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.”

Enjoyed: Sunday, May 16, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Old Fashioned Mule.

Ingredients: Evan Williams Whiskey, Angostura bitters, orange, cherry, ginger beer, and served in a Moscow Mule copper mug.

The occasion: My sister’s family invited me along for a belated Mother’s Day supper. As always, I enjoy spending time with my nieces and learning about their adventures.

My rating: ** out of 5. In all fairness, our server did say he could make me a “regular” Old Fashioned, but I was intrigued by the version on the menu. Someone had gone to the trouble of creating this cocktail, and placing it toward the top of the drink list, so I was game. Old Fashioneds are tasty, Moscow Mules are tasty, but this fusion of the two left much to be desired.  The whiskey flavor hit my palate first, and then the ginger beer, which lingered on without zest or sweetness. The ginger did not complement the bitter orange flavors at all. The combination just felt wrong.

Final thoughts: Radius’ website boasts of being selected “Northwest Indiana Restaurant of the Year” in both 2019 and 2020. The award-winning burger I ate (The Chefs of Steel Signature Triple B Burger with blueberry bourbon bacon jam, grilled jalapeno cream cheese, smoked bacon, lettuce, and tomato, on a toasted pretzel bun) delighted my palate with its flavors. Did the chef approve the cocktail menu, though? I should have asked what beverage the chef recommended to go with that awesome burger.

Enjoyed: Sunday, May 16, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Walnut Old Fashioned

Ingredients: Evan Williams Bourbon, Real McCoy Single Blended Rum, Demerara, walnut liqueur, orange bitters, walnut bitters, orange peel, cherries.

The occasion: Decompressing on a cloudy Sunday afternoon.  My sister and I had already finished an “in-person” visit with Mama (we were still required to sit behind a clear plastic partition, wear masks, and limit our visit to 30 minutes) and a subsequent hour-long visit at her room’s window (which only opens 4 inches and severely limits Mama’s ability to hear us clearly). Touching–not to mention hugging–is logistically impossible, so adding to everyone’s overall frustration with these visits. 

My rating: **** out of 5. The presentation was fabulous: a pretty yet solid-feeling low ball glass, a single extra-large ice cube, and three cherries on a bamboo pick. The drink had a lovely rich and sweet texture, probably from the rum and walnut liqueur. (I don’t remember ever buying walnut liqueur for my bar, but considering this is an Italian restaurant, this choice makes sense.) Overall, a creative take on the Old Fashioned, but I would have preferred a bit more of the Evan Williams flavor to shine.

Final thoughts: I have missed sitting at a bar, so this experience was a long-awaited treat! And sitting at a bar with my one and only sister? Even more of a treat!

Enjoyed: Friday, May 14, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Driving Miss Daisy.

Ingredients: 18th Street Distillery/Lincoln Flats Cabernet Barrel Finished Bourbon, simple syrup, bitters, soda water, muddled orange slice, muddled Luxardo cherry.

The occasion: Friday night dinner with my sister and youngest niece. This restaurant and bar is on a corner of the main street of downtown Valparaiso, and people were everywhere, enjoying the warmer weather. This was also the first time I drank with my niece since she turned 21 last summer. (Thanks, pandemic!)

My rating: **** out of 5. The drink was a tad sweeter than I prefer, but very smooth, probably due to the popular signature bourbon, made in (believe it or not) my hometown of Hammond, Indiana. 

Final thoughts: I should have ordered a neat shot of the signature bourbon, to savor it without the bitters et al., but our server suggested I start with a shot of Old 55 Indiana Sweet Corn bourbon, made entirely of Hoosier corn and n other grains. I will try most anything once, but I was not impressed, regardless of the price tag. (Tasted like moonshine to me.) Then again, when you are dining in Indiana and in a town known for its popcorn festival, I suppose you need to sample all sorts of corn products.