It’s leap year! An extra 24 hours! What will you do with the
extra 24 hours? Celebrate? Sleep? Drink?!
There’s a cocktail for every holiday, every celebration,
every life transition…and February 29 is no exception.
The classic Leap Year
Cocktail recipe is:
Leap Year
What you'll need
2 oz. Gin
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth
Dash fresh Lemon Juice
Ice
Lemon peel garnish
Martini glass
How you'll build it:
Pour ingredients (including ice) into a cocktail shaker. Martini shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with lemon peel.
I’ve also seen apricot brandy included in this drink – used
in place of Grand Marnier. However, the recipe purist in me contends that’s not
a real Leap Year. It’s closer to the recipe for a Belles of St. Mary’s*:
Leap Year Cocktail (alternate)
What you'll need:
2 oz. Gin
1 oz. Triple Sec
1 oz. Apricot Brandy
Dash fresh Lemon Juice
Ice
Lemon peel garnish
Martini glass
How you'll build it:
Pour ingredients (including ice) into a cocktail shaker. Martini shake
and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with lemon peel.
So there are the two most common versions of
the classic cocktail for February 29. But perhaps you want another libation
choice for your extra 24 hours. After all, it’ll be four more years before
you’ll get another chance for an extra 24 hours. Leap Year is a big deal.
We have
Pope Gregory XIII to thank for February 29. The Julian calendar was "wrong" every 128 years. Pope Gregory XIII overhauled the whole marking of the days thing by accommodating for the equinox. Some dates were dropped (10 of 'em) and the Leap Year methodology was revamped. Why was the Pope messing around with the calendar? Easter. The date of Easter is calculated via Computus. Computus Oversimplified: Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. Thank Pope Gregory XIII for that flashback to third grade math story problems. Some people, churches, mostly, didn't jump on the Gregorian Calendar bandwagon. Eastern and Asian Orthodox churches base their Easter celebration on the Julian calendar which is why there are two different Easter dates. The Julian calendar is currently 13 days ahead of the Gregorian calendar.
In the Julian calendar a year is a leap year if it is divisible by 4. Simple math, easy to remember. No story problems.
In
the Gregorian calendar a year is a leap year if either (a) it is
divisible by 4 but not by 100; or (b) it is divisible by 400. In
other words, a year which is divisible by 4 is a leap year unless it is
divisible by 100 but not by 400 (in which case it is not a leap year).
Thus the years 1600 and 2000 are leap years, but 1700, 1800, 1900 and
2100 are not.
Whew.
Okay.
In honor of the Gregorian calendar and Pope Gregory XIII, I present a few other ideas for February 29 libations.
Vernal Equinox
What you'll need:
Ice
No garnish
Rocks glass
How you'll build it:
Fill rocks glass with ice. Pour ice from glass into a shaker. Add all ingredients. Gently roll just until blended. Pour shaker contents, including ice, into rocks glass.
In honor of the papacy who brought us the Gregorian Calendar:
Bishop
What you'll need:
What you'll need:
juice of 1/4 Orange
1 tsp Powdered Sugar
Burgundy Wine
Ice
High ball glass
Fruit garnish - orange, lemon, cherry
How you'll build it:
Shake
lemon juice, orange juice, and powdered sugar with ice and strain
into a highball glass. Add two ice cubes, fill with burgundy, and stir
well. Garnish with various fruits and serve.
Fall of Rome
What you'll need:
2 oz. Dry Vermouth
1 oz Brandy
1 dash Sherry
1 dash Rose's Lime Juice
1 oz Brandy
1 dash Sherry
1 dash Rose's Lime Juice
Orange Juice
How you'll build it:
Pour
vermouth and brandy into a glass, add lime and fill with orange juice.
Stir, add a splash of brandy on top, and serve with a straw.
*Belles of Saint Mary's
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