Today at the checkout in Whole Foods, the checkout girl, or young woman, I guess, scanned my fancy ginger ale and said, “Making a Ginger Ale Mojito?”
“Err, no. Not a … Mojito. I will be making a Buck.”
“A … Buck?”
“Yes. It is an old cocktail, well not truly a cocktail since there are no bitters, but nobody really pays attention to that. It’s a descendant of the Sling, which is an even older mixture, a portable Punch. Grog fits in there, too. A Buck is ginger ale, rye, and the juice of half a lime, over ice, in a Collins or highball glass.”
Dumb stare.
“Rye is a kind of super bourbon. Spicy and with a little more oomph.”
“Oh. I just turned 21 and all this is new to me. I’ll try anything, though.”
Dumb stare.
“Yeah, so thanks for bringing in your shopping bags.”
“Yes, well, try a Buck. Quite refreshing and you can moderate the bourbon or rye with the ginger ale. If you make it with vodka it’s a ‘Moscow Mule’.”
“OK, well thanks. Receipt in the bag?”
I’m getting used to feeling old. What’s surprising is how little I’ve learned while getting here.