From Debugging to Bitters: Why I Started Mixing Cocktails After Work

When I’m knee-deep in code and the hours melt away, I forget my body exists. My back tightens. My coffee’s cold. My Slack explodes. And then suddenly — silence. I close the laptop.

It’s tempting to scroll, binge, or open another IDE window.

But lately, I’ve found something better.
A ritual.
A small act of creation.
A cocktail.

I’m not talking about getting buzzed. I’m talking about crafting something tactile in a digital life. A well-balanced Negroni. A zesty Paloma. A classic Old Fashioned with just the right citrus oil. You measure. You shake. You pour. You focus.

And for five minutes, you’re present.

I’ve been using mycocktailrecipes.com to explore recipes — it’s refreshingly minimalist and to-the-point. Much like the drinks it features. Clean. Thoughtful. No popups or fluff.

Funny how similar it feels to writing clean code. Every ingredient matters. Too much sugar? Bug. Not enough acidity? UX fail. The more I mix, the more I notice structure, balance, and elegance — both in glass and in editor.

If you spend your day building virtual systems, I highly recommend ending it with something real. Something that tastes like focus and feels like peace.