In my new book Drinking with Your Patron Saints, I offer more than 100 recipes to help introduce some festive piety and a grateful memory of the communion of saints into an otherwise worldly occasion. Here are some suggestions for forthcoming feast days. Just remember: as a Jesuit casuist will be the first to tell you, although it is not okay to drink while you pray, it is okay to pray while you drink.
St Bernardine of Siena, May 20
St Bernardine (1380-1444) was a Franciscan friar and the greatest preacher of his day, sometimes attracting crowds as large as 30,000. The saint initially suffered from hoarseness, but the Blessed Virgin Mary cured him. He was also a formidable enemy of vice: when he spoke out against gambling in the city of Bologna, he was so successful that a manufacturer of playing cards went bust. The kind saint, who had a great regard for entrepreneurs, helped the man spring back by suggesting that he print IHS holy cards. The fellow made a small fortune from his newfound piety. You can limit your gambling to trying a brand-new drink. Andrew Anderson, chief mixologist at Balcones Distilling, created the Double Down Cocktail just for Drinking With Your Patron Saints. Its main ingredient, the magnificent and fiery Balcones Brimstone, will either cure you of hoarseness or cause it. 1½ oz. Balcones Brimstone ¾ oz. sweet vermouth ½ oz. Aperol 2–3 dashes Angosura bitters 1 orange twist Build liquid ingredients into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice and stir forty times. Garnish with orange.
