Hiring Freeze

Paper Title: Graff Zivin, J, A Lepinteur, M Neidell, A Nieto Castro, “A Cold Stop: Temperature, Unemployment and Joblessness Dynamics,” NBER #34487.

Cocktail Pairing: Hiring Freeze

Rationale: This paper shows that extreme cold raises unemployment by increasing layoffs and slowing the return to work—a demand-side freeze that leaves the labor market stuck in place. Hiring Freeze channels that chill. Aquavit, a working-class spirit from the Nordic countries, ties the drink to the climate-exposed trades most affected by the weather. Braulio brings the Alpine cold itself—mint, pine, and mountain herbs that evoke the thin, frozen air of winter. A dash of saline recalls the salt scattered across icy roads. Served over a single large rock, the drink becomes a visual and literal evocation of extreme cold—unyielding at first, then thawing slowly as conditions ease. It sits somewhere between a Black Manhattan and a Hanky Panky: the former’s structure with the latter’s herbal chill—crisp, dry, and faintly resinous, with a clean bitterness that lingers as the ice melts.

Recipe: Hiring Freeze

• 1.5oz Aquavit

• 0.75oz Amaro Braulio

• 0.5oz Dry Vermouth

• 2 dashes saline solution

• Garnish: Lemon Twist

1. Stir all ingredients (except garnish) with ice until well chilled.

2. Strain into a lowball or whiskey glass with large ice cube.

3. Garnish with lemon twist.