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Photo Credit: The Tipsy Traveler While my experience with gin cocktails is vast, my knowledge of Curling was limited. It seems that every four years the Winter Olympics sparks a national interest in the underappreciated sport that inevitably fades in the weeks that follow. Maybe it’s the name or maybe it’s watching these seemingly unathletic individuals perform graceful lunges on ice. Whatever it is, intrigue inevitably ensues. Curling is traditionally a drinking sport, which of course goes hand in hand with Hendrick’s cocktails and something I had to try for myself. On a recent trip out to Brooklyn’s Lakeside Curling Club, I had the pleasure of tasting Hendrick’s Gin’s delicious hot Gin punch (recipe below) created specifically for an occasion such as a friendly Curling match and I came away with two conclusions:

  1. Hendrick’s Gin, a staple on my bar cart, but infrequently used, is a new Tipsy Traveler favorite
  2. Curling is hard! The core strength needed to launch the 38 to 44 pound stone while gliding on a sheet of ice was far greater than I could have ever anticipated.
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Photo Credit: The Tipsy Traveler I highly recommend you head out to Brooklyn or your local Curling establishment with a group of friends, but don’t forget the Hot Gin Punch. I promise it will make the bumps and bruises far more bearable and the match even more entertaining. Either way we should all give a little more credit to the men and women of the US Curling Team. Cheers!

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Photo Credit: Hendrick’s Gin Mister Micawber’s Medley – 8 parts Hendrick’s Gin –  8 parts Oloroso Sherry – 8 parts chamomile tea – 6 lemon twists – 1 orange slice- 3 large chunks pineapple – 1-part honey – 1-part Fresh lemon juice – 3 cloves – 1 pinch ground nutmeg – 1 tsp ground cinnamo