Last week, I was summoned to jury duty. That was my first jury duty, because I didn’t become a US citizen until 3 years ago. For most people, jury duty probably is a painful job. For me, this is something incredible, because I feel like I am part of the society and I can contribute.
For a long period of time, I felt that my identity was lost. I am a Hong Konger, but I don’t live in Hong Kong. I was out of touch with the current events and politics in Hong Kong. I have never voted either. I didn’t feel like I was a member of the society. Even though I was in the States, I was just an international student or an US resident. For 12 years, there were many things happened around me that I cared about, but I was not allowed to have a say by voting. When I finally voted 2 years ago, I no longer felt like I was only “someone” who lives in the United States. I am a proud citizen of the United States and I get to express my opinions and speak my mind. That opportunity doesn’t come easy, so I cherish every citizen duties I get. I’m looking forward to casting my vote this presidential election. We decide our future and we should voice our opinion when we can, because not everyone gets to do that. 🙂
Back to the jury duty story last week, I ended up being pre-selected and had potential to be on a case. But before the jury selection process, the case was settled outside of the court and we were dismissed. Oh well… There is always next time.
Now to celebrate the arrival of spring, get ready for cocktail hour!
Remember the blackberry ginger syrup from last week? This cocktail is created to let the berries and ginger shine. It is very easy and there are only 5 ingredients. Bryan and I decided to go with Aviation gin. It is a smooth gin with a mild juniper note. It doesn’t overpower the syrup, but brings a nice flavor combination of floral, citrus and spices. Syrup, gin, club soda, and ice cubes. This is a wonderful drink to enjoy on a sunny afternoon in front of a green yard (or for me, a clear window). Cheers to spring!
Blackberry-Ginger Gin Cocktail
1 serving
Ingredients:
– 2 ounces Blackberry-ginger syrup
– 1½ ounces gin (like Aviation gin)
– 5 ounces club soda
– 5 ice cubes
– 2 fresh blackberries (optional for garnish)
Directions:
- In a medium serving glass, add the syrup, gin and club soda. Stir to mix. Add ice cubes. Garnish with fresh blackberries. Serve immediately.
Tip:
- You can use any gin you like, but I say it is better to go with something milder.
Here, here – and I’ll drink to what you said about voting and having freedoms here in America! : )
Lovely drink – you are quite the mixologist, my friend! Enjoy Easter!
Thank you very much! Cheers to you!
I don’t drink a lot. But when it comes to fruity alcohol drink, I really enjoy them. It is a great way to use up ripe fruits too! Have a great Easter too!
What a delicious looking drink, and gorgeous photos, too! I can’t wait to try it. The weather here in Phoenix is plenty warm for such a lovely, brightly flavored drink!
Thank you so much, Nikki! A cool and refreshing cocktail is always perfect for a warm day, right? Enjoy. Thanks for stopping by.
Beautiful post – voting is certainly something many of us take for granted when really it’s one of the most important civic duties we have. So this cocktail is simply gorgeous and the color is just stunning! Do you think I can take it with me to the polls? I may have to after this upcoming election 😛
LOL! This election is better than any TV drama out there. We all need a cocktail (or many)!
Oooh, lovely! I’m a huge fan of that photo with our bottle in the background — mind if we share it on our social channels? With proper credit of course.
Cheers!
Thank you very much! Of course I don’t mind. Please share. 🙂
Lokness, most Americans have no idea how expensive and difficult the citizenship test is! I only know because I volunteer for a program that teaches English and citizenship. There were plenty of questions that I had no idea how to answer until I studied along with my student! After all that hard work, the privileges that come with citizenship are a well earned honor. Unfortunately, it’s easy for people who didn’t have to work for citizenship to not realize how important it is to take part in the democratic process. That said, had you been chosen for a long court case, you might have needed one (or more) of these refreshing cocktails nightly! I can’t wait to make the syrup and give this a try!
I have forgotten most of the answers by now. HAHA! But I studied really hard for those questions back then. I passed with flying colors! 😉
You are right! Many people have no idea how lucky they are to have a say about the future of their country and government. Maybe the craziness in this election year will inspired people to vote.
Haha, yes. If I really got picked. I will need a couple of this blackberry cocktail. 😛
Oh I love Aviation and this cocktail is delicious looking <3
I’m a gin drinker so this looks delicious, and not over the top fancy. I look forward to trying this on a hot summer day!
This is fairly easy and doesn’t require too many ingredients. Hope you will like it. 😉