Nurses, Which Alcoholic Drink Are You?

When your shift is finally over, and you have the weekend off, it’s time to enjoy some old-fashioned EtOH. While moderation is always a good thing, this is the time to kick back and enjoy your favorite wines, spirits, and cocktails.

Just to have a little bit of fun, let’s figure out which alcoholic beverage you are. We’ve connected each shift during the day with a fun, tasty alcoholic drink. Which one reflects you and your shift? We’ve also included recipes for the cocktails, giving you some fun ideas for your next office party. Enjoy!

12 Hour Shifts: The Long Island Ice Tea

Just like those twelve-hour shifts we all know you pull from time to time, the long island ice tea is hardcore. It’s one of the most alcoholic mixed drinks out there, and it sure is relaxing to drink one after an absolutely brutal and super-long shift. Long island ice teas may look simple from the outside, but they’re incredibly complex. They’re made with tequila, vodka, light rum, triple sec, and gin. Just like you never know what kind of craziness you’ll run into on a long shift, the Long Island Ice Tea has a little bit of everything.

Here’s a recipe:

Ingredients:

• ½ fl. Oz. vodka
• ½ fl. Oz. rum
• ½ fl. Oz. gin
• ½ fl. Oz. tequila
• ½ fl. Oz. triple sec
• ½ fl. Oz sweet and sour mix
• ½ fl. Oz. cola, or to taste
• 1 lemon wedge

Directions

Fill up a cocktail shaker with ice. Then, pour each of the alcohols over the ice: vodka, rum, gin, tequila, triple sec, and sweet and sour mix. Shake well, then pour into a Collins glass or hurricane glass. Top with a splash of cola, and serve with lemon wedge.

Morning Shift: The Bloody Mary

We chose the Bloody Mary for the morning shift, because it’s a classic breakfast cocktail. Really, it’s the only cocktail that you’d really describe as a “breakfast drink.” Rich and complex, it’s quite the eye-opener. Here’s our favorite Bloody Mary recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 oz premium vodka
• 4 oz tomato juice
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 2 tsp horseradish
• 2 dashes Worchestershire sauce
• 1 pinch of celery salt
• 1 pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 pinch of smoked paprika
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 lime wedge
• 1 celery stalk

Ingredients

First, pour a little bit of the celery salt onto a plate. Then, take the lemon wedge and rub it over the rim of the pint glass that the cocktail will be served in. Roll the juice-coated edge in the celery salt until it’s fully coated. Fill it up with ice, and set it aside.

In a cocktail shaker, squeeze the remaining juice out of the lemon wedge and toss it in. Add all of the remaining ingredients, and fill the shaker up with ice. Shake it gently, then strain it into the glass you’ve prepared. Garnish it with a celery stalk and a lime wedge on the rim.

Afternoon Shift: The Tequila Sunset

In an afternoon shift, you’re often there until the sun sets, especially in the winter with its short days. So, we picked the Tequila Sunset for this one, a spin on the better-known Tequila Sunrise.

Here’s the recipe for it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup ice
• 1 ½ oz tequila
• 4 oz orange juice (OR, substitute grapefruit juice for a tart variation)
• ½ oz grenadine
• 1 maraschino cherry
• 1 mandarin orange

Directions

Fill up a serving glass with the ice. In a shaker, combine the tequila and juice, and shake well. Add the grenadine, then shake it again. Pour it into the glass, and garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange wedge.

Night Shift: Irish Coffee

If you’re like a lot of us, you drink more than your fair share of coffee during night shifts. That’s why we’ve chosen the Irish Coffee to represent the nightshift. Blending the sedation and calming effects of moderate alcohol consumption with the little pick-me-up of a good cup of java, Irish Coffee is the best of both worlds. Here’s a neat recipe for it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of freshly brewed hot coffee. For best results, use freshly ground, high quality coffee beans.
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 jigger Irish whiskey
• Heavy cream, whipped slightly

Directions

Fill up a footed mug with hot water to heat it up, then empty it. This should leave the glass warm to the touch. Then, pour the hot coffee into it until it’s around ¾ of the way full. Add the brown sugar, and stir it in until it’s completely dissolved. Blend in the Irish whiskey thoroughly. Then, top it off with the heavy cream. Serve hot.

Crazy Shifts are Part of Our Job

As nurses, we deal with long, irregular, and just plain crazy shifts. We hope you got a kick out of these cocktails!