Nailantei Norari

Alcohol and intoxication have always been at the crux of creativity. We must have all seen memes glorifying the wisdom of a dumb man turned sage at the sip of a hard spirit.

There are millions – ok I exaggerate – there are a couple of works of art depicting drunkenness in all its, ahem, colours. Moreover, several world greats were accursed or blessed with drunkenness; depends on which side of the glass-half-full-half-empty debate you favour. 

Ernest Hemmingway and F Scott Fitzgerald, both famous pen masters, were known for alcoholism almost as much as for their written words.

Fine art owes the world of alcohol a great debt, as Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso among others all imbibed. Science backs up the notion, now fact because data wins, that alcohol sparks creativity.

And being a creative, I recently went all out in an agency bar as I had a brief that I was supposed to crack before two o’clock the following day.

Fresh out of ideas, some colleagues sold me the idea that alcohol was the solution to my problems. All of them.

I would no longer suffer mental block, I would win Cannes awards. I could almost hear the crowd ululating and giving me the evil eye as I went up to collect my gold.

I did get a gold, for panicking, after I woke up the following day at around one o’clock in my bed; how I got there, your guess is as good as mine, maybe even better!

With an hour to go, I cursed science, my colleagues and Van Gogh, and went to the office to finish up the work.

I found out that I had left my guardian angel, also the evil angel, who was part of the ‘science of alcohol’ team, on the couch sleeping when I went back home after finishing the required creative work – no thanks to hard spirits. I now take cider.

Let me tell you why so you can cross over, kwa mwendo wa aste aste, to the good side of life.

The cider market is slowly expanding in Kenya. Not only are ciders the fashionable drink for a lady to take in lieu of beer, they are also the choice for the brave man who likes some fizz in their drink.

I have seen quite a few bearded fellas having their Savanna with a slice of lime. They looked anything but effeminate.

That men take it too is reason enough for me to take ciders. But there are still more reasons why you should hop into this cider bandwagon. 

Ciders are made from apples. And someone did say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Ciders have been certified to have Vitamin C.

That ciders will boost your immunity is a reason to take your apples fermented over your normal malted hops and barley any day.

Ciders are normally sans gluten and with plenty of antioxidants, those things that fight radicals and cancer.

Ciders have a lower ABV compared to beers and spirits. A good thing if you are for the slow build-up, but something you can surmount by making fizzy cocktails if you like to get to high land quick.

Whiskey and bourbon pair best with apple cider for that extra boozy punch. Here is a simple cider cocktail recipe you can try out at home.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup apple cider

½ cup bourbon

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ cup of ginger ale

Ice cubes

Garnish (optional) – apple slices, cinnamon sticks, cinnamon, sparkling sugar and maple syrup

METHOD

Combine the cinnamon and sugar and place on a small plate. Pour a small amount of maple syrup on a separate plate. Dip each glass into the maple syrup and then into the cinnamon and sugar mixture to rim the glasses.

Fill each glass with ice and set aside. 

Add apple cider, bourbon and lemon juice into a shaker and shake until well combined. Pour into prepared glasses and then top each glass with ginger ale. 

Garnish with apple wedge and/or cinnamon stick before serving.

Proceed to have your glass of apple a day!