Mixology

TIPSY TEMPTATIONS

MINT JULEP

Glassware: Julep Cup

Method:

In a julep glass, combine mint and simple syrup. Gently press the mint into the syrup to release the essential oils (be careful not to over press/muddle as it will make the mint turn black and bitter). Add 1.5 oz. of bourbon and fill the cup ½ to ¾ way with ice. Stir until the mug begins to frost over. Then, add the remaining 1 oz. of bourbon and fill the cup to the top with ice. Stir again until the cup frosts over. Top with ice, Garnish, serve and enjoy!

Ingredients:

2.5 oz. Rabbit Hole Cavehill (Kentucky Straight Bourbon) .5 oz. Simple Syrup (equal parts sugar and water) 6 - 8 pieces Mint Leaf Crushed Ice Garnish: 1 - 2 Healthy Mint Sprigs

The Mint Julep is truly an icon, especially in the summer. It is crisp, refreshing, relaxing and simply delicious. This cocktail has stood the testament of time as one of the greatest in the business and beloved across the world. Many people believed the julep was introduced and made famous by the Kentucky congressman Henry Clay at the site where the Willard Hotel now stands. Some claimed it was founded in Virginia in the early 1800’s, while others point to print mentions in the 1790’s of the drink consisting of rum. No matter the truth, the drink has been mixed with every spirit and wine imaginable and crafty bartenders and enthusiasts make incredible interpretations. Best known for featuring America’s world-famous spirit – bourbon – the mint julep is a drink that is an unequivocal favorite. Perfect to showcase a little summer “Magic.”

*Notes: Many people enjoy adding a few dashes of bitters (either with the mint and syrup, or over top with the garnish).All types of sugar (even sugar cubes) or non-sugar sweeteners are available for substitute for white sugar.

CARIBBEAN JULEP

Glassware:

Tiki Mug

Method:

Combine mint leaf, ginger liqueur and cane sugar in the base of a tiki mug and gently press to combine the flavors of the ingredients together. Fill the glass ¾ of the way with crushed ice and stir until the mug/glass frosts over (*given the shape of tiki mugs, this can be a little more difficult and may require a slow motion stir that breaks the ice that sticks to the inside wall of the glass.) Top the drink with crushed ice and .5 oz. topper of port. Garnish, serve and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Mt. Gay Black Barrel .5 oz. Ginger Liqueur 1 heaping tsp. Brown Sugar / Cane Sugar 6-8 pieces Mint Leaf Crushed Ice .5 oz. Port Garnish: Mint Sprig and Pineapple Chunks

The famous summer nights are known throughout the ages for forming beloved memories. Yet some summers may not mirror summers past. Social distancing, the lack of places to go and friends to see can certainly put a damper on those famed summer nights. Enter, the need for a cocktail, one to whisk one away to a tropical isle. Historical lore claims mint as usage with rum dating back to the 1500’s when Sir Francis Drake sailed the seas. The Royal navy and pirates alike drank rum, traversing the shining waters of the Caribbean with cocktail in hand. No need to go that far back! Classic aged rum brings out the sweet and rich flavors of baking spice, marshmallow and caramel – all born to pair with mint. The ginger adds another tropical spice. When properly finished the cocktail should feel like a “frozen fire”…and leaves everyone knowing that the Caribbean Julep is their “one desire” this summer.

JULEP DE OAXACA

Glassware: Rocks Glass

Method:

Combine mint, bitters, sugar and water in the bottom of an empty rocks glass and press with a muddler to combine flavors. Fill the glass ½ way with ice and Vida Del Maguey Mezcal. Stir until the glass frosts over. Top off with crushed ice, garnish, serve and enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 oz. Vida Del Maguey 3 Dashes Chocolate Bitters 2 tsp. Coconut Palm Sugar .25 oz. Water Crushed ice 6-8 pieces Mint Leaf Garnish: Mint Sprig, Mango Chunks, and Blackberries

This summer, we may be feeling simply upside down. However, one of the great remedies for unease and uncertainty has always been a great cocktail. This concoction starts with an ancient spirit, just now making larger headlines, Mezcal. Much like the mint julep, the story of Mezcal is steeped in antique lore. Brought forth by the gods and consumed by the transcendent – these are the tall tales that great drinks and evenings are built upon. Del Maguey and the mezcal create a granite like foundation. Rich in saline and mineral flavors, the Vida Del Maguey also express fruit tones and the slightest accentuation of char and earthiness. These natural essences make a perfect reception to the aromatic and refreshing elements brought forth by the addition of mint. Chocolate, a natural part of Oaxacan cuisine, brings depth to round out and soften the flavors already in the mix. A touch of sugar is needed to bring all the pieces in line, and the coconut palm sugar provides that touch of sweet. Finally, the chill and the frost level the cocktail. The Julep de Oaxaca will be the summer partner that brings about a little summer “magic.”

MONEY & FINANCE

MONEY SENSE

New Year’s Eve was like any other New Year’s Eve last year. Getting ready for a new year, the economy was going strong. People were going out into large crowds and flying to meetings and going on vacation. Everything seemed normal until Covid 19 cases started up and the world shut down, hopefully, temporally. Everything came to a screeching halt. The stock market took a dramatic drop. In a matter of 3 weeks the Dow dropped from a high of 29,568 to a low of 18,213 in mid-March. It also had a dramatic rebound; I am writing this on June 29th and the market is at 25,605. It was quite a wild ride and it will probably continue to be volatile for a while. I will be discussing things that you can do to adapt and make sure that you are doing the best that you can until this pandemic is over.

The first thing that you want to do is to make sure that your health and estate planning is in order. This includes making sure that you have heath care powers of attorney and living wills in place. That way you can ensure that if you were to get the virus or any type of illness, your doctors will know your wishes and also know who they are able to take instructions from. If you have these documents in place, you also want to make sure that your powers of attorney and back up powers of attorney still have viable candidates listed. Sometimes when reviewed, we find that some of the players have passed or are not in your life at the current time and need to be changed. If these individuals needed to be called upon at a stressful time, this can complicate an already intense situation. We recommend looking over the documents and reviewing the players to determine if they are still the ones you want. If they are not, choose new ones and ask your attorney to make the changes and get the documents signed, witnessed and notarized properly. You should do this every year, just to be safe.

We should do the same thing with your will and trusts. It is a good time to make sure that your personal representatives and trustees are current. You should also make note of any new children or grandchildren that are not mentioned and need to be added. Also, there may be individuals that you may want removed from your planning documents for other reasons.

You should also look at your life insurance and retirement plans and make sure that the beneficiaries are up to date. We have had occasions where we have reviewed beneficiaries with clients and discovered that their beneficiary is an ex-spouse and they have gotten remarried. These are items that should be reviewed on an annual basis and most people do not. Taking the time to do this now is a good thing and it can save your family aggravation and heartache later on.

You should also look at your investment portfolio and analyze the risk level and make sure that you are comfortable with the amount of risk that you are taking. A lot of people panicked when the market dropped to 18,213 in March and realized that they had more risk than they were comfortable with. Unfortunately, some of those people panicked and got out of the market at or near the low point and they missed the run up. The best thing to do is to have a conversation with your financial advisor and review where you are at from a risk standpoint and determine how much risk you’re willing to withstand. It is a good time to reevaluate and make changes since the market has mostly recovered. If you have not heard from your investment advisor or if you have been handling your own investments, it may be a good time to get a second opinion. Please feel free to email me at marcs@equityplanning.com and we would be happy to review your current portfolio.

I hope that we are back to a more normal world by this New Year’s Eve and that you and your families stay safe and healthy.

Securities offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through CWM, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC is under separate ownership from any other named entity.

For a comprehensive review of your personal situation, always consult with a tax or legal advisor. Neither Cetera Advisor Networks LLC nor any of its representatives may give legal or tax advice.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

YOUR BEST SELF

As we slowly begin to emerge from shelter in place orders, every one of us will have a different story relating to our experience in keeping the body and mind nourished, fit and healthy during lockdown. If we had been told at the start of 2020 that in a matter of weeks our ‘normal’ lives would be shut down, I don’t think anyone would have believed it! With the closure of gyms, restaurants and bars, and with limited access to items in grocery stores that we usually take for granted, day to day living has become a challenge. Some of us have been able to stick to our health and fitness routines while others have struggled without the in person support and motivation from the community they usually rely upon.

It is a fascinating time to examine your relationship with all things health and fitness. You can learn from this experience and optimize your training and nutrition (healthy lifestyle) once life returns to some semblance of normalcy. Take a moment or two to reflect on the following questions:

1) Did health and fitness feel easier or more complicated during shelter in place?

2) Do you feel that you still need to train in the same way as before or has something changed?

3) Do you need the accountability that a fitness community provides or are you self-motivated?

4) Were you consistent in your fitness routines or did your enthusiasm wane as the weeks went by? If so, why?

5) Were you able to find value in lower intensity movement?

6) Did you fuel your body in the same way or did your eating patterns fluctuate with emotions?

7) What did you miss the most as far as health and fitness is concerned?

Before you dive right back in to where you left off, think of this experience as a reset. Now is your opportunity to really explore your why. Why do you want to be fit and healthy? What do you enjoy most about the pursuit of health and fitness? As you work through the questions above, be completely honest with yourself. If you discovered that you actually enjoy

OUT ONLINE AND ABOUT

BARRY’S BOOT CAMP

the stress alleviated. studio/clarendon/

NASA VOLCANO FUN

ONLINE OFFERINGS

ONLINE ART CLASSES

Enjoy the works of a worldrenowned museum from the comfort of your home. Take a trip to São Paolo’s MASP – Museu de Arte São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand – and discover their great collection.

https://artsandculture. google.com/partner/ masp?hl=en

We have all endured a great amount of stress over the past several months. Many of us used to hit the gym to release this stress. With all exercise facilities still closed, this has not been possible. But Barry’s Boot Camp is offering online classes! Called the virtual Red Room workouts, they are sure to get the blood pumping and

https://www.barrys.com/

It’s NASA to the rescue for a fun and educational online activity! Have your child sign onto Space Place to learn about the wonders of this science.

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ menu/play/

Want to revisit your inner child? Or, perhaps you have children that love science? We suggest a tried-and-true activity this week. Build a volcano! National Geographic has created the perfect at-home kit to let the lava flow.

https://www.target.com/p/national-geographic-volcanoscience-kit/-/A-53580848

MASP

Local artist Meg Biram has started offering art classes. The classes are for most ages and skill levels, and include projects like collage and painting, clay sculpting and cut paper. They are for fun and creative exploration but do not teach things like color theory or perspective. They are also flexible to the materials that you have at home, your available time, your skill level, and age.

https://megbiram.com/shop/15-digital-art-classes