by Wendy
Jack and I have been in town a lot recently. We take advantage of time between trips to enjoy a quiet routine, including delicious home cooked meals that Jack makes and happy hour in our own living room.

Beer and wine are quite portable, easy to pack for a road trip or pop open after returning from a long journey. But you need the right ingredients and a bit more care to mix an excellent drink. So non-travel weekends often include Manhattans, gin cocktails, or my latest favorite, a Bloody Mary. We’ve tried several different recipes, but my go-to is as follows:

Ice in a glass, about 2 fingers of vodka. Shake bottle of low sodium V8 tomato juice and then pour almost to top of glass. Add about a teaspoon of prepared horseradish, stir. Add a couple healthy splashes of Lea & Perkins Worcestershire Sauce, and a sprinkle of Pickapeppa Sauce. Finally stir everything extremely well, add a kosher dill mini pickle as garnish.

Maybe it’s the V8, but this drink usually feels so restorative to me. As delicious during Saturday brunch as it is on Yay-it’s-Friday evenings.

I love a good book and beverage combo, and the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is in the photo above because I reread it recently. This science fiction classic is funny, clever, and even offers solid travel advice such as Don’t Panic, always pack a towel, and never listen to a Vogon recite poetry. We liked the 2005 movie too, with Martin Freeman as Arthur Dent, Mos Def as Ford Prefect, and Alan Rickman lending his voice as Marvin the depressed robot.

What’s your favorite drink for happy hours at home?