Candice Bailey, The Drink, The Legend

During the month of November I participated in NaNoWriMo.  NaNoWriMo is a writing competition where people across the world challenge themselves to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November to celebrate National Novel Writing Month.   I succeeded within the final few hours, putting 10,000 coherent words together in the last 24 hours.  The story I wrote was cathartic because I created a flawed super-heroine dealing with the illness of her friend in the dystopian future desert.  While I pulled these feelings out and put them on paper, I craved comfort, a comfort that a familiar whiskey drink could provide.

Eventually I'll edit that book and someone besides myself might see it.  Without giving much away, the main character goes to in a bar in Seattle.  Here is a brief cut from that book:   

 So what kind of drink do you make that you really like?” I asked.
    “I make shots and beer happen” she said bluntly.
    I paused, unsure of what to do next.  She threw me off, I figured this would just be a standard conversation and she’d give me a recommendation.  She took the rest of my crew’s orders, all just standard beers and then she said “I make a good Candice Bailey”.  I looked at her confused.  “Irish whiskey, orange liqueur, and orange blossom water, do you want one or what?”  she said maintaining her very tough persona.
    Of course I wanted one.  I wondered who Candice Bailey was and why there was a drink named after her.  I took my drink and wandered back to my group who had found an old wooden booth in the back.  “Does anyone know who Candice Bailey is?  I’m drinking something named after her.”
    Jason paused as if he recognized the name, “you’re drinking a Candice Bailey?  What’s in it?”  he asked.     
    “The bartender said orange liqueur, whiskey, and orange blossom water.” I said.
    “That’s totally appropriate.”  Jason nodded and continued, “she’s a Seattle  hero.  She just kind of brought a lot of joy to a lot of people’s lives, she was a quilt artist and everyone in the city was sad when she died a few years ago.”

This drink was served frequently at Candice's parties and was served at her memorial service last September.  During November, this drink was described to me as a James Joyce Cocktail but when I looked up the ingredients, I learned that the James Joyce is a little different.  Given that this is a completely original cocktail, for whatever that is worth, I'm officially declaring it The Candice Bailey.  Since the oranges keep coming, I keep making this.  Sip with friends you love, talk about crude things, home improvement, pies, and soak in every minute of their kind company.

The Candice Bailey Cocktail
3 parts whiskey
1 part orange liqueur
a dash of orange blossom water
garnish with an orange and serve on ice cubes