For American Housewives, All That Glitters Is Not Gold

To say that a book made me laugh out loud is a cliché ‎ - and I hate clichés.  I hit them with shovels when I find them, then I bury them after using the shovels a second time to dig their graves.

But guess what?  Put your shovels down because Helen Ellis' collection of stories, American Housewife, made me laugh out loud.

After I was done laughing, I knew these stories would lead off 2016's selections of Drinks With Nick in the Books Inc. newsletter.

The wives in American Housewife won't be confused with Mrs. Cleaver or Shirley Partridge.  Although, after reading Shirley Jones' memoir, maybe she and Keith (David Cassidy) would be at home in Ellis' pages.

Anyway!

The book is funny and caustic and a little bit jaded - just the thing to go with a nice strong drink.

I'm always looking for a hook for the drinks I make, and in the case of American Housewife, the hook came when I read about one woman who weeps because she's lucky enough to have an entire drawer devoted to glitter.  For that unnamed narrator I created this.

Happy New Year - now get to reading!

All That Glitters is Not Gold

 

1.5 oz Campari
1 oz Hangar 1 Mandarin Blossom vodka
.5 oz Cointreau
2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
Soda water
Glittery sprinkles - silver or gold - for garnish

Rim a tall glass with sprinkles.  Fill with crushed ice.  Stir all ingredients - except the soda water - with ice until chilled. Pour into the glass.  Top with soda water.  Drink with a fancy straw.