The Horse’s Neck is another basic cocktail that can be mixed with a number of spirits. It combines lemon, gin, and ginger ale. The fanciest thing about it is the garnish, which is the peel of a single lemon all in one strip, hanging down the inside of the glass with a bit of lemon arched over the rim in a shape reminiscent of a horse’s neck. Since this classic high-ball style drink is pretty tasty and straight-forward, I thought I’d wander a bit off-topic and talk about how to make Cocktail Hour into family time.
The Horse’s Neck is a great family time drink. You can create Pony’s Necks (I made that up) for the kids with lemonade mixed with a spash of ginger ale. Serve in high-ball glasses with the same garnish. Just don’t get your drinks mixed up with theirs!
Next gather round the living room each night and read a classic ‘horse’ book together as you sip your Horse’s Necks.
Here is a short list of some of my favorite horse books:
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry
Brighty: Of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry (I had no idea until now that all of my favorite books as a 8-9 year old were written by the same person! I’ll never ever forget Brighty. I still remember exactly where I was when I finished reading this book. I was in school. I sat front row, center, facing The Flag. It was reading time, and I remember closing the book and staring at the flag fixedly in an attempt to keep from sobbing my heart out. I love you Brighty!)
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley – For a little more adult reading material. It is a lengthy book, but totally worth it!