The Diplomatic Hangover is now a real cocktail
When I started this blog about three years ago I was hoping to contribute some insights into the inner workings of the United Nations, and maybe have a few laughs. I never thought I would help inspire a cocktail. Allow me to introduce The Diplomatic Hangover: Shake: 1 ½ oz Russian vodka 1 ¼ oz ...
When I started this blog about three years ago I was hoping to contribute some insights into the inner workings of the United Nations, and maybe have a few laughs. I never thought I would help inspire a cocktail.
Allow me to introduce The Diplomatic Hangover:
Shake:
1 ½ oz Russian vodka
1 ¼ oz lemon grapefruit cordial
To make the cordial: 2 cups grapefruit juice; 2 cups lemon juice; 3 cups sugar in a container with zest from the lemons and grapefruits, rested for two days in a fridge. Will last about 1 week refrigerated.
(See full recipe, including French rosé and Kenya’s Tusker Beer topping, here.)
Earlier this month, I wrote a story describing how the U.S. Ambassador for United Nations Management and Reform Joseph Torsella had scolded his diplomatic counterparts for excessive drinking during marathon budget negotiations in December.
The reaction — which I detailed in a follow-up piece entitled "America’s Diplomatic Hangover" — was fierce.
The U.N.’s African diplomats — who suspected Torsella was talking about them — refused to participate in budget negotiations after normal working hours. (Though they have apparently relented, agreeing to hold weekend meetings).
Dominic Girard, a radio journalist for the Canadian Broadcasting Company, called me to say he was producing a pilot radio program, Sociable, which explores "how alcohol shapes society for bad, for good, for fun and for nought." He wanted to do a spot on the drinking habits of U.N. diplomats, so Girard invited Sociable’s bartender in residence, Oliver Stern, to develop a drink to go with the program. (Yes, apparently such a job does exist, though I suspect he is unpaid. He is a managing partner at the Toronto Temperance Society, where he also tends bar.)
"I thought of diplomats coming from all corners of the world sharing their traditional celebratory drinks: vodka, wine and beer," Stern writes of his new drink. "When I mix hard spirits with beer and wine I normally end up having a hangover, hence the name and the cocktail."
Now that we have established the backstory, I think we need to look ahead.
Later this year, the U.N. will be reopening its famed delegate’s lounge, and bar, following a major renovation by a Dutch design team, including the architect Rem Koolhaas* and designer Hella Jongerius. It would only be fitting if Mr. Stern’s concoction could find its way onto the drink menu.
For those who wanted to keep a clear head, he has come up with an alcohol free alternative: "The Diplomatic Immunity."
So, Amb. Torsella, what will it be?
Follow me on Twitter @columlynch
(an earlier version misspelled Koolhaas. Turtle Bay regrets the error)
Colum Lynch was a staff writer at Foreign Policy between 2010 and 2022. Twitter: @columlynch
More from Foreign Policy

Can Russia Get Used to Being China’s Little Brother?
The power dynamic between Beijing and Moscow has switched dramatically.

Xi and Putin Have the Most Consequential Undeclared Alliance in the World
It’s become more important than Washington’s official alliances today.

It’s a New Great Game. Again.
Across Central Asia, Russia’s brand is tainted by Ukraine, China’s got challenges, and Washington senses another opening.

Iraqi Kurdistan’s House of Cards Is Collapsing
The region once seemed a bright spot in the disorder unleashed by U.S. regime change. Today, things look bleak.