Riddle me this.

Play.  Have you ever been to the trivia night at your local bar?  Perhaps.  I had been to a few, always with a large group of friends that were more committed to drinking lots of booze than answering the questions correctly.  We never won, but we always had fun.

Recently, one of my good friends took up the position of "Trivia Dan" at the bar around his corner, which has encouraged me to take this whole trivia night seriously.  There are some hefty winnings - $50 bar tab! - and some great questions.  What was the first individually wrapped candy?  Which country has the longest national anthem?  Can you name the 1997 American movie that was released in China as "His Great Device Made Him Famous?"  And my brother's favorite trivia question, what hanged in Erwin, Tennessee in 1916??

Rarely is there such a sense of community AND competition all at once.  Everyone seems to be rooting everyone else on, yet still vehemently opposed to anyone else winning.  Trivia brings out the best and the worst in people, which is only heightened by the influence of a much needed accompaniment, alcohol.

Drink.  Gin.  Obviously.  What could be cleaner and more to the point?  What could be more sophisticated and academic?  Want to get the right answers?  Win that bar tab?  You must drink something that will keep you on your feet, but will get you just saucy enough to go out on a limb with those best educated guess answers.

The cleanest, most classic of gins?  Hendrick's, for sure.  You'll find few who argue.  It's all sorts of botanical and spicy and sweet and lovely.  Complexity and simplicity at its best.  A true conundrum, one worthy of way more than a $50 bar tab.  Drink it on the rocks and every answer will be right, and the world will make sense.  Above and beyond the typical juniper flavor, Hendrick's is also infused with rose and cucumber for that touch of something else.  And from Scotland to boot!  Swoon.

Although a classic martini is the way to go, try it straight up with a few ice cubes.  The herbal undertones will please and delight, sure to get those synapses all aflutter.

Eat.  In keeping simple, go for the best of the best of bar snacks: roasted nuts.  Filling, uber nutritious, and satisfying.  Crunchy and flavorful, my favorite are roasted almonds.  I like mine loaded with spices and herbs, complimenting the inherent sweetness of the nut itself.  

NUTS FOR TRIVIA

almonds roasted with lavender, thyme and hot paprika 

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

2 cups whole raw almonds
1 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoon lavender, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 275F. 

In a medium bowl, whisk egg white and water until foamy. Add almonds, toss to coat, and let sit for a few minutes and then drain in a colander. 

Combine olive oil, lavender, thyme, paprika, salt, and sugar in a bowl.  Add almonds and toss to coat.  Spread nuts on a baking sheet and roast at for 10 minutes.  Increase temperature to 350 F and roast for another 5-10 minutes, or until almonds are toasted and fragrant.

Let cool and store in an air-tight container, preferably a Ball Jar.