I try not to speak in sweeping generalizations, but here comes a whopper of one: In bars, there are only two types of people. Cocktail people, and everyone else. By “cocktail people” I mean those who can saunter up to the bar, engage in an at least semi-literate conversation about the merits of different spirits in different drinks, and order something with a modicum of suaveness and certainty. Then there’s everyone else, and I’ll be the first to put myself in this camp; look for me in a bar and you’ll find me staring at the drink menu or blankly at the wall of offerings, unsure of what to order.

I blame the cocktails, really. At least in my experience, they’re invariably expensive, complicated, and one-note, always a little too sweet for my liking. They seem like something that any reasonably intelligent person should be able to knock together, but so many of them, particularly nowadays, seem to require a degree in chemistry to read and create, as well as a trust fund to buy all of the ingredients. In the face of all of that, wine seems a heck of a lot simpler.

But my candied citrus peel experiments left me with a lot of orangey simple syrup, and if I’m not the type of person to toss my orange peels in a bin, you’d better believe I’m not the type of person to pour perfectly good simple syrup down the drain. Given that there aren’t a lot of other options for simple syrup, my choice seemed obvious: devise a cocktail that required fewer ingredients than I have fingers.

And so the “Orange You Glad This Isn’t a COVID Pun” was born, thus completing a recipe trifecta: make the Braised Chickpeas with Tomatoes, Orange, and Rosemary; save the orange peels to make Candied Citrus Peel; and save the syrup to make this cocktail. You can make it with rum, which lends a light tropical note and goes down very smoothly, or bourbon, which is a bit kickier, and my preference. Either way, it’s a cocktail that should please you, whichever type of person you are.

Orange You Glad This Isn’t a COVID Pun?

Source: I Thought There Would Be Free Food

Makes 2 cocktails

Total time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces bourbon or rum
• 2 ounces orange juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• Lemon juice, to taste (I like my cocktails quite tart, and use about 1/2 ounce)
• A few dashes bitters
• Ice
• Candied citrus peel, to garnish

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients except candied peel in a cocktail shaker. Shake for 10–15 seconds, or until your cocktail shaker feels appropriately chilled.
• Strain into glasses, garnish, and drink immediately.