. Spike it with with Cholula hot sauce, as much as you can take, and stir vigorously.
When you nailed it: Celebrating victory is often overlooked when you’re busy, and it shouldn’t be! Your team needs to pause and have these celebratory moments to feel recognized and motivated. Nothing says “this victory means something to me” like bubbles. The sound of champagne popping alone is the soundtrack of celebration. A kir royale is a go-to champagne cocktail, but you can riff on it with a fruit puree in place of the kir, like a local blueberry. Celebrate the non-drinkers with a small-batch shrub, a specialized drinking vinegar that can be mixed with seltzer and served in a champagne glass. Salut.
When you want to have a great meeting: So far, I’ve never been to a meeting where cocktails were served. Why is that? Obviously you don’t want to turn a meeting into a party. But sometimes it can be hard to get people to loosen up when you need their input. (And moods aren’t always so great when you get scheduled later in the day.) I’d like to have a late-day brainstorm session with a client where I bring cocktails and mocktails. For that I’d choose something with green tea, which has caffeine, but also decreases stress and improves cognition. Let the ideas flow! Start by brewing, then icing green tea. Add some honey simple syrup (take equal parts honey and water and heat them in a saucepan until the honey melts into the water) and lemon. And then vodka to taste. The nondrinkers will like a non-vodka version with sparkling water and a lemon twist.
When you have a big presentation: Go. To. Sleep. That’s the whole key. And kiwi may help. There’s a study that found that people who ate kiwi before bed got a better night’s sleep. With dinner, try this kiwi tequila smash recipe. The mocktail swap is easy — just add extra club soda. And if you’re doing the tequila version, you only get one. The goal is to sleep tight, not sleep through your alarm.
Got recipes of your own? HCC would love to hear them! Share here or on insta @honorcodecreative … cheers to that.