By Dave Eckert
Regardless of what your position is on the stay at home orders: continue them, lift them, or something in between, I think there’s something we can all agree on-it’s been difficult giving up the things that bring us some of life’s pleasures. For me, that includes venturing out to area restaurants and bars for a meal, some conversation, and a drink or two. And, while I’ve really upped my cocktail game during this time at home, it’s just not the same as Darrell Loo whipping me up something special at Waldo Thai to accompany my spicy chicken wings. With that in mind, I thought I’d reach out to Loo and some of my other mixologist and cocktail-loving friends with two simple questions. First, what have they been drinking at home? And second, what’s the first thing they plan on ordering when they venture back out? I also asked them for a cocktail recipe. I got some great ones and some interesting answers. Enjoy!
Jake Barnett ~ Owner, Old Fashioned Beverage & Hospitality
My go-to quarantine cocktail has been a classic gin & tonic, with the addition of cold brew. A few years back, coffee shops started serving the seemingly odd combination of espresso and tonic. It turns out that it’s quite delicious. Cold brew is easier for home, and it’s just a no-brainer that you throw gin in the mix. You end up with a super refreshing, interesting cocktail that’s easy to make and the perfect transition from your work desk to the couch. My recipe is as follows:
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz gin (I use a nice botanical-forward gin; go local with Restless Spirits’ Builders Gin!)
- 2 oz tonic
- 2 oz cold brew (lots of great local options; my favorite is Cuento out of Raytown)
- lemon wedge
Preparation:
- Build the ingredients over ice, squeeze lemon wedge and discard.
The first cocktail I enjoy in Kansas City when things get back to normal will be a Negroni from Mitch e Amaro. They make the best one I’ve ever had – and they’re a bottle shop, too, so you can leave with all the ingredients they used to make it.
Jake Phillips ~ Mixologist, The Rockhill Grille and The Reserve at The Ambassador
Personally, I have been tinkering with flavors at my home bar and reading cocktail books to pass the time during this stay-at-home order. I’ve been drinking everything from craft beer and wine to Mai-Tais, Rockhill Collins, and Manhattans. That said, there’s one cocktail which I constantly find myself going back to or making variants of at the moment-the classic Negroni. Here’s a Tiki Negroni I’ve been drinking and improving during this lockdown.
Ingredients:
- .75 oz H by June Cognac
- .25 oz Wray and Nephew White Overproof Jamaican Rum
- .5 oz Amaro Averna
- .5 oz Angostura Amaro
- 1 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth
- 4 dashes Dale Degroff’s Pimento Bitters
Preparation:
- All stirred and strained in a rocks glass over a large hand carved ice cube with an expressed orange peel garnish.
When all of this goes back to normal, or as normal as can be, the first cocktail that I am ordering is the Planter’s Punch at TikiCat in Westport. It is probably one of the most delicious one-off Tiki punches I have ever been served. This cocktail strikes a perfect balance of sweetness, acid, and spice (as well as being incredibly boozy!). I highly recommend that people pay them a visit when in Westport to get the taste of a tropical escape here in the Midwest!
Cheryl Bisbee ~ Owner, Boozy Botanicals
So, what have I been drinking during lockdown? Lots of tequila and plenty of gin and tonics. I’m using lots of fresh lime and lemon juice and doing a lot of experimenting with tonic. Mostly because I have a bunch leftover from a canceled event! Here’s a delicious, easy recipe for a great tequila cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 2 shots tequila
- 1 shot simple syrup
- 1 shot lime juice
Preparation:
- Shake with ice. Pour into a glass rimmed with salt.
First thing I’m going to have the next time I go out? The fanciest, hardest to make, most unusual cocktail on the menu! It’s time to let someone else do all the work! And a beer-a good ice-cold beer from one of our local breweries. I miss visiting their taprooms and checking out their creations.
Darrell Loo ~ Mixologist, Waldo Thai
An Old Fashioned has been my go-to during this time. They are easy to make, delicious, and I could slowly sip through it at home. Other than an Old Fashioned, a Negroni has been a favorite as well.
Ingredients:
- 6 dashes of Angostura Aromatic Bitters
- 2 bar spoons of turbinado rich simple syrup
- 2 oz Old Forester Waldo Thai Single Barrel Stir
Preparation:
- Serve over a big cube of ice with an orange peel.
When this is over, there are two bars I would love to visit: Dodson’s for my classic gin and soda and just to say hi to friends, and a classic French 75 from the Campground.
Finally, some thoughts on cocktailing at home from yours truly. As many of you know, I’m more of a wine guy than a cocktail aficionado, though the long days and longer nights have given me plenty of time to experiment and expand my cocktail horizons. I’ve developed a whole line of Covid-19-inspired cocktails with catchy names like “Essential Business,” “Deemed Essential,” “Shelter in Place,” and “Sheltering in Paradise.” I’ve focused on bourbon, gin, and tequila in my cocktail creations, and have gotten some terrific advice from folks in our cocktail community, including those quoted in this article. My favorite of the bunch is the Deemed Essential Old Fashioned.
Ingredients:
- 1 shot cinnamon-flavored bourbon of choice
- 1 shot bourbon of choice
- 1 shot orange simple syrup
- 3 or 4 shakes of Angostura bitters
- 1 Bada Bing bourbon-infused cherry
- ¼ slice orange and some orange zest
Preparation:
- Muddle the orange and orange zest. Mix the bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters together in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into glass, Add the cherry.
I honestly don’t know where I’m heading first when the clouds lift. I might have Ryan make me something special with Irish Whiskey at Brady’s Public House or perhaps Nick can work his magic for me at The Reserve at The Ambassador, or maybe Jeff down at Extra Virgin? It doesn’t really matter because wherever and whenever that is, it’s going to be awesome! Cheers!
Oh, and before I go, be sure to join me for my next Instagram Live today at noon Central at eatsanddrinkswithdave. My guest will be Romain Teyteau, the Export Manager for Les Vins Georges DeBeouf!
