A very fancy cocktail with an extremely glamourous namesake, the Mary Pickford cocktail was created...
The 5 Upsides Of 2020’s Lockdown
2020. We are not sure quite what has happened to you, but the Kir Royale
infused New Year’s Eve celebrations with the well-intended ‘new year, new me’
and New Year resolutions have probably all but disappeared from our lives!
Whether you called it lockdown or quarantine, nearly all of us reading this had to stay confined to our homes for a period during 2020. This single action put the breaks on and sent shockwaves through our pre-lockdown lives. The instant change of pace, the uncertainty of the future and the lack of physical human interaction was a challenge to adapt to. However, over the weeks and months of lockdown, irreversible changes have happened to my life for the better. These are my top five upsides of lockdown in 2020.
"Who would have thought our home, with a little imagination and enthusiasm, could turn in to a Michelin starred restaurant, an immersive art studio or an eclectic cocktail bar with limits stretching as far as our imagination lets us..."
1. Taken Back Time
With no commute in the week and no need to rush around filling time at weekends, I cannot believe how much personal time has been freed up. No pressure on attending places and events means a recharge and a reset at a personal level on a huge scale. My time is being filled to read, learn, connect with family, exercise and if I want to, just rest!
2. Appreciation Of A Moment Of Peace
It was the moment that the airplanes stopped flying overhead, the nearby motorway hum fell silent and nature’s song took over. The feeling can only be described as feeling as peaceful as being on holiday, but in my back garden. Top that off with making a homemade Margarita and I was in a moment of total peace and bliss!
Homemade Espresso Martinis - http://instagram.com/makemeacocktail3. Discovering New Ways To Connect With Loved Ones
Lockdown forced each family, couple and individual to stay in their own homes for a period of time. The physical separation did something remarkable to my technophobe family. Facetime, WhatsApp and House Party became the new way to communicate with each other. Regardless of their generation, each family member has embraced technology to combat feeling isolated and lonely, a new skill they will all possess and continue to use forever. Go grandma!
Pardon the interruption
Did you know that you can become a member for free, taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. You can save your My Bar ingredients, make tasting notes, have personalised Tried and Want to try lists and more.
4. Unleashing Creativity At Home
Who would have thought our home, with a little imagination and enthusiasm, could turn in to a Michelin starred restaurant, an immersive art studio or an eclectic cocktail bar with limits stretching as far as our imagination lets us (and what’s in stock in the house). Lockdown has seen a boom in home bar enthusiasts with a yearning for something more than a glass of wine or a beer. A website in the form of www.makemeacocktail.com has helped us unleash our inner cocktail maker! Thanks to lockdown and an exploration of the spirits aisle, we are realising the art of cocktail making is not a secret kept only for the best bartenders and practise does indeed make perfect! Who would have thought we could confidently make an Espresso Martini or a Cosmopolitan?!
Homemade Cosmopolitans - http://instagram.com/makemeacocktail5. Our Kids!
Apologies to those without children, but this is the ultimate upside to lockdown. The seemingly infinite amount of time we have been
able to spend with our children who have not been at school while we work from
home has been a blessing, if admittedly on occasion a hair pulling curse...! Cardboard
robots taking three days to make, an endless production line of baking,
connecting with local nature, walking, talking and being in one another’s
presence results in an indescribable inner contentment of the time we have been
given together, memories created to be cherished forever.
Have you experienced any of these upsides of lockdown? Or perhaps more?
If you’d like to unleash your inner cocktail making
enthusiast at home, buy the book Make Me A Cocktail
Top 50 Cocktails online
More to explore
As every responsible drinker knows, it is important not to drink on an empty stomach. Unless your ai...
What comes to mind when you picture the ultimate, relaxing getaway? Chances are you dream of white,...
Bartender's top tip
Related posts
Worlds 50 Best Bars Released
Drinks International yearly release what they coin as 'The Worlds 50 Best Bars', a list that is announced near the beginning of October every year. Started in 2009, this is the 5th year that its run a... read more
The Travelling Cocktail Drinker: The Best Bars in New York
The Big Apple is famous for its cocktails, regularly battling it out with London to be known asthe premier destination for cocktail enthusiasts. You can’t visit New Yorkwithout making a trip to one of... read more
The Best Prohibition Cocktail Bars
Prohibition occurred in the 1920s, when it became illegal to manufacturer, transport, sell or consume alcohol. The law was created to try and solve some of the antisocial problems that many countries... read more
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get tips straight into your inbox.
Upgrade your mixology
Become a member for free taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11.
- Save your bar forever
- Access to our Cocktail Creator, allowing you to create your own wonderful concoctions.
- Save cocktails to personalised 'Tried' and 'Want to try' lists
- Create and record tasting notes on cocktails
- Create lists of cocktails to share with friends and family
- A pesonalised MyBar URL, allowing you to share everything you can make with friends
- And much more ... (what to buy next, measurement choices, search personalisation...)
Olympic Cocktails and More
Discover a host of cocktails inspired by the Paris 2024 Olympics, meet the bartenders behind the cocktails and win yourself some juicy Amazon vouchers.
Our Olympic Cocktail Hub