It’s the Earthquake Anniversary!

Time to celebrate! And fortunately lots of folks are ready to help. Teresa Taylor described them in “Quake cakes and brews” in the Post and Courier:

First, our friends at Firefly Vodka have concocted a delicious “Quaketail” for your earthquake parties:

Muddle 1 Lime, 1 Cherry, 1 Orange Slice

Add 1 oz. Sea Island Gold Rum and 1 oz. of Sea Island Spice Rum

Add 4 oz. Pineapple Juice

Or, if you’re more of a beer person, you need to try Aftershock beer, made by Charleston’s Palmetto Brewery. In 1887 a company also called Palmetto Brewery celebrated the city’s recovery from the previous year’s quake with an Earthquake Beer, which a flier described as “The only Beer made entirely out of Cistern (Rain) Water, Filtered and Condensed, and the choicest Hops and Malt.” Today, Palmetto’s event evangelist Chris Winn describes Aftershock, according to Teresa Taylor, “as very flavorful with malt notes yet with a light body and creamy mouth feel.” It will only be available for a short time, so watch for it!

And of course any good earthquake party has to have food, and Sugar in Charleston Bakeshop (59 ½ Cannon Street) has concocted “Cupquakes” (naming rights claimed by Susan Dick Hoffius). Bill Bowick and David Bouffard of Sugar told Taylor they “were inspired by leaning cupcakes that one of their ovens produced due to a funky convection fan.

           

“’Maybe we can do something topsy-turvy,’ thought Bowick. They … came up with a riff on liquefaction, which happens during earthquakes where sandy soil is predominant. Water underground bubbles up and turns the surface soil into something like quicksand. … So they made cupcakes with liquid fillings, such as lemon and lime curds and vanilla butter cream. To carry the theme further, they sprinkled the tops with chunky garnishes such as nuts, crystallized ginger and chocolate to simulate pieces of crumbled buildings.”

Cupquakes are available at many of the book signings that Susan Millar Williams and Stephen G. Hoffius attend. And they can be special ordered for your own private celebrations.