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Aunt Ginger and Uncle Angostura

How can two primary ingredients make such a powerful concoction?

By Skyler SaundersPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
Third Place in On the Rocks Challenge
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So, I have this stomach ache. And it sucks. I feel as if Democrats and Republicans have just met outside of Congress and they’re fighting over a bill before it is even passed on Capitol Hill. Dad offers a simple concoction: ginger ale and Angostura bitters. Though no ice is involved, the drink is still cold. I imbibe the simple cocktail and revel in the smoothness and richness of the bubbles going down to my unruly stomach.

I was eight-years-old then. Now, as a man I still drink the slightly potent potable with the same old ginger, on the rocks. It’s an effervescent, cool summer time treat that compliments the most sweltering of days outside or the coolest of settings on the thermostat. Here is how you make one:

-First, you take a few cubes of ice and add it to a beer mug

-Next, fill the glass with your favorite brand of ginger ale

- Finally, you splash 3-4 milliliters of a 16 oz bottle of Angostura bitters

-Allow the mixture of ginger and bitters to coalesce and you’re done

Now this drink may be mostly non-alcoholic and there is little to no chance of catching a buzz from the bitters, but the drink itself is phenomenal for those long, sweltering days of summer.

My dad keeps both items necessary for the cocktail to settle stomachs and to break out to enjoy when there is no turmoil in the abdominal region. This drink always reminds me of my dad because he was the first one to serve it to me. Now, I drink it to bring flavors out of foods and to just savor the bubbly drink.

It is with ginger ale and bitters that I even entered the world of drinking cocktails. With my cocktail of psychological prescription drugs, there’s no room for alcoholic beverages on my diet. So, this refresher is my go to beverage as an adult. I’m not trying to get tipsy off of this stuff and it’s chemically impossible to drink a suggested serving size and get woozy from the blend.

Ginger ale and bitters has a history of calming the stomachs of Símon Bolívar’s soldiers. It progressed off of the battlefield and found its way into a variety of different cocktails. Shrouded in mystery, a single person knows the precise ingredients of the bitters mixture which is bestowed upon hereditarily. But what is for certain is the profound burst of flavor once it hits the palette and the elegant notes that serve as an aftertaste.

The mixture presents a definite effect when served during the summer months. Feast your mind’s eye on a day by the pool with ginger ale and bitters on the rocks. You’re in a bathing suit with sunglasses and you snatch them from your face to prevent raccoon eyes.

You look over at your drink and find assurance that your stomach will not be troubled and you’ll have a refreshing beverage to sip while kids perform cannon balls (away from your drink, though).

With my dad introducing me to this delicious liquid treat, I’m often inclined to order this drink at restaurants. As these establishments, as of this writing, begin to re-open in the wake of COVID-19, it’s a welcoming experience to eat outside of the house sometimes. And to wash all of that food down, one should have a mug of ginger ale and bitters.

The easy setup is what makes it so profound. With the array of flavors that splash upon the tongue like a symphony of sweet and sour tastes, the combination is one to enjoy especially on a hot summer evening. During the golden time of day, with the sun setting in the distance, the emotions of restoration may enter the psyche.

As I consume the beautiful beverage, I remember my dad introducing me to the taste of ice-cold ginger and bitters to heal my stomach and ease my mind. For this reason and many more, I thank and love my dad.

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About the Creator

Skyler Saunders

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PayPal: paypal.me/SkylerSaunders

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