Somewhat spontaneously we headed to the movies last Friday night. At this lovely place. The Hermitage Museum and Garden. Located literally minutes from our house, we clearly don't spend enough time here. I won't spend ages on the story of the place (you can easily read that for yourself), except to tell you that the house was originally constructed in 1908 by William and Florence Sloane, wealthy New Yorkers who came to Hampton Roads to run textile mills. By 1936 Florence Sloane had expanded the home to the 42 room permanent residence we see today. The museum was opened permanently in 1942.

I'd been once to the Hermitage (Only once? What the heck was I thinking?) with my photography group and was stunned by the drop dead gorgeousness of the place. It is just the kind of space I could get lost in and wander for ages. I couldn't stay long that day and have been anxious to get back ever since. They show outdoor movies in the summer, and when I discovered that last Friday's movie was Casablanca...Well. No brainer.

It was a perfect night. The movie, shown on a giant blow up screen, started just after dark so we had time to set up our beach chairs and wander around a bit as the sun went down.

Panavoir, one of our local food trucks showed up to feed the hungry masses. I've been anxious to get a bite from this guy's truck so I was thrilled that they were there. (Apparently he has new signage for the truck too... and just this week it went on there!) We weren't disappointed. He served what he called "scooters" (bigger than sliders) of pulled pork and BBQ chicken, with slaw of course, and those, along with chips made a perfect meal. Neel and Cal were so hungry that they wouldn't let me take much time to photograph the food, but you get the idea. I'll get my paws on more soon.

Beer, wine, soda and water. Perfect picnic weather. Perfect picnic.

Sun down. Screen up. Movie on. I'd forgotten what a wonderful movie Casablanca is. It's been years and years since I've seen it. Even Callum seemed to enjoy himself, although I think his favorite part was the kerflufle that took place behind us when, after some chattering got louder and shushing didn't seem to work, two women start sniping at each other, "Why don't YOU shut up so I can watch the movie."

Finally some guy said, "Why don't you both shut the fuck up or go home."

For the rest of the movie it was quiet after that.

Late July and I even got a little chilly by the end of the evening. And you know what? It was just as magical to walk back to the car under those twinkling lights as it was to watch the sun go down or the movie itself. Next up, Meet Me in St. Louis and after that Roman Holiday. I can't wait.

Let's take a break from Paris and London shall we? Fear not! I have more to say(!). Still, if I could use a break writing about it, I figure you guys could sure use a break reading about our travels, yes? And what says "Let's take a break!" better than cocktail hour?

A confluence of events had us making some cocktails Sunday evening. Part of the story was simply that I felt better. I knew I did because the idea of standing in the kitchen was appealing rather than appalling. Part of it was that we'd had some great drinks on our trip, and part of it was that we'd simply been thinking of doing it for some time now. Making some new drinks. Trying some new flavors. Mixing things up, so to speak, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

On Saturday night, my friend Marianne had been given a drink that was light and refreshing and featured blueberry vodka (Shudder) (Where do they come up with these flavors?) (From fresh squeezed blueberries?) and lemonade. On a hot summer night it was surprisingly delightful. And here's the thing. Somehow we'd managed to end up with a bottle of Kurant Vodka and we weren't sure what to do with it.

By Sunday morning, an idea was born.

The Cocktail to Be Named Later
Blackberries
Lemon Thyme Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
Absolut Kurant Vodka
Sparkling Lemonade
Club Soda
Thyme Sprigs for garnish

In an old fashioned glass, muddle a handful of blackberries with 1-1.5 teaspoons of the simple syrup. Add 2 measures of Kurant vodka and fill glass with lemonade. Top with a splash of club soda and a sprig of thyme.

I'm always on the lookout for non-alcoholic drinks that feel celebratory and don't taste like fruit punch. For a non-alcoholic version of this, increase the ratio of blackberries, syrup, and lemonade and the eliminate vodka (!) and club soda. This got a thumbs up from both me and Callum!

Lemon-Thyme Simple Syrup

If you like to make cocktails, simple syrup is something you really should consider having on hand. It's super easy to make (hence the name), and lends a lightly sweet and yet subtle flavor to your drinks. We have basic simple syrup, but for this cocktail I used Lemon-Thyme Simple Syrup.

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4-8 springs thyme (We happened to have lemon thyme in the garden, because you know, Neel.)
3-4 thin slices of lemon

In a small saucepan, bring all ingredients to a gentle boil until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool and store, up to three months in the refrigerator. You can strain the solids out of the liquid, but for a more intense flavor (and a prettier bottle), keep them in. This versatile syrup can be used in place of sweetener in many ways, including iced tea, lemonade or cocktails. Stirred into Pimms (along with some lemonade) added another dimension to our beloved cocktail.

So until our Kurant vodka runs out, we have a refreshing summer drink. All we need is a name. Any thoughts? We're taking suggestions. And f you happen to make yourself a version of it, let me know how it turns out!

summer nights {life}

shaken, muddled and stirred {life}