Kakao Chocolate Martini

Check back each week as we challenge a new St.Louis bartender extraordinaire to come up with a drink that fits our monthly Thirsty Thursday theme. They’re pulling out all the stops, armed with their most inventive tricks, fresh-squeezed juices, superior liquors and house-made infusions. Their creations are sure to keep your taste buds guessing.
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The Bartender:
Gabe Kveton

The Bar:
Water Street, 7268 Manchester Road, Maplewood

The Challenge:
Satisfy our craving for indulgence with a guilty pleasure-inspired cocktail.

The Drink
Kakao Chocolate Martini

2 oz. vodka
1 oz. liquid Kakao chocolate
1/2 oz. creme de menthe
1/2 oz. Amaro liqueur
1 scoop of house-made whipped cream

Gabe Kveton

Since this month’s Thirsty Thursday theme is all about indulging in your guilty pleasures, we might as well confess to being total chocoholics. We’re still trying to eat our way through the mountain of Cadbury eggs and Dove chocolate bunnies from an Easter celebration. So, when Gabe told us he’d decided to whip up a more adult version of the classic Thin Mint cookie, our taste buds were immediately piqued.

We waited eagerly as Gabe measured out each liqueur, mixing the viscous combo with a dash of the always-aromatic crème de menthe, liquid chocolate from the neighboring Kakao Chocolate shop and a healthy dollop of homemade whipped cream. After a vigorous shake, the contents came out perfectly creamy, frothy and oh-so-chocolatey. It almost looked like the martini glass was filled with a decadent chocolate mousse or rich pudding. And luckily, this is one drink that tastes as good as it looks. The punch of the crème de menthe lingered but didn’t overpower the deep cocoa notes, and the thick whipped cream really made this tonic a full-bodied winner. Unfortunately we had to go back to the office otherwise we would have been happy to spend the rest of the day sipping on GAbe’s version of a melted thin mint

What’s your favorite drink?
Champagne cocktail—it’s simple and delicious and a little elegant. It has a raw sugar cube, bitters, champagne and a twist of lemon.

What’s the weirdest request you’ve gotten?
People will come in and order shots like the red-headed-slut. But that’s not really our style, and I don’t have any idea what’s in that. I always tell them that if they look up the recipe I’ll make it.

Someone orders ________ and you automatically know they have no idea what they’re talking about.
We had a guy come in and ask me to go over all of our top-shelf bourbons and whiskeys. We finally settled on the Black Maple Hill Bourbon then he asked for that mixed with diet coke.

official 'app or crap-o-meter' rating

Who knew that throwing yourself into a “crack” habit could be so much fun? We are talking about Plumber’s Crack – a strangely addictive game for your iPhone or Android from Fluik.

In this game, you are challenged with lodging ice cubes into the – how shall we say this delicately – buttock cleavage of a plumber bent over fixing a sink. To add to the excitement, you can select from either a sexy female plumber, or a more traditional portly male plumber. Play enough, and you may become skilled enough to get a “rim shot” off of the plumber’s waistband. The more shots you bank, the higher the meter goes. Fill up your meter, and you can win bombs to eliminate any missed ice cubes. Hit enough shots into your target, and you can win a “mystery box” – full of exciting collectible items. And if you become truly hooked and play long enough, you can win “crack bucks” to unlock other game modes, alternative costumes, and more.

This game may be simple, but that is part of what makes it fun and easy-to-play. The game has already put in a strong showing at the iPhones and Android app store – hitting some of the top charts when it was released. Try it, we think you might just become “hooked on crack”. We are!

Vital Statistics
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fluik.PlumberCrack&hl=en
iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plumber-crack/id470225328?mt=8
Game last updated: April 25, 2012 (iPhone), May 7, 2012 (Android)
Cost: Free
Rating: 4.5/5 (iPhone) and 4/5 (Android)

William S. Burroughs

Check back each week as we challenge a new St.Louis bartender extraordinaire to come up with a drink that fits our monthly Thirsty Thursday theme. They’re pulling out all the stops, armed with their most inventive tricks, fresh-squeezed juices, superior liquors and house-made infusions. Their creations are sure to keep your taste buds guessing.
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The Bartender:
Haley Riley

The Bar:
Nico 6525 Delmar Blvd, The Loop

The Challenge:
Satisfy our craving for indulgence with a guilty pleasure-inspired cocktail.

The Drink:
William S. Burroughs

1 ½ oz rye whiskey

¾ oz sweet vermouth

¾ oz Benedictine

3 dashes Peychaud Bitters

1 dash Absinthe

If you’re tired of the health-inspired pomegranate and green tea-infused beverages of the past month, prepare yourself for a sharp departure from antioxidants and home grown mint leaves to a new territory of rich, hearty, indulgences to try. After a month undergoing the drinker’s equivalent of an herbal cleanse, we’re cringing at the thought of calorie-cutting and fat free frozen yogurt—sometimes you just need some cake! So, we’re giving up our will power for the sake of the tasty treats we’ll have lined up for you this month, and we urge you to do the same. Start by ditching the vodka soda and giving your taste buds what they want with one of this month’s creative specialties. We promise a barrage of decadent, delicious, chocolate cake of cocktails coming your way.

Haley Riley

Kicking off our inaugural guilty pleasure drink is Nico’s Haley Riley, who whips up a hearty whiskey-based, Absinthe-tinged delicacy—just the indulgent antidote to the slew of light, fresh cocktails from last month’s health kick. While rich and hearty, yes, the careful mixing of just the right ingredients in just the right amounts predicts a taste that has a poetic feel, much like William S. Burroughs himself—a St. Louis native and celebrated writer. “It’s kind of like a Sazerac, or an Old Fashioned because of the sweet vermouth we use,” Haley says. He pours the amber concoction into an elegant stemmed glass, and we gaze outside to the glorious St. Louis day on The Loop in the spring sunshine. Someone pinch us!

What’s your favorite drink?
Just a scotch neat, or Guinness.

What’s the weirdest request you’ve gotten?
I just recently moved from the kitchen to the bar, so no one has asked anything too crazy yet. The closest thing to that so far is when someone asks what we have on tap when the menu is right in front of them.

Someone orders ________ and you automatically know they have no idea what they’re talking about.

When someone asks for just a martini. I need to know what kind of gin or vodka, up or on the rocks, with olives or a twist… things like that.

On Monday night, Truffles in Ladue officially unveiled many of its new dishes with a seven course tasting menu prepared by the new chef, Brandon Benack. Chef Benack takes the reigns from the recently departed, John Griffiths, who revitalized the restaurant when he came aboard in 2010, bringing his signature modern Italian fare with him. Now, Truffles is undergoing a similar revitalization as Benack transitions the menu to modern American fare, while maintaining Truffles’ commitment to artisan cooking and local purveyors.

Chef Benack boasts some heady experience. After many years at Emeril Lagasse’s renowned creole restaurants as Sous Chef and Chef de Cuisine and three years in the West Indies, he became the “right hand man” of “the founding father of New World Cuisine,” master chef Norman Van Aken. Benack’s arrival in St. Louis is not totally due to serendipity: He and Truffles’ general manager and wine director, Aleksandar Jovanovic, became good friends after working together at Emeril’s Delmonico’s in New Orleans.

The evening began with a Brandy Manhattan from mixologist, Duke Myover, a bartender’s bartender. Myover is the kind of barman who will create a signature cocktail on the spot based on nothing more than a patron’s mood, favorite flavor or liquor. Try it sometime.

Next came plate after plate of Benack’s offerings, each paired with a glass of wine specially chosen by Jovanovic to complement each dish. Broiled Plaquemines Parish Oysters with house-made bacon and manchego was followed by New Orleans classic, Seafood Gumbo, and then a palate-cleansing Wedge Salad with fresh lump crab, chopped egg, red onion, cherry tomatoes, more of that great bacon and topped with cayenne-buttermilk dressing.

True decadence was yet to come. Blackened Dover Sole was served on sunchoke puree with heirloom tomato “vierge,” in a rich buerre blanc sauce, and Blackened Foie Gras rested atop local pecan pan purdue with savory caramel, apple butter and delicate slivers of candied orange zest.

Another focus of Truffles’ new direction is its in-house dry aging program of all prime beef cuts. The effort showed in the 21 Days In-House Dry Aged Ribeye, served medium-rare (more on the rare side) alongside mac and cheese, locally-grown white asparagus and Benack’s own steak sauce. Of course, no meal is complete without dessert, and the chef gave the nod to his New Orleans training with original and authentic Bananas Foster.

Special mention should be made of the table bread—mini loaves made in-house. You’ll have to make a serious effort to keep it out of your hands if you want to avoid filling up before your meal even arrives.

There’s no need to wait for a special invite to enjoy such an event. This ultimate Truffles experience is always available at $70, or $120 with wine pairing, and Truffles is now open for lunch from 11:00am-2:00pm. To get a peek at Truffles’ menu, visit Today at Truffles.

The Cucumber and Ginger Chill

Check back each week as we challenge a new St. Louis bartender extraordinaire to come up with a drink that fits our monthly Thirsty Thursday theme. They’re pulling out all the stops, armed with their most inventive tricks, fresh-squeezed juices, superior liquors and house-made infusions. Their creations are sure to keep your taste buds guessing.
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The Bartender:
Erica Meinert

The Bar:
Blondie’s, 1301 Washington Ave., Downtown

The Challenge:
In the spirit of the story on garden-fresh cocktails featured in our April issue, make us a beverage using ingredients plucked from the garden.

The Drink: The Cucumber and Ginger Chill

1.5 oz. Belvedere Citron

½ oz. Koval Ginger Liquor

Muddled cucumber

lemonade

a dash of club soda

Erica Meinert

As we’ve wandered from bar to bar for these last Thirsty Thursdays, we started wondering if WE might be any good at concocting a garden fresh cocktail. If our bartenders can whip up a delicious and refreshing beverage using only a few key ingredients and with only a few days notice then surely we could successfully try our hand at mixology as well – right? Apparently not. After a failed attempt at a cucumber breeze/lemon drop martini we decided we should leave the mixing to the pros, but when we saw that Erica was going to make us a muddled cucumber and ginger chill we decided to jot down a few tips and techniques just in case we ever got ambitious again.

So we watched as Erica muddled up the cucumbers and lemonade – tossing the mush of cucumber pulp, juice and seeds in with the Belvedere, ginger liquor and lime juice. The final touch was a splash of Pepsi? An accidental push of the Pepsi button had turned this pastel yellow tincture into a slightly browned fiz. But we’re not one to turn down a cocktail on appearance alone, so we had Erica slide that sucker our way for a taste. It actually wasn’t bad, although compared to the real Cucumber and Ginger Chill with its intense cucumber explosion and mouth-puckering hint of citrus we might pass on the Pepsi version next time.

What’s your favorite drink?
White Russian- it’s an easy drink to handle and makes for a great morning beverage.

What’s the weirdest request you’ve gotten?
I had someone order a chilled butternut Schnapps. That just sounds terrible, but they ordered two shots of it chilled. Normally schnapps is just used as a flavor component in a drink – a compliment to the strong gin, vodka or whatever goes in it. But I’ve never heard of anyone drinking it on its own.

Someone orders ___ and you automatically know they have no idea what they’re talking about?
A Tim Collins- ha! I mean a Tom Collins. People will often order a drink that has all the ingredients of a Tom Collins but not order it by name. So instead they’ll order something with gin, sourmix and club soda.

Carrie Houk, local acting coach and St. Louis casting agent for major motion pictures, is launching La Cocinera (The Cook), offering instruction in Mexican Cuisine and leading culinary and cultural journeys to Mexico. The first class is scheduled for Friday, August 24 at Kitchen Conservatory. Subsequent classes will be held at I Fratillini, owned by Houk’s sister, legendary restaurateur Zoe Robinson.

“It’s a hands-on class,” Houk said. “I’ll be teaching real Mexican cooking techniques. It’s always better when the students get to participate.”

Houk also offers instruction for individuals or small parties, even in their own homes.

Traveling to Mexico is nothing new for Houk. Ever since she was a child, she has traveled to Mexico at least four times per year and she’ll act as guide on each trip. The first tour—also set to take place in August—will travel to the Yucatan where she has lined up two days of instruction with Sylvio Campos, master of Yucatecan pit cooking and the former personal cook for the governor of the state of Yucatán. Houk calls lining up Campos “a major coup.” She also points out that the tour will end up at the beach so that participants can conclude their journey with a little sun and surf, a rarity for culinary tours.

Through it all, Houk will still operate her casting and acting instruction businesses, as well as maintain her involvement as a board member of the St. Louis Film Festival. If interested in enrolling in a cooking class or a culinary journey, contact Houk at houkcast@mac.com, and visit the La Cocinera Facebook page.

It's about to get real up on this barstool!

Bright lights, big city. A night out on the town holds so many possibilities…an encounter with Mr. or Ms. Right…a DUI…anything can happen. When it comes down to it, singles always have an eagle eye out for a potential date. Can you find that date in the neighborhood dive bar or thumping nightclub? It depends on what you’re looking for.

Case Study #1: Me. I’m not immune to dating men I’ve met in various dank watering holes. My first fiancé was a chance encounter in the men’s room at F&M Patio Bar in New Orleans. Get your mind out of the gutter. I was helping a girlfriend out who needed immediate use of a bathroom, and I stood solid in front of the door while a gallery of men decided my presence was a nuisance rather than a deterrent from entering. One gentleman, however, opened the door and responded, “I’ll wait.” We ended up dating, romancing, and in the end, being friends for 20 years.

Bars are a freaky place to meet someone for long-term relationship potential. If you’re in a bar, doesn’t that automatically put you in the partyalcoholic-intervention-rehab category? Maybe. Or, you just like to have fun. Either way, it can be tricky.

Case Study #2: Kaci. My friend Kaci has had her ups and downs with dating and cocktails. “My last serious relationship was a guy that I met in bar—I will call him Nick. Nick and I met during the Arch Rivalry game a couple of years ago at Over Under on Washington Avenue.” How did that end, you wonder? “This was probably the only serious relationship I have been in that started from meeting a random guy in a bar.” Things were great until they weren’t. “I was disappointed when things didn’t work out, but you know what they say—everything happens for a reason, right?” A realistic look at love with a side order of red-headed slut shots.

Kaci isn’t whiskey sour on romance in the city of bars. “I really think it depends on what kind of bar you’re at. The guys that go to Lucas Park are going to be totally different than the guys you would meet at say, Tin Can. Both are great bars, but you have to know what you’re looking for and know what to expect from different venues when you’re out on the prowl.”

Case Study #3: Kyle. Bars are as much of a mine field for men as they are for women. Take, for instance, my pal Kyle. He knows a bit about the nightlife scene as the events director for a well-known swank hotel in St. Louis. For Kyle, being a man, and a gay man on top of that, doesn’t necessarily make it smooth sailing through the barstools and late nights. Kyle doesn’t see the local watering hole as the best option. “The reason I don’t do well in the bar scene is because all the guys I see out are my friends. I already know them. You see the same people and know what to expect at each place.” He also states the obvious. “If you want to pursue someone to go home with that night, you will find someone. I don’t go out looking for a date. If I meet someone, it’s like a bonus.”

Case Study #4: Najah. My friend Najah fared better. Not only did she meet her current boyfriend in a bar, they are carrying on a long distance cross-continental romance. Did I mention her man is from Norway? She was casually sitting at the bar, intensely pretending to be interested in a Monday night football game, and he came over and ordered a Cognac and hot coffee. “I inquired about his choice of combination, and he began to explain that it was a European tradition, and I was intrigued and kept talking!” Good start, girlfriend!

From there, they went hell bent for leather on a long-distance relationship. “I think we both came into each other’s lives at a time where we both needed and wanted love, and we found that in each other. Seeing him almost daily on Skype works for me for the most part. Although, sometimes, it gets very lonely.”

Lonely? Okay. Hot? Yes. Should we all start looking for Euro hotties in bars? According to Najah, “In general, if you’re looking for something serious, the bar scene can be a challenging place to start, but not impossible.”

In the end, who knows what could happen. In fact, I hope to receive ample accounts from readers on my blog to uphold and contradict this great debate. All you can do is resist lowering your standards to the basement, and know that if nothing else, you’ll have fun chatting up someone new.

Image from dateology.ca

XXRayVision Pamela keeps a hectic social schedule, so she sees a lot of relationship dilemmas. A native of New Orleans, Pamela infuses a mix of Southern sass and Yankee tough love in her columns.

Interview by Mary Poppell.

Aimee Lagos

ALIVE: How did your keen interest in theatre and film come to fruition? Was this your particular field of study at Washington University?
Aimee Lagos: I did not declare theater as my main course of study at WashU, but I was actively involved with the amazing theater program they offer. I participated a lot both onstage and off. My interest and involvement with theater actually started at a very young age. I was sixteen when I became captivated with directing and began attending summer programs geared toward that profession.

ALIVE: The context of this film is inspired by true events that occurred in St. Louis. What were those events and in what ways did they compel you?
AL: During my time at Washington University, I was doing a lot of work in the inner city, especially with the poorer neighborhoods. I had an internship with the city’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which essentially aids communities in bettering themselves. While working with these neighborhoods, a string of random and very violent incidences were occurring around Washington University’s campus. I eventually came to discover that the people perpetrating the attacks were young kids I had been working with in the city. “96 Minutes” is essentially a fictionalized version of these events. I really wanted to explore my own experiences, having lived and understood both sides of the story, and see where those experiences could take me in terms of screenplay and film.

ALIVE: Did you find anything challenging or surprising throughout the production of “96 Minutes”?
AL: Shooting “96 Minutes” was an amazing experience. The most challenging aspect of filming was the short amount of time we were given. But we had an incredible crew in Atlanta and even flew people in from St. Louis. The group effort and camaraderie among the crew and cast was just tremendous.

ALIVE: What particular themes does this film invoke?
AL: This film was particularly interesting for me, especially in terms of presenting the story in a neutral place. Inherently, when you tell a story like “96 Minutes,” one that presents characters from different walks of life, you’re going to find that it pushes hot buttons for a lot of people. Ultimately, however, that’s the idea – to spark a debate. What are the issues we face today? What are the preconceived notions we have about people? Having inclinations about gender and race can lead us astray from really taking that person for who they are. Ultimately, “96 Minutes” is a story about four kids leading very different lives but dealing with the same issues. They’re making their way through the world just like everyone else is.

ALIVE: What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career as a filmmaker so far?
AL: The most rewarding aspect of filmmaking for me is the people who have been affected or touched in some way by my work. That’s incredibly powerful for me. And essentially, that’s why we [filmmakers] create film. Last summer, I taught a directing class in Los Angeles for the inner city youth and I really encouraged my students to see 96 Minutes at a local festival. They had some very strong reactions. One of my students came up to me and said, “That could’ve been me. That could’ve been my life.” And that’s where I want my filmmaking to lie. It is rewarding to have my films really touch people.

ALIVE: What lessons have you gained from your own experiences, both in screenplay and directing, and through the pursuit of your career?
AL: Every time you undertake projects like “96 Minutes,” it is such a learning experience. It took us a long time to get this film off the ground because of funding. But it essentially came down to, “Let’s just go make it.” That has to be the biggest lesson I have learned. If I could say anything to young filmmakers it would be, “Go out there and just do it.”

ALIVE: What do you hope to accomplish over the next year or few years in terms of filmmaking and screenplay?
AL: I have a screenplay that actually begins shooting in a couple of weeks in Atlanta called “No Good Deed.” It is more of a thriller narrative and the cast is just absolutely amazing. I am also finishing up a screenplay that explores issues of family against the backdrop of a supernatural thriller. My goals for the next few years are simple: I want to tell stories, with interesting characters, that touch on themes I think are interesting to people—ones that can get people thinking and talking about larger issues.

The Royale Drinks

Check back each week as we challenge a new St. Louis bartender extraordinaire to come up with a drink that fits our monthly Thirsty Thursday theme. They’re pulling out all the stops, armed with their most inventive tricks, fresh-squeezed juices, superior liquors and house-made infusions. Their creations are sure to keep your taste buds guessing.

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The Bar: The Royale, 3132 S. Kingshighway Blvd. South City

The Bartender: Roxanna Ratossa

The Challenge:
In the spirit of the story on garden-fresh cocktails featured in our April issue, make us a beverage using ingredients plucked from the garden.

The Drinks:

South Side Cocktail

1 ½ oz dry gin
½ oz simple syrup
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
mint garnish

Mr. Smith Cocktail

1 ½ oz dry gin
½ oz mint simple syrup
½ oz fresh lime juice
3 oz Ginger Beer

Roxanna Ratossa

The vast array of clientele drawn to The Royale can certainly expect food and drink that exceed expectations, but our visit to this South City joint bumped it up to a whole new level of overachievement. We can almost hear other bars scoff, like a trove of high school students resentful of that darn valedictorian who always gets the ‘A’. The Royale’s spirits guru, Roxanna Ratossa, introduced us to not one but two fresh, fun beverages to get us ready for the spring and summer months. “The more the merrier” is not a foreign concept to The Royale, with a drink menu boasting over fifteen original bartender creations and a healthy variety of beers on tap.

Simplicity with a twist is the theme here. Neither beverage contains more than four ingredients, but still manage a superior and complex taste with top shelf liquors and garden fresh ingredients, perfectly in line with our theme of the month. The South Side cocktail is “a martini-style gin lemonade,” as Roxanna calls it—and we’ll be damned if that’s not exactly what it tastes like. We relish the indulgent, mischievous feeling that accompanies spiking a childhood favorite with gin—a winning spirit amongst our bartenders for its versatility and flavor. The Mr. Smith Cocktail—also a gin-based specialty—has notes of mint, lime, and ginger thanks to a charming blend of fresh squeezed juices and ginger beer. It’s no surprise ginger-based syrups, tinctures and flavors have been making quite a splash on the craft cocktail circuit, with its ability to infuse any libation with a brusque shot of spicy-sweet flavor.

Carefully measured in appropriate ratios and garnished with care, the presentation alone is enough to make our taste buds swoon, and the taste follows suit. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yes, we dub these drinks a truly gorgeous pair that wouldn’t be out of place next to James Bond at a Baccarat table.

What’s your favorite drink?
A good Irish whiskey on the rocks, like Jameson.

What’s the weirdest request you’ve gotten?
Oh, gosh. So many! When someone orders a really great whiskey, like Jameson or Woodford Reserve, and they ask to have it mixed with Diet Coke it really breaks my heart. So much time and effort goes into aging the whiskey perfectly with the right wood barrels and making sure the taste is just right. Diet Coke just ruins it.

Someone orders _________and you automatically know they have no idea what they’re talking about.
When someone says they just want a martini, chances are they don’t have real idea of what they’re ordering. As a bartender, that really doesn’t help me much. I need to know what kind of gin or vodka they’re expecting, up or on the rocks, garnished with olives or a twist…things like that.

The Intro

Check back each week as we challenge a new St. Louis bartender extraordinaire to come up with a drink that fits our monthly Thirsty Thursday theme. They’re pulling out all the stops, armed with their most inventive tricks, fresh-squeezed juices, superior liquors and house-made infusions. Their creations are sure to keep your taste buds guessing.
____________________________

The Bartender:
Keyan Still

The Bar:
Pi Pizzeria, 400 N. Euclid Ave., CWE

The Challenge:
In the spirit of the story on garden-fresh cocktails featured in our April issue, make us a beverage using ingredients plucked from the garden.

The Drink: The Intro

Muddled lemon wedge

2 ½ oz. Small’s Gin

¾ oz. Jamaican Gingerbeer Syrup

Dash of club soda

Few sprigs of cilantro and mint

4 dashes of Creole Bitters

We were originally drawn to Keyan after hearing about his bartending work at Café Natasha, a small Persian kabob restaurant tucked into the sea of Mediterranean cuisine along South Grand. But the diminutive size of the international kabob house also meant that crafting a garden-fresh cocktail would be a little more difficult to do. So we decided to turn up our nose at the rulebook that says it’s tacky to highlight the same bar two weeks in a row and follow the alluring taste of creativity back to the front door of PI Pizzeria where Keyan set to work fixing us a refreshing salad.

Keyan Still

Well- a salad in a glass that is. Not that we’re counting or anything, but surely the large does of mint and cilantro that Keyan muddled into our drink suffices the government-recommended serving of veggies for the day. As curious as we were about a cilantro spiked cocktail, we were even more intrigued by the Jamaican Gingerbeer syrup. We’re no gingerbeer novice. This bitter bubbly made for a refreshing addition to the Gingerberry Smash concocted by Layla Linehan in one of last month’s Thirsty Thursday challenges. But a gingerbeer syrup. We hadn’t even heard of such a thing. Turns out you can get pretty much anything bizarre and yet delicious from Jay’s International Food Co. on South Grand.

So in went the lemon slices, cilantro and mint – all muddled together into a foamy yellow mess. Add the gin, gingerbeer syrup, bitters and the club soda and voila- the perfect mid-afternoon snack break. The bitters quickly turned the yellow crème into a bright grapefruit-pink that fooled us into thinking this carbonated cockatail would be a mouthful of sweet. In fact it was peppery. Keyan filtered out the strips of cilantro and mint to cut back on the bitter taste, but the freshness of these herbs linger at the front and back of the drink.

We were truly taken aback at how wonderfully delicious this beverage was. Keyan laughed it off- letting us know that as long as you have a trustworthy nose and aren’t a terrible cook you can make a whole slew of tasty tinctures. That might be true but we would still rather leave the fate of our taste buds in Keyan’s talented hands.

What’s your favorite drink?

A rye Manhattan. I prefer rye over bourbon. It’s just a classic drink- a lot of today’s well-done drinks are based on the Manhattan.

What’s the weirdest request you’ve gotten?
On Mondays we have a happy hour when a lot of people will ask me to make a drink for them that’s based on a feeling or emotion. So I’ve had people ask for a drink that tastes like Sunday morning, or one that tastes like steak. So for Sunday morning I think of fresh cut grass and go off of that sensation. For steak I know that it has to be a drink that’s really savory. It’s a lot of fun for both of us.

Someone orders ___ and you automatically know they have no idea what they’re talking about?
Sex on the Beach or a Tequila Sunrise. Every bar does those differently and vodka can go into pretty much anything and still taste like juice.