Like other Americans, Catholics have agonized during this election season over some unsavory choices, but come this Election Night on November 8, it is time to wash away the bitter aftertaste with a flood of appealing refreshments.  The following is a list of saintly drinks to lift your spirits (or at least numb them) as the votes are being counted.

Option #1: Honor Christ the King
A Drinking With The Saints semi-original, the Rex Regum (King of Kings) cocktail celebrates the only ruler who keeps His promises. The Crown Royal whisky recalls our Lord’s kingship; the Drambuie is made from a recipe linked to “Bonnie Prince” Charles Stuart, Catholic claimant to the English throne and grandson of the last Catholic king of Great Britain; the grenadine is made from pomegranates, which are a symbol of self-giving (perfect for our sacrificial King); and the lemon juice symbolizes the bitter gall offered to Our Lord during the crucifixion–plus it adds a bright complexity to the flavor profile.

Tonight, toast with a hardy “¡Viva Cristo Rey!”

Rex Regum
1¾ oz. oz. Crown Royal Canadian whisky
½ oz. Drambuie
¼ oz. grenadine
¼ oz. lemon juice
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake forty times. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Option #2: Honor the Patroness of the United States
Lest you lose hope, turn to your Blessed Mother. The Patroness of the U.S.A. is Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. If the Mother of God under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe was able to convert the descendants of the Aztecs, surely under the title of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception she can do the same for the descendants of the Puritans and the offspring of the “huddled masses” that comprise our great nation.

And so tonight, toast to the Blessed Virgin’s immaculate purity with a White Lady. There are several variations of this smooth classic: here is the simplest.

White Lady
2 oz. gin
1 oz. triple sec or Cointreau
1 oz. lemon juice
Pour ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake forty times. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Option #3: Ignore the Secular
If you’ve become too jaded to think any more about politics, turn your thoughts from Washington D.C. to Rome. November 8 is the Vigil of the Feast of the Dedication of the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior (more commonly known as St. John Lateran), one of Rome’s seven great basilicas and, indeed, the highest ranking church in the Catholic world. (Contrary to a popular misconception, St. John Lateran is the official cathedral of the Pope and hence it–and not St. Peter’s– holds the rank of Archbasilica.)

St. John Lateran’s Roman identity can be honored tonight with a delicious Pallini Martini made from a local favorite, limoncello.

Pallini Martini 
¾ oz. Pallini Limoncello
¾ oz. citrus vodka (regular vodka will suffice)
¾ oz. lemon juice
¾ oz. simple syrup
sugar (for the rim)
1 lemon peel (for garnish)
Rim a well-chilled cocktail glass with sugar. Pour all liquid ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake forty times. Strain into the cocktail glass and garnish with lemon peel.

Option #4: Think Local
Or, eschew the national and embrace the local. Is there a popular state or regional beer? How about a new microbrewery in town? Is there a local wine, cider, or liquor you have always been meaning to try? How about a family favorite? If charity begins at home, so does a healthy body politic.

Final Advice
For the first round, raise your glasses high and quote Psalm 145(146):2-3: “Put not your trust in princes, in the children of men, in whom there is no salvation.”

For the second round, change it up a bit. If Hillary wins, say: “Put not your trust in the FBI’s Most Wanted, in the Clinton Foundation, in whom there is no salvation.” If Donald wins, “Put not your trust in princes of industry, in baby men, in whom there is no salvation.”

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