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Put your pinkies up graduates

Drink of the week

By: Ralph Warner

Posted: 5/13/09

For the 6,000 students eligible to partake in graduation ceremonies this semester, the four or more years of college have been a journey of growth. It's time to have a drink that allows us to reflect on those good times throughout our college career, while looking ahead to our future.

Champanska, a mix of Moet & Chandon White Star Champagne, Grey Goose vodka and lime cordial is the perfect representation of this transitional period for the class of 2009.

We've all done the nights of cheap drinks on a college budget - whether it was playing beer pong with less desirable beers, such as Keystone Light or Natural Ice, or opting to pick up the $15 handle (1.75 liter bottle) of hard liquor instead of the $30 fifth (.750 mL bottle) on those desperate nights. However, on the night of graduation, it's only right we learn from past mistakes and treat ourselves to something better. After all, isn't that part of the college experience?

The elegance of the Moet and the festiveness of the Grey Goose allows this mix to be enjoyed with the family during post-graduation gatherings, but still respected at the after-parties with your best college drinking buddies. This duo of French imports is a match made in heaven - where class meets entertainment.

For those of us who adore hard alcohol, drinking something carbonated other than chasers may take some getting used to. Don't worry - the smoothness of the vodka takes off a bit of the carbonation from the champagne, while providing that much-needed buzz. The low alcohol percentage of the Moet isn't going to cut it for a true grad party drink, but the 80-proof Grey Goose helps bring life to this party in a glass. The lime cordial, which is a mix of lime juice from concentrate and sugar, also compliments the citrus fruit flavors of the Chandon.

This drink is to be savored, not downed or chugged. None of your friends will poke fun at you for babysitting this drink.

At $31 for the Moet and $28 for the Grey Goose, the money for these bottles could be split among a few friends, equating to the cost of no more than a shot or two per person at a downtown bar. Sure, it's not Cristal, Dom Perignon, or Ace of Spades, but we're college graduates entering a job market where nothing seems to be promised or guaranteed.

We'll leave the $100 and higher champagne brands to rappers and celebrities, such as Jay-Z, for now. In the words of a good friend, "Hustle now, ball later."

A recession is no excuse to pick up something that will leave you hurling on one of the most memorable nights of your life.

So, no matter how many times you have been crowned beer pong champion, or have bought that vodka brand because it was the cheapest, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this drink. After the four years or more you've spent at SJSU, you deserve it.