What’s your
favourite cocktail?
Somehow I’ve managed to reach the age of 38 without having developed a fondness for either beer or wine. Of the two, I can drink the latter if I have to, but if I have the option for a nice cocktail then that’s what I’ll always go for (sometimes to the disdain of others. I once had the owner of a very pricey Italian restaurant come to my table with a free glass of red wine, because he didn’t approve of what I was drinking with his food. The wine actually did go very well with the meal, but I still preferred my drink of choice overall).
My go-to–just because it’s easy to make, hard to screw-up and available pretty much everywhere–is a standard Rum & Coke (or “Cuba Libre” if I’m feeling fancy and have a lime wedge), but my favourite is a really good Whiskey Sour. The problem is that finding a good Whiskey Sour is a very difficult task these days. Since I’ve started drinking them I’ve ordered maybe 6 that are as good or better than the ones I make at home, while most of the others consist of pre-made mix from a hose and a shot poured directly into the glass. The worst one I ever had forgot to include the crucial simple syrup that adds the necessary sweetness to the drink and consisted ONLY of lemon juice and whiskey–which does not taste good even a little bit.
Are you a cocktail drinker? If so, what’s the drink you judge a bar/restaurant by? The one they have to have mastered to make you a happy customer.
I love gin and tonic too, but I find that margaritas are an excellent way to judge bar staff. If it’s “frozen” or made with wine, NOPE NOPE NOPE.
A proper margarita should be served on the rocks and made with good tequila, fresh lime juice and triple sec, not just a shot of premade margie-mix from a hose. And I’m from Texas, so I feel qualified to be judgey on this one.
Vodka tonic
I just dropped by to applaud Alexa and her pinky. I’ll be drinking a dirty gin martini whilst cheering on the debauchery at hand.
This is my third attempt to write this – for some reason, my answer kept getting erased. Now, of course, my answer is not going to be the same as the original iteration. The story, having been told so many times, is now full of embellishments. But in the spirit of honesty, I have tried to keep faithful to the original post as best as I could. I guess consider my answer to be the Oliver Stone of my original response. My favorite drink is vodka. Excuse me – my favorite rocket fuel that I also happen to drink is… Read more »
Best comment ever. Worth the multiple tries for sure!
My go to is the Old Fashioned. It’s a good judge of where you are at along with a great conversation piece. If they have decent bourbon and you don’t have to tell the bartender how to make the cocktail, then you are in a worthy place. If each drink order has a different taste or you’re reminding the bartender about key ingredients, you should probably stick to beer and order another plate of something fried.
I remember once being in an upscale burger joint and ordering one of the speciality drinks from the menu. We were sitting directly across from the bar and when my order came in, I saw the bartender physically pick up the drink menu to see what the ingredients were. I assumed it was his first day on the job.