Earl Grey. Hot.

Might as well just get it out there: I’m a Trekkie. I’ve been a Star Trek fan since I was a kid watching TOS (Trekkie-cool shorthand for The Original Series) re-runs after school with my neighborhood besties. Admittedly, a lot of us were just waiting for Captain Kirk to plant a juicy kiss on someone, but over time we came to love the characters and most of all, their amazing friendships.

Tonight one of the recent spin-offs, Picard begins, and I’ve been watching the clock all day in anticipation. I’ve got my U.S.S. Enterprise tea set and Picard’s signature Earl Grey tea ready to go and to kick things off - I’ll be pouring a Romulan ale at 5:00 straight up. In sum, a cozy, boozy evening with some of my dearest fictional friends.

I realize that not everyone willingly puts "Trekkie" after their name but if you’ll indulge me, I’ve pulled together a short list of Trek-related books that almost anyone can relate to and enjoy.

Beyond Uhura - Star Trek and Other Memories by Nichelle Nichols

The first African-American woman to have a major, continuing television role tells the inside story of Star Trek and its creator-her onetime lover and lifelong friend--and her struggle to overcome racism and bias against women. Cool fact about Nichelle: she recruited a lot of the first female and African American astronauts for NASA!

To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu by George Takei

Asian-American actor Takei attributes his success to his role as Mr. Sulu on the Star Trek TV series and in six full-length motion pictures (1966-1991). Starting with his Japanese-American family's internment in a WWII high-security camp in northern California, this lively memoir reveals the author's upbeat but pragmatic nature

Takei is a prolific writer, civil rights activist, and creator, including several acclaimed graphic novels. And you MUST see him take a turn at playing a community college econ professor in the movie Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks.

Star Trek Cocktails: A Stellar Compendium by Glenn Dakin

You can never own too many mixology books and this is a fun “voyage into the future of stylish drinking.” Cocktails from all of the iconic characters and episodes. A whole new reason to revisit the entire Trek catalog.

Star Trek: Designing the Final Frontier: How Midcentury Modernism Shaped Our View of the Future by Dan Chavkin and Brian McGuire

This one will satisfy the most dedicated fans AND readers that love to read about period style and aesthetic.

Read long and prosper,

Julie

P.S. Here’s an easy Romulan ale recipe for one tall serving of Romulan attitude.

3 oz blue curacao, chilled + 1 1/2 oz Blue Moon, chilled.