Enjoyed: Friday, October 17, 2025

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “No. 1 Old Fashioned”

Ingredients: bourbon, apple syrup, maple, Angostura and orange bitter

The occasion: Our final full day in Croatia was in the medieval walled city of Dubrovnik. The town center was crowded on this Friday afternoon, since several cruise ships had docked. Although our tour guide patiently guided us through the commotion, we couldn’t help but be distracted by the wedding celebration–music and dancing and a procession through the streets–happening right in front of us. We were a bit weary at this point, and needed to sit and have refreshment. We headed for the first tables we saw, right to the side of the church. I looked around, and I saw that the building behind the cafe was the Marin Držić Theatre. Fate had stepped in! We had to get a drink here, since we kept encountering the Držić name–the surname of Husband’s grandmother! Happily, a table right in front was free, so we lingered for an hour and watched the tourists and the continuing wedding festivities.

My rating: ***** out of 5. Wow, what a presentation! (See the photo!) And the drink was delicious, too. I need to figure out just what “apple syrup” is–perhaps the fruitiness is what gave the drink an extra complexity.

Final thoughts: As we enjoyed our refreshments, we noticed a bronze statue of Držić right past the cafe. Awesome! Could we have had cocktails in a better spot? And of course, we did what every tourist does: we rubbed Držić’s nose for good luck. (And what a grand nose it is!) Happily, later in the evening we were able to purchase a storybook about him (written in English), as well as a translation of his most famous play, “Uncle Maroje.”

This from the internet: Marin Držić was a prominent Croatian playwright and writer from the Republic of Ragusa, born in 1508 and known for his influential comedies that reflect the social realities of the Renaissance period. He is often referred to as Croatia’s Shakespeare and is celebrated for works like “Dundo Maroje” and “Novela od Stanca.”