Whether you go to a gallery, a museum or an artist’s studio, or even decide to pay a virtual visit to one of these places, you are likely to get thirsty after a while. And so the question arises: What is the best libation for viewing art?
The answer is more complicated than you might think, comprising the subject matter or style of the art you are viewing, the availability of liquid refreshments, and your own personal taste in such matters.
For myself, I prefer the following: If it is a gallery opening or show, I will usually either sip water, cranberry juice, bottled beer, or chilled white wine. I must confess, I can get rather picky about the liquid refreshments, especially if I am in New York City, which I am!
If viewing my own art collection, or a virtual collection on line, I maintain a fully stocked bar, including wines, liquors, fruit juices, as well as water in re-usable bottles and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages.
A note about water: New York City tap water is one of the most often overlooked and politically correct bargains. The city’s water is clear, with no metallic or chemical taste. And for political correctness, no sea turtle, porpoise or whale ever died ingesting a plastic bottle or getting ensnared in plastic bottle 6-pack rings, since New York City water can be had by simply turning on any tap in the city.
For those who want flavor, but do not drink alcohol, I recommend any of a growing variety of ‘mock-tails’, including such standards as cranberry and tonic or club soda, or orange juice with the same carbonated additives. Many such tasty recipes are available on any basic Internet search. And don’t be afraid to experiment!
Although I am not a big beer drinker, a good lager or stout can hit the spot (and provide much needed nutrients). While I infinitely prefer beer on tap (it is much fresher!), one must often select from an array of bottles in an ice-filled tub or barrel. My faves are Corona (which should always be served with a wedge of lime placed in the opening of the bottle), Guinness (which should be served at room temperature), Dos Equis, Stella Artois (see if you can walk away with one of their iconic stem glasses!) and Heineken.
For wine, I prefer three moderately priced varieties: Chardonnay (white, best served chilled), Nero D’Avola (an Italian red), and Argentine Malbec.
Now we move on to the drinks worth savoring, while helping to lubricate tongues as well. My choices are dictated by how seriously I am viewing the art, or whether I hold off until I and those I am with decide to retreat to a congenial watering hole. The easiest drink to find in a gallery or museum bar is a gin-and-tonic. My preferred is a Tanqueray tonic, served with two wedges of lime. But in a bar, I will be more likely to order a ‘dirty’ vodka martini (Grey Goose, Martini & Rossi and some olive juice along woith three olives on a skewer). A simple alternative is cognac,or a whisky sour, especially if the weather is cold.
Last but not least is my winter favorite after a day of art and culture: A Criterion Cocktail. This drink, named after the now-defunct Criterion in London (where Dr. Watson first heard about Sherlock Holmes’ quest for someone to share some rooms), is simple to make: A jigger of cognac, a jigger or DOM Benedictine, and three to five shakes of orange bitters. Mix these ingredients in a small shaker that includes one ice cube, and then pour into a small martini glass in which you have placed a slice or wedge of a tangerine. At the end of the drink, eat the meat of the tangerine and know what the angels probably eat in heaven.
Want to know more about drinks in or out of your abode? The best guide is Dale DeGroff’s classic book, The Craft of the Cocktail. Another interesting guide is Philip Greene’s A Drinkable Feast: A Cocktail Companion to 1920s Paris.
Enjoy your trip through the real and virtual worlds of art with the heightened appreciation a good cocktail provides!
Josh Martin
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