Sabrina Zollo's Guide to Books & Booze

Time to grab a book and get tipsy!

Books & Booze is a mini-series of sorts here on TNBBC that will post every Friday in October. The participating authors were challenged to make up their own drinks, name and all, or create a drink list for their characters and/or readers using drinks that already exist. 

Today, Sabrina Zollo shares drinks that she's paired with her book Why I Love My Gay Boyfriend, and its characters:

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Books & Booze is the perfect place to introduce WHY I LOVE MY GAY BOYFRIEND, because (a) it's a book and (b) booze does have a prominent place within it. 

If you haven't guessed by now, WHY I LOVE MY GAY BOYFRIEND is a chick lit novel, not a romance self-help book. It celebrates the special relationship between a girl and her gay friend. The story also warns of the dangers of working at a global cosmetics empire if your true wish is to save babies in Africa. 

If I had to choose a drink to represent the novel and the main characters within it, they would be as light, bubbly and fun as the story itself. To kick it off, here's a drink I created which I've lovingly coined the: 

Why I Love My Gay Boyfriend Drink

1/2 oz Cointreau orange liqueur

1/2 oz vodka

1 oz pomegranate juice

3 oz San Pelligrino

Mint leaf for garnish

VERONICA

Many people ask me whether Veronica is based on myself to which I vehemently insist that the novel is 100% fictional. Veronica is so wonderfully awkward and naive in her hopes and ideals. But alas, while Veronica is 100% not based on me, I can 100% relate to her. Maybe you can too.

Meet Veronica:

"My decision to accept a job at Gisele, a global cosmetics empire, was easy. Lack of options and desperation lead to swift decision-making. My best friends took me out to our favourite pub, The Betty Ford Clinic, as consolation, rather than celebration. While settling didn’t deserve a fist bump, it certainly served as a valid reason to drink excessively."

Excerpt from “Why I Love My Gay Boyfriend.” 

Veronica Drink: Jäger. Because tequila is so overdone.

STEVIE

The gay best friend. Why does Veronica love Stevie? Any man that can make you feel so good without sex is a keeper. 

Meet Stevie:

“He’s Team Veronica; tells her she’s gorgeous; he’s super fun and hilarious; makes her laugh; loves fashion and shopping. He says things like ‘you look fa-bu today’ and ‘oh no you dih-int!’ and ‘hollah at ya girl!’” [Author's note: this book was set several years ago when people actually used these expressions.]

"That's not true. He has much better pronunciation than that."

Excerpt from “Why I Love My Gay Boyfriend.” 

Stevie Drink: Cosmopolitan Martini. It's sassy, sophisticated and always invited to the party. 

SAVANNAH

Everyone has had some sort of soul-crushing experience with a boss. I created the character of Savannah as an endearing nod to such experiences. 

Meet Savannah:

"Savannah’s empty diet and social life led to her constant angry state. She seemed to live on the brink of collapse on a diet of baby carrots, champagne and contempt for others. She entertained herself by searching for ways to feed the vacant void in her soul by brutalizing others into an equally miserable existence." 

Excerpt from "Why I Love My Gay Boyfriend"

Drink: a bottle of Veuve Cliquot.  It is unapologetically over-priced and indulgent. Even the bottle looks snobby. 

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Sabrina Zollo is a marketer and author who lives in Toronto, Canada. She has been compulsively writing stories since childhood. She graduated with an MBA from York University and has worked in brand management for almost ten years. Sabrina is a consummate lover of Pinot Grigio, dark chocolate, shoes and spin class.