whiskey and peaches. a cocktail.

my uncle duane officiated our wedding. there's been some debate over the use of the term officiant since he's neither ordained by a church nor, that we know of, a sea captain. he's not possessing of any of the various credentials usually required at such events, besides, of course, the most important, which are a keen way with words and a deep love and affection for the couple getting married. we went with our gut and had the legal stuff taken care of by a generous family friend.

ever since i was a little girl, my uncle has jokingly offered me a glass of strong liquor at family gatherings. while doling out glasses of port or calvados or some other decidedly adult treat, he would whisper me an invitation for a glass of scotch, or better, whiskey. i never took him up on it. but for our wedding, he made a gift of a large bottle of four roses kentucky bourbon. and i obliged.

this week, we mashed it together with peaches that had seen their better days. we added fresh mint and lemon and enough simple syrup to make things sweet. the recipe was a riff on this one, with more peaches and club soda to make it zing. the drinks were served on tiny georgia peach napkins from a dear california-friend who not only reads my words but knows precisely what i love.

i know cocktails are usually a weekend treat, but a monday in august seems as good a time as any for a little indulgence.