I Got Plenty of Nothin’

empty-handsOkay, it’s been a week. The temps in LA were pretty darned high (mid nineties at the beach and well over 100 inland) and there was even some high humidity from a hurricane in Baja. In short, it’s been nasty. So much so that I barely left my building- I was going to go over to ScentBar and the bank on Thursday, made it about 50 feet and decided that I could wait for the weekend. So I have absolutely nothing new for you except my continued appreciation for the wonder that is Air Conditioning.

Oh, it’s not like I didn’t wear some scents, but they’re ones that I have neutered on about so often before I’m sure your sick of hearing about them. Eau Sauvage, Eau de Sud, Eau shut up Tom..

So I’ll write about drinking. Not capital “D” drinking, because in this weather I don’t think it’s the best idea. Although I will admit that several years ago my friend Johanna insisted that we have gin and tonics in our friend Sue’s backyard after a day of pruning an overgrown avocado tree on a warm day. I have to write that it was heaven: the icy tonic was so refreshing with the tart gin and the slice of lime that I completely rethought my previous dislike of gin. Back in the day I was known to indulge in the occasional frozen daiquiri or, after moving to Los Angeles, a margarita (I’m sure it’s no longer the case, but in the 80’s you didn’t get a decent margarita back east- we still used Rose’s Lime Juice- does that even still exist?)

Well, now that I’ve written that drinking hard liquor in the heat is a bad idea (as any website will tell you) then listing several delicious boozy treats that can take the edge off the most sultry day (until you wake up from it that is) I’ll get to the point.

Iced Tea.

I think on a hot day this may be my go-to. Oh, I drink water by the gallon, but I do that whether it’s hot or cold and always have. But when the heat is on I turn to tea. Earl Grey is delicious iced. Hibiscus is heavenly. Those funky Japanese teas in the mondo plastic bottles are excellent on ice. There’s even a store brand called Tejava that’s sold in the markets that I like. Personally I don’t care for sweet tea, but that’s just my preference- I am also not big on the Arnold Palmer thing of tea with lemonade. I like lemonade and I like tea. I also like salmon and chocolate ice cream, but don’t think I need to make a combo out of it.

So what are your favored summer coolers? Let us know in the comments.

Hmm, wonder how gin in tea would be? A little too “Grey Gardens?”

Image stolen from the unlost.com

  • malsnano86 says:

    No sweet tea? YOU PHILISTINE. (We go through a gallon of sweet tea every 2-3 days at my house – faster in the summer, probably… though my husband keeps complaining that I don’t make it sweet enough.)

    Mint tea is fabulous anytime. I am partial to gin and tonics, myself.

  • jett says:

    Living in the desert, I drink a lot of hot tea, best EArl Grey I can find. Im thinking those “nothing” words would make great tattoos.

  • Yeah, I don’t like Earl Grey at all. Good for you though! I’m much more of a fruity tea kinda girl. I’m so happy that it is the fall here now, and I don’t have to worry about cooling down over the summer. 🙂 I’m ready for hot chocolate.

  • Kandice says:

    This was a hilarious post Tom. I don’t have a go-to drink in the summer, but I do love a good margarita swirl 🙂

  • Mary K says:

    I just drink plain (no sugar, no added flavoring) iced tea and I drink it all year long. Sometimes, for a change, I like an iced rooibos tea.

  • Musette says:

    einsof! you crack me up!

    I do what jillie does – I have bunches of mint growing in several big pots – in the summer I drink hot minted tea, which is very cooling. In the winter, I drink hot minted tea, which is very warming.

    I drink gin whenever I can 😉

    xoxoA

  • einsof says:

    Mother wanted me to reply in a kimono… so we had a terrible fight.

  • solanace says:

    Beer, no question about it.
    But I´ll try Jillie´s recipe, it sounds great.

  • jillie says:

    Rose tea (my favourite brand is Brewhaha), chilled and served with slices of lemon. Or mint tea, made simply with bunches of fresh mint with almost boiling water, served either chilled or hot – because even if hot, it somehow cools you down.

    Gin is great when livened with a hint of Earl Grey! I can’t help thinking that an iced Earl Grey tea with a slug of gin (and a slice of cucumber) would be rather good ……..

    • Unpaletteable says:

      Jillie, that is one thoroughly British good idea. Capital. Now if only we had the weather….it’s getting into hot toddy territory up north!