WhiskyNet Insight: February, the Month of Celebrations
- 13 Feb 2023 2:12 PM
Even though the Festive Season of December is over, and the very cold winter has arrived in Hungary by the end of January and the beginning of February, we still have something to celebrate!
February comes from the Latin word “Februa”, which means “cleansing”. The month was named after the Roman Februalia, which was a month-long festival of purification that usually took place this time of the year.
Valentine’s Day
On 14th February we celebrate the well-known day of lovers, Valentine’s Day. V-Day has its origins as an ancient agriculture and human fertility festival which took place between February 13-15, when the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia.
Later, this pagan festival was “Christianized”, and linked this time of the year to St. Valentine who is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, engaged couples, happy marriages, love, lovers, and young people.
Kraken – Zombie Tentacle
Kraken, as they say, is a liquid of unparalleled darkness, stained by The Beast itself. It’s time to step into the dark of the depths where the cocktails are mixed. Here is an example for V-Day:
Ingredients:
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80ml Kraken® Original spiced rum
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30ml lime juice
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30ml grapefruit juice
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20ml orange curaçao
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10ml cinnamon syrup
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10ml grenadine
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2 dashes Absinthe
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1 dash Angostura bitters
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake. Strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Mardi Gras
The name Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, so called because it is the last day of feasting before the sacrifices and fasting that define the Christian season of Lent. Mardi Gras is one of the most iconic celebrations of all time: colourful beads, vibrant parades, hurricane cocktails and so many other unique customs.
Mardi Gras is a legal holiday in Louisiana, and has been since 1875, when Governor Warmoth signed the “Mardi Gras Act.”
The Demon’s Share – Old Fashioned Demon
Legend has it that in Panama there are 7 little demons, lovers of adventure. They are all artists and love rum. Their job is to guard, advise and defend the best rum in circulation: The Demon’s Share. Here is their favourite cocktail to celebrate Mardi Gras:
Ingredients:
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50ml of The Demon’s Share spiced rum
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3ml vanilla syrup
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3 dashes of Angostura bitters
Method:
Stir everything together, then pour it into an old-fashioned glass on a rock, and garnish with an orange twist.
Farsang in Hungary
In Hungary, we celebrate a feast called Farsang which lasts from 6th January (called Vízkereszt) until the start of the 40-day-long fasting before Easter. Farsang is a festival period with several celebrations to welcome spring and to “bury” winter.
During this period, there are usually dance parties with music and masquerade parades where young (single) people had the chance to meet each other.
Even though Canerock is a spiced rum from Jamaica, the delicious Caribbean cocktails that can be made from it are perfect to all kinds of Farsang celebration. Here is a sweet, refreshing recipe for you:
Ingredients:
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40ml Canerock Jamaican Spiced Rum
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20ml fresh pineapple juice
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80ml cranberry juice
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1 dash of orange bitters
Method:
In a glass filled with crushed ice, combine all ingredients and stir. Garnish with pineapple leaves. Enjoy slowly and serenely.
Canerock, Kraken, The Demon’s share and others rum based spirits can be purchased in the webshop of WhiskyNet.
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