To the great relief of myself and most of the province of Ontario, the potential LCBO strike was averted last Friday. The prospect of a second round of prohibition (excluding beer and wine) got me thinking about what I would do with my Victoria Day weekend if all the alcohol I had in the house were the odds and ends left over from different occasions, which in my case happened to be:

          • 1 bottle of beer;
          • 1 shot of vodka
          • 1 bottle of Manischewitz wine
          • 2 shots of rum

Although the strike thankfully did not materialize, I decided to take upon myself the challenge of making holiday weekend drinks using only these few libations. Full disclosure: my sister recently graduated from culinary school and may have had a hand in this endeavour.

 

Use one beer lying around the house to create this refreshing mix of beer and lemonade with a spicy kick.

Ingredients:

          • 1/2 jalapeño pepper (or less depending how spicy you want the drink to be)
          • 1 tsp ginger (fresh or powdered)*
          • 3 cardamom seeds*
          • 1–2 mint leaves*
          • Ice
          • 1/2 cup of lemonade
          • 1 bottle of beer (preferably one that’s lighter in colour – in this case, Corona)
          • 1 lime

*You can play around with the spices and flavourings according to what you have and what you like.

Instructions:

          1. Place jalapeño, ginger, cardamom seeds, and mint in a jar or shaker with ice and lemonade.
          2. Shake it up.
          3. Strain the mixture into a cup (or use a beer mug for class).
          4. Add the beer.
          5. Garnish with lime, which can be tossed into the beer.

 

An easy cool drink for the couple shots of this or that sitting in the fridge this summer.

Ingredients:

          • 1/2 cup tea (preferably something fruity — in this case, Goji Pop from David’s Tea)
          • Assorted fruits (optional)
          • 1 shot vodka (or substitute with any hard liquor)
          • Honey (or alternatively, use agave, sugar or sweetener)

Instructions:

          1. Make tea, ice it, and let it cool.
          2. Mix fruit and vodka in a cup.
          3. Add tea and a squeeze of honey.

 

Five student staples meet to create a monster: ramen, rum, Coke, peanut butter, and sriracha. A savory use of leftover alcohol to feed your appetite, this concoction is ideal for a late night when you don’t want to put that little bit of booze back in the fridge. In other words, you should already be drunk for this dish.

Ingredients:

          • 1/3 cup of Coke (or Diet Coke)
          • 1 tbsp soy sauce
          • 1 tbsp sriracha
          • 2 shots rum (or substitute with any hard liquor/or use more if you have it)
          • 1 tbsp peanut butter
          • 1 clove of garlic (minced) or 1 tsp garlic powder
          • Green onions sliced and mushrooms for optional garnish

Instructions:

          1. Mix Coke, soy sauce, sriracha, rum, peanut butter, and garlic. Don’t worry if the peanut butter doesn’t fully incorporate, just keep stirring. Once it’s on the noodles, it will melt fully.
          2. Follow the cooking instructions on the ramen packet.
          3. Strain your noodles, and add the sauce mixture to them.
          4. Throw the noodles with the sauce back on the stove on a lower heat for a minute, to heat up the sauce.
          5. Serve in a bowl, or if it’s one of those nights, eat right from the pot.

 

The only wine you can reliably find in my Jewish household on any given day, Manischewitz is a deceptively strong red that tastes remarkably like very sugary grape juice. Any fruity wine will work to make this intoxicating slushie.

Ingredients:

          • Frozen sugar-coated grapes (optional garnish)
          • Copious amounts of ice
          • Sweet wine

Instructions:

          1. Blend a lot of ice.
          2. Place the ice in a glass. Use a cone-shaped one to create a cone, or any glass to create a slushie.
          3. Pour the wine slowly over the ice in the cup, continuing until it saturates completely.