Rituals & Gin Manhattans
Rituals have always been an important part of my life. Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of the past year, rituals have provided respite and catharsis, a safe space to be present and fill up my cup. They take many forms, from rituals of solitude and self-care to meaningful spaces of connection with family or my wider community. My definition of ritual is a space that is intentionally created for specific actions that lead to a deeper connection with one’s self or with others. Rituals provide a way to celebrate or grieve or integrate or create. They hold the big and important stuff of life; the stuff that matters. And sometimes rituals transform the seemingly mundane into something special.
It’s the opening of a door--that cherished morning cup of coffee that prepares you for the day or the protest that paves the way for a better world. They are rituals if we perform them with intention and they connect us to something deep within or something bigger than ourselves.
I was a bartender for several years before the pandemic. I was lucky enough to apprentice with one of the most world-renowned mixologists and to practice my craft alongside him and some of the best bartenders and people I’ve ever met. People often came to the bar for those meaningful moments in their lives, celebrating new jobs, engagements, or birthdays; grieving the loss of someone or something they loved; saying goodbye to a friend moving to a new state. As bartenders, every drink we made was a ritual: setting up our tools, meticulously measuring the ingredients, pouring delicious elixirs into a frosted glass, and topping it with the perfect garnish. Making a drink has intention, a specific set of actions, a connection with someone else. A bar may be very different from a church, but for many it’s a space where we honor the important moments or relationships in our lives.
The word “ritual” can sometimes invoke the idea of ancient or religious rites, outdated performances closely tied with restrictive ideas of identity. While I find a lot of beauty and power in some of those more traditional forms of rituals, I believe that in our increasingly global and secular world there is a great need for modern rituals, meaningful and malleable spaces full of potential.
Joseph Campbell, the famed mythologist, shared similar ideas in an interview in 1985:
“Now, people ask me, what rituals can we have today? My answer is, what are you doing? What is important in your life? What is important, they say, is having dinner with their friends. That is a ritual. This is the sense of T.S. Eliot’s The Cocktail Party. A cocktail party is a ritual. It is a religious function in that way, and those people are engaged in a human relationship...You are performing a social ritual.”
I’ve hosted and facilitated various types of rituals over the past couple of decades. Certainly the most prevalent and simple of which has been the act of making a cocktail for someone and imbibing together. This past year I’ve transitioned my career to being a researcher and facilitator and work with a design agency in Portland, OR, but making drinks will always be a big part of my life.
As summer arrives the world is feeling a little safer and brighter. And as we have more opportunities to be in the same space with the people we care about, savor those moments and give the space a little more structure and meaning with a well-crafted and intentionally made cocktail.
Below is a recipe for a simple Gin Manhattan for two. It’s one of my favorite summer drinks and really packs a punch. Enjoy it with a new friend or someone you love. Or pour the second cocktail into a jar and pop it in the freezer as a small gift to your future self.
Gin Manhattan for Two
120 ml Bombay Sapphire gin (or your favorite gin)
60 ml Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
2 dash Angosturra bitters
2 dash orange bitters
Measure and pour ingredients into a large stir vessel (or jar). Add enough ice so that the cubes are peaking above the liquid. Using a bar spoon, stir ingredients for approximately 30 seconds. Strain into two glasses. Drop a cherry into each glass. Take a deep breath, say a toast, and enjoy.
James Socci
@James.socci