Find out what inspired the fashion-flavored October 2020 cover, and check out a recipe for "Sister Carrie's Ranch Water."
How many times have you heard or seen the phrase “stay home” this year? Too many to count, I’d imagine.
Although troubling developments have caused all of us to alter our way of life for the time being, there have also emerged unexpected quiet blessings. We’ve been reminded anew of the importance of family and community. We’ve been reminded, too, of our fundamental goodness and grace, resilience and resourcefulness in the face of historic challenges.
At C&I, we’ve had to rethink our tried-and-true way of doing things and come up with new approaches to respond to these singular circumstances. Where we were once free to visit any location, dispatch writers hither and yon, gather together in groups, and get up close and personal with stars for everything from cookouts to cover shoots, these times have refocused us closer to home. The new October 2020 edition, arriving in subscribers' mailboxes now and on newsstands Sept. 1, is a prime example.
Over nearly three decades we’ve strived to beautifully marry trends with time-honored traditions for looks that create fresh classics, and we’ve staged shoots in locations as varied as the streets of the Fort Worth Stockyards and the fields of a nature preserve. For this issue’s special fall fashion feature, we brought the shoot home to our literal backyard.
With the midsummer sun forecast to bake the day into the low 100s, a skeleton crew of editors, models, and groomers joined noted Western photographer Scott Slusher — masks and thermometers ready — for a very early a.m. call at a private ranch in Weatherford, Texas. With acres and acres at our disposal, we worked from practically dawn to dusk to capture breathtaking outfits and accessories against the natural backdrop of the property. Despite the heat and the added difficulty of physical distancing, we got it done. It wasn’t easy, but the results — and the proof we could harness the can-do spirit of the American West right here at home — made it well worth the effort.
Speaking of spirit(s), this issue spotlights some of the greatest and tastiest tipples in the West. Just in time for your closer-to-home holidays, we present recommendations for whiskeys, tequilas, gins, beers, wines, and more, along with drink recipes that would blow the collective minds of the Old West’s saloon barkeeps and patrons.
So lift a glass to keeping close to home. Here in the West, we know how to persevere through tough times. We might need a little liquid fortitude once in a while — I know I’ve gotten through many an evening nursing on a juiced-up variation of ranch water created by a longtime friend of mine. Because you’re family, I’ll share the recipe with you below.
I invite you to slake your thirst and feast your eyes. I am thinking of you — and the day we can all meet again — as I sip.
Sister Carrie’s Ranch Water
Step 1: In a small container or shaker, add the following ingredients into a "tequila mix," cover, and shake vigorously:
1 shot of tequila (El Amo is a good'n)
1 tablespoon lime juice (Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice if you can get it)
2 ½ teaspoons of cranberry juice concentrate
1 pinch margarita salt
Step 2: Put everything together.
Fill a medium mason jar or glass with ice.
Pour in ½ cup of lime sparkling water.
Pour in your tequila mix.
Step 3: Sip, sip, sip and let your worries drift away.
– Recipe via Carrie Moak of Bullard, Texas