The Frugal Hostess and Husband went out for a very nice and extremely delicious dinner last week. They had amazing tuna, steaks, and wine at Kevin Rathbun Steak, and it was cheap (-er than normal) since the restaurant was participating in Inman Park Restaurant Week. Delicious for the win.There was only one thing missing from this night on the town, and that was a specialty cocktail list. FrusHo and -Hubs love good and interesting cocktails, and they often enjoy one with the bread course* at their favorite dinner spots. But, alas, there were no cocktails to be had at ye olde Kevin Rathbun Steak. Or, at least, there was no enticing list to look through. They had, respectively, a Manhattan and a Martini, but it would've been cooler to have KRS's take on said Manhattan and Martini. *You allow for the bread course, right?
TFH hypothesized that perhaps the restaurant was so steak-focused that they felt devoting time and energy on a top-notch list of drinks would undermine their steakiness. As they looked around at the approximately 75% male dining audience, The Frugal Husband suggested that perhaps this most macho of masculine male man caves felt that cocktails were a little too femme for their target customer. Whatever the case, here's the steakhouse cocktail list that FruHo came up with, in case Kevin comes a-knockin'.
Steakhouse Cocktails
Putting hair on your chest since the Eisenhower administration (tm)
Manhattan
Note the word MAN in the name, steakhouses. Make this with 2oz. of Bulleit bourbon; 1oz. of sweet vermouth; 1 splash of dry vermouth; and one of those delicious house-made Luxardo-soaked cherries of glory. Add two shakes of of orange bitters and a sprinkle of orange zest for a (Wo)Manhattan. Or a (WOAH!)Manhattan, as the case may be.
Martini
Dude, first let's just all acknowledge that a Martini is made with gin. If it is made with vodka, it is called a Vodka Martini. Once you've gotten that bit of business through your head once and for all, fill a shaker with crushed ice and put an ups glass in the freezer. Put two fat olives on a toothpick, and get your dry vermouth out of the fridge. Wait, what? Yes, you need to keep vermouth in the fridge, suckah, or it will get rancid or spoiled or otherwise grody. OK. Take your glass out of the freezer, and dribble less than half an ounce of vermouth into the frozen glass. Roll the liquid around to coat the sides of the glass, and if there is excess left standing in the bottom of the glass, pour it out. Pop in the olive toothpick and stick it back in the freezer. Then shake two ounces of your favorite gin, which should either be Hendricks or Death's Door, and pour over the olives in your frozen glass.
Old-Fashioned
Don Draper would be proud. Put a piece of orange peal in the bottom of a rocks glass, and sprinkle it with a scant teaspoon of (non-refined organic) sugar and bitters. Note that bitters are named thusly because they taste bitter, and adjust accordingly. FruHo likes to add a couple of cherries and a tiny squeeze of agave (or simple) syrup. Muddle that, meaning pound on it with a wooden spoon. Add crushed ice and 2oz. rye. Stir and top with club soda.
Blood and Sand
You're a steakhouse, so you have a single malt Scotch list. Might as well make use of it. In a cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice, mix 1.5oz. of Laphroig (or other smoky Scotch) with 1oz. each of cherry brandy, sweet vermouth, and orange juice. Strain and serve up.
The Fifth Drink
The fifth drink is a matter for much debate. It should be lighter and perhaps less boozy, made with gin or vodka, but still big enough to make sense in the land of beef, beef, lamb, and beef. Maybe a Zombie. Maybe a Pink Lady - deceptively smooth with quite a kick.
What do you think? What makes sense for the fifth drink?
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