When I told Chris Macias, food writer for the Sacramento Bee, of my foray into the role of cocktail scribe, he asked me if I had yet to try the cocktail program at Thir13en. Since I hadn't, Chris and I made plans to explore the bar offerings together.
Thir13een operates under the deft hands of Chef and proprietor Adam Pechal (from well regarded Tuli Bistro) with Sara Kitchens in charge of all things cocktails. The bar menu is rich with original offerings and new takes on old classics. The Loon is one of the new twists on the Dark N Stormy. It is made with Bacardi Silver, house made ginger syrup, fresh squeezed lime juice, with a float of Myers dark rum. The ginger syrup adds a touch of sweetness that you don't normally find in a traditional Dark N Stormy.
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| The Loon |
Now for a fact you may not know, Dark N Stormy is a registered U.S. trademark owned by Gosling's, the Bermuda producers of Gosling's dark rum and ginger beer. Technically, any bar purporting to serve a Dark N Stormy would have to do so with Gosling's rum and ginger beer, otherwise the bar would be engaging in trade mark infringement. Does this mean that bar owners should have a trademark attorney review their bar menu? I say yes, emphatically; see if you can do a deal for trade. (My opinion may be a bit biased.)
Chris had the Old Flame, a twist on the classic Negroni. The Old Flame substitutes Cynar for Campari and includes a splash of fresh squeezed orange juice. Cynar's is an interesting liquor; it is made from 13 herbs and plants, with the predominant plant ingredient being the artichoke. Its bittersweet flavor profile is the halfway mark in between Campari and Aperol.
As Chris, Adam and I began discussing the numerous variations on the Negroni we all had seen, Brian the bartender whipped up a tequila based take on the Negroni - Cazadores Reposado, Cynar, Sweet Vermouth, fresh squeezed lime juice, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and blood orange bitters. Although the Cynar does not produce the same bitter quality as one normally expects from a Negroni made with Campari, Brian's new drink is extremely refreshing and well balanced.
