Brussels sprouts. You either hate them or love them. If you are in the former camp, perhaps you were coerced as a child into eating those mushy green orbs, straight from the freezer bag to the vigorously boiling water. Cooked into submission, they reeked of stale cabbage.
When winter’s chill is in the air, your fireside alcoholic beverage of choice may be hot cocoa with a splash of Kahlua, mulled wine or hot spiced apple cider with a splash of rum. I love to warm up with a hot drink but a chilled, tart and not-too-sweet cocktail hits the spot and whets my appetite for the piping hot dinner feast to come. My favorite beverages live among the innovative cocktail offerings of Acacia Mid-town here in Richmond, Virginia. Alas, evenings out on the town are limited, so if I have a hankering for a cocktail the mixologist must be me, or perhaps my neighbor Janie, who makes fabulous themed cocktails for dinner gatherings with friends. For this autumn’s outdoor viewing of the film noir classic Gun Crazy, Janie prepared sidecars, the vintage mixed drink, authentic and refreshing, with her usual verve and enthusiasm.