I worked for a literary publication for a year in college. It was easily one of the most enjoyable jobs I’ve ever had. The following is taken from a creative exercise thought up by the delightful editor of the publication. The exercise is titled “Match the Writer with the Drink.” Each writer has a quote about drinking and there is a selection of alcoholic drinks at the bottom of the page. I completed the exercise but, unfortunately, never wrote down the right answers.

William Faulkner: “Civilization begins with distillation.”

Ernest Hemingway: “A man does not exist until he is drunk.”

Edna St. Vincent Millay: “Who cares what tripped a fallen woman?”

John Steinbeck: “Only lust and gluttony are worth a darn.”

Raymond Carver: “You never start out in life with the intention of becoming bankrupt or an alcoholic.”

Truman Capote: “In this profession it’s a long walk between drinks.”

Carson McCullers: “I’m drinking hot tea and not doing much.”

Charles Bukowski: “Drinking is a form of suicide where you’re allowed to return to life and begin all over the next day.”

Jack Kerouac: “Don’t drink to get drunk. Drink to enjoy life.”

Jack London: “I was always to drink when anyone was around. I drank by myself when no one was around.”

Dashiell Hammett: “Three times I have been mistaken for a prohibition agent, but never had any trouble clearing myself.”

Anne Sexton: “I have a martini and I feel, once more, real.” 

This summer I was looking into brewing beer and found a surprising wealth of resources in my area. However, the more I learned about brewing, the less it appealed to me; quality brewing kits can run into the hundreds of dollars, include several bulky pieces of equipment, and require frequent maintenance during the brewing process. So instead I turned to making something that requires far less investment and maintenance: Kahlua.

There are plenty of recipes for Kahlua online. Here’s a simple one:

• Dissolve four cups sugar into two cups of boiling water
• Add about a half cup of dry instant coffee mix and two tablespoons of vanilla extract
• Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, then let it cool
• Once it’s completely cooled skim off the bubbles and add a quart of vodka
• Seal the mixture in a glass container and let it sit in a dark place for a day or so

The procedure here is to make coffee with a lot of sugar, let the mixture simmer until enough water evaporates that the mixture becomes syrupy, and then add liquor. Let the mixture sit long enough for it to set and you have coffee liqueur.

Recipes online vary in respect to ingredients and proportions. Some recipes recommend shaking the concoction once daily. Others call for brown sugar. Vanilla extract can be replaced with a vanilla bean or omitted entirely. With the vanilla bean, the mixture will have to sit for about a month to allow the concoction to fully absorb the vanilla flavor. I added brandy in addition to the vodka as per a friend’s family recipe, and I think the Kahlua came out more flavorful. Tweak it until you find a mix that works.