Veterans Day began life as Armistice Day, commemorating the cease-fire (aka an armistice) that halted actual fighting on November 11, 1918, even though the end of World War I wasn’t until the Treaty of Versailles was signed the following June.

WWI, also known as The Great War, was thought of as “the war to end all wars.”

How optimistic.

Never underestimate man’s ability to fight about anything and everything.

At any rate, after WWII and Korea, veterans service organizations headed the requests to change the name to include soldiers of the later conflicts. In 1954 President Eisenhower made it so.

The idea behind Veterans Day was that it was a day to thank those who’ve served our country and “dedicated to the cause of world peace” (via Dept of Veterans Affairs) Banks, the Postal Service, and government offices close, most schools, too, and many communities throw parades in honor of our servicemen and women.

So make sure to thank your nearest Veteran this coming Sunday, and raise a glass in honor of those who fought and gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy today.

The Alliance

3/4 oz Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz Cognac
3/4 oz London Dry Gin

Combine liquors over ice in a mixing glass and stir until everyone is shaking hands. Strain into a rocks or cocktail glass with 3 ice cubes inside.

As with other all-alcohol cocktails, we stir this one so that the drink reserves a silky feeling on the tongue without diluting it overmuch. In The Alliance, the Cognac greets you nice enough, the rye pushes its way in a bit, and the gin’s botanicals bring up the rear. Purists might cry havoc at the combination of 3 such strong flavors, but war makes strange bedfellows, and these 3 are making the best of it.

Cheers… and thank you.