[Comm] Mixology Monday Morning

“Not even a cherubmas themed drink for the occasion?” Millie prodded, unphased by the side eye she received from Hops.

It was one of the slower days at The Rabbit Hole so far, which meant that Hops could indulge her bar-seated customers in more conversation than she normally could. Millie had decided that it would be a perfect chance to ask (aka interrogate) Hops about potential new drinks. This had been going on for about half an hour now and showed no signs of stopping.

“I don't plan on it, no.”

“What about-”

“Millie, dear, I love new menu items as much as the next bun, but I don't make the menu. For now there's not going to be a new ‘official’ drink.” Hops politely explained, turning around to place a bottle of liquor back on the shelves. When she turned back around she was met with a dejected bun who hadn't received the answer she had wanted.

Hops thought for a moment before leaning her forearms on the counter. “You know, I could show you how to make a drink or two. Maybe then you could come up with your own.”

Millie immediately lit up at the proposal. “Really?!”

“Absolutely! I've been doing some classes recently on my signature drinks, but since it's not too busy I don't see a problem with a quick lesson now.”

Millie was practically vibrating with excitement now. The bun stood quickly from her seat and rounded the counter to join Hops.

“What are we going to make? Sin Fizz? Snowslide??”

Hops giggled at the other buns excitement and shook her head. “We're going to start with something more simple,” she said, bending down to pluck two chilled glasses from the mini fridge. She set them down on the bar with a satisfying thump. “Peach Hellini!”

“OooOOOooo!” Millie clasped her hands together, beaming.

Hops made quick work of grabbing the necessary supplies before settling into her spot beside Millie.

“First, we need to slice up this peach. Would you care to do the honors?”

Millie eagerly took the knife and peach from Hops and began to slice it into even wedges, taking care to avoid accidentally sticking the blade into the pit. Once she'd don't that, Hops showed her how to deal off the skin of a few slices in a way that wouldn't ruin the shape. It was a good thing that there were plenty of slices since it took a couple tries to get the procedure right. As they worked, Hops went on to explain why it was important to do this step first so that the drink wouldn't sit too long waiting for the fruit.

“Ok, good! Now we're going to take the wine, peach puree, and this liqueur. You're going to pour each in these amounts.” Hops demonstrated with each ingredient, passing the bottles to Millie between steps so she could follow along.

“Next we're going to add a dash of my secret ingredient,” Hops announced, tossing Millie a performative wink as she opened it up.

“What is the secret ingredient?” Millie questioned, peering in fascination at the item as Hops added a dash to her own glass before passing it to Millie.

“If I told you then it wouldn't be a secret anymore now would it?”

Millie rolled her eyes with an amused laugh. “You got me there! How much do I add again?”

“Just a dash! While it doesn't affect the flavours much, a little bit can go a LONG way.”

Millie nodded in understanding and carefully added the ingredient to her glass.

“Beautiful!! Now give it a quick stir like so… yes, good! Time to add the peaches.”

Millie watched and mimicked Hops, dropping two slices into the winged cup.

“And vóila, you have made your first Hops Drink! How'd it turn out?”

Millie beamed proudly as she picked up the beverage, admiring her work before taking a sip. She pursed her lips as she swallowed, tilting her head in thought. “Definitely not as good as yours,” she confessed with a laugh, offering it to Hops to try.

Hops gladly took a swig, humming thoughtfully. “Not bad though for a first try! If you keep up the practice you'll get it nailed in no time, I bet.”

Hops paused, digging around before producing a small fabric bag. She added some of the secret ingredient to it, pulling the drawstrings shut before passing it to Millie. “Here, take some of this and do a few more practice rounds. I'll send you off with another recipe or two to try as well. I bet you'll be a pro in no time!”

Millie accepted the gift with a delighted squeal. “Thank you! Maybe I'll get even better than you.” Millie smirked playfully, returning to the opposite side of the bar after giving Hops a quick hug of thanks.

“Don't get too ahead of yourself now,” Hops laughed. “Ready to settle up?”

Millie grabbed the drink she'd forgotten when she jumped up for the lesson, finishing it off. “Yeah, I've got some drink studying to get to!”