Chilly nights now
not icy as that clink in the summer glass
not yet - but gone the slim twists
of cucumber and lime. Effervescent
emerald rinds afloat
that lubricous liquid, clear and heavy
a devilish distillation suffused with herbs
and fruit of juniper.

G&Ts are passé as last season
bring on the toddy, honeyed, golden
some sweet, neat molasses shots
aromatic whites in potent purity
or the dark alchemy of Caribbean nights
slipping snug and rumbustious
into our Northern climes 

31 thoughts on “lifting spirits”

1. Oh yes we need something for warmth when the world is icy… Soon it is time to make our mulled wine.

   1. indeed!

2. Your poem certainly lifted my spirits, Laura! I love the way you compare chilly nights to a ‘clink in the summer glass’, the assonance and colour of ‘effervescent emerald rinds’ and the ‘toddy, honey golden’.

   1. many thanks Kim – glad you picked up on all those tongue tasters!

3. This is absolutely stunning, Laura! 😍 I especially like; “a devilish distillation suffused with herbs and fruit of juniper.” 💜💜

   1. thank you Sanaa – I could almost do a marketing ad with that

      1. You’re most welcome 🥰🥰

4. Laura, you know your way around the spirits. Each one rises and plays in the light and the darkness. Cheers, my friend!

   1. I have lifted the genie from the bottle in spirit and still walked the line

5. You give the impression the drinks are right in front of me~

   1. that is bartender as poet 😉

6. Makes me thirsty reading this! I love all the alliteration, repetition of sounds here….”lubricous liquid”; “devilish distillation”
   I enjoyed this one!

   1. thanks for stopping by to taste these Lillian

7. Love the juxtaposition of the drinks and you paint such a precise picture, I can feel the coldness and the warmth of both the drinks!

   1. quite a contrast – let’s drink to the seasons! – and thank you hosting this prompt Punam

      1. Indeed! My pleasure, Laura.

8. Oh, spirits lifted! Thank you, Laura! xo

   1. you always lift mine 😉

      1. ah… so good to hear that! xoxo

9. That’s a fragrant snifter. Toes off the floor! – Brendan

   1. slàinte mhòr Brendan

10. Well said. G&Ts only work in the summer though my dad would take his gin any time! We need bourbon and soda and the like come winter.

    1. thank you Yvonne – spirits always change with the season!

11. My grandfather did like his hot toddy. (K)

    1. no wonder – its such a comforting drink

12. Very nicely written! Your descriptions are perfect!

    1. thank you for your kind words Dwight

       1. You are welcome!

13. Beautifully described, the ice of the G&T and then slipping into the warmth of the toddy. I’m not certain that I’ve ever had one, but I imagined the scent and warmth of one as someone sipped it in front of a fire.

    1. thank you Merril – you have tasted the toddy with your intuitive mind

       1. You’re welcome, Laura. 🙂

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