By Dina Novarr –
In the greatest hits of eyebrow-raising headlines of 2025, Olivia Nuzzi, once a respected political reporter, finds herself at the center of what might be the most raucous romantic ruckus since that time your favorite college frat house rooms turned into a game of musical beds. Nuzzi allegedly carried on a “digital affair” with RFK, Jr., complete with raunchy poetry about “harvests” and “fletching.”
Meanwhile, her ex-fiancé, fellow journalist Ryan Lizza, reportedly dropped the engagement faster than the cream in a Mudslide hits the bottom of a glass, and now went full Substack, milking his side with a blow-by-blow of betrayal, heartbreak, and what one might call an “udder-ly” intense scandal. It’s just like a soap opera, only with more footnotes.
So, here we are: politics, erotic poems, and journalistic ethics in a drunken fencing match, and splashed into the national spotlight like a chocolatey concoction spilled on a newsroom floor. As Lizza quoted in a poem from Kennedy, “Don’t spill a drop.” I can only think that RFK is now facing the mess he partook in … with spilled milk. It’s messy. It’s ridiculous. And it’s deliciously dramalicious. It’s the most entertaining tragedy since Shakespeare’s quill last dripped with ink, and one that evokes just how silly the players in our current administration are.
For this year’s National Cookie Day (December 4), let’s enjoy some milk and cookies, because some news just needs to be enjoyed with simple boozy treats. What better way to honor this scandal that will probably be milked, baked, crumbled, and rejoiced by many politically fatigued hearts? Here’s a Mudslide to enjoy while doom-scrolling X, refreshing your google news, and waiting for the next update from Lizza’s Substack.
Cheers to The “Gossip Gulp” Cocktail—a take on the Mudslide for a scandalous drink that pairs perfectly with the trainwreck unfolding in D.C.
‘Gossip Gulp’ Cocktail
Ingredients
2 oz Meili vodka (or more, if you want to catch the buzz)
1 oz Tia Maria or coffee liqueur (to taste the bitter and get that rush of caffeine)
1 oz St. Brendan’s Irish Cream (because this is the funniest story yet worth milking) or Oatrageous Bourbon Cream (something without all the animus, to make you feel like you’re rising above the gutter gossip)
1 oz heavy cream or oatmilk creamer (to represent the muck of it all)
Carmel syrup (something golden to represent Kennedy)
Ice (like the cold, dead hearts of the people involved)
Chocolate Chip Cookie crumbs
Method
1. Dip the glass rim with honey and coat the rim in cookie crumbs.
2. Fill a glass with ice (or the shattered remains of your faith in journalism).
3. Pour in vodka, Tia Maria, Brendan’s, and cream. Go heavy-handed. No one’s judging.
4. Stir. Watch it get all muddled. Metaphor!
5. Drizzle caramel syrup on top. Let it ooze down the sides (fitting). Add whip cream, if you like the fluff!
6. Drink. Cringe. Repeat until the news cycle changes.
Now, don’t forget your cookies because any will work. My personal favorite is The New York Times’ Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie (https://bit.ly/48ct00W), because, when I indulge, I like to do it slice by slice. Here’s to media mayhem, Mudslides, munchies, and mutually assured destruction! After all that wet and juicy gossip, we all need something to dunk in our drink and deliver a truly delicious experience!
San Francisco-based Dina Novarr enjoys sharing her passion for fine wines, spirits, non-alcoholic craft beverages, and more with others.
Cocktails with Dina
Published on December 4, 2025
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