Seva

Harvey Wallbanger

On a, not so recent, browsing session of "Classic Cocktails for Men" I became obsessed with the idea of a Harvey Wallbanger.  Why?  I don't really know.  It reeks of 1950's men's clubs and class, which is odd because it tastes preeeeeeetty much like a girly drink.  It's totally delicious.  Vodka, orange juice, and Galliano.  Galliano has a sweet anise flavor and somehow works really well with the oj, ramping it up from just being a screwdriver.  Seva really delivered with the fresh squeezed juice, top notch!  The hard part about being really cool and enjoying a Harvey Wallbanger is that not very many places stock Galliano and you seem like an asshole ordering it.  A lot of bartenders don't even know what it is.  Their loss!

A smidge of history!

5 out of 5 juicy oranges.

Goodnight Gracie

The worst, overpriced martini I've ever had. This is supposed to be a martini bar. Tragic. The olives were awful. They tasted like freezer burn. This review deserves no photo.

The Alley Bar

Pimm's Cup!

I ordered the Noble Experiment, which is bartender's choice.  This evening's bartender was Phil Attee aka Captain Dickslap and his drink of choice was Pimm's Cup.  Pimm's liqueur has the air of an ancient apothecary tonic.  It originally had 6 different tonics, each based on a different liquor (#1 - gin, #2 - scotch, #3 - brandy, #4 - rum, #5 - rye whiskey, and #6 - vodka).  Currently, only 1, 3, and 6 are still available.  The label is awesomely dated.  This drink is amazing!  It's so refreshing and reminds me of a gin based sangria.  Layers of cucumber, honey, lemon, ginger and subtle hints of secret spices from far away lands.  It's the drink of choice for classy summertime activities in England like cricket and a bracing match at Wimbeldon.  Good show, old chap.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!

5 out of 5.  Srsly.

TGIFridays

Chocolate Covered Pretzel

Fave new shot.  I was thinking that maybe salt on the rim would be a cool idea, but no.  Too much salt at once.  Plus, it was margarita salt, so it was HUGE.  Bad call Gino and Dave, bad call.

Simple ingredients.  They're much better at the 8ball.  Order one!

5 out of 5!

Bar Louie

Rob Roy

This was an experiment in iPhone application skills.  I've since decided that I need to find a new one.  Shake your iPhone for a random cocktail.  I wasn't disappointed in the Rob Roy result, actually I was a little excited.  I was hoping for a more consistent emergence of classic type cocktails, but it's been giving me really crappy sorority girl shots.  Whatever.

So!  The Rob Roy.  A classic, for sure.  Scotch, vermouth, bitters, a cherry and a lemon twist.  It was named for after Scottish folk hero Robert Roy MacGregor, but I can't really find the connection.  I guess it's because he was Scottish.  The cocktail was created (1890-ish) just after Dewar's scotch was introduced in New York.

Upon first sip, it tasted like scotch and sour mix.  That didn't seem right.  The further into the drink I got, the more it tasted like sour mix.  It wasn't bad, exactly, but it wasn't right either.  I asked the waitress what was in my drink.  Dewars, bitters, and sour mix.  The cherries tasted like juicy plastic.  No discernible flavor and no lemon twist.  I would like to try this drink again with the right ingredients.  I wouldn't say I'm a fan of scotch, but I'd like to give it the chance it deserves. 

2 out of 5

TGIFriday's

Mai Tai

 

For some reason, I had a mean craving for a Mai Tai.  I never opt for fruity drinks, and I was really hoping for a giant hurricane glass, but this really hit the spot.  Our bartender was a chode, and totally in mack mode.  He ribbed us for ordering Mai Tai's, then made a couple of unintentionally homosexual references to himself, which made me snicker and he quickly struggled to regain his machismo.  Whatever, dude.  Aaaaanyway, the drink was pretty tasty.  I always forget about rum.  The options, in my inexperienced mind, are pretty limited.  It's never a liquor I think to drink, but when used correctly it's delicious!  This drink (and this blog, because I'll run out of other things eventually, right?) has given me a reason to explore the possibilities of rum.  All in all, 4 out of 5.  If not only due to the craving I had for this specific drink.

p.s.  The Oberon sucks at Friday's.  Don't order one. 

The Highland Cleanse--Seva

Laphroaig. It is not a single malt scotch for the weak of heart. As my dear friend Dawn (who crafted this lovely, smokey, but definitely not for everyone cocktail) said, "It smells like band-aids!" And it's true, it really does.

The Highland is a combination of lemon juice, Michigan maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. The cocktail starts out with a nice fresh lemon juice taste and finishes with that great, strange, smells like your weird uncle smokey flavor of Laphroaig (also every time I type that I think of Professor Frink saying it, "LA-FROI-GUM!"). The cayenne is a garnish, so it settles to the bottom of the glass, which makes the end of the drink a little undrinkable but the cocktail is great nonetheless.

Here's the bummer part: on the menu it states that its made with a splash of lemonade, which it is for customers. Total bummer, because after the first delicious drink I felt like a classy dame ready for another. I got the lemonade version and it was all old-man stink with no yummy, refreshing, "cleansing" tart lemon juice to cut it. Boo.

Laphroaig is definitely not for everyone. so if it doesn't sound like your thing, don't do it! You will totally hate it.

2.5 out of 5---due to the use of lemonade and the generally unpalatable taste of Laphroaig to just about everyone except for me and old white dudes.