Guilty Pleasure #4, Manhattan Mondays

The cherry is gross, I go for a little orange rind twist myself.

So back about 13 years ago my stepbrother got married in India. A bunch of us Americans (around 30 or so) headed out to Jamshedphur India where we were wined and dined and given the Indian royal treatment for a week of wedding festivities. But actually, we weren't 'wined' and dined, we were scotched and dined. In India, you don't drink beer or wine you drink scotch. In fact, beer and wine are very hard to come by in India. (I remember once someone ordering a beer and we found out later someone had sent their servant to the store to buy some.) But everyone in India seems to have scotch. It was there that I gained my love for scotch. Not only do I like the taste of it, but scotch represents a festive atmosphere. It represents friends. It represents a time completely removed from your normal day to day life, where things are a little more exciting and a little brighter.

When I got back to the US, I didn't drink scotch very often. It was something I might drink on a special ocasion. One in a while I'd go out and the night would just feel a little more special than a beer or a wine night. I'm not sure when I tried my first Manhattan, but they quickly took over as my favorite drink. A good Manhattan, and just one really, makes for a good night.

Manhattan Mondays don't happen any more, but for a while, a friend and I were going out to dinner every Monday night. We'd go to the King Fish Cafe and I'd usually get a Manhattan to drink before dinner. The King Fish has mighty fine Manhattans. Something about a Monday nights and drinking Manhattans made the night feel special. Mondays are typically a serious, rather dreary night. It's the beginning of the week. You've just gone back to work and have many more days ahead before the weekend. But somehow, when you're drinking a Manhattan, Monday night goes away for a minute. You can pretend it's the weekend. Or you're off in Jamshedphur India attending another wedding party surrounded by friends. And suddenly the week seems a little brighter.