Darren Stevens and his martinis

[VeraBlue]

I positively love cocktails during the weekend. It's extremely rare that I have a drink during the week because it interferes with the way I sleep, making me miserable the next day at work.

However, come Friday, 6pm and cocktail hour officially begins. I remember Darren Stevens having a martini every night before dinner. I remember the store manager's wife on Miracale on 34th street looped and begging for Santy claus to come live with them. (Apparently, they always had martinis before dinner, too).

Does anyone still do that?? Have a drink (not wine) before dinner during the week? Or has that gone the way of 33cent gasoline?

And, as an aside, I'm on vacation this coming week. Lou and I are headed down the shore for 4 days...and since sleep on vacation is over rated, I'll enjoy cocktail hour all week

 

[Zlatko]

When cooking dinner, I often will have a drink - but sometimes if my tummy is real empty, or the drink is big, it makes cooking hard!

if i am using wine in the dish, i like to have a glass while cooking

otherwise i like gin & tonic, whiskey on-the-stones, or good beer from a local brewer

 

[Andy M.]

We have a cocktail most nights during the week and always on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. This does not interfere with wine at the dinner table.

VB:

Darren Stevens and his martinis?!?!? You go back a ways.

 

[suzyQ3]

I wonder whether the popularity of wine with dinner hasn't helped to end the pre-dinner cocktail tradition that seemed to typify a certain stratum of society for so many years.

 

[Zlatko]

the pre-dinner cocktail tradition that seemed to typify a certain stratum of society for so many years.

i am curious to know what this means, can you please type more?

 

[VeraBlue]

When cooking dinner, I often will have a drink - but sometimes if my tummy is real empty, or the drink is big, it makes cooking hard!

if i am using wine in the dish, i like to have a glass while cooking

otherwise i like gin & tonic, whiskey on-the-stones, or good beer from a local brewer

HA! Yes yes yes...sometimes, dinner is very late because cocktail hour takes so long!

 

[VeraBlue]

We have a cocktail most nights during the week and always on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. This does not interfere with wine at the dinner table.

VB:

Darren Stevens and his martinis?!?!? You go back a ways.

haha, what can I tell you? I was a highly impressionable youth!

 

[VeraBlue]

I wonder whether the popularity of wine with dinner hasn't helped to end the pre-dinner cocktail tradition that seemed to typify a certain stratum of society for so many years.

I agree. Plus, Suzy, consider this as well. Many many families simply don't sit down to dinner together any longer, especially during the week. If you are grabbing and running, how is there time for any type of socializing, pre-dinner or otherwise?

 

[suzyQ3]

i am curious to know what this means, can you please type more?

You don't have to ask twice, Latka -- er, Zlatko.

For many decades in 20th century America -- that's here in the US of A -- those who considered themselves to be quite sophisticated often included the pre-dinner cocktail as one such sign. So you would always see glamorous stars in films and on TV sipping that Martini or other popular libation and enjoying chitchat with family and/or guests.

Now, that's not to say that they didn't imbibe at other times of the day and night, often to excess, but the classy scene to show was the cocktail -- and often a cigarette -- as a prelude to the evening meal.

 

[suzyQ3]

We have a cocktail most nights during the week and always on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. This does not interfere with wine at the dinner table.

VB:

Darren Stevens and his martinis?!?!? You go back a ways.

Well, there's wine -- and then there's lotsa wine. For many, many years now, my husband has been collecting, talking about, and drinking wine. He and I usually share a bottle with dinner, starting with a glass beforehand while preparing the meal (guess you could call that our "cocktail"). While that may be a reasonable amount for a person his size, I'm skating on thin ice at 5'4" and a max of 100 pounds. So no cocktails for us.

But when we dine out, which is less and less common as we get fussier and fussier about the quality of restaurant food, I do enjoy a Margarita or vodka tonic and then have less wine (supposedly) with dinner.

 

[Andy M.]

Sometimes our cocktail is a glass of wine before dinner. We don't often share a bottle as SO is a white wine fan and I prefer red. We both like gin and tonic.

 

[suzyQ3]

I agree. Plus, Suzy, consider this as well. Many many families simply don't sit down to dinner together any longer, especially during the week. If you are grabbing and running, how is there time for any type of socializing, pre-dinner or otherwise?

Yup. Very sad, IMO, and, I believe, the cause of more than one of our current social ills.

Of course, drinking before dinner was not necessarily a boon to family togetherness when alcohol was actually a problem for the person. Dinner hour could quickly become a nightmare in that case.

 

[sattie]

My hubby only drinks on a rare occasion, so most of the time, my cocktail is enjoyed by myself while cooking. And then after dinner. It depends on the mood or meal that I am serving. I am not much on wine, tends to leave me with awful headaches.... so I usually go for a vodka tonic, bloody mary, or some other drink using Chamboard. Sometimes just an icy cold beer will do the trick, specially if I am fixing Mexican fare!

Sorry, no witty words of wisdom from me...

 

[Half Baked]

SuzyQ: ....the pre-dinner cocktail tradition that seemed to typify a certain stratum of society for so many years.

Yes, that and smoking jackets. Somehow I also see a mink boa tossed lightly onto a chair.

Mr HB comes in and instead of putting on a smoking jacket and mixing martinis, he puts on sweat shorts and opens a beer.

I could never have a cocktail before dinner with kids. Drop them off, pick one up, drive home, go get the other one a take the little one to another activity...back and forth all the time.

Now, many times I have a glass of wine while cooking but usually don't have anymore unless it is on the weekend.

 

[Zlatko]

Tonight, i will invite neighbor (who is a girl!! ) over to dinner, but before dinner we will share bottle of gin (either mixed tonic, or martini) so she will think of me more sophistecated and of classy scene.

now only i have to get my sister out of house for tonight, she will not make a good impression (my sister)

 

[VeraBlue]

Tonight, i will invite neighbor (who is a girl!! ) over to dinner, but before dinner we will share bottle of gin (either mixed tonic, or martini) so she will think of me more sophistecated and of classy scene.

now only i have to get my sister out of house for tonight, she will not make a good impression (my sister)

Let us know how things go after sharing a bottle of gin! It sounds from your language that english is not your first language. Normally, people share a bottle of wine...sharing a bottle of gin would more or less end the evening with both of you comatose.

 

[Harborwitch]

Zlatko - after sharing a bottle of gin you might not have any disease, but someone is liable to feel really sick in the AM.

It depends on the evening. Sometimes DH just opts for a couple of beers, sometimes we'll have a martini or a gin & tonic. Usually he sticks to beer and I stick to bourbon before dinner. He and I both love red wine - but it gives me nuclear meltdowns so I try to stick to white wine unless it's a special occasion or a really special red.

 

[Sandyj]

Zlatko, hopefully your bottle of gin is a small one. Serve your drinks in nice glasses, take care to set the table nicely for you and your lady friend!

My mom and dad used to have cocktails before dinner sometimes. It always seemed very grown-up to me. They had a frosted glass bottle with etchings in the frosted part (of martini glasses?) and it had a silver screw on lid. They'd make their drinks in there, and shake it and pour out into lovely glasses. Me, I love to have a glass of white wine while I'm cooking, and all the better if there's someone in my kitchen sitting with me to share it with.

 

[VeraBlue]

My mom and dad used to have cocktails before dinner sometimes. It always seemed very grown-up to me. They had a frosted glass bottle with etchings in the frosted part (of martini glasses?) and it had a silver screw on lid. They'd make their drinks in there, and shake it and pour out into lovely glasses. Me, I love to have a glass of white wine while I'm cooking, and all the better if there's someone in my kitchen sitting with me to share it with.

Sandy, I couldn't agree more! I love when my boyfriend is in the kitchen with me, enjoying his cocktail as well! It makes for a much more enjoyable evening, I say.

 

[The Little Penguin]

Quite often when I get dinner to the "everything's simmering and under control" stage of making dinner, I get out my stirrer and make myself (and the gf, if she likes) a nice cold martini or Manhattan... There's nothing like a proper cocktail at the end of the day.

If I had my way, after work, I'd like to put my slippers and sit in a big "comfy chair" while I sipped it. And then dinner would be ready. But I think you only get to pull that move if you're the only one who has to go to work!

And as it is, I enjoy cooking anyway so I do most of it...

But SHE does the dishes!

edit: Ha- I just realized this thread is as old as the hills!