Today’s cocktail is in honor of our first President,  George Washington, the only President in history to be elected unanimously. An American hero? I won’t argue that. He served as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and was one of the most honorable politicians in history. He was loved by the people and dedicated to his country. He also chopped down a tree… remember learning about the cherry tree when you were in school? I do! When asked by his father who did it, he said, “I cannot tell a lie…” Okay… FALSE – never happened, it was a story created after his death. Isn’t it interesting to see what the history books include and what they omit. Hmmm…. my text book didn’t mention his likely affair, according to the “love” letters, with Sally Fairfax. Okay, this one is up for debate, but I wouldn’t rule out the idea of it being an “emotional affair”. It’s a story for Days of Our Lives and certainly would have been plastered all over the tabloids, had they existed. I’m not here to criticize the man, the point is that the history we teach our kids has a slant to it. Is it good or bad? I’m not sure.

Speaking of “love affairs”, I’ve found a diet cocktail truly worthy of my love. It’s not as great as a creamy chocolate martini, but in terms of the calories this is a keeper. I’m a huge fan of Diet Cherry-Vanilla Dr. Pepper. It is one of the few diet sodas that doesn’t taste diet-y. With just a shot of vanilla vodka, this is low on calories, but big on taste.

Cheers to George Washington’s 278th birthday!

Diet Cherry Vanilla Cocktail

Diet Cherry-Vanilla Dr. Pepper (Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper works too)

shot of vanilla vodka.

Pour Dr. Diet Pepper into a glass and add a shot of vanilla vodka. Pretty Simple!