My Sister’s Kamikaze Cocktail

This kamikaze cocktail is nicely balanced and goes down smoothly. Remember to sip this cocktail as it can pack a punch. My sister, Nancy, loved the kamikaze cocktail.  She was also known to imbibe her fair share of kamikaze shots!

Sisterly love

My sister Nancy, whom I talk about in this frozen mudslide post, passed away from breast cancer fourteen years ago.  It’s amazing how fast time flies.  Our whole family still loves to reminisce about her and some of the more memorable adventures she starred in!

When it came to cocktails, Nancy was very adventurous.  She would have and enjoy a cocktail before I would even hear about it.  This kamikaze cocktail was one of those drinks.

Family dynamics

I’m sure other families have similar dynamics to mine, but let me talk about my family for a minute.  My brother was the first born and since he was male, he could do as he wished.  He didn’t have the same restrictions that we girls had.  Truth be told, I don’t remember him being home much past a certain age.

Robyn, the next oldest, was the good girl: smart, well behaved and popular.  I remember when we were little and had to go to bed early, she’d organize a ‘clean our room’ party. So, we would sneak around the room, trying not to let our parents hear our footsteps and we would fold our clothes, pick up the room and occupy ourselves until normal children our age usually went to bed.

Yes.  We were in bed when the kids we used to babysit were still playing outside.  This was hardest during high summer.  We were thankful to have a window.

My parents were strict.  And great followers of the “children should be seen and not heard” belief system. So, we were sent to bed early where we would not be seen or heard.  But don’t feel sorry for me and my sisters.  It made us the women we are today.

Wild one

Nancy was next oldest to Robyn.  She was the typical middle child.  And even though she picked on me relentlessly, I understood where she was coming from.  She was considered the wild one.  She was not, I repeat, NOT really that wild.  Just wild by my family’s standards.

Did she party?  Yes.  But not in excess.  And that was where she discovered and tried so many different cocktails, which she then shared with us all.  The kamikaze cocktail was one of her favorites.

I was considered the ‘flighty’ one in the family, mainly because I was a theater person. I also learned to be sneaky since my folks were so strict. But I never did anything bad per se. But I did do things like occasionally skip school (I went back to bed after the house was empty) or lie by saying I was going to a youth group when I was really going to my friend Michelle’s house, one block away, just to hang out.

My sister Denise is the youngest and was sort of pushed off on my grandmother since there were four teenagers in the house and she was four years younger than me.  Nana doted on Denise and gave her special privileges, but her life and story feels the saddest to me because of this separation.

What role did you play in your family dynamics?  Please leave me a comment to let me know!

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How to make a kamikaze cocktail

Only three ingredients for this delicious cocktail recipe.  We have lime, vodka and Cointreau.

I’m excited so let’s get started.

So, I fill my cocktail shaker 1/2 way with ice. I seem to do that a lot, don’t I?  ?

I measure out 1 1/2 ounces of vodka.

Then, I pour it into the shaker.

Next, I measure 1 1/2 ounces of Cointreau.  You can use triple sec if you like, but Cointreau is so superior!

I pour the Cointreau into the shaker!

Time to squeeze the lime to get 1 1/2 ounce of its delicious juice.  I also slice a thin wheel of lime for the garnish.  (No rickets in this household, thank you very much!)

Into the shaker it goes.  I cap the shaker and shake it at least 20 times.  The more the better!

I get my martini glass and strain the liquid into it.  I also take the lime wheel and gently float it into the kamikaze cocktail.

Mmmmmm.

Now for the vertical view.

This is so delicious!  You have got to try it!

I hope you enjoyed this kamikaze cocktail recipe!  Think of my sister, Nancy, when you make it.  She would have loved it, too!

Please feel free to leave me a comment, if you please.  And if you do, remember to rate the recipe!

Much appreciated.

And as always, may all your dishes/drinks be delish!

If you’ve tried this kamikaze cocktail or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!