Giving thanks....to booze

I love the holidays; the whole dang thing. The decorations, the forgetting Thanksgiving and pile driving straight into Christmas, the songs, the food, more of the food, the desserts (yes that's food), wrapping presents, giving presents, the smell of Christmas trees, everything.

Except for family.

I have never really been good with hanging out with any member of my family for very long. Too much of my family for extended amount of time and somebody is going to either get drunk or start crying. Normally, it's both. And it's terrible.

So, to celebrate not having Thanksgiving OR Christmas with my family this year (thanks for inviting me to your houses, my lovely new in-laws!), I have created a cocktail for all of you who are stuck with yours. Trust me, a few of these, and all those memories of Uncle Billy and his "albino python" jokes will be wiped away.

Hard Times Cider

Components

2 shots Dark Rum
2 dashes of Falernum Bitters
1/2 cup of Apple Cider
chilled Champagne or Sparkling Wine

Mix the rum, bitters, and cider in a cocktail shaker (no ice). Fill a highball glass 1/4 of the way with champagne, then the rest with the rum cocktail. Garnish with a lemon twist or cinnamon stick. Sit back, and try to ignore the screams of your nephews as they terrorize the family dog.