Christianity/Theology

Ash Wednesday: Death Becomes Us

/ Paul Burkhart / Leave a comment

Every year seems to play out the same.

Fall begins with a new year’s fervor, and I get some semblance of rhythm and regularity to my life. And I do very well with this. My mental (and marital) health needs structure, schedule, and routine to flourish.

Then–bam–the holidays hit and all those bulwarks against insanity fall away. And I struggle. I eat too much, stay up too late, and my spiritual disciplines become ad hoc and more random. I’m irritable.

And I have this nasty tendency to emotionally hide from others and myself as I hate the chaos that churns within me. (Merry Christmas!)

I stumble from the holiday fog and drift in a malaise for a few months–struggling to find rhythm again, trying to catch up on work I got out of the habit of doing, and straining to be the kind of human I wish to be. Or maybe just feel human at all.

It’s about this time that Ash Wednesday and Lent come around. Right when I need it most.

And it usually ends up serving as the perfect balm and reset for me to get some structure, humanity, and communion into my body once more.

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Plenary Indulgence | a cocktail for the All Saints Octave

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Recipe

  • 1.5 oz Brandy
  • .5 oz Fig Syrup
  • .5 oz Dry Curacao
  • 1 Whole Egg
  • 3 oz Oktoberfest Beer
  • Garnish: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

Add all ingredients except beer to a shaker without ice. Vigorously shake longer than normal to emulsify the egg and get everything frothy. Add some ice and briefly shake again just until it’s cold. Double strain into a goblet and top with the beer. Drink alongside a peanut butter cup.

* * * *

Okay, this cocktail is just for fun. Just this year, I found out that Catholics extend the official observance of the All Souls’ and All Saints’ holidays to a full eight days to form the “All Saints Octave“. This is a time for Catholics to earn extra indulgences to help those in Purgatory.

Now, being a good, Reformation-steeped Protestant myself, and knowing that Luther specifically kicked off the Reformation this week partly to protest these very indulgences, I thought it’d be a good opportunity to celebrate my spiritual heritage in this by crafting a cocktail.

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Dearly Departed | a cocktail for All Souls’ Day

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Recipe

  • 1 oz Mezcal
  • .75 oz St. Germain Elder Flower Liqueur
  • 1 oz Dry Vermouth
  • .5 oz Dry White Wine
  • 1 dash Celery Bitters (optional)
  • Garnish: Olive

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with an olive.

* * * *

I can easily forgive you for not knowing that All Souls’ Day is different from yesterday’s All Saints’ Day. If yesterday was about honoring all the saints in the world today, today is about honoring all those that have died and gone on before us. (Together, these two days constitute Mexico’s “Day of the Dead”.) This day helps us honor our ancestors–both in blood and spirit–to feel their legacy, support, and presence in some way.

It also lends itself to rich symbolism for a great cocktail! This drink is made entirely of spirits (get it?). The Mezcal and celery bitters recall the darkness of death, while the olive brings to mind the salt of tears for those that have passed before us.

But the vermouth and wine bring complexity that reminds us there’s more to it than that. Death is not the end of the story. That’s when the saintly liqueur St Germain brings a bouquet of sweetness and brightness through the darkness. It’s a lovely, delicate, complex drink, like our spiritual legacy.

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All Saints’ | a holy day cocktail

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Recipe

  • 2 oz Dark Rum
  • .75 oz St. Germain Elder Flower Liqueur
  • .5 oz Lemon Juice
  • .5 oz Falernum (or Ginger Syrup)
  • .25 oz All Spice Dram
  • Garnish: Lemon twist

Add all ingredients to a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a lemon twist.

* * * *

Today is All Saints’ Day (and the beginning of Kingdomtide). It is a beautiful Christian feast day that honors all of God’s people on earth–whether they are known and unknown.

Every description I’ve seen of this holy day includes that little tag at the end–known or unknown–and I love it. There are those who belong to God in unknown ways we could not define nor specify. This day is a celebration of all the ways God draws people to himself.

And so to all of you saints–known and unknown–I raise a glass in toast of you. And in that glass is one of the best cocktails I’ve ever made.

It is complex and spicy, with a little funk. It is perfectly balanced with some brightness and sweet floral notes. As for symbolism, I just had two requirements when conceiving of this drink: it need All Spice Dram and Saint Germain (All… Saint… Get it?). I honestly didn’t think it’d work, but boy does it.

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“Halloween By Thy Name” | a cocktail for All Hallows’ Eve

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Recipe

  • 2 oz White Rum
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • .75 oz Ube Syrup
  • 1 Egg White (or Aquafaba)

Add all ingredients to a shaker. Dry shake vigorously for at least 45 seconds. Then add some ice and shake again for 15 seconds. Double strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with something creepy.

* * * *

Yes, it is Halloween. Growing up Evangelical, I was taught this was a sort of anti-Christian day. But historically, this couldn’t be further from the truth. “Halloween” is an abbreviation for “All Hallows’ Eve’ning“, as it is the day before the Christian Holy Day of “All Hallows” (more commonly known as “All Saints Day“).

But more than just being the day before a holy day, Halloween has been a truly Christian holiday in its own right for quite some time. So it deserves a holy day cocktail! (It’s also Reformation Day for Protestants, and yes–there’s a cocktail for that).

There are an infinite number of spooky cocktails out there, but I wanted to go a little more elevated. Unlike my other cocktails, there’s no special meaning to any of the ingredients. It’s just great tasting and purple–a delightfully Halloween-ish hue. It is tart, sweet, a little nutty, and velvety smooth. You will adore this drink. All treat, and no trick.

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“Semper Reformanda” | A Reformation Day Cocktail

/ Paul Burkhart / 1 Comment

Recipe

  • 1.5 oz Rye Whiskey
  • 1 oz Grenadine
  • .5 oz All Spice Dram
  • .25 Lemon Juice
  • 2 dashes Orange Bitters
  • top with 4 oz of Oktoberfest

Add all ingredients (except the beer) to a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a collins glass. Top with the Oktoberfest beer.

* * * *

For Protestant Christians, it is Reformation Day, celebrating when Martin Luther kicked off the Reformation by posting his 95 Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. The cocktail’s name comes from one of the mottoes of this movement: ecclesia reformata semper reformanda (“the church reformed is always reforming”).

Is this a “holy day” in the proper sense of the word? No. And I know many would see this as a day to mourn, not celebrate. But even someone as ecumenical as myself who loves Catholics can enjoy this day in a good-natured, light-hearted way. And for that, we deserve a drink!

This is my first beer cocktail, and it is really good. It’s a tweaked version of the “Lumberjack in Love” by the always-fantastic Anders Erikson. Like the Reformation itself, this drink is bitter and sweet. Rye embodies Luther’s own spice and bite. The All Spice captures the Reformation truth that all of God’s people are priests and saints in his kingdom. And lastly, of course, we top it all off with that most German of autumnal beers: the Oktoberfest. Prost!

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The Ordinary Time Daiquiri

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Recipe

  • 2 oz Pineapple Rum
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 1 oz Honey Sage Syrup
  • 1 bar spoon Mezcal
  • Garnish with Lime wheel and fresh cracked black pepper

Add all ingredients except garnishes to a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Add cracked black pepper on top and a lime wheel.

* * * *

We now find ourselves in the odd season called “Ordinary Time”. It’s the longest church season of the year and is full of small holy days, but does not have any real over-arching theme. Ordinary Time is a place to apply lessons form the other church seasons. It’s a chance to to infuse the sacred into our everyday “ordinary” life, and add our own spiritual twist on time that would otherwise be the same ol’ thing, day in and day out.

And I wanted to do the same thing in a drink. I wanted to take an “ordinary” drink that everyone knows–in this case, a daiquiri–and infuse some extra soul into it. Just as the church calendar encompasses a huge range of human experience and emotion, this drink tries to bring in a range flavors the create a lovely whole. And I think I did a really good job.

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“The Sacred Journey” by Charles Foster [REVIEW]

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The Sacred Journey: The Ancient Practices
by Charles Foster

When you imagine a book on Pilgrimage as a Christian practice, many of us would likely anticipate a romantic, beautiful, sweeping celebration of the pilgrimage inherent in all things–how we are all pilgrims and how we might live our lives with pilgrim eyes. The book would be sweet and inspiring, encouraging us to take the stairs, mindfully walk to the bathroom, or carpool as a sort of pilgrim troupe.

This is not that book.

The Sacred Journey by Charles Foster is, as the saying goes, not your mother’s reflection on pilgrimage. It is provocative, rowdy, and challenging; drenched with the sweat, embodiment, and surprise that accompany real, true pilgrimage. It is devoid of sentimentality and sweetness and refuses to be nice. It revels in smashing your theological assumptions and comforts.

And it is astonishingly good.

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3 Trinity Cocktails for Trinity Sunday

/ Paul Burkhart / 1 Comment

Recipes

For all three drinks: stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled coupe. Add the garnish. Unless specified, the numbers are in ounces.

Trinity Cocktail (1930)
– 1 Gin
– 1 Dry Vermouth
– 1 Sweet Vermouth
– Garnish with Lemon twist

Trinity Cocktail (1948)
– 2.5 Blended Scotch
– 1 Dry Vermouth
– .25 Apricot Liqueur
– .25 Creme de Menthe
– 1 dash Orange Bitters
– Express orange peel, discard
– Garnish with cherry

Sainte Trinity (Holy Trinity)
– 2 Cognac
– .66 Elderflower liqueur
– .5 Green Chartreuse
– 2 dashes Oranges bitters
– Lemon peel to express and garnish

* * * *

The first Sunday after Pentecost is known as Trinity Sunday. It was created to foster devotion and counter anti-Trinitarian heresies, so some strong, punchy drinks are in order. As I thought of this, I had in mind Michael Foley’s words in the book that inspired my entire holy day cocktail endeavor:

“The ideal cocktail honoring the Trinity would reflect the procession of the Son from the Father and the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son, with three equal ingredients made from the same ingredient, the second ingredient being derived from the first and the third derived from the first and second. And, of course, the mere taste of it would induce the Beatific Vision. But since no such concoction exists, we give you what the bartenders’ guides call a Trinity Cocktail.”

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Pentecost Cocktail | A Holy Day Drink

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Recipe (this one’s a doozy)
NOTE: This recipe is in PARTS, not ounces. Please be wise.

  • .75 gin
  • .5 vodka
  • .5 brandy
  • .5 light rum
  • .5 blended scotch
  • .5 irish whiskey
  • .5 tequila
  • .25 rye
  • .5 apricot liqueur
  • .25 raspberry liqueur
  • 3 dashes cinnamon bitters (or 1 tsp Fireball — trust me on this)
  • .25 oz Absinthe and .125 oz Green Chartreuse for float
  • Lemon Peel, expressed and as garnish

Stir all ingredients (except the ingredients for the float) in a mixing glass until VERY chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express the lemon peel over the drink and garnish with the peel.

* * * *

Today is Pentecost, which is all about the Holy Spirit descending and indwelling Christians, creating unity out of a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual group of people. So, I wanted to create a cocktail that had as many “spirits” from as many regions as possible (get it?).

I ended up doing a riff on the strongest known cocktail in the world, the Aunt Roberta Cocktail (really neat history behind that drink, by the way). It has 12 ingredients (the symbolism gets a little nuts here), and what came out was an even stronger drink that is surprisingly balanced and soft for all that’s in it.

Seriously, give this a try. It will be worth your time and effort. It is one drink, with many parts. And it is beautiful.

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The Ascension Martini (His & Hers) | Holy Day Cocktails

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Paul’s Recipe

  • 2 oz Dry Gin
  • .5 oz St. Germain
  • .5 oz Lillet Blanc
  • 2 dashes Orange Bitters
  • Garnish with a Lemon Twist

Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Amanda’s Recipe

  • 4 oz Champagne
  • .5 oz St. Germain
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Garnish with a Raspberry

Add St Germain and Lemon Juice to a martini or coupe glass. Stir a little to combine. Then add champagne on top, plopping the raspberry in it.

* * * *

We are still in Easter, and yesterday was the Christian Holy Day celebrating the Ascension of Christ, a fascinating event whose theological implications continue to be explored (here’s a great book on it). It is complex, elusive, beautiful, and bright. So here are two cocktails in that same vein for you to enjoy!

I originally made my version, which has depth, character, and complexity. My wife wasn’t a huge fan so she made her own, which is bright, sweet, and fun. Hers is very delightful and playful while mine is a little more “serious”.

So pick your drink and let your glass rise as Christ himself did!

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Resurrection Punch | An Easter Cocktail

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Recipe

  • 2.5 oz Easter Honey Rum (or any Gold Rum)
  • 1 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
  • .5 oz Cinnamon Syrup
  • .5 oz Apricot Liqueur
  • .5 oz Velvet Falernum
  • 1 dash Angostura Bitters
  • Top with Sparkling Water or Champagne

Scale this punch recipe as needed. Combine ingredients (minus the sparkling) without ice and let chill. When ready to drink, pour over large ice in a bowl or crushed ice in a collins glass. Top with bubbles. If you can’t chill it ahead of time, shake everything (minus sparkling) with just enough ice to chill and not dilute. Strain into glass with crushed ice and top with bubbles. Add a straw and garnish with a cherry.

View other Holy Day cocktails.

* * * *

It’s Easter! And to remind us that this is a season and not just a day, I’m giving you your Easter cocktail a few days in. Easter is the height of joy and celebration in the Christian Calendar, where Christians are invited–nay, expected–to be as extra as possible, with laughter, singing, hope, and yes, good food and drink.

To that end, I give you this tiki rum punch for this glorious season. And it is a delight. You can have it solo or with friends. It is sweet, floral, fruity, vibrant, bubbly, and bright.

For the base, I use a heavy pour of our Easter Honey Rum. I also knew I wanted to use Passion Fruit Syrup to remind us how Easter is literally the “fruit” of Jesus’ “passion”.

Cinnamon, Falernum, and the Angostura give the drink character and backbone; they are spicy and dark ingredients made sweet and bright here. This makes me think of the fires of hell, now quenched and by Jesus’ overpowering light and life.

Apricot is also a more biblical choice than you may think. Many scholars agree that Eden’s Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was based on an Apricot tree, not an Apple tree. So this drink tries to capture how death came through one tree, but life through another.

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Easter Honey Rum (Recipe)

/ Paul Burkhart / 2 Comments

Recipe

  • 1 bottle of Gold Rum (or 12oz in a mason jar if you’re doing a half batch)
  • 200g/7oz of Honeycomb, crushed (or half that for the smaller batch)

Crush the honeycomb and add to container with rum. Let sit in a cool, dark place, “buried” for three days (get it?). Put the rum through a coffee filter or cheese cloth into its permanent container. Enjoy the heck out of it. It’s like candy.

* * * *

It’s Easter! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Easter is a season, not just a day, so your “official” Easter cocktail is coming in the next couple of days. But today, I’m posting the recipe for an ingredient for that cocktail: Easter Honey Rum.

You may have heard of “fat washing” liquors. It’s a fascinating process that yields interesting results. Using honeycomb is called “wax-washing” and after this, I am a huge fan.

The resulting rum is like a cocktail in a spirit. It has body and viscosity and a dominant floral sweetness that is still balanced. It’s almost like candy.

To me, this is a great Easter spirit. Bright, golden, sweet, yet strong. It is the old rum, but washed into something new and better.

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Razing Hell Espresso Martini | a Holy Saturday cocktail

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Recipe

  • 1.5 oz Smoky Lenten Bourbon
  • 1.5 oz Espresso or Cold Brew Concentrate
  • .75 oz Coffee Liqueur
  • .25 oz Demerara Syrup
  • Garnish: 4 drops Angostura
  • Rim: Cocoa Bitters and 1/8-1/4 tsp each of Salt, Smoked Paprika, Cayenne Pepper based on spice preference.

Wet the rim of your coupe or martini glass with cocoa bitters and dip it in the spice mix to coat. Place in freezer to chill. Shake all other ingredients (except Angostura) with ice and fine strain into the chilled glass. In the foam of the drink, add 4-5 drops of Angostura bitters and use a toothpick to “draw” them into the shape of a cross.

View other Holy Day cocktails.

* * * *

It’s Holy Saturday, the final day of Lent. During this past Holy Week, I’ve needed to find various ways to say “man, a lot happened on this day”. Not so today. Here is the entirety of what the Bible says about Jesus and his disciples this day:

On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (Lk 23:56b)

That’s it. This vacuum has invited a lot of theological speculation on just what might have been happening in the time between Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Most of Christian history has answered this question with some version of what’s called “The Harrowing of Hell“, based largely on an odd verse in 1 Peter 4 about Jesus preaching the gospel “even to the dead” and captured in the Apostle’s Creed when it says Jesus “descended to the dead”.

Different versions are more or less literal about it, but at the very least, this means that whatever “hell” is, Jesus endured it on behalf of those who never will. And in so doing it, he conquered it in some way, de-fanging it of its power and authority. He harrowed it, razed it–overcame it.

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Good Friday | a cocktail

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Recipe

  • 1.5 oz Lillet Blanc
  • .75 oz Dry Gin
  • .25 oz St. Germain
  • .25 oz White Vinegar
  • 2 dashes Celery Bitters
  • .25 oz Gentian Amaro or Aperol (float)
  • Garnish: cherry

Add all ingredients (except the Gentian spirit) to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled. Strain into chilled coupe. Add the Gentian Amaro (or Aperol). Garnish with a cherry on a cocktail pick, letting its syrup drip into the glass.

View other Holy Day cocktails.

* * * *

Today is Good Friday, the day on which Jesus faced an unjust Roman trial, was crucified, and even experienced the forsaking of God. It is a violent, unjust, and sad day, only made “good” by subsequent events.

Good Friday is our salvation. It is the moment God himself entered into the greatest fear and consequence of sin and human frailty. It is God’s answer to the suffering of the world: not giving an answer for why it exists, but experiencing it himself and conquering it.

It is bittersweet. It is an unexpected coronation and enthroning over the world and its authorities by letting them do their worst and yet still be beaten.

My first instinct for a Good Friday cocktail would be a dark, smoky, and bitter whiskey drink. But as I reflected on it more, I went in another direction.

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