EXCERPT: 'Pour One Out''s Liquid Tribute to Tasha Yar

For one intrepid explorer, space really was the final frontier. . . twice.

Escaping a violence-filled childhood on the lawless colony planet Turkana IV, Tasha Yar became enamored with Starfleet’s mission of universal goodwill. It wasn’t long before she was living her best life among the stars as a lieutenant and the chief security officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, helping to thwart alien nemeses, taking the lead on vital away missions, getting intimate with the android Data, and impressing Lieutenant Worf with her badass martial arts skills—until the end of season 1, when she was randomly killed by a lame slime monster, a death that her fellow crewmembers (and TV critics) viewed as senseless. Luckily, she returned two seasons later in an alternate timeline, where, in a send-off much more befitting her character, she traveled back in time with the Enterprise-C to heroically stop an eventual war between the Klingons and the Federation. (She went on to be impregnated and murdered by Romulans, but hey, space happens!)

Most Trekkies were understandably miffed at the show’s initial treatment of Tasha, but it would be tough to find anyone in the galaxy to complain about the Star Daisy. Just as reaching the stars has been a human goal since the beginning of time, variations of this refreshingly dry forefather of the sidecar have been served since the first cocktails appeared on bar menus in the early nineteenth century. So whenever you’re feeling down about your tactical officer always getting the short end of the futuristic stick, just teleport to your local watering hole for a different kind of subtly strong blond-hued beauty that’ll still be sipped long after we conquer warp speed.

3/4 ounce Laird’s Applejack or comparable apple brandy

3 /4 ounce gin

3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

3/4 ounce orange curaçao

2 bar spoons club soda

1 lemon twist, for garnish

Combine the applejack, gin, lemon juice, and curaçao in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a stemmed cocktail glass. Top with the club soda. Garnish with the lemon twist.

From POUR ONE OUT by Chris Vola, available October 1, 2019. Copyright © 2019 by Chris Vola. Reprinted by permission of Morrow Gift. Buy your copy here.