At the The Bent Brick in Portland, they've found a way around the "eat-where-you-are" citrus dilemma that comes with trying to source all of your cocktail ingredients locally. Although some of the drinks on their menu still contain citrus, others get their acids from vinegars.
In fact, several of their cocktails feature shrubs. Before my trip to the BB, I thought the word shrub only referred to a small, woody plant. As it happens, there are more definitions--a syrup made with fruit, vinegar and sugar and/or a drink made with such a syrup.
According to shrub producer Tait Farm Foods, these concentrates have a presence in U.S. history; some of their recipes come from the Colonial Era. Neat!
Although the cocktail I ordered did not contain a shrub, it did include vinegar as an acid. It's called the Path to Victory and the other ingredients are bourbon, chinato (a fortified wine like vermouth), gingersnap, and bitters.
It turns out, this wasn't quite the drink for me...
Taste and smell are intimately connected. If your nose is not in the mood or finds something offensive, your taste buds are likely to come down with a headache and close the bedroom door. On the other hand, a pleasant olfactory experience can titillate those gastronomic sense receptors to heights that make some tastings embarrassing to experience in public.
So, imagine the lovely scent of citrus from a freshly cut slice of zest atop the cocktail of your choice. It's lovely!
Now, imagine replacing that olfactory foreplay with a whiff of vinegar.
There, now you've got it.
Refraining from inhaling solved the vinegar problem, but I wouldn't order this cocktail again. I would happily go back to the Bent Brick, though, and try others. (CM ordered the Stranger Things Have Happened, a delightful frothy mix with bourbon, coriander, verjus, spice currant and egg white.)
I love Bent Brick's concept of going as local as possible. And I am also now excited about either making or hunting down some shrubs for home mixology!
Before I sign off, here is a list of the hotspots I visited in Seattle and Portland. The descriptions are sparse because I lost both my hard copy and digital notes. As CM said, that's what can happen when you are drinking cocktails!
Rum Club: The drinks were great and served in different vintage glasses! The proprietor asked us if we wanted to try the beef brisket. Yes, absolutely! We could have stayed for many more drinks, but we had an agenda for the evening.
The Bent Brick (Portland): See above. And, don't miss the house-made pork rinds!
Pix Patisserie (Portland): CM and I split a French75, and I enjoyed two liqueur chocolates: one with green chartreuse and one with Carpano Antica. Intense but tasty.
Zig Zag Cafe (Seattle): My visit to this classic cocktail bar was serendipitous; friends of friends in Rough and Ready suggested their nephew might take me out in Seattle, and indeed he did! I would have been lost trying to find the Zig Zag if not for my gracious host who clearly knows where to find top libations in Seattle!
The Pink Door (Seattle): The waitress asked if I was familiar with Campari when I ordered their version of a Negroni. 'Of course!' I replied, 'Bring it on!' Apparently she's had more than one returned. I love the bitter bite of a Negroni, and the Pink Door Negroni was fabulous.
Toulouse Petit (Seattle): Breakfast happy hour! See Oh Seattle! for more details.
Stay tuned my friends! Don't miss an upcoming post on new places for UG in NYC. As a preview, if I had one thing to say about this weekend's gastronomic adventures, it's this: Red Farm may be aiming for a locavore, farm-to-table menu, but the toilet is definitely imported! (Don't eat there without using the ladies at least once and don't be shy about pressing the buttons!)
In fact, several of their cocktails feature shrubs. Before my trip to the BB, I thought the word shrub only referred to a small, woody plant. As it happens, there are more definitions--a syrup made with fruit, vinegar and sugar and/or a drink made with such a syrup.
According to shrub producer Tait Farm Foods, these concentrates have a presence in U.S. history; some of their recipes come from the Colonial Era. Neat!
Although the cocktail I ordered did not contain a shrub, it did include vinegar as an acid. It's called the Path to Victory and the other ingredients are bourbon, chinato (a fortified wine like vermouth), gingersnap, and bitters.
It turns out, this wasn't quite the drink for me...
Taste and smell are intimately connected. If your nose is not in the mood or finds something offensive, your taste buds are likely to come down with a headache and close the bedroom door. On the other hand, a pleasant olfactory experience can titillate those gastronomic sense receptors to heights that make some tastings embarrassing to experience in public.
So, imagine the lovely scent of citrus from a freshly cut slice of zest atop the cocktail of your choice. It's lovely!
Now, imagine replacing that olfactory foreplay with a whiff of vinegar.
There, now you've got it.
Refraining from inhaling solved the vinegar problem, but I wouldn't order this cocktail again. I would happily go back to the Bent Brick, though, and try others. (CM ordered the Stranger Things Have Happened, a delightful frothy mix with bourbon, coriander, verjus, spice currant and egg white.)
I love Bent Brick's concept of going as local as possible. And I am also now excited about either making or hunting down some shrubs for home mixology!
Before I sign off, here is a list of the hotspots I visited in Seattle and Portland. The descriptions are sparse because I lost both my hard copy and digital notes. As CM said, that's what can happen when you are drinking cocktails!
Rum Club: The drinks were great and served in different vintage glasses! The proprietor asked us if we wanted to try the beef brisket. Yes, absolutely! We could have stayed for many more drinks, but we had an agenda for the evening.
The Bent Brick (Portland): See above. And, don't miss the house-made pork rinds!
Pix Patisserie (Portland): CM and I split a French75, and I enjoyed two liqueur chocolates: one with green chartreuse and one with Carpano Antica. Intense but tasty.
Zig Zag Cafe (Seattle): My visit to this classic cocktail bar was serendipitous; friends of friends in Rough and Ready suggested their nephew might take me out in Seattle, and indeed he did! I would have been lost trying to find the Zig Zag if not for my gracious host who clearly knows where to find top libations in Seattle!
The Pink Door (Seattle): The waitress asked if I was familiar with Campari when I ordered their version of a Negroni. 'Of course!' I replied, 'Bring it on!' Apparently she's had more than one returned. I love the bitter bite of a Negroni, and the Pink Door Negroni was fabulous.
Toulouse Petit (Seattle): Breakfast happy hour! See Oh Seattle! for more details.
Stay tuned my friends! Don't miss an upcoming post on new places for UG in NYC. As a preview, if I had one thing to say about this weekend's gastronomic adventures, it's this: Red Farm may be aiming for a locavore, farm-to-table menu, but the toilet is definitely imported! (Don't eat there without using the ladies at least once and don't be shy about pressing the buttons!)
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