How to make a killer Quarantini

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
March 27, 2020

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  Between social distancing fallout and anxiety over where the next roll of toilet paper or bottle of sanitizer will come from, we offer something light for your amusement:  recipes for the latest drink craze sweeping the nation — the quarantini.

My niece, who lives in California, alerted me to the emergence of this new cocktail last week, but failed to provide a recipe.  So, after scouring the Google machine, I offer you suggestions for making a potent quarantini.   

Readers are welcome to comment with their own versions!  And if you are truly bored watching TV and playing board games, you can find more variations on Google and YouTube.

The Novice Chef

The Novice Chef writes:  “You can use vodka or gin. And sure, if you want to you can even use rum. You know what, go ahead and grab whatever is left in the liquor cabinet and add it to the martini shaker. After the first couple, you won’t taste it much anyways.”

INGREDIENTS

• 3 oz vodka (or gin)
• 2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons water
• OPTIONAL:  1 packet powdered Vitamin C

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a microwave safe bowl, microwave honey and water for 60 seconds and stir to combine. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Add 2 cups ice to a cocktail shaker.
• Add vodka, lemon juice and honey mixutre to a martini shaker. Whisk to combine. Then add ice to top.
• Shake, and then strain into a chilled martini glass.
• Garnish with a lemon twist if desired.
• ADDING VITAMIN C: If you want to add Vitamin C, you can add it directly to the shaker when you add the rest of the ingredients or you can rim the chilled martini glass with Vitamin C.

Tom Sandoval

Tom Sandoval’s version includes vodka, pickle juice ,and olive juice.  He starts with thoroughly washed hands before shaking all the ingredients in a makeshift cocktail shaker (a water bottle) and serving it over olives.

Derek Brown

In the New York Post, Derek Brown shares his version of a Quarantini that can be made with common at-home drink ingredients.

• 1½ to 2 ounces of a not-necessarily-sweet base spirit, like vodka or gin — or another of your choice
• ¾ ounce of citrus (such as lemon or lime juice), whose vitamin C is great for immunity
• ½ to ¾ ounce of simple syrup to sweeten things up. (Simple syrup, as its name suggests, is simple to make. Just boil equal parts sugar and water until they liquefy together.)
• Then shake the drink with a bit of ice — if you don’t have a shaker, you can grab two pint glasses and join their rims — before straining it into a cocktail glass.

Johnny Miller

If the above three possibilities seem too complicated to handle, you can always go with the “Fast Food (or Drink)” version offered by our most famous local bartender, Fernandina Beach Mayor Johnny Miller.

• One (1) gallon container of Pirates Punch (to go) 
• One (1)  reusable straw 
• Garnish with a maraschino cherry

Miller’s version has the side benefit of supporting a local business, The Palace Saloon.

But we realize that not everyone chooses to drink spirits.  So we offer:

Non-alcohol variations:

• Orange juice and Alka Seltzer
• Grapefruit juice and Geritol
• Prune juice and soda (Note:  before imbibing make sure you have an adequate supply of toilet paper on hand)

The Fernandina Observer does not endorse any specific recipe or variation, being inclined to wine ourselves!

Whichever version you choose, please drink responsibly.  Our emergency responders are busy enough with the coronavirus these days.  You definitely don’t want to add to their workloads!

Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.