Enjoyed: Saturday, December 10, 2022.

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Seasonal Old Fashioned”.

Ingredients: Elijah Craig rye, orange, cherry bitters, and amaretto.

The occasion: Every December, Husband and I plan a “date weekend” as a Christmas gift to ourselves. This year, we selected Roanoke, mainly to see one of our favorite musicians (Louisiana guitarist Tab Benoit) perform on Sunday night in nearby Rocky Mount, Virginia. As for Saturday, I purchased tickets for the Mill Mountain Theatre’s matinee show, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. But we needed to eat lunch first.

My rating: **** out of 5. The drink was delicious, with only a bare hint of amaretto at the end of each sip. I think the rye may have been too spicy for the amaretto, almost cancelling it out. The amaretto was the “seasonal” component of the drink, but given the muddled fruit, perhaps an orange liqueur would have been a better alternative–I definitely associate citrus with the winter holidays.

Final thoughts: Roanoke is a charming little city, and plenty of families were downtown to browse, shop, eat, and drink. I selected Crescent City for our meal mostly because of its location–we could sample some bourbons and then walk to the theater! Win, win! We were welcomed us with a beautiful bar, plenty of festive decorations, and a solid selection of whiskeys at very reasonable prices. Husband finally got to try Jefferson’s Ocean Aged At Sea Bourbon, which disappointed me because I couldn’t taste the brininess. But Husband’s second shot, Old Forester 1897 Bottled In Bond Bourbon, was his favorite of the day.