Don't Forget the Simple Drinks

Everyone likely starts drinking "cocktails" in the same way. For me, it was Tuesdays at Too Talls and my good friend Scott behind the bar. It was "2 for" Tuesdays. So for $2, you could have two Jack and Cokes. Or he could just pour you a double. To me, it was a great reason to play photo hunt next to the bar while pretending I could remotely strike up a conversation with a female.

To be honest, I don't make a lot of two ingredient drinks any more. I don't really drink soda, and most of the drinks I am concocting, and that you will see on @drinks_with_andy are with booze, enhancers and real juices or other saucy additions to liven up a drink. But if you walk into a bar and really want booze, instead of a beer from the tap, there is nothing wrong with a nice "Crown and Water" or "Jack and Ginger." I personally do not consider them to be cocktails. Maybe that's snooty. I don't know.

That being said, there are also plenty of really simple drinks that don't require much effort, or even shaking or stirring. As I sit here eating breakfast, I can't think of any besides morning drinks, but I'm sure there are others. A good bloody Mary can be nothing more than vodka and your favorite mixer. Zing Zang is great, but if you go that route, I recommend checking out the proper way to doctor a bloody mary on my IG page. My cousin, Jeff Gronniger, is the guru in that respect. But some good, local bloody mary mixes would be the way to go. One that I ran into recently is Southside Alchemy's Sweat and Tears. No doctoring needed. This stuff is legit. And let's not forget that Fun Bobby taught us how to make stuff "Irish." But a simple Irish coffee can liven up any 2nd grade soccer game, a feis (Irish Dance competition) in some random midwestern city you've driven to, or just your Saturday morning lawn mow.

So remember, there is nothing wrong with simple. I hope these cocktail recipes and stories on this page and my IG account do not intimidate someone from trying them. Give them a shot. Maybe it's just for a special dinner with your boo. Maybe you don't make them every time you want a cocktail. But if they look tasty, give one a try. You never know. It may turn you ... into a @drunkwithandy.

Cheers!