Miss Kitty has a drink.

When I was younger I loved to go out. Catch up with my friends, have a few drinks, sometimes there was dinner involved. More often than not, just a few more drinks. Sometimes there was dancing (I refuse to say if I actually danced although you can take my mention of dancing as tacit confirmation of aforementioned activity).

As I get older I often think nostalgically about life as a wee youngster. More often than not the drinks were plentiful but not of a particularly high quality. One of the things I like most about being a grown up is that I now not only value quality in life, but I can also afford it. And I make sure that my mantra “less is more” extends across the many aspects of my life.

Take dressing up, for example – when I was younger it was all about the latest fashions. In the 90’s there were lots of shoulder pads, big hair and clompy shoes (yes, all together). There were numerous bottles of Minchinbury sparkling wine consumed. It was a sight to behold. Really. I bet you can’t imagine it now you know the glamourous, more refined Kitty.

In the 2000’s I got a bit more glam (a reasonable paycheck often helps). My tastes became a little more extravagant – Four Sisters Semillon was often the drink of choice (gorgeous blue bottle – perfect for gerberas after the contents had been consumed) and the quality and style of clothing improved. Bootleg jeans, a glittery top and sparkly sandals were the threads du jour, no matter what the temperature.

And now? Well, now it’s definitely all about quality. Miu Mius or Louboutins, a slinky jersey dress and some statement jewellery are the Kitty style for an evening out with the girls. Getting ready, I often put on some music (Lily Allen is my new favourite – she’s so perky and full of life), pop on a hydrating face masque, make myself a drink and start trying things on to create the perfect outfit.

And my drink of choice? If I am feeling super decadent I’ll make myself a Caipiroska – the combination of sour lime, slick vodka and the sweetness of the sugar make it the perfect pick me up for a night out on the town. It’s refreshing, soothing and definitely gets me in the right kind of mood for a party. And I know it’s not traditional but I always add a sprig of mint to the drink so it ends up being almost a cross between a Mojito and a Caiprioska. I find it even more refreshing: the combination of mint and lime is just too good. And now that I am a fabulously individual grown up, I find creating my own drink a great way to express that uniqueness!

Kitty’s Caipiroska (aka the Kitty-oska)

30 ml vodka – try the Smirnoff Mojito Vodka, the kaffir lime hit is fab!
One lime, cut into 8 pieces
A sprig of mint
One kaffir lime leaf, finely shredded
2 teaspoons of sugar – your choice of brown, caster sugar, palm… So long as it’s not raw sugar as that doesn’t dissolve very well
Crushed ice (cubes don’t work as well)

Squeeze the juice from three of the lime pieces into a glass (I usually use a 350-400ml tumbler) and tip the rest of the lime pieces and the kaffir lime leaf into the glass. Add the sugar, leaves from the sprig of mint and muddle with a muddling stick for a few turns. Top off with vodka, and fill the glass with crushed ice. A few turns with a spoon to combine the ingredients and there you have the perfect pre-going out drink.

In fact, that sounds so good I think I’ll make myself one tonight. Before I go out, of course!

Thanks to Smirnoff Cocktails for inviting me to share my getting ready to go out experience…

Kitty