To celebrate Uriah Heep’s new album coming out this week, I decided to recreate a cocktail from 1969, the year the band was founded, and give it a little twist. The band has been going strong for almost fifty years, but its those little twists and turns that make their music fresh and the fans wanting more. Vintage recipes can be like that too. Even if you love the classics, it fun to mix it up with something different.
The new album is called Living the Dream, so I settled on The Dream Cocktail from the 1969 edition of Old Mr. Boston’s De Luxe Official Bartender’s Guide. This brandy cocktail with hints of orange curacao and anisette is simple and tasty. Its a lovely cocktail for sipping as the late summer evenings turn cool, and we just want to soak up everything that is perfect about this time of year.
Although we love going out, we also enjoy being homebodies. Staying in is especially fun when have a simple dinner and a cocktail or two, and spend the evening listening to music. Late summer and early fall are ideal in our part of the country. Humidity levels begin to decrease, and we can finally comfortably spend the evenings lounging on the deck. Growing up in Oregon, I was all about the summer, craving nothing but heat. In Nebraska, however, I’ve come to enjoy those magical evenings when you can throw on a sweater, and take deep breaths of crisp air. There is pleasure in the lightness of the cool air and comfy clothing. Undoubtedly, a lot of the music we will listen to on these evenings is Uriah Heep. There is not enough room on my phone to accommodate their impressive catalog, and we have stacks of CDs on rotation.
When was the Last Time You Just Stopped, and Listened to an Album?
Most people would likely say that they frequently listen to music, but when was the last time you stopped and really listened to an entire album? People use music in a lot of different ways. They put in their ear buds and put their heads down to avoid human interaction. They use music to help pass the time while driving or during boring tasks. They use it for ambiance in social situations. But there is something really wonderful about just stopping, sitting still, and just listening to an album. This is something I learned from my husband as I tended to use music as more of a soundtrack for my busy life rather than an activity in and of itself. When you stop and listen, really listen to the lyrics. Listen to the overall story that develops as the songs progress. Feel the mood change from song to song. Let the music carry you through memories, inspire, and invigorate. Take your favorite album and try it, and then try it with one you haven’t listened to before. Music can be really transformative.
- 1 1/2 oz brandy
- 3/4 oz curacao
- 1/4 teaspoon anisette
- Ice
- three dashes orange bitters
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add the brandy, curacao, and anisette.
- If you want to stick to the classic recipe, you can stop here. Otherwise add three dashes orange bitters.
- Shake for about 15 seconds.
- Pour into a 3 oz cocktail glass.
I added the orange bitters (I use Hella All Natural Orange Bitters) to give the cocktail a little something extra. The bitters mellow out the bite of the brandy slightly, and compliment the curacao. Use regular orange curacao, not the blue stuff.
The anisette was a bit tricky to find. We had to go to a larger liquor store. Unfortunately all they had was one brand and it came in a giant bottle. Help! Send me your anisette recipes. We will be using this bottle FOREVER!
Turn up some Heep, pour yourself a cocktail, and enjoy!
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