Enjoyed: Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Divot Stomp Old Fashion”

Ingredients: Catoctin Rye Gin, Fee Brothers Orange Bitters, Muddled Fruit, Ginger Beer

The occasion: For several years now, our little “Drinking Club” has gone out for a New Year’s Eve supper. We have enjoyed re-visiting restaurants that are local “institutions” and Hamiltons’ on the Downtown Mall fit the bill. Our group of six savored a fabulous five course dinner and a wide variety of cocktails before we headed back to M’s home bar where we rang in 2025 with champagne and a few beers.

My rating: *** out of 5. I had to order this cocktail strictly because of the name, but the ingredients were far from the traditional Old Fashioned recipe. Is there even such a thing as “rye gin”? I could not find that product on the Catoctin Creek website per se (great place to visit, by the way), but wow, apparently rye can be used to make gin, according to other websites. I should have asked for a shot! As a stand alone cocktail, I would give it four and a half stars, since the gin and the ginger beer made for an interesting tickle on the tongue. Points to the bartending staff for originality, but I believe an Old Fashioned needs a “brown” base.

Final thoughts: I enjoy going out on New Year’s Eve for the people watching. We saw some very glittery clothing, too. And of course, our friends make the evening even more fun and memorable, especially when one couple shares surprising yet joyous family news at the start of the meal, when we each fortuitously had a glass of bubbly in hand. A toast to joyous news, and a toast to 2025.

Enjoyed: Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Listed on the menu: No, but the bar promotes its “prohibition style handcrafted cocktails” so the bartender was comfortable with my request.

Ingredients: H & H bourbon, house-made demerara syrup, angostura bitters, orange bitters

The occasion: Husband and I chose Baltimore and Annapolis for this year’s pre-holiday get-away, our tradition since 2015. We booked a room overlooking Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and this unique bar was just a few blocks away. We needed to punch in a code (clues were provided online) to gain access to the sixth floor, which was fun. The clocks hanging all around us were a tribute to the jewelry and watch repair business which once occupied the space.

My rating: *** out of 5. I was not familiar with the “H & H”, and I should have asked for more details. A later internet search showed a few options–did I have the Canadian whiskey, or the one made in Asheville, NC, or a type of Heaven Hill? Regardless, the drink was satisfying and just sweet enough, and the predictable notes of vanilla and caramel were indeed there, but not much else.

Final thoughts: Later that chilly evening, we shopped and ate at the nearby German-style Christmas market. We ended the day by traveling to the Hampden neighborhood to see “Miracle on 34th Street”–each and every row house on the block was decorated from top to bottom with holiday lights. Apparently this was the 77th year of the event, and wow! The nostalgia! Baltimore was a blast, but we had even more fun the next evening in historic downtown Annapolis: seafood for supper, a concert by Los Lobos, and shopping until 11:30 PM, since the stores were open extra-late. Bring on Christmas! We are in the mood!

1. Vases. I don’t anticipate receiving armloads of flowers from a secret admirer anytime in the near future, and Husband has been trained to get bouquets that fit into my favorite blue vase.
2. Dishtowels. I am still using ones left over from my mom and my mother-in-law, since I like the quality linen of long ago. You are allowed to provide fresh dishtowels, I suppose, if you come over and wash the entirety of the stemware, cookie sheets, vintage plates, and pots and pans that I will use over the holidays.
3. Serving trays. I got the gamut, from Dollar Tree ones to old silver ones that my kids will never want for their respective households.
4. Magnets. We tend to buy them during our travels, and now we have enough to adequately cover both refrigerators. I can just hear my mom saying that it’s so tacky.
5. Coasters. If we aren’t buying magnets during our travels, we are buying coasters. I have enough to protect every square inch of every tabletop in the house, and then some.
6. Lotion. I am super-picky about the scents I like, so please don’t even try to please me.
7. Stemware. Much like dishtowels, I inherited glassware from both moms. And I usually come home from IKEA with just-the-cutest set of goblets. I have sets for red wine, white wine, and champagne. I have shot glasses, high ball glasses, low ball glasses, cordial glasses, pilsner glasses, Nick and Nora glasses, coupes, and brandy snifters. And if I see a vintage stem at a thrift shop, I have to get it. Really, I have let this get out of hand. I guess I need to make more cocktails.
8. Earrings and bracelets and necklaces. I am retired, and some days I wear no jewelry and –gasp!–no makeup.
9. Cloth napkins, placemats, and tablecloths. I love them all, but unless it’s a special occasion, I am too old and cranky to deal with ironing.
10. Decorative pillows. Husband has threatened to leave me if I bring any more pillows into the house. Men just don’t get it.
11. Mugs. I have a few favorites, and the rest just sit there on the shelf in the cabinet. Unless I open a bed and breakfast, I don’t need any more.
12. Kitchen gadgets. I have duplicates and even triplicates of basics like veggie peelers and whisks. And I even have the esoteric, used-once-a year ones like a nutmeg grinder and a cherry pitter. I am out of storage space.
13. Scarves. I have wool and silk and rayon and cotton. I have every color of the rainbow. I have florals and plaids and stripes and polka dots. And they never wear out, so I can’t ever justify throwing any of them away.
14. Photo frames. I have accumulated so many over the decades, but I will make exceptions for new frames if they contain our children’s wedding photos. (Note to my kids: see how I didn’t say “grandchildren” here even though I could have? Stop rolling your eyes at me.)

Enjoyed: Thursday, October 24, 2024

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “The Classic Old Fashioned”

Ingredients: Old Forester bourbon, angostura bitters, orange bitters, hummingbird bitters, cherry bitters

The occasion: For the penultimate leg of our “Deep South” road trip, we drove the Natchez Trace Parkway –gorgeous fall colors, by the way–from Mississippi into Alabama. We detoured to Florence to tour Rosenbaum House, the only building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the state. Then we headed on to our primary goal: a decades-overdue visit with my childhood friends who now live in Huntsville. We were treated to a marvelous dinner at The Cotton Club in the historic downtown district, and then on to a fun speakeasy in a dark basement.

My rating: *** out of 5. My drink was well-made and beautifully presented, but lost a star because the service was too slow. I prefer sipping and enjoying the full flavors of the bourbon and the bitters on a fresh palate and empty stomach, which means I want my cocktail served before the food is. Admittedly, I was pleasantly distracted by the delightful company, and by my tasty entree, so I forgot to ask about why so many bitters were used. I had never before heard of hummingbird bitters!

Final thoughts: Reunions are a wonderful thing. Yes, we talked about our kids, our careers, our travels, and our hobbies, but we also easily segued into memories of the past (such as our Polish moms’ cooking and watching the Chicago Cubs). Husband and I have re-connected with several other “old” friends these past few years, and we decided that we need to re-connect with even more people now that we are retired. What does that song say? “Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold.” Cheers to our golden friends in Alabama!

Enjoyed: Sunday, October 20, 2024.

Listed on the menu: Yes, on the seasonal menu as “Anniversary Old Fashioned”

Ingredients: Rock Town 14th Anniversary Bourbon, simple syrup, Angostura and orange bitters, orange rind.

The occasion: The road trip continued on. After Hot Springs, we drove to the Talimena National Scenic Byway, which winds into southeast Oklahoma and through the Ouchita Mountains, one of the highest ranges between the Appalachians and the Rockies. (And we always pictured Oklahoma as totally flat and dry!) The fall colors were lovely and the views from the overlooks were impressive. We spent the night in a cowboy-themed inn in Talihina, Oklahoma. (Neither of us had ever been to the Sooner State before this.) The next morning we headed back east to North Little Rock, to the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, home to a World War II submarine. I still don’t know how I climbed that narrow vertical ladder back out of the submarine, but I knew I needed a drink to celebrate that feat! This distillery was only a few blocks from our lodging in the Governor’s Mansion Historic District of Little Rock, so we walked over.

My rating: ***** out of 5. The drink was a touch fruity with a lingering velvety finish. A few days earlier, as we sat in robes and waited for our massages in Hot Springs, I picked up The Arkansas Times and happened to read an article about Rock Town’s Abi Rogne, named the best bartender in the state. (Wow!) To my delight, Abi was working behind the bar the night we visited, and she made all four of our drinks. (Don’t judge. We weren’t driving and I had climbed up that tall ladder, remember?) I asked about this particular whiskey, and Abby told me it was aged in Sauterne barrels and that I should expect peachy flavors. She was right! Yum!

Final thoughts: Arkansas has more “dry” counties (34 out of 75) than any other state in the USA. We were not aware of this until we saw signs along the highways informing us that “the next 2 counties are dry, so buy your beer here now”. On this particular Sunday morning, we stopped for gas and decided to purchase some local beer in a “non-dry” county. We brought the six-pack up to the counter, and the clerk gave us the stink-eye and tersely stated, “You can’t buy beer. It’s Sunday.” We sheepishly apologized to him and told him we were from out-of-state and ignorant of local laws. Apparently, you CAN buy alcohol on Sundays in Arkansas only if it’s “on premises”, such as a distillery, so we were in luck when we reached Rock Town. We were able to purchase a bottle to bring home. Whew.

Enjoyed: Thursday, October 17, 2024.

Listed on the menu: No. The bartender asked for my preference in spirits, and I asked for a whiskey that was locally crafted.

Ingredients: Rock Town La Harpe Low Rye Arkansas Straight Bourbon Whiskey, simple syrup, bitters, cherries.

The occasion: Our next stop after Memphis was Hot Springs, for three reasons: neither of us had ever been to Arkansas and we wanted to check it off our list; we wanted to visit Hot Springs National Park; and in the mid-twentieth century, Hot Springs was a favored spot of gangsters, gamblers, and celebrities. So, we absolutely needed to get drinks at The Ohio Club, Arkansas’s oldest bar and a former speakeasy and casino. The bar was a favorite of bad guys (like Al Capone, Bugsy Segel, Bugs Moran, and Lucky Luciano) and of many Major League Ball players (like Babe Ruth) who were in Hot Springs for spring training. Al Jolson and Mae West, among others, performed there. Of course we were intrigued!

My rating: **** out of 5. The bourbon’s composition was 75% Arkansas corn, so the sweetness stood out. The cocktail met my expectations and fueIed my imagination. I really enjoyed drinking at the beautiful bar with a mahogany mantel (hand-carved in the late 1880s) which included three horse heads and a topless female torso. I felt the history all around me, and that made the drink go down even easier.

Final thoughts: Besides the great cocktails (Husband had The Al Capone, with Templeton Rye, Grand Marnier, bitters, and soda), we found other delights in Hot Springs. Husband drove a side-by-side through a hilly and rugged adventure park; we hiked on a lovely mountain trail; we sampled beers made with actual water from the hot springs; we dined at the iconic Arlington Hotel; and we splurged on a private hot water soak and couple massage at the historic Quapaw Bathhouse. And naturally, we drank the famous water, which was surprisingly delicious.

Enjoyed: Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Peabody Old Fashioned”. The bar–with much pride, as evidenced by the life-sized statue behind my drink–specializes in cocktails made with various types of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.

Ingredients: Fresh Orange and Cherry crushed together and served with “Peabody Select” Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Bitters, and Sugar Cube.

The occasion: We decided, months ago, that since we were going to be in Nashville for our son’s wedding, we needed to extend the road trip. Our first stop was Memphis. We spent two nights at the iconic Peabody Hotel and had front-row seats in the gorgeous lobby for the morning Duck Parade.

My rating: **** out of 5. The drink was almost too potent for me. This special edition whiskey is advertised as being anywhere from 125 to 140-proof, bold yet smooth. I agree. I did catch the trademark vanilla and toasted oak flavors, but the drink was a bit too intense.

Final thoughts: Memphis has much to offer tourists, especially those who enjoy music and history. “I’ve reason to believe we both will be received in Graceland,” as the song promised, and indeed we were. We also did a sing-a-long bus tour of the city, toured Sun Studios (the birthplace of rock-n-roll), ate ribs at Rendezvous, listened to the blues on Beale Street, and paid our respects at the National Civil Rights Museum. Sadly, we never saw the ghost of Elvis.

Enjoyed: Saturday, October 12, 2024.

Listed on the menu: No, but the venue’s bartender had all the ingredients available, as we previously requested. (The only cocktails specified on the printed “menu” at the bar were Apricot Manhattan and Lavender Gimlet, both in honor of beloved grandparents.)

Ingredients: Four Roses bourbon, simple syrup, bitters, orange rind.

The occasion: THIS WAS OUR SON’S WEDDING RECEPTION. So much joy and happiness!

My rating: **** out of 5. The drink was delicious and carefully made–the bartender took the extra step of rubbing the orange rind around the rim of the glass. However, I started with the Apricot Manhattan and then the Lavender Gimlet during the cocktail hour, because I simply had to try the bride and groom’s choices. (Ah, the unexpected flavors were subtle but lovely.) Then there was the champagne toast, and only then did I try the Old Fashioned, so I obviously didn’t give the drink my full attention.

Final thoughts: The bride and groom picked a winning venue. The evening was perfect. And it was our pleasure to buy drinks for the happy couple’s closest friends and family! Cheers, and best wishes to our kiddos, A and J!

Enjoyed: Thursday, October 10, 2024.

Listed on the menu: This cocktail bar has no menu. The server chats with each customer about favorite drinks, flavors, and the current mood. The bartender reads the notes taken by the server and then creates a specialized treat. I explained that I wanted a riff on an Old Fashioned, so I was presented with a “McIttrick”.

Ingredients: Elijah Craig bourbon, sherry, chocolate bitters, and a cherry.

The occasion: Our oldest child lives in Nashville, and the family gathered for his wedding! (Finally! We are thrilled!) On this particular Thursday evening, Husband and I took our daughter, her boyfriend, and our younger son out for the first of several pre-wedding celebrations in the East Nashville neighborhood. Each of us had a different cocktail, and each of us was intrigued by the server’s explanations and pleased with our drinks.

My rating: ***** out of 5. The server told me the sweetness would come from the sherry, so additional sugar was not needed. Correct. I prefer less-sweet Old Fashioneds. The chocolate bitters were a lovely finishing touch. Well done!

Final thoughts: I am so pleased that my adult children have developed such sophisticated palates for both food and drink. My babies are all grown up!