Photo: Claire LowerHappy hour with 3 ingredientsHappy hour with 3 ingredientsThe weekly beverage column with super simple but delicious libations.

For some reason the words “bartender’s handshake” make my skin crawl. I’m not against the concept – I love the idea of ​​the hospitality people greeting each other with nice little shots and streamlined cocktails. I just hate the phrase.

However, the terminology does not mean that the drinks that fall into this category are far from delicious. These amaro-heavy, usually two-part, ethanol aliquots are designed to be quickly made and in some cases freely poured. My favorite sub-category of the genre is the 50/50This is exactly what it sounds like – a mixture of two alcohols (one of which is usually an amaro) poured in equal parts.

My all time favorite is the Ferrari (these are my two best friends: Fernet Branca and Campari) but a new contender has entered the arena: the CIA 50/50Bar owner and writer Sother Teague is a shockingly harmonious blend of Cynar and Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy Bonded. I don’t have a particular laird on my bar cart right now, but I do have a bottle of Applejack and I’m happy to report that it goes very well with Cynar.

It’s like a bitter, alcoholic apple pie – lots of baking spices, lots of fruit and a good bit of ethanol. It’s sweet enough to be enjoyed at the end of a meal and bitter enough to aid digestion. In short, I love it.

To do that hospitable little handshake you will need:

• 1 1/2 ounces cynar
• 1 1/2 ounces apple brandy (choose your favorite)
• 3 shakes Angostura Bitter

Combine everything in a lowball with a few cubes of broken ice and stir it. No garnish – there is no need and this kind of goes against the “spirit” of the genre. (Honestly, even the bitter might be a bit of an exaggeration.)

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When you are fully vaccinated, you can look forward to using your masks less and less now The CDC has said that fully vaccinated Americans can do without masks in many situations. However, if you have allergies to dust or pollen, it may be worth keeping them close.

Pollen particles vary in size, with some wind-borne tree and grass pollen only 10 to 20 microns in size. To give a sense of scalability, N95 masks got their name as they filter out 95% of the particles that are 2.5 microns in size. Since pollen is significantly larger than the droplets and particle masks filter out, it means these masks are useful barriers to pollen and similar allergens. Such are surgical masks and many types of cloth masks. Regardless of which mask you wore to protect against COVID-19, it is likely to be effective against allergens as well.

Allergy sufferers during the pandemic have noted Her patients had an easier time managing allergy symptoms when they wore masks outdoors (during pollen season) and in other areas where airborne allergens (such as dust) may be present.

If you want to use a mask to help prevent allergy symptoms, choose one that offers good filtration (such as a multi-layer woven cotton mask or a surgical or N95 mask) and wear it so that it snugly against your face is applied. For example, if there are gaps between the mask and the sides of your nose, you can suck pollen-filled air through them.

The mask is not a perfect solution to your seasonal problems as some allergens can still irritate your eyes and skin, but it is likely to help a lot with those you would otherwise breathe. And if you have asthma allergies in addition to your asthma, you might (like me!) Find that wearing a mask on cool days can help prevent the wheezing that comes with it exercise-induced asthma. Even if you’re not having any allergy issues right now, save these masks for the cool weather and ragweed pollen you might come across this fall.

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Any high school or college student about to graduate can be assumed to have had an interesting senior year. They spent so many of their classes, extracurricular activities, and traditional milestones either virtual or masked and spread out. This is not the year to give them a “Congrats, Grad!” Coffee mug. splashed over the side. This year’s graduates deserve something more creative, a nod to what they’ve just been through.

Give them an experience

Do you know which graduating students didn’t get much of it this year? Experiences outside of their home. I’m always a fan of an experience gift because these gifts don’t take up space and create happy memories. If your graduate is fully vaccinated (or scheduled to be soon), this will be the summer to do things again.

You could make it big by giving them a weekend getaway with friends – or keeping them local with tickets to an amusement park, sporting event, outdoor concert, or other activity. They will appreciate having moments to look forward to again.

Give the gift of self-care

If we have learned anything during the pandemic, we need to take care of ourselves. These graduates come from one of the most stressful years of their young life, but there is also a lot of change ahead of them whether they are going to college or starting their careers. Now is not the time to loosen up self-care – it is the time to lean into it.

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Knowing that they are struggling with fear can give them a weighted blanket. (As the youngest recipient of such a gift, they are the most amazing things for someone who needs to relax.) I also think there is nothing wrong with things like that a foot bath or Back massager. If you would like to combine the idea of ​​“experience” with the idea of ​​“self-care”, get yourself a gift voucher for a professional massage or a particularly pampering pedicure.

Give them a surprise video gift

If all of your friends and family can’t get together in person for the grand graduation ceremony (and even if they can), nothing says “Congratulations on Surviving the 2020-21 School Year” like a compilation of video messages from everyone you love.

I’ve personally used VidHugIt allows users to request, collect, and assemble videos from friends and family to create a special, personalized montage of love and joy. (There are other similar services like Tribute.co and VidDay.) Encourage loved ones to share fun memories or offer advice and support as they begin the next chapter in their lives.

Of course, when in doubt, you can’t go wrong with a gift of money – you will surely appreciate it, whether it’s a pandemic or not.

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The majority prefer the familiarity and comfort of monogamy, but sexual adventurers of all kinds get among us. Just keep in mind that there are couples who swing from partner to partner, live in a dedicated throuple, or get involved while haggling over electricity bills with your partner or paying the same $ 30 back and forth for weekly purchases in other alternative sexual and romantic lifestyles that are contrary to tradition.

But what is the difference between polyamorous, swinger and an open relationship? Are there different rules for each of these free-running approaches to romance and intimacy?

What are polyamorous relationships?

Popular ideas about polyamory tend to associate it with sexual promiscuity. This is completely wrong, as polyamory is really about consensual camaraderie, albeit with multiple partners at the same time. Nor is it anything close to polygamy, which is the practice of having multiple wives, sometimes practiced by those of a fundamentalist sect.

Psychologist Elisabeth A. Sheff defined polyamory for Psychology today in 2018 as follows:

Polyamory is a form of consensual non-monogamy (CNM) involving, which may be, emotionally intimate relationships between multiple people sexually and / or romantic partners.

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There is an abundance of misconceptions following the term – most notably that it is nothing more than evidence of the practitioner’s hedonism. According to certified sex therapist Janet Brito, people in polyamorous relationships can actually be very involved, and their bonds are rooted in set (and occasionally even rigid) rules governing what is and is not allowed between partners.

The entire company operates on “mutual agreements about sex and relationships” between people who are polyamorous, Sheff wrote in a Article 2019 for Healthline. “Polyamory is defined as practicing or being open to intimate relationships with more than one person,” she said. “Dating as a polyamorous person means that you are not just looking for someone to have a romantic or sexual relationship with.”

Obviously, this dynamic requires a lot of trust, communication, and consent between all parties. When jealousy does arise, which is understandable to most people, the trust necessary for such an arrangement to work is likely to be undermined. Experienced poly people in successful relationships are therefore excellent at communicating what they want and need from everyone involved.

What are open relationships?

Open relationships are a little different in that the term usually applies to sexual pursuits only. As the writer Valerie Fischel explained for Self in 2018, open relationships are another form of consensual non-monogamous relationships and vary from couple to couple.

The philosophy behind open relationships is based, at least in part, on the belief that committing monogamy as a lifelong endeavor is pointless. In an open relationship, some people feel free, but not burdened, with expectations that could cause their sex life to become stale in the long run, and are better able to commit to their primary partner. Just like people involved in polyamory, people in open relationships must prioritize trust and communication if the relationship is to be successful or at least to exist unencumbered by the threat of lies and deceit.

As a rule, open relationships also work by strict rules and vary depending on the preferences of those involved across the board. For example, a couple might be in an open relationship where only one of them is actually exploring intimacy with a third party; As long as the other partner stays in the loop and accepts, the Therm continues to apply. In her article, Fischel described the relationships of some of her friends, all of whom are in open relationships or marriages:

A married couple I’m friends with have a few girlfriends between them and they also have their own partners (she has both male and female partners, and he has female partners). I have a good friend who lives apart from her boyfriend. She has several regular male and female lovers while he travels the world finding spontaneous sexual encounters in the process.

While all sexual exploits are inevitably different, the good thing is that people in these relationships usually choose paths that suit their sexual needs.

What is vibrating?

When swinging, a monogamous couple usually looks together for a sexual partner who is not involved in their relationship. As Amy Moors, a sex researcher at Chapman University, said Insider in 2019There are some manifestations of swing, such as when a couple has a threesome with someone outside of the relationship, or when two or more couples decide to trade their partners for sexual experiences.

Swinging can be a lifestyle in itself. Indeed, many of his followers refer to it as just that: sex expert Jess O’Reilly said Ask Men that the term “swinging” is a bit out of date and its more dedicated practitioners now like to refer to it as a “lifestyle”. While it definitely borrows some aspects from open relationships, swinging is purely transactional and therefore naturally thrives in its own communities.

“Swingers are typically straight couples and individuals with a variety of forms of ‘exchanges’ or partner exchanges,” Courtney Geter, a family therapist, told the website.

While all of these relationship categories depend on the preferences of those involved, there is one steadfast, overarching theme that unites them: trust. It is imperative to be respectful and get the consent of everyone involved in a relationship, regardless of how many people are involved.