Now, a few weeks later, as my mind starts to wander at the end of a long work shift, I keep thinking back to the simplest recipe of them all.
History dictates a silly sounding cocktail at Trinity. The classic, The Rummy Dummy, was eclipsed for a few years by The Golden Wombat (a Rummy Dummy with a splash of pineapple coconut juice added to it and a squeeze of lime). Both concoctions were invented by my Dad and his pals who drank them on annual fishing trips. Dad always came back faithfully though to the Rummy Dummy as the sacred drink of Trinity.
Guiltily, I remember teaching my own daughter before she was even in Kindergarten, how to fill up a big red plastic cup with the proper proportions of Meyers Rum, Grapefruit juice and ice so that she could scamper back to the cabin alone and refill my Rummy Dummy glass while I was relaxing in the hammock.
The first evening of our trip this year featured a Rummy Dummy made with rare Rhum Negrita Bardinet, a rum no longer available in the United States. A favorite of my dad’s it was a fitting way to toast his memory and the traditions that ground us.
When Kathy and I are old(er) and gray(er) may we still be drinking this year’s cocktail created after deciding a new tradition of our own was in order.
Named after a Trinity county local we often see on our walks who bears a scary resemblance to a horror movie character, The Freddy Krucumber is the perfect summer libation. As luck would have it, there’s big patch of mint outside the cabin that gets put to good use in this drink.
The Freddy Krucumber
1 ½ ounce Cucumber Vodka (available at BevMo).
2 ½ tsp simple syrup
Juice of half a lime.
2-3 mint leaves, torn into smallish pieces
Soda water such as Pellegrino
Cucumber spears for garnish (optional)
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add Vodka, simple syrup and the mint. Muddle with a spoon to release the mint essence. Add lime juice, stir. Top off glass with soda.
