Cake is traditional, but now, also celebrate the end of the Election season with a drink

Food historians tell us that an Election Cake recipe first appeared in print in Amelia Simmons’ 1796 American Cookery cookbook. In the 1800s, the cake was served at election time (at least in New England) and was commonly called Hartford Election Cake. From Nourished Kitchen, a site devoted to “reviving traditional foods,” comes this:

“Like a bite from American history, [Election Cake] makes its rounds every November. I make it every year, but only once a year – just before the election. Preparing Election Cake is a celebration of love, of patriotism, of politics and of history….In early America, the electoral process brought communities together in festivity and revelry. Families traveled from the far reaches of their region to town centers where they enjoyed a holiday – visiting neighbors homes, dancing at balls, drinking, carousing and mustering for the local militia. Indeed, for a time before America revolted and became a nation in her own right, these celebratory spiced cakes that we know (or used to know) as election cakes were called muster cakes.

“After the revolution, mustering for the occupying forces no longer proved a necessity, but festivities still surrounded the electoral process and these spiced and fruit-studded cakes were renamed for the annual elections. Election cakes commissioned by local government could often command several hundred dollars by today’s standards, as they were massive – intended to feed an entire community of voters.”

Election Cake is sort of a light, aromatic fruitcake, a version of which I made once long ago in the cantankerous oven of my New York apartment when I would invite friends over to watch the returns. Sustenance was required for the long haul of ballot counting across four time zones. I haven’t hosted an election party in years, and the renaissance of the cocktail seems to lead to going out somewhere for a drink, whether to  celebrate our candidate’s victory or mourn his defeat — or more likely out of relief at the end of “…and I approved this message” season.

The mixologists at the Tap Room at the Omni Interlocken Resort & Spa in Broomfield have devised several enticing and beautiful cocktails to mark the end of this divisive and ugly campaign season:

Mudslinging Mudslinger from the Omni Interlocken’s Tap Room.

• Swing State. A non-partisan Cosmo with Belvedere vodka, Grand Marnier, white cranberry juice and lime.
• Mudslinging Mudslide. A creamy  combination of Belvedere vodka, Baileys and Kahlua served with a shot of  espresso.
• Red Rush. A martini  mixed with Belvedere vodka, pomegranate and grapefruit juices and a “conservative” splash of Grand Marnier.
• Blue Crush. Blueberry lemonade refresher made for the adult voter with a “liberal” pour of  Belvedere vodka, a splash of lavender and soda.
• The Thin Margin. A skinny cocktail made with Belvedere Lemon Tea vodka, fresh mint and a splash of  soda (less than 200 calories).
• Hail To The Chief! Sparkling champagne cocktail made with Chandon Brut, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, and a dash of Belvedere vodka. 

Which would you choose? I like the sentiment behind the “non-partisan” Swing State, but I’m afraid the Mudslinging Mudslide is a more accurate acknowledgment of POTUS 2012. Meanwhile, if The Tap Room had a suggestion box, I would urge them to get the hotel’s bakers to begin perfecting an Election Cake at this elevation so that four years from now, they might actually give a slice to each election day guest. They might start with Nourished Kitchen’s recipe.