The Quest for Christmas Spirit in a Beverage

We went on a quest to look for Christmas spirit in a beverage.  Our Larryville Artists food critic posed a challenge to Downtown bartenders and baristas. "Give us your best Christmas drink!”

Refuting recent debate that connoisseurship is simply junk science, our critic slowly and carefully sipped and searched for nuances in each distinct drink. Our persnickety critic recorded impressions for the benefit of the LFK public.   Here are the findings.

Cute kids sitting next to ourYule Nog

Prima Tazza

La Prima Tazza

La Prima Tazza's Colin Ledbetter created a foamy Yule Nog served in a rather heavy utilitarian off white mug for $2.75. The Yule Nog is La Prima Tazza’s salute to the prominent @larryvillelife of the Larryville Chronicles. The overall taste of the Yule Nog is sickly sweet. Ingredients include syrups and steamed milk. Best uses are for kids who want even more sugar than what Christmas candy provides.  

Turdrunken at 715

Evan from 715

715

The season bill of fare of cocktails for 715 includes curious ingredients.  The Beet Generation’s beet infused gin with mint and citrus; the Green Line’s vodka, mint, cucumber serrano and lime, and the Montecello’s sage, sherry, ginger and lemon, make for a unique array of flavors to embrace.   Addressing our challenge, our bartender Evan suggested the Turdrunken made with Wild Turkey 101, cinnamon simple syrup, muddled fresh rosemary, cranberry juice, and Angusura bitters.  The sleek presentation offered a sprig of rosemary, and a cinnamon stick.  On the sweet side, the cranberry flavors permeate. It tastes like my first hangover.  Makes me want to have a cigarette.  Price: $9.90.

Leslie from Free State

Hor Cocoa with Rumplemintz

and Festivus

Free State

Two beverages were offered to us by our waitress Leslie when we posed our question. One was Hot Cocoa with a shot of Rumplemintz, which was quite minty and sweet and very boozy, but otherwise not really that special or distinguished.

The other was Festivus Ale. We don’t know what these numbers mean, but here they are: O.B 15.65-1.063 Hops-30 IBUs. We do know that this wonderful beverage tastes like something that the High-Elven folk in a Tolkien novel would serve to their most honored and distinguished guests on midwinter’s eve. It’s strong, yet quite smooth. It loosens the tongue in a most delightful fashion, and after we drank one (or two), we seemed to forget all our table manners, but nobody seemed to mind.   Rumplemintz with hot chocolate : $8.00  Festivus Ale: $4.00

 Check on Monday’s blog post for Part II of our beverage reviews.