Enjoyed: Monday, June 28, 2021

Listed on the menu: Not specifically, but the cocktail menu did say, “Ask Us About Our Old Fashioneds!” So I did, and our bubbly server actually pulled out a chair at our table and sat down and told me about my options. (I think the poor young woman was delighted to find an excuse to simply sit!)

Ingredients: Bulleit rye, simple syrup, and Burlesque Bitters (described as a blend of hibiscus, acai berry, and long pepper).

The occasion: This was our final night in South Dakota. I usually try to end our vacations with a splurge, so we were staying at the most recognizable hotel in Rapid City, Hotel Alex Johnson, built in 1927. From the outside, the hotel looks staid and proper, but the lobby area impressed me immediately with its Lakota artwork, stone fireplace, and mounted bison heads. Happily, the tenth floor was devoted to a multi-level roof-top bar and restaurant with a full 360 degree view of the second largest city in South Dakota.

My rating: **** out of 5. The bitters gave the drink a specific taste, which enhanced the spiciness of the rye. However, I think these bitters would have been better suited to a gin cocktail.

Final thoughts: I had made a reservation for post-supper cocktails at sunset, and the shadows and colors playing off the surrounding Black Hills did not disappoint. A guest at a neighboring table pointed out the outline of a dinosaur (maybe a brontosaurus?) on a hill in the distance. Husband chuckled as he sipped his Lagavulin. South Dakota, thanks for treating us well.

Enjoyed: Sunday, June 27 , 2021

Listed on the menu: No, but this was a restaurant inside a casino, for heaven’s sake, and the bar looked to be very well-stocked. And yes, an Old Fashioned could be made! Shortly after my first sip, I asked our waitperson about the ingredients. She sent the bartender our way, and he happily explained his version of the cocktail to us.

Ingredients: Yellowstone Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon, caramel simple syrup made with a Four Roses Bourbon reduction, bitters, large ice cube, orange slice, maraschino cherry.

The occasion: This evening was our second in Deadwood, and the end of our sixth day of vacation. In the morning, we drove to Wyoming to see Devil’s Tower National Monument. (Yes, so worth the trip!) After a hike around the base of the tower, we drove home via Sundance (yes, and posed for photos with a statue of the Sundance Kid) and then down the Spearfish Canyon Byway. (Wow, this part of the world is so beautiful!) We are not gamblers, so the casinos did not entice us, but the restaurant’s high ratings did. We opted for the $42 per person all-you-can-eat tasting menu. The restaurant was only half-full this evening, so the chef actually came to our table several times to ask which “petite” dishes we enjoyed most–and he suggested a few of his favorites. By the end of our long meal, we had sampled blue-cheese wedge salad, Caesar salad, sashimi, grilled shrimp cocktail (Husband’s favorite), bison filet with hearts of palm, filet mignon with cherries (my favorite), asparagus, twice-baked potato, salmon, scallops, cheesecake, and chocolate-coconut gelato. Best meal of our entire trip!

My rating: ***** of 5. The bartender was proud of his work–all our drinks this evening were delicious. The Old Fashioned was as carefully thought out as all the food on the menu. The rich caramel flavors– from both bourbons he used– coated my mouth in a most pleasant way.

Final thoughts: We spent more money tonight on alcohol than on food. (Oh, boy!) And then the restaurant offered us $20 of free play at the slot machines. (We didn’t win anything.) We asked the chef how he kept his prices so low, and he chuckled and told us that the casino was heavily subsidizing his costs. So, we would like to thank all the Tin Lizzie patrons for helping us to have an incredible experience.

Enjoyed: Saturday, June 26, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, with a choice of bourbons.

Ingredients: Knob Creek Bourbon, maple simple syrup, bitters, Luxardo cherry, orange slice for garnish.

The occasion: This was Day 5 of our South Dakota adventure. (The previous day, Husband drove us through rocks and mud and gravel and mud in our rented ATV. There are hundreds of miles of trails in the Black Hills National Forest, and we managed a 110 mile trip in 6.5 hours. Alas, only wine was available at last night’s meal, so the much-desired Old Fashioned had to wait. Oh, and I needed to be sober, since I was the designated driver to Mount Rushmore. We chose to go in the evening, to see the illumination. I loved it.) In the early morning, we rode the 1880s Train from Hill City to Keystone and back, and then we drove all the legs of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway. Iron Mountain Road was our favorite, especially the “pigtail” bridges. The Needles Highway was impressive, but frustrating to Husband, since it was drizzling and fellow drivers were not being careful nor courteous. Our next stop was the Crazy Horse Memorial–likewise impressive–and then a leisurely drive to Deadwood. We were exhausted and hungry, and soon discovered that all the steakhouses near our Main Street hotel were closed as of 9 PM. We were not expecting that, since the casinos in town are open 24/7. We finally found an empty table at Mustang Sally’s and had to settle for hamburgers. By now, I was so very ready for a drink!

My rating: **** out of 5. Knob Creek is a solid bourbon, so that’s a win. I also enjoyed the slight maple flavor of the simple syrup. Plus, even though we were seated outdoors, the drink came in an actual glass! The higher rating, however, comes mostly from the value of the drink: this was definitely a double shot of bourbon and the price was $8. Unbelievable!

Final thoughts: In the last 145 years, Deadwood has attracted gold miners, outlaws, card sharks, and prostitutes. In 1991, casinos became legal, and now the town is re-vitalized and teeming with tourists. We arrived on a hot Saturday night, and the gamblers and drinkers were out in full force. A young man at a table behind us was clutching a life-sized inflatable doll. Cheers! Let the cheap drinks flow! And, oh, yes, the Black Hills are gorgeous.

Enjoyed: Thursday, June 24 , 2021

Listed on the menu: No, but the menu stated that cocktails were available. I asked our very friendly waiter if an Old Fashioned was possible. He thought for perhaps 10 seconds and told me that one could be made.

Ingredients: Orange juice, whiskey, probably a splash of Angostura bitters, and an orange slice. The drink was served in a glass from the neighboring brewery.

The occasion: This was the third day of our vacation in South Dakota. We had left the Badlands National Park area in the morning. Our first stop this day was Hot Springs, where we swam and soaked in warm mineral-rich pools. In the mid-afternoon, we joined a cave tour in Wind Cave National Park. Then we drove up scenic roads to Custer for a 2 night stay. Downtown Custer was filled with souvenir shops and hamburger joints, but we wanted Mexican food, and the Begging Burro provided an excellent meal. I had scrumptious pork tacos, and Husband had the pork shank with fried leeks. For dessert, we shared a mole brownie with strawberry sauce.

My rating: ** out of 5. The drink was tasty, yes, but this was not really an Old Fashioned, so I gave it a lower rating. Husband described it as a “Whiskey Screwdriver” and that’s exactly right. The main ingredient was definitely orange juice.

Final thoughts: I would return to this restaurant, but next time, I would copy Husband and drink margaritas, which were unsurprisingly, the house specialty. Oh, yes, and the Black Hills are gorgeous.

Enjoyed: Friday, June 18, 2021

Listed on the menu: As The Captain “Slingback” Dick (named after the establishment’s mythological patriarch, who was in the Navy, travelled around the world, and enjoyed the finer things in life. “This is his composed, pipe smoking, whiskey sipping cocktail.”)

Ingredients: Woodford Reserve bourbon, muddled Luxardo cherry, bitters, orange twist, smoke.

The occasion: Husband’s birthday and Father’s Day, which again fall on the same weekend. We also took along Youngest Son, to celebrate his most recent job offer. Husband had the day off for the new Juneteenth federal holiday, so we took advantage of the gorgeous afternoon. So much to celebrate!

My rating: ***** out of 5! Delicious, with a lovely mouthfeel. Smooth and so easy to sip. Patrick, our bartender, added to the fun by showing us how the drink is made. Since Husband and I both ordered one, Patrick muddled and mixed in a beaker-type container, and then he placed it in a glass chamber and piped in applewood smoke. Oh yes, we watched that baby SMOKE! Patrick then removed the container (still slightly smoking), strained it into glasses with large ice cubes, and added orange twists. Happily, the drink was not overwhelmingly smoky, like some Scotches may be. The smoke flavor was discernable, as was a pleasant sweetness. Husband was also very impressed, and he is picky about his bourbon drinks.

Final thoughts: Although Basic City is a brewery that makes fine beers (we have enjoyed all the ones we have sampled), The Showroom is likewise fun! The menu tells a story about every cocktail, and all are presented with flair. (Husband also recommends the Coon Skin Nightcap cocktail, a Manhattan-like drink with maple syrup. Son enjoyed his One for the Pot, One for the Cook, made with aquafaba instead of egg whites. ) Go to Basic City, get a cocktail first, get a sandwich, and chase it all with a beer. I am thinking we just may make this a Father’s Day tradition. Support local businesses!

Enjoyed: Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Burnt Orange Old Fashioned.

Ingredients: Bulleit bourbon, spiced bitters, vanilla brown sugar syrup, brulée orange

The occasion: Today was the last day of the 2020-21 school year, so my colleague DK and I decided to celebrate with a late afternoon drink.

My rating: ** out of 5. The cocktail was tasty, probably because of the fine Bulleit. However, I cannot recommend this particular drink because I did not receive the cocktail that was listed on the menu! After we waited for a substantial amount of time, our sweet server placed my order in front of me and announced that she was just beginning as a bartender, and she wanted to know my opinion of the drink. I tasted it, and the orange zest was pleasantly evident, but I detected no burnt flavor. “What do you use to get the burnt flavor?” I asked. “Usually we use a torch to burn an orange wedge, but the torch hasn’t been working for a while, so we haven’t been doing that,” she replied. So, why didn’t she tell me that when I ordered? AND, would she have confessed to that if I hadn’t asked? AND, why oh why can’t the restaurant simply purchase a torch that works? I felt duped, and hence the low rating, and hence my reluctance to ever again return to this establishment.

Final thoughts: My experience with today’s cocktail is actually a fitting metaphor for the school year we just completed. I was hoping for a burnt orange cocktail, but ended up with a modified version. I was hoping for a productive school year, but ended up with a modified version. I felt cheated out of a positive experience, and I don’t want to place myself in that situation again. And my students no doubt felt cheated out of a positive experience, and they almost certainly don’t want to place themselves in that situation again. I did drain my cocktail glass, you know, since coming to the end felt so good.

Enjoyed: Friday, June 11, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Peanut Butter Old-Fashioned.

Ingredients: Skrewball peanut butter whiskey, orange bitters, xocolatl mole bitters, smoked orange.

The occasion: A Mother-Daughter Day. We shopped, chatted, visited a hair salon, chatted, ate lunch, chatted, explored Daughter’s new residence, chatted, drank coffee, chatted, and got caught in a downpour.

My rating: **** out of 5. I expected sweetness, and I got it, especially with the initial sip of the cocktail. As my palate opened up, I did pick up the orange and chocolate flavors of the bitters. The citrus worked to balance the sugary peanut butter taste. I would definitely order this drink again, but only at the end of a meal, to serve as a dessert.

Final thoughts: Is Skrewball really whiskey? The product’s website claims that whiskey and peanut butter are blended together to make this combination, but I think they have a “skrew” loose, since critics point out that cane sugar and hazelnut butter are also added. Therefore, I will argue that this is not whiskey, even though you can get “skrewed” by over-indulging.

Throwback to May 29, 2015

1. That supper-time robo-call from the attendance office informing you that your son or daughter was not present for one or more of his/her classes today.

2. That supper-time confrontation when you ask son or daughter why he/she was ditching and what he/she was thinking at the time of that poor decision.

3. That supper-time apology you must issue the next day when you find out it was a recording error, and that he/she was indeed at school.

4. The dings and scrapes that your student’s vehicle collects in the school parking lot.

5. Waiting up late to make sure your student arrives home safely from late night functions like football games and dances.

6. Paying for prom gowns for your daughter, and then paying even more for son to rent a tuxedo that you don’t even get to keep.

7. SAT exams.

8. SOL exams.

9. Editing essays for college applications.

10. Admitting that you have forgotten most everything you have ever learned about chemistry or calculus or statistics, and that you simply cannot help with that homework assignment.

11. Summer homework.

12. The drama.

13. The eye-rolling.

Throwback to May 15, 2015

1. I could bribe each of his teachers to flunk him. Cash, food, potent potables–all would probably work.

2. I could write him his first-ever Disciplinary Report. It would have to be a doozy, though, to ensure weeks of In School Suspension.

3. I could convince the school’s morning news crew to film me singing something super-sentimental, like the opening lines of “Sunrise, Sunset.”

4. I could wear a sign on my front that says, “Ask Me About My Awesome Senior.”

5. I could wear a sign on my back that says, “Don’t Kick Me, Because I Am Feeling Down Enough Already.”

6. I could think of ruses to get him to come to every one of my classes, so I could hug him in front of my students. And maybe even kiss him very loudly. On both cheeks.

7. I could ask the School Resource Officer to arrest him, since he is 18, on charges of Breaking (his mommy’s heart) and Entering (his mommy’s every thought today).

Throwback to May 12, 2016

1. “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”

2. “Everything happens for a reason.”

3. “Let it go, let it go.”

4. “Well, look on the bright side..”

5. “It could have been worse.”

6. “If you keep rolling your eyeballs at me, they’ll get stuck that way.”