Romance with a Cocktail: Recent Episodes
Peter & Ashley Johnson
What is Romance? Peter and Ashley Johnson look to answer this question by reading 50 romance novels in 52 weeks.
Peter and Ashley talk about what is worth keeping from traditional romance. They also list their favorite novels from season 1. Enjoy with a French Gimlet: 1 oz St. Germaine, 2 oz gin, lime juice.
Peter and Ashley talk about whether they want to branch out from romance novels to just talking about romance with a cocktail every week. Enjoy with your cocktail of choice from the last 50 episodes.
Peter and Ashley talk about romance, love, ghosts, and death. Enjoy with a cranberry hot toddy: simmered cranberry juice, whiskey, lime, cinnamon, and honey.
Peter and Ashley discuss getting out of hetero-normative and Western notions of romance. Enjoy with a Rusty Nail: 1:1 Whiskey and Drambuie on ice.
Peter and Ashley discuss the great Danielle Steel's ill-conceived novel. Enjoy with a French Mule: 2.5 oz Brandy, lime, bitters, ginger beer.
Peter and Ashley discuss no-stakes white lies and romance. Enjoy with a Bloody Mary: 2 oz vodka with Bloody Mary mix and assorted smoked meats and pickled veggies.
Peter and Ashley discuss the most explicit novel they've read so far. Enjoy with an Ella Fitzgerald: 2 oz gin, 1 oz Campari, 1 oz lemon juice, bitters
Peter and Ashley enjoy discussing how the limits of the romance novel genre can be stretched. Enjoy with a Manhattan: 2 oz whiskey, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 3 shakes of bitters. Stir in ice until chilled.
Peter and Ashley discuss whether modern romantics should cherry-pick ancient wisdom from their religious tradition. Enjoy with a Dead Sea Mule: 2 oz mescal, 3/4 oz lime juice, 1 oz grenadine, 5 oz Fever Tree ginger beer, mint sprig.
Peter and Ashley discuss whether experiencing certain similar tragedies can be part of a formula for true love. Enjoy with a Wild Irish Rose: 2 oz whiskey, 1/2 oz lemon juice, 1/4 oz grenadine syrup, 1/4 oz sugar syrup, soda water (optional)
Peter and Ashley discuss how important sexual compatibility is when it comes to romance. Enjoy with a whiskey highball: 2 pts whiskey, 1 part lemon juice, ginger beer on ice.
Peter and Ashley discuss what women's fantasies say about romance. Enjoy with a St. Germaine Smash: 2 oz gin, 1 oz St. Germaine, 1 oz lemon juice, muddled mint, chilled
Peter and Ashley wonder discuss romance rising from the ashes like a phoenix. Enjoy with a red sunrise: 1 oz raspberry syrup, 1 oz lime juice, 1.5 oz gin, ginger beer
Peter and Ashley discuss whether delayed gratification is an essential part of romance. Enjoy with a Colombian Gin & Tonic: 1 oz gin, 1 oz Cointreau, 1 oz lemon juice, tonic water on ice.
Peter and Ashley wonder if betrayal is just part of the journey to True Love. Enjoy with a Cheater's Margarita: 3 parts tequila, 1 part Cointreau, lemonade, lemon juice on ice.
Peter and Ashley talk about whether a romance novel must include "falling in love." Enjoy with a Royal Wedding 1 oz. Cazadores Blanco Tequila, 1 oz. Kaffir lime infused St-Germain French elderflower liqueur, 3/4 oz. Noilly Dry, 1/4 oz. of fresh lime juice, 5 dashes chartreuse
Peter and Ashley talk about whether Lesbian coupling might shed some light on heterosexual romance. Enjoy with a Margarita: 2 oz tequila, 1 oz Cointreau, 1 oz lime juice, blended with ice
Peter and Ashley resume their discussions of complementary pathologies as a way to romance. Enjoy with a "Peter" mule: 1 oz Drambuie, 1 oz Jack Daniels, 1 oz Makers, Lime, Ginger Beer, in a copper cup on ice.
Peter and Ashley talk about power dynamics (again) and whether or not oral sex was practiced in 1066. Enjoy with a Scotch Drambuie: Glenfiddich, Drambuie, Soda Water, Ice
Peter and Ashley discuss secret primal desires of women. Enjoy with a Disaronno Sour: 2 oz Disaronno, 1 oz lemon juice, 2 dashes of bitters, egg white (optional)
Peter and Ashley discuss disordered loves. Enjoy with a Red Russian: 2 oz cherry liqueur, 2 oz vodka, ice.
Peter and Ashley discuss the difference between infatuation and true love. Enjoy with a "From Russia With Love": 1 shot of vodka, 1/2 shot of elderflower liqueur, lime, ginger beer.
Peter and Ashley discuss when and how one should "show up" in a romantic relationship. Enjoy with an Irish Coffee: 1 cup of coffee, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 shot of Irish Whiskey, cream.
Ashley and Peter discuss what role luck plays in romance. Enjoy with a (modified) Kir Royale: 1/2 oz Chambord, Champaign, lemon twist in a flute.
Peter and Ashley talk about Hallmark movies and their influence on romance novels. Enjoy with a Cinnamon Rusty Nail: 1.5oz cinnamon bourbon, 3/4 oz Drambuie on the rocks.
Peter and Ashley argue about whether sex is overemphasized in modern marketing. Enjoy this episode with a Blood Orange Mule: 2 oz vodka, fresh squeezed lime, blood orange ginger soda, ice.
Peter and Ashley discuss their ideas on whether romance has changed for younger generations. Enjoy with a Cinnamon Whiskey Mule: 1.5oz Cinnamon Jack Daniels, half a juiced lime, and ginger beer on the rocks.
Peter and Ashley discuss feminism and the bedroom. Enjoy with a Woman Warrior cocktail: 3 oz vodka, 1 oz blue curacao, 1 oz lime juice chilled.
Ashley tells Peter that he can't have 2 cocktails prior to recording these podcasts. Enjoy this episode with a Mai Tai: 1.5 oz white rum, .75 oz orange curacao, .75 oz fresh squeezed lime juice, .5 oz orgeat, .5 oz dark rum, lime wheel & mint sprig
Peter and Ashley talk about the merits of the complementary pathology theory of romance. Enjoy with a Drambuie Manhattan: 40 ml bourbon, 10 ml Drambuie, 10 ml sweet vermouth, 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters, 1 orange twist and a Maraschino cherry.
Peter and Ashley discuss magic as metaphor. Enjoy with a vampire cocktail: 1 part Drambuie, 1 part Bourbon, 1 part Dubonnet.
Peter and Ashley discuss medieval romance. Enjoy this episode with a Mamie Taylor: 2 oz Scotch, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 4 to 6 oz of ginger beer, lime wedge garnish.
Peter and Ashley discuss psychic connections and wonder if romance has something to do with the soul. Enjoy this episode with a Gin Eyre: 2 oz gin, muddled mint, 1 oz lemon juice, 1.5 tbsp sugar, a couple shakes of orange bitters
Peter and Ashley discuss whether there is such a thing as a "bad romance novel." Enjoy with at Cointreau Spritzer: 1.5 oz Cointreau and grapefruit soda on ice.
Peter and Ashley discuss romance that discovers superpowers. Enjoy with a Seabreeze Cocktail: 1.5 oz vodka, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, a squeeze of lime on ice.
Peter and Ashley discuss whether a "cinnamon roll" should be punching villains and dominant in the bedroom. Enjoy with a Whiskey Sour Maple: 2 oz whiskey, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 1/2 oz maple syrup, Angostura bitters on ice.
Peter and Ashley discuss the merits and limits of traditionalist romance norms. Enjoy this episode with a Penicillin Cocktail: 2 oz bourbon, 1 oz lemon juice, ginger slices, honey, on ice.
Peter and Ashley wonder if too much family drama detracts from romance. Enjoy with an Elderflower Mojito: 2 oz light rum, 1 oz elderflower liqueur, muddled mint, 1/2 oz lime, club soda on ice.
Peter and Ashley discuss the merits and challenges of subverting traditional romantic norms. Enjoy this episode with a traditional Margarita with tequila, fruit juice, blended on ice.
Peter and Ashley talk about whether Outlander was written for bored housewives, or if there is more to the novel than one might think. Enjoy with a Rusty Compass: 1.5 oz Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch, .75 oz Drambuie, .5 oz cherry liqueur, orange garnish.
Peter and Ashley discuss the power of the mind in romance, which is dramatized by a ghost story/romance. Enjoy this episode with a rum and coke with lime (to be drunk unironically).
Peter and Ashley talk about sex: its relation to romance and its growing attention in modern romance novels. Enjoy this episode with an Aviation: 1.5 oz gin, .5 oz maraschino liqueur, .5 oz lemon juice, creme de violete 1 oz (if you can find it).
Peter and Ashley discuss the likelihood that romance could bloom between a pair where there are extreme power differences. Enjoy this episode with a Horse's Neck: 1.5 oz Bourbon, Ginger beer, 3 dashes Angosture bitters, fresh lime.
Peter and Ashley talk about the one of the beloved novels that created the genre. Enjoy this episode with a Lizzie Champagne: 2 shots Champagne, 1 shot pineapple juice, 1 shot amaretto, 1 shot chambord.
Peter and Ashley get meta discussing a romance novel about people in the book biz. Enjoy this episode with a gin martini: 2.5 oz gin, .5 oz vermouth, dash of bitters and a lemon garnish chilled.
Peter and Ashley discuss the merits of first person narration and consider whether romance can ever be canonized. Enjoy this with a St. Germain Gin and Tonic: 1 & 1/2 oz St. Germain, 3/4 oz Bombay gin, tonic water on ice.
Peter and Ashley talk about nature vs. nurture and whether romance is helped or hampered by verbal consent and prophylactics. Enjoy this episode with a Loch Lomond Cocktail: 1.5 oz Drambuie, 1/2 oz Contreau, 1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice on ice.
Peter and Ashley talk about the merits and drawbacks of tradition when it comes to modern romance. Enjoy with a Sassy Lassi:6 oz mango juice, 1/2 cup coconut juice (or cream), 1 cup of yogurt, 3 shots of rum, 4 ice cubes (maybe pistachios) blended in blender.
Peter and Ashley discuss the idea of romance novels as emotional pornography. Enjoy this episode with a Kentucky Mule: 2 oz Bourbon, 1 lime squeezed, ginger beer, pear liqueur (if available), and ice.
Peter and Ashley discuss a popular romance novel trope: the reformed rake. Enjoy this episode with a Sparkling Grapefruit Negroni: 1 oz gin, 1 oz. Campari, Fever Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit to taste on ice.
Peter and Ashley discuss an 800ish-page sweeping epic full of tragedy. Is it still romantic? Enjoy this episode with an Austrian Hussar: 3 oz apricot brandy and tonic water on ice.
Peter and Ashley talk about the idea behind the podcast and try to define what romance means to them.