Friday, June 13, 2014

Changing Horses

I was nominally off work today, having no assigned duties in uniform, so I went to the nursing home to help the maintenance guy with a few projects.  Walked out of there about 3:00 and went to Sam's Club to pick up a few supplies for the weekend.  While I was there  I decided it was time to change ponies, to get away from the bourbon and turn to my favorite summer drink, vodka and tonic.  With a splash o lime juice.  Tart, crisp, refreshing, I learned to drink vodka and tonic at the Officer's Club at Knox.  During a two week scientific experiment we all got hammered on a specific alcoholic beverage, and went running the next morning in formation.

This was important, because a good troop leader should be able to drink his soldiers under the table, then get up the next morning and exhort them to greater glory through physical training.  I learned during that two weeks that if I drank beer, I'd be puking in the ditch before the run was finished.  If I drank tequilla, I'd be better off if I called in sick.  If I drank bourbon, I'd be sweating like a pack mule, but if I drank vodka, the morning run was not only attainable, it was sort of enjoyable.

We did have one sick sonofabitch colonel, my battalion commander, who would pull out a big black stogie halfway thru the run, light it, and exhort us for being pussies.  How he smoked that cigar while running was always a mystery to me, but I have to admit that following a cigar smoking madman on the morning run had a certain panache.   By the end of the run, he was blowing smoke, literally, he looked like a steam engine under a load.

What's your favorite summer drink?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Vodka and Cranberry.

Jeremy

Sabre22 said...

You are right that Cigar Smoking Does have Panache

Old NFO said...

Scotch... But that's year round... :-)

The Displaced Louisiana Guy said...

Beer. Always beer. Lighter, hoppier stuff in summer, and heavier, maltier stuff in winter.

Rivrdog said...

Rum punches. More citrusey the hotter it gets.

Gaffer said...

Gin and Tonic...with lemon. But Single Malt Scotch will always win.

Termite said...

Sangria is pretty good, but don't over-do it.

Anonymous said...

Margaritas or beer. When I was in the Navy in Puerto RIco the clubs had awesome rum punches I never have been able to duplicate. Wonder if River Dog would share his recipe.

Ben

Ryan said...

Vodka Cranberry with a splash of 7up or Sprite is darn hard to beat. For that matter so is a Strawberry Martguerita.

This does of course imply I change from my normal beer or whiskey routine.