August 2, 2019 (Top of Page)
The boozers bellied up with a powerful thirst. The day had not a cloud in the sky and scorching heat, something needed to be done. A frosty Singapore Sling came to the rescue, shaken and strained over ice and topped up with cold club soda. It was just right, refreshing and light, a cherry and pineapple delight excited with tarty lime. The liqueurs were herbal and sweet and balanced with fine gin. Ah! With the heat beat, an interesting little cocktail was in order to cap the night. The Golden Frog was full of herbal complexities floating in and out of a vodka and citrus base. It had to be shaken vigorously to achieve the right dilution to thwart any heaviness. A linger on the tongue discovered a little heat, but it had some candy sweet that wasn't cloying. The righteous shake was the key. Oh boy, great cocktails come to the rescue again!
Bartender Dan
P.S. We'll be closed next week, but quite possibly for much longer if our bar gets a needed refurbishing. We hope to see you again soon. Keep drinking!
July 26, 2019 (Top of Page) 
Feel like you're draggin' a heavy load? Drop it along with the bill of lading on our loading dock and then saunter in through the front door. The problem's solved. Don't fret, our Mexican Mule will help you refuel. We slice up a lime and muddle it with sugar syrup in a highball glass and then fill it half full with crushed ice. The liquors go in and everything is stirred well and topped up with ginger ale. It has an amazing tastiness. The lime flavor is prominent and pure, no tartness, and it rides next to smooth, sweet coffee with tequila in the backseat. The ginger ale makes it all glisten. You'll be ordering this one again the next time you're here; it's an absolute winner. You can put the tough day finally away with the Caen-Caen. It's an all-liquor belter, stirred with ice, strong and buttery with upper class apple high notes accompanied by sweet vermouth. The first take is powerful, but you'll get used to it quickly and then things will start to flow. Enjoy its recuperative powers. We're here for you. Go ahead and take a load off, my friend.
Bartender Dan
July 19, 2019 (Top of Page)
A comfortable seat for tired feet; you're ordering cocktails for friends, always the plan, having rounds out on the town. It's nothing but good times, you and your buds. A cold, shaken Havana Sidecar makes for a fine start. In fact, it's fine and dandy. It would be perfect for sipping in a summer breeze out on the veranda. Gold rum lends suave richness to its orange and lemon cohorts, but the drink maintains an airy touch. It doesn't weigh you down, it perks you up. Talk about a pleasure that doesn't last long enough. Someone at another table thinks the group should try The Hulk, so why not? The bartender frowns, but the money goes down. They're quickly built in the glass over ice, a stir incorporates. The uglified color reminds you of the old TV show, hence the name. Its fruity unique liqueur opens underneath a cognac cover, but then finishes somewhat confused and even a little harsh. The drink's a big bruiser flaunting its power, but seems more suitable for a noisy bar where people are more entertained by its name than its taste. It's okay, but it isn't anything to ponder if you're a sophisticate. Incredible, it's not. It's a rocks boozer to get people plastered and there's a place for that. Bottom's up!
Bartender Dan
July 12, 2019 (Top of Page) 
Inside the bar, the scene is refined and easygoing. Stan Getz is playing that syncopated new wave jazz that came out of Brazil. The summer weather has been hot lately, really hot, but it's so cool inside in every way. Your Bossa Nova Special is served. Though shaken vigorously, what results is so soft and easy you can't help but relax. It has plush herbal warmth centered within a chilly flow of pineapple accented by apricot and lemon. Pineapple juice will usually foam up when shaken, but it got amplified by the egg white, sitting on top of the liquid like a cloud. A pineapple chunk dips its toes and pops when eaten, covered in sweet foam. The cocktail is strained over ice, but all those cubes disappear from sight, but show up as the drink goes down. Now João and Astrud Gilberto are singing "The Girl From Ipanema." Your Princess arrives served in a tall glass; it was filled to three quarters with ice before the ingredients went in. After being stirred well, the resulting drink is a supercool, casual lemon delight with a bevy of suspended blueberries. This classy bar grows its own blueberries and they're fresh from the garden. Stan the man plays his sax solo and you wish everything could last, especially the drink. Cheers!
Bartender Dan
June 28, 2019 (Top of Page)
Unfortunately, every day can feel like a race. You're working for the man and oftentimes it's at a blistering pace. The goal is never to show or place, but always win, win, win. You don't have a problem with that; the local bar is on the backstretch. Once there, you can spit the bit and enjoy an Aqueduct for a recovery cocktail. It's cold and soft apricot, sleek and smooth with friendly hints of citrus, not too tart, not too sweet. Everything is right on and it's balanced through and through, an ultra-fine mix. If you lugged in, this drink will fix you up; it's a front runner. When you want to get your mind off of a heavy track, the Dark And Stormy could improve your trip. Dark rum pours over ice in a highball followed by ginger beer, no stir. They squeeze a lime wedge over the top and then you're off. A tasty flavor gradient sets up: lime is in the front chased by ginger bubbliness and then you're diving into deep rum. A better race could not be run. Your visit to the bar will be like hitting the daily double, spirits lifted. When you're back in the irons at the post on Monday, you'll have the Look of Eagles.
Bartender Dan
P.S. We'll be closed over the 4th of July Weekend, so have a happy one!
June 21, 2019 (Top of Page)
It was the longest day of the year in more ways than one. The boozers bellied up looking for something heavy; it was time to punctuate that this grind of a week was actually done. The Third Rail Cocktail brought the medicine, leaving no doubt that prior events were terminated. It was a hard stuff jolter with a deceptive fresh apple scent. Its apple flavor had an added brandy sweet dried out a bit by the rum and the Pernod contributed a subtle off-color bite. This concoction was not for wimps. The bartender shook it well to guarantee a good dose of dilution, otherwise the power could be too much and everybody's night would be over fast. Thanks. After that, everyone wanted to look ahead, so the barkeep got out the blender for whipping up a good time drink: the Strawberry Daiquiri. Plump red berries fell in followed by light rum and a dose of sugar syrup with tart juice for extra fun. The magical amount of ice went in before the blend got it smooth. It tasted strawberry sweet with a friendly minor rum kick. The sloshy mix had a fair amount of air and drank down quickly, causing the boozers to contemplate good times ahead. The rough week gets done and now it's on to another one, thanks to a cocktail reset.
Bartender Dan
June 14, 2019 (Top of Page)
Swinging for perfection, you make your selection in the cool darkness of the barroom. The Whiskey Daisy flows easily while Tony Bennett and Bill Evans do their thing: sophisticated. Your drink is a real thirst quencher, shaken and strained over ice and then topped with a skosh of soda and lemon garnish for pizzazz. The whiskey could've been bourbon, but you chose scotch instead. It was a great choice. The scotch is smooth with a smoky sweetness aided by the sugared lemon juice and pomegranate splash; it's liveliness in an ice-filled rocks glass. It sits well with the music, but it doesn't last long. The next cocktail you order is the Zoom. They'll be closing down soon and it would be nice to have a friendly nightcap, scotch, of course. The recipe is so simple they break out the barrel aged reserve and let it shine. It strains into the glass, no ice, and the waft off the top says greatness. The honey and scotch were diluted in the tin first with a dedicated stir, followed by the rest of the ingredients and ice. After a serious shake, out came the dream. Tony and Bill perform their last number as you start dreaming of a quiet slumber. The cocktails performed beautifully, too.
Bartender Dan
June 7, 2019 (Top of Page)
The bar is an excellent escape, that's for sure, especially when your drinks are made with a whirl. There's something special about a blender drink and a sunny one to jumpstart your night is the Piña Colada. It's a large, powerful drink, but super tasty. It's foamy and coconutty and tropically sweet with a substantial rum depth. Ralph's uses light and dark rum for richness. There's a dive down the street called O'Malley's, but they only use light rum; cheap joint. This cocktail is so tasty it'll leave you with half a brain if downed too quickly. Wow, it's strong, but so delicious! There are probably a lot of calories in it, too, so if you're into health food, this one is not for you. Another fine blender drink is the Calm Voyage, also based on rum but with an herbal Strega kicker. Passion fruit and lemon juice build the sweet with egg white providing a fine, floaty foam. It packs a lot of brute force, but it's so smooth and friendly you probably won't even notice. It'll make you feel a lot calmer. You'll probably start dreaming of sailing past the dunes on some cape somewhere. If you can find a bartender who knows how much ice to put in the blender, you'll be on one heck of a bender, a tasty escape.
Bartender Dan
May 31, 2019 (Top of Page)
No one had to force you through that bar door. You were just out looking for a good pour, something nice and tasty, but still bringing the beef. A strong silent type of cocktail would do the trick, so they started you off with the Boston Sour. It was shaken vigorously to form a sweet foaminess to introduce the rich, soft lemony bourbon luxuriousness underneath. It had plenty of ice to frost the flow and a bright cherry to chase as it went down. There wasn't a thing hard about it, only all-around tastiness with a nice girth to signal its worth. You almost got an egg white mustache sticking your face in there, it was so good. You had a hunch the bartender knew another whisky concoction that could hide its punch and sure enough, you were quickly holding a Mickie Walker Cocktail. It was lightly smoked scotch done right with sweet vermouth and snappy juice bringing the fruit. Grenadine sweetened and smoothed it all just right. For a scotch cocktail, it was easy as can be and you figured you could drink a few. You'd probably be knocked out cold, but what a way to go. You're going to have to come back next week; this bar sure knows how to make you feel at home.
Bartender Dan
May 24, 2019 (Top of Page)
High level hard drinking was the thinking for tonight's menu. Once you've got a taste for the hard stuff, you almost can't get enough, but it can knock the stuffing out of you. You'll want to come in soon after enjoying a bellyful of food to offset the formidable Buckeye Martini. It's a goodly slug of elevated gin stirred with ice that's graced with a touch of dry vermouth, strained out ice cold. A black olive on a spear is your just reward and if you can finagle a plate of them on side, you can have even more. And if you're from Ohio, the pleasure's all yours. The Rum Old Fashioned is another drink that can lay you out cold. Sugar syrup and bitters are combined in the bottom of the glass and then light rum is added with ice, followed by a stir. A high proof float goes over the top chased by a spritz from a lively lime twist. It's super bold and cold rum with a tart nose. The power packed float is very hard and might make you frown, but just keep drinking it down; there'll be nothing but smiles. In a minute or two you'll probably start feeling a bit woozy. The drink's a real doozy when it comes to the hard stuff, but mighty tasty. Bottoms up, my buddy old pal!
Bartender Dan
May 17, 2019 (Top of Page)
If you think you'll stop by this joint for a quick turnaround, have just one drink and head out the door back on the town, forget about it. The cocktails are too good for that. You'll be sitting down and kicking back and when they stir you up a Macaroni, let out a blurt, "Never heard of that!" On the first taste it's a sublime lemon-tinged soft licorice, not too strong, just right. The sweet vermouth brings in something extra, making the flavor deep and far from hard candy. This one would be great for setting you up to eat something savory. Pastis stirred with ice water goes cloudy; the color of the cocktail must've reminded the creator of boxed macaroni. What else could it be? After having something that good, you won't want to leave and look like a cocktail loser, so you stick around and have a Honolulu Juicer. It's an all-out super good times big Tiki party cocktail. The Southern Comfort and famous dark rum mix together like close brothers. The juices are fresh and tart and soft and sweet at the same time. Everything is shaken and strained over plenty of ice waiting in a large glass. A hefty pineapple chunk brings the fun and caps it off in grand style. Surf's up! Aren't you glad you stayed?
Bartender Dan
May 10, 2019 (Top of Page)
There are sage boozers in every bar; the regulars know who they are. They sit quietly and don't make a scene, drinking the good stuff and living the dream. The youngsters might wonder what they're thinking, maybe why they're drinking something called the Buttafuoco. It's a tasty highball. They shake the flavor parts with ice and strain it all into the glass, filled with ice, and finish the presentation with a top-up of club soda, a light stir, and then a cherry. There's a nice, fruity hit off the top with a snappy soda feel. Over time the tequila tends to drop, so the last slug hits pretty hard. The barkeep pointed out the second half of the drink name was pronounced "fook-oh" and it memorialized a jerk from the late last century. Look it up, youngblood. The old-timer knew what a snifter was and requested the Diana next. The glass was packed with crushed ice, pounded out old style in a Lewis Bag, and it frosted up quickly. Crème de menthe was poured in to melt the ice and then it was topped with a float of cognac. It's like winter in a glass, liquid mint with a brandy focus. Down it goes, maybe honoring a princess from not that long ago. Who knows? You'll have to ask the sage boozer.
Bartender Dan
May 3, 2019 (Top of Page)
It was a fine blue sky day to cap off the week, a regular zip-a-dee-doo-dah day. The only way to make it better was to hop on down to the local bar and toast the cool nighttime stars with a couple of cocktails. The bar menu was featuring the Rooster Booster, so that came out of the gate first featuring freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice. The drink was made in the glass over ice. The juice, tequila and grenadine were stirred together and then topped with soda water to form a gradient before the garnish beautified things. It tasted refreshing and wonderful as can be. Its bold tequila backing somehow remained soft and the bubbly tingle coming off the top was quickly followed by a sweet flavor pop. The Fiesta rounded out the night hinting at Cinco de Mayo and it was a serious partier. Its liquors were quite sharp and the dry vermouth really cut through, pushed by the rum. The apple brandy managed to save the day, but even that had an attack to it. Its dashes didn't add much noticeable flavor to the stirred mix. The drink packed a serious oomph, but it wasn't too much for the group. No sir, they drank it up heartily. My, oh my, what a wonderful day to inspire a fine night of drinking.
Bartender Dan
April 26, 2019 (Top of Page)
Sitting in this darkened saloon, the music's playing and everything's feeling like it should. You can see your drink coming from across the room. There was just too much action, that's the way it has been lately, but now it's time to pursue some relaxation. The friendly server places your Havana Cocktail and a napkin onto the table. You stick the tip and slowly take a sip, it's soft and sweet lemony pineapple with a foam intro. The rum turns it into tropical heft and you wish it would've come in a bigger glass, it tastes so good. Alas, the drink quickly drains away and you look for something similar, but larger. The Sunflower Highball is suggested. They build it in the glass and it arrives at your table and finally your buddy shows up, so you double up, and soon you're both happy. The drink is tasty as all get-out and its nutmeg dusting stays in place, clinging to the ice as the level drops, keeping every take as fresh as the first. Orange juice with vodka is classic, but the Licor 43 takes it over the top. It's strongly citrus when the bottle is first opened, but it mellows into a marshmallow flavored marvel from there. The drink is sweet, satisfying excellence. Relaxation at the cocktail bar station: bring your friends.
Bartender Dan
April 12, 2019 (Top of Page)
The night at the bar eventually comes where you find yourself sulkily sitting there feeling everything you've ever done has been a total bomb. The best you can do is order a TNT and revel in the devastation. The cocktail comes at you quickly, mixed in the glass over ice: densely packed bourbon power blistering with burning anise. It's ready to fight even with the melting ice and goes to work immediately numbing your senses. The bartender stirs it carefully on the mix as if it's unstable, like nitro, and it sure has a short fuse. After it's all blown up, you'll need to come back somehow. A Corpse Reviver No. 3 may be the answer. Mint hits your frontal lobe first and forces you awake and then a medicinal wave takes control courtesy of the Fernet. A smooth brandy steadies the base and verifies the recuperative powers aren't fake. This cocktail is a big hitter. If your game is dead, it should come alive, but your eyelids will feel like they've got weights on them. Getting back to normal is for tomorrow and tonight is for fixing it right. Drink up, pal.
Bartender Dan
P.S. We'll be off for Easter, but be back here on your keister in two weeks.
April 5, 2019 (Top of Page)
When boozers from the Hall of Fame belly up, everyone knows their names. They sashay in and don't need to swim through the crowd, it parts. Their barstools are always ready and once gotten steadied, the bartender slings. The Cocktail Convert made an appearance tonight, visiting from the western regions. A Sour Apple Martini served as a happy greeting. It shook up into a lively apple and orange freshener with lemon in between. The sour brought just enough power to sweet-tart up the scene to everyone's admiration. The apple garnish was crisp and clean and ratcheted up the pleasure besides the presentation. After a few stories were told of times of old with all the regulars, the Bloody Margarita came to the rescue of their empty glasses. With blood oranges being in season it gave good reason to build the drink. Excellent tequila was incorporated to pair with the freshly squeezed juice and its unique taste: somewhat raspberry with a tart edge. The lime juice slipped in well and everything was bolstered by the orange liqueur, but the tasty tequila was the show, a mature reposado. It's always great to share a drink or two with Hall of Famers. They're steady gamers when it comes to fine boozing.
Bartender Dan
March 29, 2019 (Top of Page)
Spring fever can make you an overachiever as the hours of the day lightly fly by. When you've got the warm sunshine high in the sky, you'll be feeling fine as your day slips into night; that ushers in drinkin' time. A Trocadero makes for a springy opener. It's nice and light with a velvety sweet slickness; the grenadine does it right. Its orange bitters and lemon twist give the cocktail a subtle brisk energy, but the main feel is cool high quality smooth vermouth that's in cahoots. If you want to up the excitement a bit, Charles's Daiquiri is your play. The taste is great with an excellent light rum, lime, and sugar balance, but then there's the orangey dark rum. It punches through the center with a semi-delayed and rich delivery. It's like a little burst of flavor and it'll put an approving raise onto anyone's eyebrows. The drink is that darned good. Do what you should and celebrate spring with a drink in your hand. It's a really enjoyable plan.
Bartender Dan
March 22, 2019 (Top of Page)
A welcome warm wind blew into the town with the onset of spring. With the bar doors closed for a week, the usual suspects crowded the entry, stumbling over their toes through the gladly opened constriction, ready to get back to their boozing predilections. The Gin And Sin welcomed them back. The drink needed a muddling first. Every ingredient went into the tin to be scrunched except for the grenadine and gin. After the muddling, ice was added along with the final two ingredients followed by a vigorous shake. What was fine-strained into the glass had wonderful deliciousness. It was sweet with lightly sharpened fruity notes from the muddled peels. The gin was cool and thin and conducted a happy flow; the cocktail was an absolute delight. Since the bar was closed over the St. Patrick's Day lead-up, the Nutty Irishman was apologetically on the menu. Its ingredients were shaken with ice and strained into an old fashioned glass filled with rigid rocks. It was comfortably creamy Irish booze with a roasted hazelnut elevation, simple and cold, with a friendly kick. You could drink it all day if you had your way. Everybody bellied up said the same thing, "Never close this place again!"
Bartender Dan
March 8, 2019 (Top of Page)
It's been a hard day's night and you've been working like a dog. And when you see the bar's neon light, it's going to behoove you to stop. Why not? Because when you step through the door and your feet cross the floor, the bartender's going to make you feel all right. When you sit down, that Bloodhound Cocktail will be coming around, yeah. Oh, it's graced with Old Tom gin aged to give it a flavorful spin! Yes, it has dry and sweet blanc vermouth, that makes it all smooth and good. It won't be lasting too long, but then when it's all gone, a Bulldog Highball will take its place. This one's built on gin and fresh juice and it's stirred in the glass with plenty of ice dropped in to boot. A top-up of ginger ale will give it some scale before they ship it off to you. Ooh, it tastes refreshing and nice, but you'll still be feeling it eventually anyway. Yeah, it's been a really hard day's night, but enjoying tasty booze will make everything all right. And when it comes time to close, you'll end up going on home where you should be sleeping like a log. Aah, you worked all day.
Bartender Dan
P.S. We're out next Friday for a corned beef vacation. See you in two weeks!
March 1, 2019 (Top of Page)
You come through the door and then deftly make your move; there's an empty bar stool across the room. You hop up onto the plush leather seat and smile as you quickly orient your feet. Soon after the bartender's pleasant greeting, you're game for trying a Leave It To Me. The suggestions are always top notch in this joint. The dashed amounts in the cocktail are bartender's choice and tonight's iteration has them all coming up threes. The gin and vermouth are sharp as the base with the dashed accents creating a really good upscale taste, each accent able to fix your focus. Nice delivery; a great suggestion. You see a couple of customers down the bar enjoying a creamy drink that would look good for a wind down. The bartender says it's a B.B.C. and grabs a rocks glass and the bottles represented by the first two initials followed by a cold container of the last one, whipping cream. Everything pours into the glass over ice and gets stirred until it's good and cloudy. It's a smooth and rich dairy brandy infused with a tasty dose of ancient sweet herbal liqueur. Tonight's just another night where everything goes right. This classy joint is an absolute gas.
Bartender Dan
February 22, 2019 (Top of Page)
After extracting yourself from a tough spot, the bar is the logical place for your next stop. You can belly up and let out a whew followed by a tasty drink or two; that should calm you down. You'll get your strut back if you order up a Chanticleer. The mix is shaken like the dickens with cracked ice to get the egg white whipped in just right. The cocktail strains into the glass sans ice and tastes like raspberry pie. It's tart, but also sweet and the foamy top is a sensory delight, giving the drink a light demeanor. The fine gin drops into the background and plays it cool, just like you. The previous difficulties of your day will start to melt away as you drink. If you order the Pollyanna for your second round, you may even begin see some positives from the ordeal. All of its ingredients are muddled together in the bottom of the shaker first and then the ice is added. What whips together is fine-strained into the glass to keep the pulp out of the pour. The result is fruity and slightly sweet with a noticeable citrus peel accent. Pineapple and orange is a great combo. The gin adds botanicals that'll make you form an enjoyable question mark in your mind as you wonder what's up after each taste. That's pretty easy to handle. Whew!
Bartender Dan
February 15, 2019 (Top of Page)
Drinking on the day after Valentine's Day: it's two boozers on the two ends of the bar that couldn't be looking any farther apart. The one's enjoying a Happy Honey Cocktail after ordering it with a smile. It drinks like a dream with its sweet honey scent wafting off the top. The brandy and syrup pair naturally and combining that with fresh red grapefruit juice cuts the richness with a mildly sharp counterpoint. It's a very interesting combination and makes for a lovely little cocktail. It looks like yesterday maybe this boozer did quite well. The other customer is sipping an Iceberg and looks a little grim. The cocktail was built in the glass, Pernod used to coat the inside, the excess poured out, and then the ice and lemon vodka went in. A chunky stir got the coating to combine and then it was time. The drink is simple, sharp, and to the point, a cold and distant belt with an outside anise bitterness. Maybe this frosty boozer didn't do so well the other day. It's hard to say, but a stint of quality boozing can help things stay a little longer or make them go away. Now, that's a blessing.
Bartender Dan
P.S. Mix equal parts of hot water and honey and you've got honey syrup. Yum!
February 8, 2019 (Top of Page)
Everybody's friends when the elbows bend after the butts are in the seats. The bartender makes the drinks and lays out a few appetizers to eat. Smiles abound as they're out on the town; these boozers haunt their normal beat, looking for cocktail excellence. They get right to it with the Marguerite Cocktail. It has a complicated profile starting with an interesting gin packed with high desert juniper, sage, and citrusy pine pod. The vermouth matches and keeps it dry and tight, accentuated by some bitters and a snappy twist. A small dose of Italian anise lays in something rough to raise the interest. When the plump maraschino cherry explodes with flavor at the end, it verifies the cocktail is well worth the try. When thoughts turn to something boozy for a dessert, the Magia Bianca shakes out thick and creamy, powered by Strega and its licorice who-knows-what ingredients. Chocolate liqueur softens and smooths the strength while a nutmeg dusting over the top imparts a celebratory feel. The cocktail sits well in the nightcap zone and can put anybody on the path to a blissful sleep. Friends are drinking and everyone's thinking these good times are hard to beat.
Bartender Dan
February 1, 2019 (Top of Page)
Tonight's drinks were geared for boozing toughs. Any barflies had to be shooed away first in case things got rough; those fair weather drinkers usually can't handle the potent stuff. With just the most seasoned boozers bellied up to the bar, it was time for the Manhattan Dry. Since Canadian whisky is considered to be rye, it made naming sense, but the garnish was a lemon twist instead of the traditional cherry. A stir kept the pour clear and the taste was nicely bitter trending towards rough, but still refined enough to enjoy without worries. The dry vermouth added no sweet and with the tart twist, it was a back of the neck hair-raiser. Too many of them could make a boozer snitty. On the heels of that one came the Sweet Science. It was another toughie, but more so with its smoky scotch dominating a little too much. The fresh orange juice thinned things out to lighten the load, but the cocktail still had a pretty serious undertow. The honey in the Drambuie couldn't sweeten things enough to offset the seriousness of the whisky. When crossing paths with this one, you've got to drink it slow, because it's not fooling around. Hoo, tough drinks tonight!
Bartender Dan
January 25, 2019 (Top of Page)
It was whiskey time in the venerable joint tonight. The boozers sat there with eyes bright staring at empty highballs, lined up, stacked with ice. The shaker shook until it got frosted, then the mix called the Whiskey Fix was strained into the glasses. Drinks all around! They had to wait just a bit for the large, rustic-cut orange twists to be expressed and fed in before the drinking bell chimed. It was smooth blended whiskey with a lemon gleam. The orange oil misted over the top kept delivering until the deep diving twist took over. Everything was ice tasty-cold and ready to liquor-fix anything you could have inside that might be broken; it doled out the service with a smile. Everyone agreed to cap the night with something sweet by donning the Sombrero. All you do is half-fill an old fashioned glass with ice, pour in the coffee liqueur and float the half-and-half on top. The dairy flows cleanly and then the boosted coffee finally breaks through, a sweet and rich roasted gift. The drink was a fun one for all and a real satisfier. It was whiskey followed by a comfortable coffee delight tonight. There were satisfied customers all around!
Bartender Dan
January 18, 2019 (Top of Page)
Lifelong buds shaking off the cold. They belly up, feet on the brass rail; it never gets old. The bartender knows who they are and promptly shakes up a Rum Gimlet, pours it out, and that starts the fellowship. The smiles come after a rough week; it's a lemon-lime rum that's not too sweet, packing a nice punch. In comes a bowl of maple bacon cashews and now they're really having fun. All you need are some booze and nuts and something to discuss. Life can be pretty simple. The barkeep joins in, talking shop, while putting the squeeze on some fresh juice. When the cocktail glasses are emptied, the Southern Comfort Sour is ready to go, pouring into ice-filled rocks glasses. It's a rough and ready sour that presents a bit of a challenge, but not to seasoned pros. The cherry on top tries to hide the fact that it's a solid slug of booze. The good times roll until they mutually decide to pack it in. See you next time, Joe.
Bartender Dan
January 11, 2019 (Top of Page)
As the winter depths seem to have no bounds, you have to steel yourself as you walk downtown. Nothing will stop you from getting through; the light above the bar's entrance guides you. Inside the refuge, you warm up with a sturdy Golden Nail. It's a strong slap to the face and, just like the cold outside, it keeps you awake. Mixed in the glass over ice, the bourbon's raw delivery is tempered by its sweeter New Orleans cousin to make things slightly more comfortable. As the ice melts everything becomes more refined, but it still hits like a whisky hammer. This belt lumbers like a freight train in the night. Something lighter is in order for the closer, so you single out the Periodista. It's a light and lively lime-bright rum reading out sweet apricot and orange undertones. A lime twist scents the top and really makes things hop with sipping satisfaction. If anybody bothered to ask, you'd write this up as very enjoyable. Unfortunately, the time comes when you have to go, heading back out into the night's cold. At least now you're emboldened by the liquor's warming power. Steel yourself.
Bartender Dan
January 4, 2019 (Top of Page) 
The baby New Year grew up fast and pulled on its drinking pants, and then made a beeline for Ralph's Bar. A couple of cocktails were in order for shaking off all the holiday disorder from dealing with the assembled clan. They featured a Warming Winter Prosecco Cocktail to welcome everyone back. It took some effort to dilute the honey in the liquors first, but then the juice and ice went into the shaker. The flavorful mix poured into the flute was topped up with Italian bubbly and garnished with a coiled twist of lemon peel to tickle the nose. The honied gold whisky with herbalized lemon tasted wonderful inside the sparkling white wine. The drink was like a sign-off for the holidays. See you next time! The soft and sweet Hemingway Daiquiri forged a new path. Its balanced lime and rum had a quiet texture, producing an excellent grapefruit and maraschino rise on each take. There weren't many words needed to describe the room's universal admiration beyond "beautiful" and "comfortably satisfying." A fine cocktail or two is just what you need to launch into a newly founded year. Here's to going to the bar every Friday night. Cheers!
Bartender Dan