Author: Andria Lisle

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Music Music Features

Co Cash

CREDIT: David Rams

When rapper Co Cash dropped his Tay Keith-produced Interscope Records debut, F.A.C.T.S., at the end of April, the album received ripples of praise from the usual suspects — magazines like XXL and youth culture-driven websites like Uproxx. Then an incident in Nashville on May 14th landed Co Cash in the national spotlight. That evening, he performed a free concert at the Mercy Lounge with Yo Gotti and Detroit rapper 42 Dugg, a new signee to Gotti’s Collective Music Group label and Lil Baby’s 4PF imprint. After the show, Gotti’s tour bus sat outside the Loew’s Vanderbilt Hotel, where it was struck by multiple rounds of gunfire from an unnamed assailant. Gotti is no stranger to violence — an ongoing feud with fellow Memphian Young Dolph has led to headline-making violence in cities as far-flung as Los Angeles and Kansas City.

David Rams

Co Cash

Fortunately for Co Cash, he was nowhere near the scene outside Loew’s. The 24-year-old Memphis-to-Nashville transplant, an alumnus of White Station High School’s class of 2013, was already home when the shooting happened. The situation hardly gave Co Cash pause. “Whenever Gotti brings me out, I’m coming,” he says. “I think it was just some stuff going on with random people. I didn’t ride on [Gotti’s] bus; I had my own trucks for the tour.”

Eager to discuss his own career-in-the-making, Co Cash shifts the conversation to another Nashville headline-maker: the late, great country anti-hero Johnny Cash. He’s a diehard fan. In May 2018, Co Cash debuted his new Man in Black-styled moniker after rapping for years under the Rico Dinero persona, staking his claim via the opening lines of his debut mixtape, Foolhardy. “First name Co/Last name Cash/I’m from the city of Memphis,” he avows on the album’s first track, “Take One.”

For the release of F.A.C.T.S. (the title is an acronym for the statement “Fuck a critic, I’m the shit”), he posed in front of the Johnny Cash Museum, on Third Avenue South in downtown Nashville. “Johnny Cash was a cool dude,” Co Cash says. “It ain’t really about the music — it’s the attitude, the swag.”

Like his namesake, Co Cash has spent plenty of time on the streets of Memphis. “I’m really from the Whitehaven area, but I’ve lived everywhere in Memphis,” he says. Another similarity: Both are somewhat dark horses in the quest for success. Johnny Cash survived the violent, premature death of his older brother Jack, plus his own addictions to barbiturates and amphetamines, to become one of the greatest-selling music artists of all time. Co Cash also sees music as an escape — and he says that he “always feels like an underdog,” despite racking up accolades like 2 million YouTube views for his “Cash Day” single.

The music created by Cash and Keith, his collaborator since high school, has little to do with outlaw country music, however. Lil Nas X’s breakout hit “Old Town Road” practically sounds like a Blake Shelton anthem in comparison to the 12 songs that make up F.A.C.T.S. Co Cash drops F-bombs and N-words aplenty, sticking to typical trap music subject matter like blunts, bad girls, and gold chains. Yet if you try hard, you can hear the lineage between tracks like Johnny Cash’s 1964 song “Two Timin’ Woman” and “Bonjour,” the second track on F.A.C.T.S. Same sentiments, different century.

Another rising Memphis export, BlocBoy JB, lends a verse to “Boatload,” and Atlanta-based bubblegum trap artist Lil Yachty appears on the album’s closer, “Told Me.” But the hottest star on the album is Keith, a fellow White Station alum who acquired his bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Middle Tennessee State University while producing a formidable set of multi-platinum hit singles, including Eminem’s “Not Alike,” Drake and BlocBoy JB’s “Non Stop,” and Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode.” Keith, the subject of a recent Forbes Magazine profile, is the current go-to producer for Memphis’ latest crop of Billboard chart-topping rappers. “We’ve always had a musical connection,” Co Cash says of his relationship with Keith. “His beats come from my flow, and my flow comes from his beats.”

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Music Music Features

Prince DJae: A New Spirit for Traditional R&B

When Prince DJae had his first onstage experience, it was in church, where crowds flocked to the kid with the big voice and showy moves. In high school, he formed the R&B group, Image IV, an ensemble styled after chart-toppers New Edition, Boys II Men, and B2K. In 2006, Prince DJae struck out on his own. Today, he’s part of a Memphis R&B resurgence that includes Tonya Dyson, C’beyohn Sharp, and Cameron Bethany in its ranks.

Prince DJae, who performs at Height Lounge & Events this Friday, was born and raised in the Westwood community, but today he lives in southeast Memphis. “I was never ‘in’ the streets, but I knew about them,” he says. “Westwood humbled me into not being an uppity kind of guy. Now I can step outside the door, toss a penny, and it’ll land in Olive Branch.”

Prince DJae

While living in the suburbs has its privileges, Prince DJae acknowledges that despite all the talent that exists in Memphis, the city is sadly lacking in music business infrastructure — an issue that led Roney Strong and Rakeem Sprinkle to relocate to Atlanta before they assembled their R&B powerhouse group Bluff City, an irony that’s not lost on local players.

“It’s not easy in Memphis at all, for the simple fact that there are really no platforms here for what I do,” Prince DJae says. “People here get caught up in cover songs, thinking that’s the best platform for local R&B singers. Well, I don’t perform covers. And when people in Memphis talk about original artists, they really only refer to rap.”

Through perseverance, he’s found success: K97 has been playing his singles, all of which are produced by his brother, music producer Bukoh. He’s just dropped a new song, a ballad called “With You,” which follows the bouncy “You Know,” New Jack Swing-inspired numbers like “Fireplace” and “Perfect Day,” and “Hands,” which is a shoo-in for inclusion on a strip club mix tape. He’s also a favorite on the club circuit, popping up at events like the most recent iteration of Stephanie Chamber’s popular monthly music showcase, Dope on Arrival.

“I’m about feel-good music,” Prince DJae says. “I really like to listen to artists like Marvin Gaye, Frankie Beverly, and Al Green. I’m inspired by older artists who came out with original material. At the same time, I watch younger people like Bruno Mars who are not just sitting down with a pen and a pad — they’re creative, whatever they’re doing.”

Between music gigs, Prince DJae shoots videos and stars in stage plays under the moniker of Bipolar Chris, a character he invented who’s taken on a life of his own. Last month, Bipolar Chris made a memorable appearance in a reprise of local playwright Brandon McMillon’s Loving Mr. Wrong, staged at the Buckman Performing Arts Center.

“Bipolar Chris says what’s on his mind. He has fun. Chris wears a wig, an afro, and when I put that hair on, it’s almost like a mask. Prince DJae is a little more reserved. He’s not in your face, but he’s the quietest, biggest personality in the room. Recording and singing, that’s acting, too. Getting into a song is getting into character.

“I love to entertain — it’s my job,” he says. “If I’m in a scene, or I’m onstage singing for 45 minutes, by the end of it, we’re going to be cool. It’s like chess — I’m really big on production, and I know how to make my moves.”

Right now, those moves include a trip to New York, where he’ll perform as Bipolar Chris in June. Later this spring, Loving Mr. Wrong will travel the regional theater circuit, stopping in Huntsville, Alabama, and other cities. When the wig comes off, Prince DJae will “continue to apply pressure” via concerts and a carefully orchestrated release schedule.

Rated R Live R&B Concert with Rich Josh, TL Da Lova, Nesha Deshaun, Dwayne Harrell, and Prince DJae, Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. The Height Lounge & Events 1482 E. Shelby Drive; $15/$100 per table.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Think Pink … Gin!

This Valentine’s Day, I’m giving myself permission to waltz past the bottles of Rosé, to look beyond the cherry liqueur cocktails, and to avoid the ubiquitous, overly sweet mixed drink confections that seem to dominate bar menus every February. This year, I’m laying claim to February 14th, thanks to a new variation on an old love. Yes, I’m talking gin — pink gin, to be precise.

While I tend to roll my eyes at most flavored (or dyed) liquors, pink gin is a legitimate spirit that launched in the United Kingdom before making its way across the Atlantic in mid-2018. Its rosy hue isn’t an affectation, either — it’s a byproduct of herbs, fruits, and spices that add flavor to the drink. Combined with juice, tonic, or another mixer, pink gin’s flavor profile blooms with the intensity of a hothouse flower.

Some purists are revolted by this trend, blamed, as you might guess, on the millennial generation, but I adore the blushing varietal. I’m not the only one: according to The Guardian, pink gin has been the most successful spirits launch of the decade, attracting wine and ready-to-drink beverage consumers en masse. Just last month, the international magazine Spirits Business reported that pink gin boosted Irish gin exports 213 percent in 2018; that’s more than a half-million bottles of the new spirit, which is now approximately 50-brands strong in Ireland alone.

In Memphis, we currently have fewer choices. I’ve found Eden Mill Love Gin, distilled in St. Andrews, Scotland, on local store shelves. Sold in a stout cream-colored, swing-top stoppered bottle emblazoned with an eye-catching pink rose, Love Gin is a balanced blend of the expected juniper with notes of citrus, vanilla, and rose. The ingredients include hibiscus, goji berries and elderberries, coriander, rhubarb root, and raspberry leaf. At $40 per 750 milliliters, it’s not necessarily for everyday drinking, but Love Gin certainly elevates a gin and tonic to ambrosial levels of deliciousness. Do yourself a favor, and don’t use Love Gin as a basis for complex cocktails — the subtleties of the spirit will be lost if it’s combined with too many ingredients.

Also easy to find locally is Beefeater Pink, which takes the classic London gin and infuses it with strawberry, lemon and orange peel, almonds, angelica root, coriander, orris, and licorice to make a spirit that’s “vibrant” and easy to drink, according to Beefeater’s marketing efforts. I’ve fallen head over heels for this cheeky young cousin to Beefeater’s classic London gin, which retails for around $24 for 750 milliliters. When the temperatures dropped in late December, I sipped on the Pink Peppercorn Rose, a simple cocktail made from equal parts Beefeater Pink, rosé and grape juice stirred with about a tablespoon of peppercorn syrup (simple syrup steeped with a quarter-cup of black peppercorns and strained) and topped with tonic water. Poured into a lowball glass and garnished with lemon peel and a pinch of whole peppercorns, the drink warmed me from the inside out.

I also went gaga for the Pink & Orange Tonic, an easy cocktail that mixes Beefeater Pink with blood orange juice, orange bitters, and tonic. I went with the 365 Blood Orange Juice and Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water, which seemed worthier of pink gin than my usual no-name brand 99-cent diet tonic water. Blood orange juice is a great winter mixer, and the small bottle of Angostura Orange Bitters I purchased makes a welcome addition to my supply of bar mixers.

When I ran out of pink gin, I simply resorted to the Pink Gin cocktail, invented by the British Royal Navy in the 1800s. The drink has no pink gin in it — just good ol’ straight gin combined with a few dashes of Angostura bitters, shaken with ice, and served with a lemon peel garnish. Tradition dictates that the legacy drink is made with Plymouth Gin, which, as a “Navy strength” gin, has a higher ABV than other brands. I made mine with Tanqueray, and I couldn’t tell the difference. Put the gin bottle in the freezer for a few hours, and you can skip the ice. Drink sparingly.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Fernet-Branca: The Bitter and the Sweet

Last week, a coworker flabbergasted me with a thank-you gift for doing something that I considered a routine part of my job. It was a truly unexpected, generous gesture — and what she gave me was a surprise, too. At first glance, I sized up the tall, sparkly gift bag and assumed it contained a bottle of wine, always a welcome present. When I opened it, however, I found a large bottle filled with a coffee-colored liqueur that, when I unscrewed the cap, smelled leathery, minty, and herbaceous all at once. And that’s how I came to fall in love with Fernet-Branca.

The aroma that emanated from the bottle reminded me of both root beer and iced tea — if the drinks were filtered through my grandfather’s aftershave. Its taste, which I waited to get home to discover, was astringent and almost uncomfortably bitter. It reminded me of some dark spoonful of medicine served by my childhood physician, and I screwed up my face as I swallowed. Then I poured a second glass of the amaro liqueur, which, according to most bartenders, is best served neat. I tried to discern the flavor profile, but with 40 herbs, roots and spices on the ingredient list, it’s complicated.

Unlike most apertifs and digestifs, Fernet-Branca is very low in sugar. It’s also one of the only amari liqueurs to be aged for a full year in oak barrels, a process that adds intensity and complexities to the final result. Distilled in Milan, Italy, since 1845, its ingredients include the familiar and the exotic: chamomile, peppermint, saffron, myrrh, Chinese rhubarb, aloe ferox, angelica, colombo root, cinchona bark, and orris root are just a sampling of the herbs that go into the mix using both hot and cold infusion processes. The actual recipe is known by only one man, Niccolo Branca, the great-great-grandson of Bernardino Branca, who invented the liqueur and originally promoted it for its health benefits, including flatulence, overeating, gas pains, and hangovers.

Today, Fernet-Branca remains popular in Italy, and in Argentina, where it’s drunk with a Coca-Cola mixer. The liqueur is catching on in Germany, where the preferred drinking method is Fernet-Branca and Red Bull. On this continent, it’s most frequently consumed as a bracing shot. It’s also turning up as an ingredient in many craft cocktail recipes.

I was intrigued by a cocktail I found online called the Hanky Panky. The drink first appeared in 1925, making its debut at the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London. Today, it’s making a comeback — likely due to its simplicity and its complexity. The Hanky Panky only has three ingredients: 1 ½ ounces of gin (I used Beefeater’s), 1 ½ ounces of sweet vermouth, and 2 dashes of Fernet-Branca. You simply stir the liquids with ice in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish the glass with a twist of orange peel if you like, and sip.

I also sampled what Argentines refer to as “ferne con coca” or “Fernecola” — an ice-packed glass with a few fingers of Fernet-Branca topped with sugary Mexican Coke. While the sweetness of the cola hardly subdues the bitterness of the liqueur, the bubbles make the drink particularly intoxicating. During WWII, a Fernet-Branca distillery opened in Buenos Aires — today, it and Milan remain the only places in the world where the liqueur is made. The International Wine and Spirits Record, which monitors the world’s beverage alcohol market, recently declared that Argentina consumes three-fourths of the world’s Fernet-Branca.

But be warned, Fernet-Branca is not for everyone’s tastes. I recommend taking the liqueur for a test-spin before committing to a full bottle. Ask your favorite bartender to pour you a shot or order a Fernet-Branca-based cocktail if you see one on the menu. At Hog & Hominy in East Memphis, there’s a delicious drink called The Grifter (yes, it’s an homage to the Memphis indie-rock band) that pairs Fernet-Branca with Four Roses bourbon. The cocktail is a bit fussier than something I’d whip up at home, but, that said, the final result is so delicious that it warranted a full-page review in Conde Nast Traveler.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Fresh Start: A New Year Means New Drinks

hile I’ve heard that “Dry January” is a trend for many people who might have rung in the new year a bit too heartily, and I do know a few friends who abstain from alcohol for a month to recalibrate their drinking habits, I’ve never been one to “just say no.” I am devoting a bit of time this month to contemplate my own reasons to drink — of course they’re emotional, as well as physical — and, as I do every new year, recalibrate my consumption.

Wine-wise, that means avoiding reds in the winter months. My allergist has convinced me that when it’s cold outside, the histamines and sulfites found in Cabernets and Merlots stress my sinuses. White wines, particularly those without added sulfites, are a much better bet, so my refrigerator is currently stocked with a few bottles of Pinot Grigio and Vinho Verde.

This year, I’m on a mission to discover more varietals. I lean toward crisply acidic whites, so why haven’t I sampled more Viognier? The bold, fruity wine has been popular across Europe since Roman times; today, it’s the star of vineyards that span the globe, including Virginia, California’s Central Coast, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, British Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Australia, Japan, and South Africa. For several years, the Chilean Casillero del Diablo Viognier was in my repertoire — now it’s time to try the equally affordable Cline Viognier 2016, which hails from Sonoma County, and the Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2017, an Australian variety. Both are available on Memphis shelves for around $15 per bottle.

Also on my shortlist: the dry, sweet Gewürztraminer, originally made from grapes that ripen on vines planted in northern Europe, and now a banging crop in vineyards as far-flung as New Zealand. Likewise, I plan to delve deeper into the realm of Moscato — I love to pair this wine with spicy Indian and Vietnamese take-out, but often fail to keep a bottle stashed in the fridge at home.

Sherry, that fortified white wine loved by grandmothers the world over, is rumored to be making a big comeback in 2019 as a cocktail component. I hope to experiment over the next few months and report back soon with a few recipes. I’ll start with a Sherry and tonic this weekend.

Spiritually speaking, like many boozehounds, I’ve been leaning heavily on tequila the last several months, so why not move on to mezcal, its desert-based “agave cousin”? According to metrics reported by the Distilled Spirits Council and published on BeverageDynamics.com, mezcal sales have exploded from less than 50,000 cases in 2009 to around 360,000 cases in 2017. By 2022, the mezcal industry is expected to exceed 1.2 million cases. The liquor tends to lean earthy/smoky or fresh, with characteristics that fall everywhere in between. It’s good with brandy, tequila, Vermouth, fruit juice, and ginger beer.

I’m headed to New Mexico later this month, and I plan to hit up every bartender in the state for their favorite recommendations, recipes, and techniques. Once I’ve identified the flavors I like the most, I’ll experiment at home, although truthfully, mezcal might remain more of a special occasion go-to, since at the lower end, it runs approximately $30 per bottle.

While I’m on the subject of drinking out of town, I hope to do that more frequently, too. Just last weekend, The New York Times‘ business section ran an article about the Napa-fication of American whiskey distilleries as a billion-dollar tourism industry. From the Kentucky Bourbon Trail to the Willamette Valley, destination drinking is a major influencer on my travel plans.
And, of course, I want to sample more local talent. There are dozens of new bars to visit and bartenders to meet, and even more breweries, taprooms, and distilleries in the region to try on for size. Each place, person, and taste has its own personality, which is part of what makes responsible drinking so much more fun.

Cheers — or, as an old Gaelic saying goes, here’s to a healthy heart and a wet mouth!

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Gifts for the Libation Lovers in Your Life

At Christmas last year, a friend lovingly declared that I was too tough to shop for, then proceeded to give me one of my favorite gifts: a bottle of good champagne and a single delicate gold-rimmed flute for drinking it. She topped the beautifully wrapped package with a champagne key chain that she found, along with the glass, at Anthropologie.

It was a thoughtful present that signified, to me, that I deserved to indulge myself here and there — and that champagne for one is a perfectly reasonable proposition. Today, I smile every time I hand wash and put away that elegant champagne flute, which stands taller than all the other wine glasses in my cabinet.

I, too, like to give the gift of spirits — and little extras that help the recipients enjoy them. Here’s what’s hot on my list this holiday season:

Online retailer CB2 has a wide range of old-fashioned glasses that would make the ideal accompaniment for a bottle of Memphis-made Blue Note Bourbon. Choose from the Dip, a handmade, yet thoroughly modern take on hobnail milk glass, the micro-thin Marta, the vintage-inspired Mars Smoke Stacking glass, or the tortoiseshell Franklin. Pick up a couple of glasses (prices range from under $5 per glass to just over $10), and pair them with a bottle of Angostura Bitters, the aforementioned Blue Note Bourbon, a box of sugar cubes, and a few lemons. Add a personal touch by handwriting the recipe for making an Old Fashioned on a postcard or Christmas card. Locally, I like to shop at Flashback for vintage glassware and bar accessories. Score a great cocktail shaker, and pair it with mixers, elixirs, and an ice-cube tray. Or pick up a new but vintage-inspired tea towel (I love the cheekiness of the Blue Q line, which I’ve spotted at Flashback, Maggie’s Pharm, and Novel) and pair it with a set of cocktail stirrers and drink markers. Wrap up your favorite brand of booze in the tea towel, fasten it with a ribbon, and tuck in or tie on the stirrers or markers, and voila — you’re ready with a hostess gift. For stocking stuffers, try airline-sized booze bottles, available at any liquor store in town. Stop by Lit Restaurant Supply for other inexpensive items, including bottle stoppers, spouts, mini-whisks, and more.

Most Memphis shops offer a wine-by-the-case discount, so if you’re short on ideas, buy a dozen tea towels and pair each with a bottle of your favorite wine. Scribble a note about why you like it. Or, for someone really special, buy a dozen different bottles, so they can think of you as they enjoy a new bottle every month of the year. If you want to make an even bigger impression, splurge on membership to a Cheese of the Month Club to go along with said wine. There are dozens to choose from, but my favorite is the $75 option offered by Murray’s Cheese, which ships three varieties on the second Thursday of every month.

Last year, I splurged on a few dozen $4 neoprene koozies from Etsy seller CoffeeItDesigns, located right here in Memphis. The koozies I selected feature a bear emblazoned with Memphis on one side and the statement “We grind here” in a calligraphy-style font on the other. I stuffed each koozie with a can of local beer, then randomly paired them up in gift bags for couples I know. You can also order a personalized beer growler and pint glasses on Etsy — be sure to fill up the growler before giving. Or, pick up a cute coffee mug to go with a bottle of Kahlúa, Amaretto, or Bailey’s Irish Cream.

Need to go kosher? While most local liquor stores have a large selection of kosher spirits, Buster’s has a particularly good variety of Israeli wine in stock, including the Galil Mountain Pinot Noir from Galilee, a bright, cheery red that sells for under $17 per bottle. Traditionalists can also spring for the Manischewitz, which goes for under $6. At that price point, you can spring for a half-dozen wine glasses — I love stemless, easily purchased at a box store or at the Williams-Sonoma outlet in East Memphis.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Art, Drinks, and Copulating Lizards

CREDIT: Crosstown Arts

Until recently, I never really felt comfortable in what I like to call “living room bars” — the type of space, usually dubbed a speakeasy, with deep, communal couches instead of traditional tables and stools. I always felt like I was crashing someone’s private party when I walked in the door. With limited seating options, I’d usually perch on the arm of a couch, or, somewhat uncertainly, flop down into an unoccupied chair as other bar patrons continued their conversations around me.

Yes, I could handle the couch that sat near Charlie Miller’s Elvis Matador painting and the Vampirella poster at the Lamplighter, but any casual seating arrangement beyond that was a lot for me to negotiate.

Crosstown Arts

The Art Bar

That said, I do love the environment at Dodici, the upstairs lounge with artisan cocktails that is accessible by a set of stairs inside Bari. Yes, sometimes I do feel like an interloper when I jog up the stairs to discover a full crowd, but when I’m early enough to grab a seat, I feel, well, like I’m home somehow — or in the home of a good friend who has a deft touch with artisanal cocktails.

I also feel at home at the intimate upstairs bar at Earnestine & Hazel’s, where, illuminated by twinkling fairy lights, bartender Nate Barnes mixes drinks. Once served, visitors tend to wander, settling down in the various eclectic, sparsely-furnished rooms that were once used by brothel workers.

The newly opened Art Bar at the Crosstown Concourse has been the real game-changer for me. Located in a somewhat hidden series of rooms on the second floor (start at the top of the red staircase, and look for the narrow entrance near Crosstown Art’s gallery spaces and Green Room performance space), Art Bar takes the intimate living room lounge concept to the next level.

Crosstown Arts’ Amanda Sparks decorated the bar with pet-themed “found” art — think porcelain Persian cats positioned on a coffee table beneath paint-by-numbers of English setters and Siamese cats. An interesting — dare I say intoxicating? — cocktail menu by bar manager Bart Mallard adds another creative layer.

Since it opened at the beginning of September, I’ve visited Art Bar numerous times: to catch up with old friends, to meet first dates, and to while away a few hours playing gin rummy. I’ve watched total strangers have fun, and, much to the amusement of a particularly sweet Tinder date, I’ve walked inside to discover that I know 95 percent of the bar’s inhabitants. I’ve sat at the edge of a chair for candid conversation, sprawled on a couch to shuffle playing cards (these, of course, featured fluffy kittens), and drank enough tequila to give me a vicious hangover. Headache and dry mouth aside, Art Bar has served me well on all occasions.

The cocktail menu itself can be disconcerting. Ordering a drink called “meditation of copulating lizards” with a straight face is tough on a blind date. Does the drink reference the sinister Aleister Crowley or bring to mind Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams? I just want tequila in my glass, please — and while the cactus pear and jalapeño honey combination sounds delicious, I prefer to gesture to the printed menu rather than utter the drink’s name aloud.

Mallard’s concoctions are delectable, but don’t be afraid to order more traditional drinks if that’s your preference. A few weeks ago, I sipped a bit of my drinking partner’s Old Fashioned and was astonished by how smooth it tasted. Maybe I could go back to brown liquor, after all.

The winding space — some rooms feel as narrow as a hallway; others are wide and open — feels easier to navigate once you have a few of Mallard’s drinks under your belt. I’ve picked up my drink and wandered through Art Bar like I was some part of Hemingway’s Moveable Feast, nodding to the Memphis-based artists and writers that have come like moths to a light to occupy this unique place.

Art Bar is open Tuesday through Saturday nights, beginning at 5 p.m. Check it out for yourself. Like the best living room bars in town, the not-so-serious vibe lends itself to some serious fun.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Nightcaps

CREDIT: Ivan Mateev | Dreamstime.com

Late one night last week, I wound up at the bar at Catherine & Mary’s. It was about an hour before closing, and, on a whim, I decided to meet friends for a quick drink. I was already wearing my pajamas — Target pajamas, the type that look more like work-out wear than lingerie — and, I am ashamed to write today, I just put on a jean jacket and a pair of clogs before heading out the door. Truth is, I was tired, both from work and from recent sinus surgery, and it seemed easier to go with the flow than to stay home as-is or get dressed back up before driving Downtown.

My friends didn’t blink. Neither did the bartender, when I blurted out my obvious fashion faux pas. I pointed to my PJs, and he nodded knowingly and whipped together a deliciously foamy concoction of blood orange juice and gin, topped with a rosemary sprig and served in a coupe glass. That one drink made me feel like my pajamas were a chic, clever joke that he, my friends, and I were all in on. And within an hour, I was back home and climbing into bed, where that dreamy taste of gin, blood orange, and herbs quickly sent me off to slumberland.

Ivan Mateev | Dreamstime.com

French Connection

The next night, I was all dressed up — striped pajama bottoms, an old T-shirt, and wool slippers — with nowhere to go. Instead of heading back out, I turned to the internet, where I found dozens of bedtime cocktails to taste-test. Nightcaps, it turns out, are really a thing. The trick is to just have one — too much alcohol at bedtime, doctors warn, and you can have overly vivid dreams, night sweats, disturbed REM patterns, and insomnia.

My current favorite, which is particularly perfect for these cooler nights, is the Hot Chai Toddy. I found the drink on a spirits website called Supercall; apparently, it originated at a British bar called the Gin Garden. First, you brew a cup of Chai, which I did using a new electric water kettle. While that’s happening, simmer one and ¾ ounces of apple juice with a cinnamon stick and a spoonful of honey. Pour the tea and the apple juice concoction into a mug, then stir in one and ¾ ounces of gin. Squeeze a lemon over it, or add a few lemon slices to the mug. Sip, then slide into bed.

Then there’s cognac. If you’re drinking this distilled wine straight, look for bottles with the VSOP rating, which signals that the cognac was aged at least four years (the acronym stands for “very superior old pale”). I tried an ounce solo one night; the next, I combined cognac and amaretto liqueur (one and a half ounces of the former and ¾ ounce of the latter). Traditionally served over ice in an old fashioned glass, this drink, called the French Connection, had depth, due to the cognac, while the almondy taste of the liqueur reminded me of marzipan.

This weekend, I discovered the Lavender Honey Cream Cocktail, a sophisticated milkshake-like drink that required making lavender honey syrup, which is easier than it sounds, but still, something I saved for my less somnolent hours since it involved turning on the stove. The following night, I was ready — and so I combined one and a half ounces vodka, one ounce of heavy cream, an egg white, and an ounce of lavender honey syrup in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and gently shook it for 30 seconds. Then, I strained the drink into a cocktail glass and retired to the living room, where I put on a Nina Simone album and lit a scented candle from Anthropologie. Nina sounded theatrically melancholy; I sipped my drink and felt my eyelids grow heavy. Perhaps it did the trick too well — I didn’t manage to rinse my glass or the cocktail shaker before conking out, which meant that both items had to soak in the sink the following morning.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

It’s Fennel: Tasty Cocktails From a Surprising Source

CREDIT: Vivilweb | Dreamstime.com

About 10 years ago, I planted a few bulbs of fennel in my front flower bed. I plopped them in the ground on a whim, and I’ve been reaping the benefits ever since. Not only do I enjoy having fresh fennel leaves — and, when I feel like digging, fennel bulbs and stalks — right outside my front door, but the plant is a natural host for parsleyworms, the caterpillars that become black swallowtail butterflies.

This month, I’ve been harvesting fennel for a variety of cocktails. While the licorice-tasting Mediterranean herb is probably best known to mixologists as the root flavor of absinthe, I prefer to use it to spice up more ordinary spirits. It adds a nuance that, like the cider cocktails I wrote about a few weeks ago, give a nod to the changing seasons.

As we’ve hovered between summer and fall, with the October temperatures swinging from the mid-90s down to the upper 40s this week, I’ve made the most of Mother Nature’s mood swings by mixing up a drink called the Thistle in the Kiss, which I found on Food & Wine‘s website. The cocktail, which originated in a Chicago restaurant, combines one-and-a-half ounces vodka, three-quarters of an ounce fresh lime juice, three-quarters of an ounce of fennel syrup (made by steeping fennel bulbs in hot water, then discarding the herb and adding sugar to create simple syrup), and half an ounce of Suze.

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Shake the ingredients and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish with a few basil leaves. The fennel-basil combo makes it the perfect goodbye-summer-hello-autumn cocktail. I found a similar drink, the Fennel Lemon Crunch, on Organic Authority — just use lemon juice instead of lime, and, if it’s one of those warmer fall days, add a few slices of cucumber.

I haven’t tried this yet, but you can also make your own vodka apertifs by infusing vodka with a blend of fennel leaves and seeds. Combine 16 ounces of your favorite vodka with a quarter cup of chopped fennel leaves and a tablespoon of fennel seeds, then seal in an airtight container and store it in a cool, dark place for six days. Strain the vodka, then mix it with 12 ounces of simple syrup and store it in the refrigerator. Serve the concoction in shot glasses.

Speaking of apertifs, I have combined fennel fronds with Campari to great effect. Cure, a cocktail bar located in the Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans, sold me on their blend of Campari, sparkling wine, and muddled lemon and fennel during a Big Easy visit a few years ago. I just became reacquainted with the recipe when I found it online. It’s a medicinal-tasting drink, which is my favorite kind of cocktail. It’s made to be sipped, not slugged, so proceed with care.

Cappelletti, Campari’s less expensive cousin, is a favorite liquor at my house, so I was thrilled to discover the recipe for the Marathon Afternoon on HGTV.com. The cocktail actually hails from Chai Pani, a hipster Indian restaurant in Atlanta, but is rooted in Marathon, Greece — the site where the outnumbered Athenian army beat back the Persians back in 490 BC. In ancient Greek, the name Marathon actually means “a place full of fennels” — and Marathon was so-called because of the riot of fennel plants that grew in the area. Anyway, back to the drink: First, make a fennel simple syrup, using fronds, stems, and two teaspoons of fennel seeds. Steep the herbs and seeds in water, then add an equal amount of sugar, stir until dissolved, let sit for five minutes, then strain. Combine half an ounce syrup with one ounce Cappelletti and one ounce fresh lemon juice, then top with soda, a tiny pinch of salt, and a fennel frond.

And at the Splendid Table, I found Maggie Hoffman’s quite-splendid-indeed recipe for the Gin Rocket. To make this thirst-quenching, herbaceous drink, use a vegetable peeler (or a mandoline if you’re stone-cold sober) to thinly slice a quarter cup of fennel bulb. Place the fennel slices in a cocktail shaker, and add a quarter cup arugula leaves, a pinch of fennel fronds, three-quarters ounce fresh lime juice, and three-quarters ounce plain simple syrup. Muddle, then add two ounces of gin and ice, and shake with vigor. Strain the drink into a chilled coupe glass (a champagne glass or even a lowball will do), then garnish with a lime wheel, an arugula leaf, or a fennel frond — or, if you feel particularly bountiful, use all three.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Great Drinks for Fall Weather

Drinkers, rejoice! As I write this column, the temperature is still hovering in the upper 80s. But by the time this week’s Flyer hits the streets, fall will have arrived via a cold front that promises 40 degree lows at the end of the week.

Nothing like a cold snap to make me long for the crispness of autumn drinks.

Wine-wise, I’ve already begun gravitating away from my typical array of pinot grigios and vinho verdes. Over the last few weeks, my tastes have migrated a bit northward on the European continent — to Austria and the Czech Republic, the home of Grüner Veltliner.

A dry, zesty white wine, the Grüner Veltliner varietal, which is most closely linked to Savagnin, dates back to Roman times and flourished post-WWII, gaining traction in the 21st century after topping several “best of” lists. Today, it’s also grown in the New World, popping up in vineyards in the Pacific Northwest, in Canada, and in Australia and New Zealand.

I love the crisp, oaky-meets-peppery taste of Grüner Veltliner. It’s the perfect white wine for real fall nights, when the sandals and short-sleeved shirts are finally put away until next year. Dare I say that it yearns for boots, tights, and jackets? Yes, I do.

Best of all, my favorite bottles leave plenty of room in your budget for fashion. Both the Hugl Grüner Veltliner and Skeleton Grüner Veltliner come in at under $11 per bottle, and each provide the tart, acidic equivalent of biting into a Granny Smith apple. Both are easily found locally — I search for the Hugl by its red-and-white striped screw cap. The bottle of Skeleton makes a perfect gift this month, too, should you have any dinner parties or Halloween fright fests on the horizon.

Speaking of apples, I decided last weekend that in honor of the new calendar month, I was going to try an Apple Smash, weather be damned. I saw Steven Stern’s recipe in The New York Times, picked up an apple in the produce department, and made the drink on Sunday afternoon. It was easy, unique, and utterly delicious.

First, I made simple syrup, then let it cool. Then I sliced a Honeycrisp apple, and, following the recipe, muddled one slice in a cocktail shaker. Apple slice sufficiently smashed, I added two ounces of white rum, a quarter-ounce of fresh lemon juice, a half-ounce of the simple syrup, and a dash of bitters. I shook it with ice, per a recommendation in the comments, and strained the concoction into a highball glass filled with ice. I bypassed the garnish, an apple slice dusted with cinnamon, since there was no one but the dog to impress. I’ll definitely be making this again as the season progresses.

On Food & Wine magazine’s website, I found several more worthy apple cocktail recipes. I love the concept behind the Pomme Pomme Squad, a Calvados-based cocktail that also includes Cognac, absinthe, brown sugar syrup, and allspice liqueur, but honestly, my liquor cabinet isn’t sophisticated enough to make it.

The Apple Bomb, on the other hand, is more my speed. This drink combines two ounces each of applejack (or apple brandy) and apple juice, 1 ½ ounces ginger beer, and an apple slice as garnish. Served on the rocks, it packs an apple-gingery punch that’s quite satisfying.

I also love the hard cider sangria, made with apple brandy, hard cider, apple juice, lemon juice, an orange, and thinly sliced red, green, and yellow apples.

I’m not the only autumn-lover with an eye on the weather. According to their Facebook page, this Thursday, October 11, the folks at Long Road Cider are hauling their apple-crushing equipment outdoors for the public to learn about the process. Head up to their headquarters at 9053 Barret Road in Barretville to participate, or just watch and taste the fruit of their labors — in liquid form, that is. It’s just a 40-minute drive from Midtown, and they’ll keep the party going from 4 until 9 p.m. Call 352-0962 for details.