
Note: As
absurd as some of them may seem,
we did not make any of
these holidays up.
Key: Holiday. Pithy
comment. Suggested holiday
libation. (Recipes
included for the odd ones.)
December
1 Festival of Poseidon (Greek). Let the
Sea God drown your sorrows. Sea Breeze.
2 St. Bibiana’s Day. Patron saint of hangovers. Bloody
Mary.
3 Cold War officially ended (1989). The dawn of the New
World Disorder. The spoils of war—vodka.
4 First Man killed by a bowling ball (1982). Kinda surprised
it took so long. Bowling alley beer.
5 Drunkard Liberation Day (1933). National prohibition
is repealed in the U.S. Everything you can get your hands on.
6 National Pawnbrokers Day. The launching pad of many
an impromptu bender. As much booze as your guitar speaker will buy.
7
Tom Waits Birthday (1949). “I’d rather have a bottle
in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.” Guinness Stout.
8 Sammy Davis Jr.’s Birthday (1925). “The
day they stop making fun of you is the day they don’t give a damn
about you.”
Sammy Davis Jr.
1 1/2 oz Stoli Vanilla
Chilled espresso
Shake with ice and serve with a twist of lemon.
9 Redd Foxx’s Birthday(1922). “Health nuts are going
to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals, dying of nothing.” Ripple.
10 Nobel Prize Awards Day. Drink away your disappointment.
Mad Scientist
1
1/3 oz blueberry schnapps
1 1/3 oz raspberry schnapps
1/4 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
1/4 oz grenadine
Mix the schnapps in a shot glass, slowly top with grenadine. Dribble a small
amount of Bailey’s on top.
11 Jerry Lee Lewis secretly married his 13-year-old third cousin
Myra Gale Brown. When Jerry breaks the rules, he breaks all the
rules.
Great Balls of Fire
2 oz Goldschlager
1/2 oz Hotdamn 100 Proof
1/2 oz Aftershock
Mix and shoot.
12
Frank Sinatra’s Birthday (1915). “I’m for
anything that
gets you through the night—be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack
Daniels.” Jack rocks.
13 St. Lucy’s Day. Patron saint of writers, people with eye trouble
and lamplighters. Drink yourself blind and in the morning you shall be magically
healed.
14 The “Shot Heard Around the World” is fired in an
exchange between American Revolutionaries and British soldiers. Celebrate
with the #1 shot drank around world. Jagermeister.
15 Walt Disney’s head cryogenically frozen (1966). Here’s
to hoping he reanimates in time to kick Eisner’s ass. Frozen Daiquiri.
16 Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party (1773). They tossed
the tea and stole the rum. Long Island Iced Tea.
17 Wright Brothers take the 1st airplane flight at Kitty Hawk (1903). Soar
like a drunken eagle. Grey Goose Vodka.
18 Feast of Our Lady of Solitude (Mexico). Buy the barlot at the end
of the bar a drink. Blue Moon Belgium White.
19 Underdog Day. Challenge the fattest bastard in the
bar to a drinking contest. Salty Dog.
20 National Sangria Day. Introduced to the U.S. at the 1964 World’s
Fair. Sangria.
21 Jack Daniels’ Birthday (1850). Started distilling 13years
later. Gentleman Jack.
22 Willpower Day. Test yours at the bar. Well tequila.
23 Van Gogh cut off his ear (1888). He ran out of absinthe, so he got
into the turpentine and next thing you know . . . Van Gogh Vodka.
24 National Eggnog Day. Nog is an Old English word for
ale, an original ingredient. Bottle of scotch, then eggs for breakfast.
25 Shane MacGowan’s Birthday (1957). “Whenever
I need a light inside me, I walk into a pub and drink 15 pints of beer.” Fifteen
pints of beer.
26 Henry Miller’s Birthday (1891). “Ah yes,
yes, once in a while indulge...spree and pee...a look at the girls and
a brawl...not too bloody...ring around the rosie...you know...shake the
bugs out of the rug.” MGD.
27 National Fruitcake Day. Fruitcakes survive so long
because of the high alcohol content. Fruit-flavored vodka.
28 Bairns’ Day. Considered the unluckiest day of
the year. Lucky Lager.
29 Rasputin assassinated (1916). He drank enough cyanide-spiked
wine to kill six men, partied until the wee hours, then finally succumbed
after being shot three times and drowned in a freezing river. Fortified
wine.
30 Miracle Day. Order a Pousse Cafe in a sports bar. Pousse
Cafe.
31 Guinness Brewery was founded (1759). There are 20 different
variations of Guinness worldwide. Guinness by the gallon.