The Rapture cocktail will carry you off to heaven

Salt Lake City cocktailians will be relieved to know that the Rapture scheduled for 6:00 PM Saturday is based on local time (according to MSNBC), not Eastern Time or the even more remote (and early in the day) GMT.  That means that there is a whole hour between the official beginning of Cocktail Hour (5:00 PM local time) and the official beginning of the Rapture (6:00 PM local time).  Wise readers will be prepared to make good use of this time whether they expect to be raptured or, like the Utah Mixologist, suspect that it is more likely that they will be left behind. 

Developing a Rapture cocktail recipe required many decisions.  First, should it be shaken or stirred?  This was a tough decision because during the giant earthquake that will follow quickly on the tail of the rapture, you will not have to do any shaking; just strap your shaker to the bar and the earthquake will shake up anything you have prepared with no effort on your part. Oh, frabjous day, self-shaking cocktails!  So let’s go with stirring, just to be contrary.  The next decision was the base liquor: Gin, Whiskey, and Rum were under consideration.  Demon Rum in close association with Judgment Day might give rise to some uncomfortable thoughts, so it was selected.   Campari was chosen to represent the bitterness to be felt by those left behind, while Cointreau® Orange Liqueur was chosen to echo the sweet happiness of the elect.  Sweet Vermouth was included because of the botanicals; Judgment Day calls for natural ingredients redolent of the Garden of Eden.  Here’s hoping that your first sip of a Rapture cocktail will carry you away.

Be sure to be prepared when Cocktail Hour rolls around tomorrow.  Use your best liquor (feel free to “top shelf” this recipe, but do not downgrade the Rum), and if you don’t have all of the ingredients, charge them on your credit card.  Remember, you deserve the best, and this may be your last chance to enjoy it.  Speaking of the best, you might want to get started tonight on drinking up “the good stuff” in your bar tonight, no reason to let it go to waste.

Rapture

• 2 oz Appleton Estate® Reserve Rum
• ½ oz Campari®
• ½ oz Cointreau® Orange Liqueur
• ½ oz sweet Vermouth (try Vya®)
• 1 dash (1/8 tsp) Regans’® Orange Bitters

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass 2/3 full of ice.  Stir briskly like the Devil himself is after you ( he probably is).  Strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass.  Serve with an orange twist, and enjoy!  Remember: this may be the last cold drink you ever have.