Today started out as a single-post day. Ran some errands, straightened up the house, settled in to watch the World Cup final between France and Italy. Such occasions call for a drink, particularly when you’re facing double overtime and the possibility of a penalty shoot-out—a penalty shoot-out in the final game of Zidane’s career.

Then, once you’ve settled on a Blue Star to celebrate the nearly miraculous fact that Les Bleus made it to the final game (and against Italy—what a surprising tournament), prepared to enjoy the extra half hour of play, Zizou pulls a bonehead maneuver and gets himself ejected. Ejected!

Bartender! We need another round!

1 oz gin
1 oz blue curaçao
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz orange juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I generally have a problem with blue food. There are very few truly edible blue items found in nature—even blueberries are actually purple—and blue curaçao always seems a bit too Cocktail for me. Nevertheless, I bowed to Doc’s superior knowledge and went with this one.

Sweet, sassy and fun, this isn’t the best drink for a day when the temperature indoors is a brisk 87.8, but it is tasty and enjoyable anyway. I recommend this for those late summer days when the evenings cool off just enough to warrant a beverage without ice.