I’ve been giddy with Virginia pride all week. My Virginia Cavaliers are the #1 seed in their region in the NCAA tournament. It’s been a long time coming for us Hoos fans. I grew up in Charlottesville and went to college there, so a part of my heart will always be in the Hook. I also just met Coach Bennett (ever so friendly, as I would expect from his Wisconsin roots) and some of the team. I’m old enough to be their mother, and I am literally half their size.
When I was in college we drank Virginia Gentleman and ginger ale. I still order a bourbon and ginger time to time, but my taste and budget for bourbon have grown. I was thinking about this as I was contemplating a 5:00 Fridays post for today. I decided to embrace my maturity while staying true to my Virginia alumni roots. Instead of ginger ale, I’m going with a ginger sour mix. It’s a refreshing taste of spring and still brings me back to ol’ Virgin-I-A.
Hoos Gonna Win
- 3 ounces sour mix (1 cup sugar, juice of 3 clementines, juice of 2 meyer lemons, 1 heaping tablespoon of sliced fresh ginger)
- 1 ounce bourbon (or 2 if the game gets stressful)
To make sour mix, heat 1 quart water with 1 cup sugar. Heat on medium until sugar dissolves. Stir in juice of clementines and meyer lemons. Add fresh ginger. Reduce heat and let it simmer about 20 minutes. Let it cool and strain into a glass bottle.
Pour bourbon over ice. Add sour mix. Garnish with a slice of clementine (duh…because they’re ORANGE!). Sip and scream for the Hoos.