What was in your “cup of kindness” on New Year’s Eve?

Did you stay up until midnight New Year's Eve? I did not. We had a nice dinner, but didn’t wait for the clock to strike, the ball to drop, or anyone to sing the nearly incomprehensible Scots words about remembering old times. At some point, though, I started wondering what a “cup of kindness” in the song actually referred to. I was a bit disappointed to learn that the cup represents friendship, and the contents aren’t really specified: you can drink anything you want to honor your friends.

If you check google, what people want is champagne — and they want to be in a crowd. The photos above are google’s top selections for people drinking, and probably getting drunk, on New Year’s Eve. It’s funny that they sing such a gentle song about memory and friendship, but don’t know what the words mean.

As we settle into 2022, champagne will give way to a variety of drinks. Personally, I prefer wine and Diet Coke to cocktails, which I almost never drink. In fact, during the last 2 years, I've had exactly one mixed drink from a bartender. However, I'm sort of fascinated by all the wonderful names and exotic ingredients that are mentioned by writers predicting what restaurant and bar patrons will be ordering. For example, the New York Times projects that vintage cocktails will be back in style:

"Even in the age of no-alcohol cocktails, all those 1980s drinks you can barely remember (for obvious reasons) are coming back. Look for Blue Lagoons, Tequila Sunrises, Long Island iced tea and amaretto sours re-engineered with fresh juices, less sugar and better spirits." (source)

A Golden Cadillac (source)

Here in Michigan, there are several popular mixed drinks; the one whose name I like is called the Golden Cadillac. It contains blueberries, crème de cacao, Galliano, lemon juice, sugar, vodka, water -- or sometimes just Galliano, crème de cacao, and heavy cream. (I've never had it.)

A Denver publication called "5280" is a bit more amusing, predicting cocktails with big flavors:

"The spicy margarita will hold its popular cocktail crown and more variations of it will emerge in this agave-loving city, predicts Drew Stephens, bar manager at Green Russell near Union Station. He also expects dirty martinis with various brines and washes and infusions will gain some momentum. The espresso martini could continue to go strong as its one that can be made with liquors other than vodka (think: tequila or amaro) to contrast the robust coffee and chocolate notes." (source)

The National Restaurant Association also expects to see increased demand for strong flavors. They interviewed 350 chefs, who predict that the following will be the most popular:

• Cashew and pistachio nut milks
• Flavored sparkling waters
• Hard seltzers
• Spicy-rimmed cocktails
• At-home cocktail kits
• CBD-infused beverages (source)

Well, that’s my reflection on the holiday and what really sophisticated and impressive people, not me, will be drinking when the go to fancy bars and fine dining places. If the pandemic doesn't subside soon, I'll probably be going through another year without much eating out. I'm even less likely to go to a bar, unless I manage to go on another ship this year: also unlikely. (My one and only cocktail was on the National Geographic Quest.)

This theoretical drinking research will be shared with the beverage lovers at Elizabeth's blog this week. 

Blog post © 2022 mae sander for maefood dot blogspot dot com.