Shaker One here. I was recently invited to join a friend for a little tuesday happy hour fun at a place I had not tried yet-The Westside Tavern (downstairs). He promised delicious cocktails including a Watermelon Flip, which intrigued us both. Sadly, when we got there the bar did not have the watermelon drink available. But we consoled ourselves with two other tasty beverages.
Nothing like walking up to the bar to meet your friend and they already have your drink waiting for you. A Grapefruit Rickey . This is a really nice not overly tart version of the classic rickey. St. Germain is added to soften the tang of the grapefruit juice. A fantastic summer sipper.
Next up was our replacement for the watermelon flip:
The Strawberry Tarragon Flip
Wow. I think I’m glad they were out of watermelon. Fresh strawberries and tarragon muddled with lime juice, vodka, simple syrup and pasteurized egg whites-shaken, strained into a martini glass and garnished with a spanked tarragon leaf. What? You don’t spank your herbs to release their essential oils? Naughty, naughty tarragon.
This cocktail knocked my socks off. Subtle and airy. You could taste the freshness of the ingredients and no one overpowered the others. I could have put away several of these. Easily. I look forward to crafting this at home. Though I’ve used thyme, rosemary, basil, cilantro, and of course mint in cocktails, I’d never thought to add tarragon. I can’t wait to try tarragon with other fruit/booze combinations.
Sadly it was a school night, so our happy hour sipping stopped there. But I will be back to sample the rest of their cocktail menu another time. A great spot to grab well crafted drinks before/after a movie and super convenient location smack dab in the middle of the West Side. Now I’m off to buy some tarragon.
