Drink 4: Key “Lyme” martini

The Story: I met Greg through my friends Toni and Brian. Toni and I have been friends since the mid-1990s and Greg is her husband Brian’s college roommate and best friend. For the past five years or so I have seen Greg a couple times a year: in November at the Portland Brew Fest and in the summer at his family’s beach house in Connecticut. He and I have always gotten along well and have built a friendship independent of our mutual friends.

Last fall he came to Portland with this tall, beautiful, well-dressed woman on his arm. They had only recently started dating and were completely wrapped up in each other, so we didn’t get to visit much. I only said hello and nice to meet you to Carrie and didn’t get to say much more to Greg the entire weekend.

In June, I got a piece of mail from Connecticut, which I realized as I walked up my front stairs, was very likely to be an invitation to a beach party. I walked up the stairs chanting “please not July 4 weekend” over and over again, since I already had plans to be at Day Camp for the weekend. Alas, the invitation was for July 4 so I responded with my regrets and told them if they had open weekends later in the summer I would love to visit.

Almost immediately, I got an email back from Carrie saying they would love to have me down on the 23rd. I jumped at the opportunity for several reasons.

You see, as a single girl of a certain age, I have been sidelined from many a male-friend’s life by a new girlfriend who has no interest in making nice with the single female friends. My closest friends can sometimes pull the move off, but even that hasn’t always been true.

And here is a friend’s new girl doing exactly the opposite. Once you know Carrie a little, though, that makes complete sense. She went to law school but, instead of practicing law, she’s a yoga teacher and successful fashion blogger. So, yeah, she’s completely fabulous AND super smart. You’d better watch yourself, Greg!

The Drink: Inspiration hit while we were looking at the drink menu at Sunset Ribs. I had been looking through pictures on Carrie’s camera and saw pictures of their trip to the Florida Keys. They love the Keys; I love the Keys; there was a Key Lime martini on the menu. That didn’t feel like the right connection, though. I have other friends that I’ve actually been to the Keys with and share that bond.

But wait! Greg’s family’s beach house is in Old Lyme, Connecticut. So how about a Key “Lyme” Martini!