Drink Like a Gemini: 6 Beverages to Toast the Inherent Chaos of it All
Gemini—The Twins—is an air sign whose modality is mutable and whose ruling planet is Mercury. You don’t need to have a deep understanding of astrology, only of adjectives, really, to put “airy” and “mutable” and “mercurial” together and come up with something like “spontaneous,” or in a slightly more sinister term, “volatile.” For those who put any stake in, or are at least entertained by, the fantasy character development alignment chart, any plotting of the Zodiac signs always finds Gemini in the “chaotic” column, but moving freely between lawful, neutral, and evil—which does indeed seem like a very chaotic, Gemini thing to do.
But is a little chaos such a bad thing? We could all afford to celebrate our inner Geminis a bit, embracing the unexpected, and unleashing our wilder sides, especially after a double dose of locked Zodiacal horns with driven Aries followed by dependable Taurus. In volatility there is versatility. In chaos there is charisma. So let’s raise a glass to the spirited Geminis this season, with 6 beverages perfect for toasting the glorious chaos.
Let’s be honest, there was no way I was not going to use New York City’s Evil Twin Brewing to honor Gemini. I like that the name nods to the inherent duality of twins, regardless if they are identical. They need not be fraternal for one to be evil. (Jessica Wakefield comes to mind, Sweet Valley’s High Priestess of sociopathic tendencies.) But of course Evil Twin has the perfect beer to celebrate that duality: Greenhouse, a black lager. (Also known as “schwarzbier” in Germany, for a name that also invokes a little fear.) Black lagers defy your every expectation, by looking like one thing but tasting like another. A deeply roasted malt results in a dark color with notes of bitter chocolate, with a crisp and clean texture.
Like Gemini, Portugal is two things simultaneously. On one hand, it’s a place with the kind of climate that can turn the ocean into bathwater and produce robust, tannic reds and rich Ports. On the other hand, it’s a place with world-record surfing waves and the kind of lush, verdant terroir that gives us light and spritzy Vinho Verdes. It’s both. Embrace the bothness. Since Gemini season intersects with the beginning of porch pounder weather, Twin Vines Vinho Verde, (indeed named for a set of twins in the J.M. Fonseca winemaking family,) is a perfect spring sipper for the occasion.
Many spirits have light and dark varieties due to different aging approaches but none so versatile as rum, whose light and dark expressions can both work equally well in a variety of drinks. As for that which you don’t expect, Kasama rum is made in the Philippines. (What, like you thought all rum had to be made in the Caribbean?) Founder Alexandra Dorda brought her spirit-making know-how from her Polish father, (creator of Belvedere and Chopin vodka,) with her Filipino roots, to create a 7-year rum that celebrates a sunny island outlook. Consequently, Kasama means “together” or “companion” in Filipino, further proof that it is meant to be the spirit spirit for Gemini folk.
Kombucha straddles the line between sipper and salad dressing, with its slightly savory, fermented edge. It’s like drinking a pickleback, (chaotic evil, obviously,) but in a gut-friendly, better-for-you beverage form, including probiotics that improve your body’s microbiome by enhancing good bacteria, aid in digestion, and boost your immune system. It’s certainly chaotic, and it’s most definitely good. Health-Ade produces a line of kombuchas that are both gut-friendly and palate-friendly, with flavors such as Berry Lemonade, Pink Lady Apple, and Passionfruit-Tangerine.
Ready-to-Drink: Mighty Swell Keep it Weird Seltzer
Austin-based Mighty Swell’s website bio tells it like it is: “a little unpredictable, but nothing you can’t handle,” which might as well be the rallying cry for Geminis everywhere. Furthermore, they’ve packaged their spiked seltzer variety pack as “Keep it Weird,” a collection which includes selections such as Tiger’s Blood, Purple Magic, Pink Colada, and Rocket Pop. Do you really need me to provide flavor descriptions, especially if you’re a Gemini? Not so much. Lean into the chaos. Keeping it weird is basically what Geminis were born to do.
It wouldn’t have been hard to find a cocktail called a Gemini, but for my taste a Gemini cocktail already exists in the classic cocktail canon: Dark & Stormy. The yin and the yang. The id and the ego. The sugar and spice. That glorious mash up between dark rum and ginger beer. A split personality in one glass never tasted so good.