There’s something quietly perfect about the hours before New Year’s Eve—the part that doesn’t need counting down, just a small table, a low room, and the soft glow that makes everything look warmer than it is.
Pre-NYE 2016 cocktails felt like that. Two pale drinks arrived like little weather systems: one in a coupe, delicate and calm, the other tall with ice stacked like clean glass stones. A lime wedge leaned in, green and sharp, as if to remind the whole scene to stay awake.
The bar top held its own history—grain lines, scuffs, and reflections that shimmered under the lights. It’s funny how a simple drink can turn a moment into a place you can return to later. Not a big memory, not a dramatic one. Just a settled, brightening kind of pause.
This is the part of the holiday that I always want to keep: the quiet ritual before the noise, the small clink of glass, the first sip that tastes like citrus and cold air, and the sense that the night is still opening.
If you’re mixing at home next year, aim for that same balance—something tart, something smooth, and enough ice to make time slow down for a minute.
