Two years of lockdown is a long time, especially for those who enjoy life’s little pleasures. Bars and pubs were closed during the pandemic because they were deemed non-essential businesses. So what’s a chap to do with a hankering for an adult beverage?
Enter the Quarantini. The Macmillan dictionary defines this as “a cocktail drunk while socially distancing.” An interesting factoid is that quarantini is not a new term. The above source mentions that “the word itself made its first appearance 15 years ago, in an episode of US medical comedy series Scrubs. Character Danni Sullivan asks ‘Quarantinis anyone?’ during lockdown of the intensive care unit because of a potential SARS threat.”
Some of the earliest quarantini recipes were published at the beginning of lockdown. An article named “10 ‘Quarantinis’ to Drink While Social Distancing” appeared in Town and Country magazine on March 23, 2020. Columnist Lauren Hubbard writes: “We may not be able to head to our favorite bars for a drink these days, but social distancing doesn’t mean we have to give up on a top-notch cocktail hour. In the name of making your solo cocktail session special, we’ve rounded up some of the tastiest (and easiest) “quarantinis” to enjoy while standing at least six feet away from other people.
For a health, immunity-boosting cocktail that only takes 5 minutes to prepare, look no further than the Lemon Martini Quarantini. This may be one of the earliest coronvirus pandemic recipes published and appears in a post for the The Novice Chef Blog on March 13, 2020. Author Jessica Segarra touts the exciting benefits of this drink: “The alcohol kills the germs. The local honey and lemon boosts your immunity. And the optional added pack of emergency vitamin c – that can also be used to rim the glass – is just an added bonus!“
On April 17, 2020, YouTube channel Tasty featured a Quarantini Challenge during their virtual happy hour. Contestants had to make their own unique quarantini using 5 ingredients in their fridge and pantry. Ice did not count.
Social Media Trends as of April 24, 2022
Facebook #quarantini: 21,000 people are posting about this
Instagram #quarantini: 110,061 posts as of April 24, 2022
TikTok #quarantini: 36 million views
YouTube #quarantini: 288 videos; 122 channels
Google Trends: quarantini reached its peak in April 2020.
Sources:
designergraphic84. “Quarantini bar sign.” Shutterstock.com. Standard License. Royalty-free stock vector ID: 1709264158.
Hubbard, Lauren. “10 “Quarantinis” to Drink While Social Distancing.” Town and Country Magazine. March 23, 2020. URL: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/drinks/g31900654/quarantini-cocktail-recipes/.
“Quarantini”. Macmillan Dictionary. 27 March 2020. URL: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/quarantini.
“Quarantini Challenge 4 Ways • Tasty.” YouTube. April 17, 2020. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFAF2RojfQg.
Segarra, Jessica. “Quarantini Cocktail.” The Novice Chef Blog. March 13, 2020. https://thenovicechefblog.com/quarantini/.