Be Prepared

It's Girl Scout cookie time! AND, this year marks the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts. The recession has hit organizations like the Girl Scouts particularly hard. Several Girl Scout camps have closed because girls' parents can't afford the camp registration fees. Consequently attendance is so low that the camps cannot cover operating costs. Often the cookie sale profits help cover shortfall in personal funds so that all Girl Scouts have the opportunity to go to summer camp. But, as with all charities, donations and cookie sales are down and many girls are losing the opportunity to attend summer camp. So go buy a box of cookies. You know you want 'em.

When I was 9 years old I took an oath. I promised, on my honor, that I would try: To serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.

I had a blast during my tenure as an active Girl Scout. I'm still proud of my scouting past. Once a good Girl Scout, always a good Girl Scout. Hey, I took an oath. I earned the badges. I wore the ring. I made a promise - on my honor - and that's not something I take lightly.  

But that doesn't mean I don't have a sense of humor about the whole thing. GS Law #4: Be cheerful.

My "Hospitality" badge.

I'm pretty sure Juliette Lowe (or my troop leader or my parents) didn't have bartending in mind as an appropriate future for a young girl. Based on the merit badges we could earn we were being prepped to be civic leaders, community volunteers, park rangers, healthcare professionals, skaters, lifeguards, dancers, artists, writers, musicians and basket weavers. There wasn't a bartending merit badge. There were a couple cooking badges (I didn't earn those badges...ahem). There was a hospitality badge, which, heh heh, was the first one I earned. Hey, I threw some rockin' slumber parties in my day.

Girl Scout Law requires a little more interaction that just "regular" laws for regular citizens.  In looking over the Girl Scout Laws I promised to follow I realize they're not that different from what's required of a bartender. 

We have to 

• be honest about the liquor we serve - no serving well booze in place of call or top shelf; no overcharging patrons

• serve fair amounts of liquor for the price charged

• help where we're needed - where better to help than behind a bar administering liquid therapy?

• be cheerful - a bartender is ready with a joke or positive encouragement for our patrons

• be friendly to our patrons all the time and considerate of their well-being by 86ing them when they've had "enough"

•  be a sister, mother, therapist, best friend, spiritual adviser to every patron, not just the Girl Scouts

• respect authority such as the ATF, liquor control and bar managers and bar owners

• use our resources wisely, this is crucial. Running out of liquor or garnishes is bad bartending and bad business. Mix drinks incorrectly leads to unhappy patrons which leads to wasted alcohol and potential lost business...

• every bartender on the planet is the express protector of the alcohol behind the bar and improves the world around them by providing the refreshments for celebrations, remembrances, good days, bad days...and 

• show respect by knowing when a patron has had enough...and cutting them off.

March 12 marks the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts. I'm proud to be part of that history and I'm even more proud of how the Girl Scout organization has kept current and continues to offer a valuable outlet and resources for girls who are interested and active in the world beyond their front door. 

It's with humble gratitude that I raise a toast to Girl Scouts past, present and future. And to all the Girl Scouts (and the men who love them) over the age of 21, a few drink suggestions to celebrate and reminisce about cookie sales, camp and that weird girl in the troop who actually knew how to use a compass and collected rocks.

Girl Scout Cookie
What you'll need:
1/2 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream OR 1/2 & 1/2
1/2 oz. Kahlua®
1/2 oz. Peppermint Schnapps (or Rumple Minze) 
Ice
Rocks glass 
Thin Mint garnish

How you'll build it:
Pour ingredients, including ice, into shaker. Shake well, but not a full martini shake. Strain into a rocks glass. Serve with a Thin Mint. (or two...or a dozen)
 
The next drink is extremely popular and is made a couple different ways. The "classic" Dirty Girl Scout is served over ice in a Collins glass. But with the popularity of martinis they're frequently served martini style. 

Dirty Girl Scout 

What you'll need: 
1 oz. vodka
1 oz. Kahlua®
1 oz. Bailey's
1 oz. White Crème de Menthe 
Ice
Chocolate curl garnish 
Collins glass OR Martini glass 

How you'll build it:  
Fill Collins glass with ice. Add ice (not from the Collins glass) vodka, Kahlua and Bailey's in a shaker. Vigorously shake (but not a full martini shake). Strain shaker contents into Collins glass. Pour the Crème de Menthe down the center of the glass. Garnish with chocolate curl.

OR
Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Martini shake. Strain shaker contents into Martini glass.Garnish with chocolate curl. If you want to earn your martini merit badge you can crush Thin Mint or any chocolate wafer cookies, dip the rim of the martini glass in Crème de Menthe then dip the rim in the crushed cookies for a tasty sipping sensation. 

Brownie Cognac

What you'll need:
1 1/2 oz. Courvoisier (or any cognac)
1 oz. Amaretto
Dash chocolate syrup 
Ice
Martini glass

How you'll build it:
Add all ingredients (including ice) into a shaker. Martini shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass. 


I came across a Girl Scout Cookie Timeline that's funny...and interesting. Lots of cultural history reflected in these little bites of Heaven. However it doesn't detail anything about the adult beverage versions of the cookie classics...