Gin Girl

I’ve been on a dry month since the first of January and honestly I don’t miss the alcohol at all. Even when I’m out at dinner with friends or stare at the bottle of bubbly waiting for me in the fridge, it’s a dismissible pang in my chest. Just a second of ‘Oh!’ and that’s about it. Every year when I do a dry January, my body thanks me for it and it feels incredible. After a month of celebrating the holidays (aka drinking and eating everything thrown at you) - your body is able to exhale and reset by immediately stopping the sugar and alcohol and ingesting much healthier food. I have so much more energy - less sluggish - and clothes fit so much looser. If you’ve never done it before or are thinking that it’s only a month, what good would that do - try it for yourself, see and feel the difference. Sure, it would be good to reduce drinking throughout the year but how likely are you going to do that? Could you be so disciplined? If you can, congrats! I would love to know your secret. I know that I can’t and at least doing a dry month at the beginning of the year is something. I’m a realist.

Now once the hiatus is over, however, I know what my first drink will be. In the last few years, I’ve essentially been a gin girl - any cocktail made from gin. From a French 75 to a negroni to a gimlet. But there’s honestly nothing more refreshing than a simple gin and tonic. This is perhaps the simplest drink you can make for yourself - and they’re a little dangerous as they go down pretty easy. For mixing, I like using a local gin made by Victoria Distilleries in Sidney, BC. Victoria Gin contains the bright taste of juniper berries and citrus notes, which make a perfect combination with tonic and a lime wedge. Here’s my favourite recipe for Gin and Tonic:

Fill a tumbler with ice cubes. Pour in 2 ounces of gin and top with tonic water. Squeeze in one wedge of lime juice and stir well. Garnish with a new lime wedge and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

xx,
C.