And since we've reached a nice round number like 30, I thought I'd celebrate by looking back at these 30 drinks (technically 32 if you count the two-parters) and putting together the five best drinks that I've had for this blog since its beginning. I'm taking into account both the taste of the drink and also how well I think the drink lived up to the name. Meaning the fantastic Honey Milked From the Teats of Zeus is unfortunately out of the running: it was possibly the most delicious custom drink I've had but I got a little nitpicky when it came to the name of the drink. It gets an honorable mention, though. So do The Traveling Teddy Bear and The Fish of the Sea, which were great but just got beaten out by the top five. And so should the Murdered Moose created by my friend Jane, which was excellent but which didn't come from an actual bar so I left it out on a technicality (sorry, Jane). And now, here's my list.
And, as a reminder, you can find a full list of all of the drinks I've gotten here.
#5: The Undead Gamble
Bar: One if By Land, Two If By Sea
Looking back on this drink, I was kind of harsh on it and said the drink could have been more suited to the name. And it could have been, but considering that I wanted a spooky drink, this one fit the bill. Bright green from the creme de menthe, it felt like drinking a magic potion. A minty magic potion. It was incredibly refreshing and I can still remember the taste of it even half a year later.
#4: The Evil Rapping Clown
Bar: Bar 9
When I consider the best drinks I've gotten for this blog, they're mostly from fancy bars specializing in cocktails. The Evil Rapping Clown is the only one that came from a more low key pub. And while it probably didn't taste as good as some of the other drinks I mentioned as honorable mentions, it more than made up for it in terms of presentation. Rainbow stripes AND an evil clown face constructed out of lime wedges and a maraschino cherry? Fantastic. This was the second drink I ever got for this blog and I remember that after it arrived was when I realized how much I loved this blog idea, because bartenders would create something like this. It was just so much fun, and remains the most memorable drink I've gotten.
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| It doubles as a drink AND as a nightmare! |
#3: Shut the Box
Bar: The Rum House
Well before it was featured prominently in my favorite film of last year, I was very fond of The Rum House, a standout bar in Times Square. And that's because of this fabulous drink. I loved the ingenuity of the two drinks that placed higher than this one, but I don't know if they'd be as good in the hands of a less-skilled bartender. The Shut the Box was superb, but also the drink on this list that I think could be best replicated. It's the one I think could most easily be seen on an actual cocktail menu.
#2: My Only Jacket
Bar: Bar 44 at the Royalton Hotel
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| Sadly my phone ran out of battery when I ordered this drink, so this is only an approximation of what it looked like...but it was great! |
There's not much to say about this one, really. I thought that it was almost perfect in every way, and I hold it up as the epitome of what I always hope bartenders will do when I play this game. It was delicious, fit the name perfectly (and this was one of the tougher names I've assigned to bartenders), and showcased the bartender's own personality. Oftentimes people would ask me "What's the best drink you've ever gotten for the blog?" and this was always my easy answer. It was just perfect and I thought for a long time it couldn't be beat. But, recently, it was bested by my #1 choice.
#1: The Shovel Shark
Bar: Lot No. 3
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| The Shovel Shark, with its "fin" peeking out |
As much as I hate to admit it, the very best drink I've had for this blog came from one of the very few drinks I've gotten outside of New York City. In fact, I got this drink across the country, in Washington. But this drink is the clear winner, beating out even My Only Jacket. It tasted good and it fit the name well, but it was more than just a cocktail, it was a spectacle. This pitch-black drink was an experience. It was exciting, it was cool, it was simply amazing. Like all the drinks on this list, it demonstrated why I like to play this game. Because in the best of situations, the bartenders embrace the challenge to find a drink that is unique, that is fun, and that goes well beyond what you would ordinarily expect. It's simply the best drink I've had for this blog, and I can't imagine I'll see any drink like it for quite some time.
So there you have it, my picks for the top five drinks I've gotten for this blog. As for the worst drinks? Well, the single worst is undoubtedly The Brave Potato, the drink that made me make this face.
What are your favorite posts from this blog? Favorite stories? Feel free to share in the comments, and I look forward to getting many more drinks to share with you all.
Until next time, cheers!
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