Austen Jane - Gin Austen: 50 cocktails to celebrate the novels of Jane Austen

I believe I drank too much wine last night at Hurstbourne; I know not how else to account for the shaking of my hand to-day.

Jane Austen to Cassandra Austen, 1800

Born in 1775, Jane Austen lived during the late Georgian era and wrote six major novels, including the literary classics Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, as well as a handful of other, less renowned pieces. Not widely read during her lifetime, Austens books gained in popularity after her death in 1817, at the age of 41. The social commentary of her work centers around her characters quest for security, love, or both. Austen, like so many of us, pursued happily ever after in many different forms and places.

Fret not if you do not know Austens life or literary universe well. Her novels blend the details of the life that she led and one of which she only could dream. We almost can feel the salt air on the promenade in Persuasion or smell the garden roses in Emma. We revel in the coziness of the picturesque cottages and admire the grandeur of the majestic estates in each of her stories. Her characters play the pianoforte, visit friends, chat in gardens, and attend dances. She describes these events in detail, effortlessly transporting us into the past. In her way, she shows us how to live a more civilized life and find happiness in everyday moments.

Much of her storytelling takes place at social engagements: picnics, luncheons, dinner parties, and glamorous balls that last well into the night. At these gatherings, gossip reigns, love flourishes, and drinks flow. So let us begin our adventure by raising a glass and making a toast to Miss Austen herself. Make this strong, attractive cocktailpossessed of enough sweetness and just the right amount of acidityto celebrate the author of the incredible stories that she gave us.

GIN AUSTEN

5 sage leaves

ounce lemon juice

2 ounces gin

2 ounces Lillet ros

1 dash orange bitters

In a mixing glass, muddle four sage leaves with the lemon juice. Add the gin, Lillet ros, bitters, and ice. Stir well, and strain into a coupe. Garnish with the remaining sage leaf, settle in, and read on.

The orange wine will want our care soon. But in the meantime, for elegance and ease and luxury, the Hattons and Milles dine here to-day, and I shall eat ice and drink French wine, and be above vulgar economy.

Jane Austen to Cassandra Austen, 1808

Austen never married. From her letters to her sister, Cassandra, we can surmise that she fell intensely in love once, but the relationship, if indeed one truly existed, ended without a proposal. Many years later, she accepted a proposal of marriage from one Reginald Bigg-Witherfor less than a day, according to one of her niecesbut she swiftly rescinded her acceptance of his offer the following morning.

Despite lacking a husband, Austen had a great deal of love in her life, forming close relationships with her family, friends, and members of her church. Perhaps she found the contentment that she wanted by observing marriage from a distance. Even if she never had her own happy ending, she devoted herself to devising them for her characters and for us, her readers. In that regard, her imagination certainly served her far better than Emma Woodhouses did for her.

JANES ADDICTION

2 ounces gin

2 ounces pomegranate juice

ounce lime juice

sparkling ros

raspberries for garnish

Into a shaker filled with ice, pour the gin, pomegranate juice, and lime juice and shake well. Strain into a wine glass, and top with sparkling ros. Garnish with the raspberries, and ponder Janes love of love.

George Austen, the family patriarch, died when Jane was 30 years old. A period of domestic turbulence followed, in which the Austen womenJane, her mother, and sistermoved house frequently. They eventually settled into a cottage owned by Janes brother Edward. There she focused solely on her writing and, with the assistance of her brother Henry, began seeking publication for her novels. Issued anonymously, her first four books saw critical and some popular success. Her final two novels, written in younger days, appeared posthumously and contained a note revealing her identity and their connection to her previous work. Over the decades and now centuries, these books have taken on lives of their own, all the while retaining their reputation for feisty wit and relatable characters through countless adaptations. So let us raise our glasses again to this fascinating woman who led a remarkable life and created even more remarkable worlds for us to celebrate.

Jane Austens family home in the Hampshire village of Chawton.

GEORGIAN DRINKS

Like Austens characters, cocktails possess distinctive personalities: charming, clumsy, complex, crazy, mysterious, seductive, sensual, or witty. Like a good book, a carefully crafted drink has a story to tell and makes for a most marvelous journey.