Listed on the menu: Yes, as “ Black Sheep Old Fashioned”.
Ingredients: Michter’s Bourbon, Grand Marnier, black walnut bitters.
The occasion: Youngest Son was just finishing week one of a new job. Same employer, major promotion! We were delighted with the news, so we wanted to celebrate over brunch, and to hear all about his new opportunity.
My rating: ***** out of 5. The cocktail was beautifully presented and delicious. Michter’s is one of my favorites, and the splash of Grand Marnier brought the orange taste and sweetness I wanted. No messy muddled fruit needed!
Final thoughts: The Black Sheep, part of a dining/entertainment campus just outside of Manassas, is housed in a recently-renovated two-story historic dairy barn. Our server told us he thought the renovation cost close to $2 million, and I can believe that–it is a pretty fancy barn, with exposed-beam vaulted ceilings, crystal chandeliers, huge windows, and gorgeous furniture. We were impressed by the rustic-industrial-chic, and wondered (somewhat sadly) whatever became of the former bovine residents.
Ingredients:1 large ice cube, 2 oz makers mark, 0.5 oz fig juice, 2 dashes of angostura bitters, garnished with fig and cracked black pepper.
The occasion: Schools open next week, so this was the last Friday of my summer vacation. I definitely needed a cocktail to salute a full summer. We were joined by four of our dear friends for a round of drinks, a relaxed supper, and pleasant conversation.
My rating: *** out of 5. We were delighted by the Maker’s Mark lowball glasses (the bottoms were dipped in red wax, of course). This recipe does not use simple syrup, and the fig juice itself wasn’t enough to sweeten the drink to the extent I like. The cracked black pepper rested primarily on the large ice cube, so I didn’t get the pepper bits–and yes, this was coarsely-ground black pepper–until more than halfway into my sipping. I had to smash the pepper pieces between my teeth to get the full pepper experience, and that just felt odd.
Final thoughts: Whatever happened to people getting a little bit dressed up to go out to eat at a “sit-down” restaurant? Yes, this was a Friday night and we had all had a long work week, but several of our fellow patrons had on gym attire. Then again, my meal was served on a metal tray and not an actual plate. I suppose I should be glad that my cocktail was served in an actual glass.
The occasion: The stars aligned, and somehow, a small family reunion happened in Nashville. My sister, my nieces C and Y, and Y’s fiancé drove down from Indiana for the weekend. Most of us spent Friday together shopping for boots, then eating dinner at a BBQ joint, then attending the Grand Ole Opry. On Saturday afternoon, the Indiana family hit the Honky Tonks on Broadway, and I joined them. (Lordy, we did all the typical-tourist-things, didn’t we?) This particular “saloon”–opened just a week prior– was our first stop of several. I had to start the day with an Old Fashioned, especially due to the name of the bar.
My rating: **** out of 5. I usually scoff when a cocktail is presented to me in a plastic cup, but this is downtown Nashville, and festivities may get out of hand, so I understand. The sweet young bartender gave me a generous pour, which I suspect is not typical, since watered-down drinks and plastic cups often go together, in my experience. Nelson’s made-in-Tennessee whiskey was totally satisfying-I picked up pleasant cinnamon and smooth caramel flavors. The brand promotes itself as “whiskey worth singing about” and indeed, I could see this happening, especially in Nashville!
Final thoughts: During our visit, the band at Whiskey River Saloon was playing Springsteen, Eagles, and Tom Petty tunes. This, I enjoyed. I was out of my element later, when the bars’ bands were playing more recent country hits and the patrons were line-dancing. Maybe I should have had tequila shots alongside the nieces to help lower my inhibitions and get my feet a-movin’.
Ingredients: Bourbon, Amaro di Angostura, Rose Water
The occasion: For the second summer in a row, Husband and I travelled to Nashville to attend the Music City Grand Prix Indy Car race and to visit Oldest Son, who lives there. We wanted to eat in his East Nashville neighborhood, a vibrant but not tourist-focused area.
My rating: **** out of 5. The drink was lovely and easy to sip, but the eponymous rose water was barely discernable. I was hoping for a more obvious floral note, but perhaps a subtle touch is preferred in an Old Fashioned. Husband, however, said he could taste and smell the rose, and he is not a fan.
Final thoughts: I had seen an article about Cafe Roze in Southern Living magazine, and I was intrigued by the owner/executive chef, who credited her Croatian heritage as an inspiration for her menu. Since Husband also has Croatian roots, and since I love all things East European, we had to give Cafe Roze a try. We were delighted by the food (they use dill for garnish!), the drinks, and the casual yet classy vibe. And dining with Son and Jenn is always a pleasure.
Listed on the menu: No, not on the brunch menu, but I later found the drink on the “Evening Cocktail” menu as “House Old Fashioned”.
Ingredients: Four Roses bourbon with vanilla and saffron, demerara sugar, bitters. (Our charming and attentive server told me the bourbon was from Portland, Oregon, and I immediately corrected him. Four Roses is a Kentucky bourbon, I explained, and we had visited the actual distillery just several months prior. Perhaps he was confused because the official nickname of Portland is “The City of Roses”?)
The occasion: We had returned to Seattle from our eight day visit to Alaska the previous day. Our flight home didn’t depart until midnight, so Daughter had a whole day to show us even more of the local sights. She selected a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, so we could see the Seattle skyline as we crossed the pretty waters of Puget Sound. Soon after we left pier 52, we saw majestic Mount Rainier rising above the horizon. “The mountain is out!” as the locals say. Oh, happy day! No low-level clouds to obscure the view! And Bainbridge Island was delightful, full of cute shops and lovely landscaping. We enjoyed a tasty lunch: I had the Tuna Salad Tartine, with albacore fresh from the Neah Bay area on the Pacific Ocean.
My rating: **** out of 5. I was hoping for a stronger note of saffron, as in the description, but I smelled and tasted mostly vanilla.
Final thoughts: The Pacific Northwest (PNW) is a gorgeous corner of our country. It warmed my heart to see Daughter so enthralled by Rainier, the skyline, the open water, and the city in general. I think she’s landed in the right place for her.
Listed on the menu: No, but other cocktails with “Alaska whiskey” were, so I requested an Old Fashioned specifically containing made-in-Alaska whiskey.
Ingredients: Anchorage Distillery Whiskey (made from glacier fresh water and Alaskan grain), sugar (dissolved in the whiskey, said the bartender), angostura bitters, orange bitters, orange slice and cherry for garnish.
The occasion: We left Anchorage early in the morning on the Alaska Railroad, bound for Denali National Park. We splurged on the Gold Star (i.e. first class) service, so we sat at the very front and top of a two-level train car, with windows above and around us. Wow, just wow. Alaska is beautiful–forests of spruce, craggy mountains, rapidly flowing rivers, and meadows with bright green grass and late spring flowers. We were served cocktails and two lovely meals in the dining area on the car’s lower level–with real silverware, plates, and cloth napkins, even. As we neared Talkeetna on this sunny day, we were able to see Denali, the tallest mountain in North America! She loomed like a white cloud over the horizon, and she made us gasp with delight, especially since she is visible only 20-30 percent of the time. After about eight hours, the train entered Denali National Park, and the scenery grew even more dramatic. Once we arrived at the station, a bus whisked us to our hotel on the side of a mountain.
My rating: **** out of 5. I was hoping for more unique flavors (birch syrup, perhaps?), but the whiskey was satisfactory, with some creamy vanilla to start and a bit of pepper to finish.
Final thoughts: Needless to say, the views from the bar and restaurant were unforgettable (you can faintly see the mountains and river bed in my photo above). We enjoyed sockeye salmon and snow crab cakes for supper, then wandered outdoors to enjoy the patio and even more unobstructed views of the Nenana River and Denali National Park just beyond. So gorgeous! Although it was 9:30 PM when we finished our meal, the sun was still shining brightly. I checked my weather app–sunset in the park was at 12:18 AM, and sunrise at 3:51 AM. I suspect we could have stayed on the patio for hours, if it weren’t for our need for sleep and for the largest, most voracious mosquitoes we have ever encountered.
Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Rare & Fancy Old Fashioned”.
Ingredients: Hudson Whiskey NY Bright Lights Big Bourbon, Combier Orange Liqueur, Liber & Co. Demerara Syrup, housemade coffee bitters.
The occasion: We had finally made it to Alaska! One more item checked off the bucket list! This restaurant was an easy walk from our hotel and required reservations. We started with cocktails in the bar area, and were enthralled by the views from the windows. Those were mountains topped with snow out there, just beyond the shimmering waters of the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet. I took the photo at 7:16 PM, and the sun was nowhere near ready to set. Welcome to the Land of the Midnight Sun!
My rating: **** out of 5. I was not familiar with the bourbon or the orange liqueur, so the “Rare & Fancy” in the cocktail’s name was an accurate description, in my case. The drink was beautifully crafted, but a tad too orange-y for me. The bourbon’s mash bill is 95% corn (whoa!), so the addition of the coffee bitters helped round out the sweetness.
Final thoughts: We moved from the bar to the dining area for our supper. Wow! We were seated by another table right by the window, so we continued to enjoy the amazing view. And the food was excellent, too. I opted for the pan-seared Alaskan halibut cheeks with asiago and panko crust. Yes, apparently the best parts of the halibut are the cheeks, the actual flesh from the cheeks of the fish’s big old head. Who knew?
Listed on the menu: No, but bartender K.D. suggested I try his favorite recipe.
Ingredients: Old Grand-Dad 100 proof Bottled in Bond bourbon, 3 hearty dashes of angostura bitters, 2 hearty dashes of orange bitters, 1 bar spoon demerara syrup, and an orange twist and cherry for garnish.
The occasion: Daughter moved to Seattle two months ago, and this was our first visit to see her, and to see Washington State. We spent the morning at Pike Place Market (the fish! the flowers!) and the afternoon at the Museum of Pop Culture (the guitars! the sci-fi movie props!). Rest and refreshment were now necessary, so Daughter took us to her favorite bar, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, where she introduced us to her cool friends (like bartender K.D. and the lovely A.E.) and to the drinking scene in Seattle.
My rating: ***** out of 5. The Old Grand-Dad is strong and peppery, and the generous doses of bitters helped accentuate the spiciness. I was pleased to not see muddled fruit or other additions–this drink meant business, and it delivered.
Final thoughts: 1. I carry my vaccine card with me, but this was the first establishment EVER that asked me for proof of vaccination. I had no objection. 2. I can see why Life on Mars is Daughter’s favorite place to hang out. The people are friendly and interesting, the decor is all related to music, and the cocktails are well-crafted. And I left with a David Bowie tune in my head, so it’s all good.
Ingredients: Sun King White Whiskey, 18.21 Havana & Hide Bitters, House Simple, Orange Swath, Bourbon Soaked Cherry
The occasion: This was the final night of our Memorial Day weekend in Indiana, and since Niece C currently lives in the Indy area, a visit was in order. She suggested meeting at this brewery/bar in Carmel, the “Roundabout Capital of the World,” and they are not kidding–there are at least 140 roundabouts in this city of 99,757 people.
My rating: ** out of 5. This cocktail is not labeled an Old Fashioned per se, but the list of ingredients sounded like an Old Fashioned, except–and now I know this is key!–for the “naked” white whiskey in place of bourbon or rye. White whiskey, I suspect, is just a fancy name for clear grain alcohol with a similar proof to whiskey, and is likely almost flavorless, so the other ingredients (mainly the simple syrup) become dominant. I missed the nuanced flavors of an aged bourbon or rye.
Final thoughts: Yes, this was the final evening of a long weekend, the bar was definitely under-staffed, and our waiter was brand-new to the job and couldn’t really tell us anything about the drink menu. None of this was a surprise, just a bit of a disappointment, but all was offset by the great company of Niece C.
Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Black Walnut Old Fashioned”
Ingredients: Basil Hayden Bourbon, sugar, dash of hazelnut liqueur, black walnut bitters, and orange rind.
The occasion: After a long visit with my mom, I needed some cheering up, so Sister and Brother-in-law took me to his favorite restaurant in the area. We chose to sit near the bar, which had a fun vibe. Our meal was delicious.
My rating: *** out of 5. The recipe sounded daring, so I was curious. The presentation was lovely, but I think the bartender was too heavy-handed with the “dash” of hazelnut liqueur, and well as with the sugar. The cocktail was tasty, but much too sweet, and would have made a great dessert drink. The Basil Hayden, a fine bourbon on its own, was definitely overshadowed by the hazelnut flavor.
Final thoughts: I am an East Coast Snob, and I am distrustful of seafood restaurants that are not near the ocean. (Coincidentally, this establishment, Blue Point, shares its name with my favorite restaurant in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.) I ordered the Fisherman’s Bucket, chock-full of fried goodness like cod planks, shrimp, hush puppies, and tater tots, and my oh my, I was satisfied. (Notice that I did stay away from the oysters and sushi. I remain a snob.)
Monica Lists 