Small Kitchen College » Dorm Room Bar: Birthday Bellini

Dorm Room Bar: Birthday Bellini

True Life: I’m a sucker when it comes to celebrations of all types. I love throwing a party for any and all occasions. My apartment hosted a Thanksgiving feast in the fall, and I have been known to scour Google for obscure holidays, just to have an excuse to throw a party and bake something fantastic. (Get ready for Eat Your Vegetables Day on the 17th, and Waffle Iron Day on the 29th.) Birthdays are no exception to this obsession. In fact, a birthday may be my favorite holiday out of the year. Getting to celebrate the fact that someone exists while simultaneously getting to stuff your face with cake and ice cream? What’s not to love about this deal? And the best part? It happens every year. This past week, I can count three birthdays that I’ve celebrated. Which means three different cakes. Yeah. I’m a lucky duck.

One of these birthdays happened to be my own, actually. Yes, I have reached the beautiful age of 22, the first non-milestone birthday. I mean, think about it. At 19, you’re celebrating your last year of teenage angst. At 20, you’re starting a new decade - the big 2-0, and at 21, you’re celebrating your legal right to get plastered whenever you want. After that string, it kind of makes 22 seem a bit lackluster.

Normally I’m a pessimist, but I decided I would not let this get me down. I had survived yet another year in this crazy world! That, I think, deserved a drink. I wanted something fruity, frothy, and full of gin. This cocktail is not your normal bellini. It has no champagne and no schnapps. However, it’s bubbly. And there’s a good dose of peach. And it’s my birthday, so I get poetic license with the name. When it’s your birthday, you can change it to whatever you want.

Johanna Caruthers just graduated with an English degree from McDaniel College. She is terrified about post-grad life, but is looking into becoming a professional body glitter tester.

**Recipe**

Birthday Bellini
Serves one birthday boy or girl

Ingredients
1 ounce of gin
1 can of ginger ale
However much peach ice cream your little heart desires

Pour the gin and ginger ale into a glass and stir. Carefully drop in a scoop (or four) of peach ice cream. Watch the concoction fizz up in celebration of you, and enjoy immediately.