As Hunter Thompson said, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” In honor of the impending Thanksgiving holiday at home, I’m embracing the next level bizarreness of 2020 with a drink to help you get through your meal prep, while repurposing an unusual ingredient. So, won’t you join me now as we stand and make, Peas and Spank You. 

This drink comes to us from the fine folks at St. George Spirits as a vehicle for their amazing Botanivore Gin. I’m a fan of their gins and this one was just weird enough to warrant trying. Plus it’s Thanksgiving and instead of hosting our annual Wednesday night event for weary travelers in Fredericksburg, I’m sitting at home. Well, not sitting. Actually, I’m trying to walk that tightrope between being helpful and in the way in our tiny farmhouse kitchen. You know how it is. I just got the look and a suggestion to go write about my drink, so I guess I wasn’t being too successful.

Grab your tins and pop in an ounce of sweet green peas. Yep, peas. I chose LeSueur Baby Green Peas, cause they always feel fancier than the store brands. Muddle those peas well before adding 2 ounces of gin, I used the suggested wonderfully complex St. George Botanivore; 1/2 an ounce of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 ounce of simple syrup and 2-3 drops of celery bitters, I actually chose 18-21 Baltimore Bitters, to get a little extra oomph in there. Add ice and shake to the beat of “Charlie Brown Blues” by Vince Guaraldi. When the tins form a sheen on the outside, double strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel. 

As former president Bush once famously said, “That was some weird shit.” It’s not bad, but it is definitely weird. The bouquet is peas forward, which honestly is not a scent that you might recognize out of context. It almost comes off as grass. The sip is wonderful. You can definitely taste the peas, but that complex gin steps up and the lemon balances things. It also has the most lovely mouthfeel, kind of creamy. The aroma throws things off as it tastes better than it smells. This one would probably be better served in a taller narrow glass with a straw to get a little distance between the nose and the taste. All that said, I actually like this quite a bit. It’s definitely a novelty drink but it works.

It’s all strange this year. I’m kind of at a loss, trapped out of place. I miss getting to see my Virginia family and friends. I’m saddened to not get to go play up north, but I know it is the right call. I had really hoped back in the summer that by now we’d have a grip on this thing and people would have found ways to get back to work and play. Sadly, we get to make the sacrifices now that so many would not make over the spring and summer. As another president said, “It is what it is,” and for a lot of folks it looks like that is all it’s ever gonna be. A life that happens to them. Buck up, campers. Do the right thing, keep your distance, wear your mask and hopefully most of us will make it through till the vaccine makes it possible for all of us to act like this is a thing of the past. Stay safe, stay hydrated and stay sane, my friends.