I’ve asked Booze Nerd Andy Romine to assist me in writing this post as we gear up for a Functional Nerds Drink & Draw party.  Thank you Andy!

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Functional Nerds twitter event: Drink & Draw!
When: The evening of Friday July 15th.
Where: tweeting from a computer/mobile device near you.

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Drink • and • Draw: verb.
1) Take a swig of the beverage of your choice.
2) Start making marks.
3) Repeat.

A twitter Drink & Draw doodle from last year when Andy and I were just becoming acquainted. He happily replied to my tweeted request for dialogue to fill these word bubbles.

GALEN: Drink & Draw! It’s as simple as that. Happens spontaneously all the time around the world without much forethought or planning at all; artists and non artists alike with their drinks in one hand and a pencil nub in the other, doodling on a cocktail napkin.

Eventually,  someone got the bright idea to start doing it all together with friends and fellow artists to build camaraderie and share the creative vibe. Plus, it’s just a lot more fun than drinking and drawing alone in a dark corner (which… I must admit, I do far too frequently).

ANDY: I’ve just been drinking alone in a dark corner lately. You mean I can draw too?

GALEN: My good sir, I have seen what you can do with a pencil and paper: You most certainly can draw.

ANDY: Actually, Drinking & Drawing has a storied history. How do you think all those artists and starving Bohemians in Paris paid their tab? The salons and cafes of Paris during the Belle Epoque and the post WWI period were lined with canvases and sketches by artists too poor to pay for all the booze they drank. Who knows, all that booze might have loosened artistic inhibitions as well as social ones.

GALEN: I was first introduced to Drink & Draw on twitter by @heniadis and other online artist friends.  Someone tweeted: “hey, let’s #drinkanddraw tomorrow night!” and word passed around as it does on twitter (use of the hashtag #drinkanddraw helped).  What a party it was; everyone tweeting it up and sharing pics about what they were drinking, what they were drawing, etc.  (As I recall… unicorns pooping rainbows trended rather quickly).

ANDY: I think Picasso’s first sketches were all of unicorns pooping rainbows.

GALEN: Ah yes, right before his ‘rose period’ i think.

There are many IRL Drink & Draw events across the nation and beyond.  You probably have one in your city, google it! In addition they are often held in conjunction with comic conventions, there’s going to be one at the upcoming San Diego Comic Con  (and one of these days I plan to make it to Drink and Draw like a Lady.)  My local IRL Drink and Draw is a monthly event where a motley collection of graphic artists, tattoo artists, fine artists, art students and all manner of art dabblers meet at the Surly Wench for an evening of creative camaraderie.

Now, a little bit about the drinking part of this.  My embarrassing confession: I still feel like a bit of a newbie when it comes to mixing drinks.  What usually happens is I go to the liquor aisle, look around, feel intimidated, settle for a six pack of beer instead. Therefore I’m *very* excited to get Andy’s help this go-round. For this twitter Drink & Draw I shall break out of beer drinking and meticulously follow the Booze Nerd’s instructions for my evening’s libations.

ANDY: One of the first things Galen and I talked about when she proposed this post was “what to drink?”

The right answer is “whatever you want to” but I wouldn’t be the Booze Nerd if I didn’t have some opinion on the matter.

So we nominate the Margarita. It is, after all, a great summer drink and pairs well with food (especially greasy, salty nachos). Margaritas are also easy to make and almost always crowd pleasers.

So for those of you keen to learn the secret origins of the Margarita, it all started with Atomic tests in the desert and a radioactive cactus…

Wait, no. That’s something different.

The Margarita, by Andy Romine

The Margarita is a slippery drink to track down–I’ve found many possible origins. It was invented in Mexico. It was invented in Los Angeles. It was named for a dancer, an ambassador’s wife. It was created by Jose Cuervo to sell tequila or by a bartender in Taxco, Mexico named Bertha. It was just a variation on a famous American cocktail called the Daisy, but used tequila instead of brandy. Maybe all of these things are true.

In any event, Drink & Draw is ideally enjoyed with friends. And so are Margaritas.
I’m including two recipes for you to try. One is the single serving Margarita if it’s just you and your sketchpad at home. But if you want to invite some fellow Drink & Drawers over for a party (and you should!), try making a full pitcher of the tasty beverage.

As you could probably guess, I do not advocate using any kind of “Margarita Mix” (blech). The recipe is so easy, there’s no call for being lazy. These recipes are also meant to be served chilled or over ice — not blended or frozen. I don’t normally salt the rims of my glass. A) It can get messy after you’ve had a few and B) I prefer to get my salt from the nachos.

Also, It’s probably a good time to add that if you plan on doing your Drinking & Drawing at your favorite bar — please make arrangements to get yourself home safely. Drinking & Drawing is fun, but Drinking and Driving is not.

Also, don’t bring your own drinks to the pub. They frown on that.

GALEN: *EVERYONE* is invited! You do not have to draw! Only if you want to. Also, you do not have to drink! Only if you want to (and you can drink *whatever* you want :)).  Feel free to come hang out on with us on twitter, chat a bit, laugh a bit, retweet some of the creativity, etc. (Follow me @galendara and Andy @inkgorilla as well as hashtags #drinkanddraw and #functionalnerds)
Looking forward to seeing you there.

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RECIPES

(adapted from Gary Regan’s Joy of Mixology)

Margarita

• 1.5 oz tequila (silver or blanco)
• 1 oz. triple sec (ie, Cointreau)
• .5 oz fresh lime juice

Shake and strain into a salt-rimmed glass (optional). You may garnish with a lime wedge if you wish, but extra lime juice might throw off the balance of the drink so use caution.

Margarita (Bottled)

• 8 oz. tequila (silver or blanco)
• 6 oz. triple sec
• 3 oz. fresh lime juice
• 5 oz. bottled water

Mix and chill for minimum of six hours. Garnish with salt and lime wedges if desired.