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The Standard Pour raised the standard … again.  Oh Hey Dallas and I were lucky enough to be invited into TSP to indulge in some of the craft cocktail den’s new menu items and cocktails.  Long story very short … we’ll be back.

I arrived a little late (sorry, OHD!) and plopped down after an insane day at work in dire need of strong drink.  We had a table by the windows to the patio (which is delightful with the huge awning and fire wall), which gave me a nice view of the generously-stocked bar, complete with infused liquors, flavored bitters, and any (high-end) alcohol that you could want.  

Our chatty waitress went over the options for the night, then beckoned the barkeep who got the run-down of our likes and dislikes.  As some of you may know from past reviews, I do NOT enjoy the tequila.  Upon hearing my dislike for the spirit, the barkeep’s eye twinkled a bit, he turned on his heels, and scurried back to the bar (which made me nervous).  I should mention that, on this very special night, Eddie “Lucky” Campbell was guest bartending (a lucky night to venture in).

Our first drink was an “amuse” drink (I suppose an amuse bouche cocktail-style … but as I mentioned, I was late so I missed the run-down on this one).  The small sipper was a delicate mix of cranberry cider and mulled wine—not too overpowering and very festive. I will say that I love the idea of legitimate before—dinner drinks and I may now consider aperitifs more often.

My first proper cocktail was right up my alley, The Derby (Maker’s Mark, Cointreau, sweet vermouth, lime juice).  I LOVED this cocktail and had to be careful not to drink too much for fear of passing out on the walk home from all the deliciousness (read many many drinks).  Not drinking too much of this beauty was a struggle as it was stinkin’ delicious.

My second drink was a tequila drink which I got because, and I quote, “the bartender likes a challenge.”  Dubbed the Jalisco Cocktail, I actual drank a good portion of this one.  I was amazed (seriously) … it was delicious (Siembra Azul Reposado, Curacao, almond raisin syrup, lemon, and angostura).  The cocktail had just enough tequila to give it an exotic feel, but it was very mild.

After my eye-opening tequila experience, OHD was served the Bitter Gin Mule (Lucky’s random creation of the evening), which was incredibly smooth for a bourbon drink.  (Non-southern) ladies averse to whiskey could drink this and enjoy it.  I may or may not have stolen this drink to finish myself.

Another delight was the Garden and Gun (Sapphire Gin, pepper puree, celery shrub, chili syrup), a unique version of the bloody Mary with a kick.  The celery shrubº gave a lightness to the drink where it could have been heavy with the puree and chili syrup.  Speaking of the syrup, the pepper puree was deliciously spicy.

My last (but certainly not least) drink was the Sazerac Swiss something-or-other which was a cocktail that isoff-menu, but the simple Sazerac contains Sazerac Rye, simple syrup, perchauds, Absinthe, and lemon peel.  The Sazerac is a classic prohibition-style cocktail with balanced yet bold flavors that will knock you on your hiney*.  The bitters and rosemary in this drink really were a great combination that made it very easy to drink, and noticeably pooooo-tent.

I’d had drinks at TSP before my recent visit, but never food.  I quickly learned what I was missing out on by not having eaten here yet.  We had risotto croquettes (omg), one of the five best cheese plates I’ve ever had the joy of feasting on, the Airline Chicken Breast, Ahi Tuna Sausage, chicken strips (heck* to the yes), and another kind of ahi tuna.  Our waitress wouldn’t let us leave the table without trying the eggnog bread pudding … and I’m so glad she did!  Any dessert that involves booze is my jam, and this one had a delightful amount of egg nog soaked in the bread.  

To get more detail about the food, check out OHD’s post about our visit.

BOTTOM LINE: I feel like an idiot for living in walking distance of TSP and not eating there more often.  I’ll be in for their chicken fingers on a regular basis … along with one (or four) of their amazing cocktails.
 

The Standard Pour
2900 McKinney Avenue (Uptown) | 214-935-1370
www.tspdallas.com | Facebook | @TheStandardPour
 

* My new year’s resolution is to curse less.  This’ll be interesting.
º “…a shrub is an acidulated beverage made of fruit juice, sugar, and other ingredients. Where things get complicated is that the acid varies by recipe; it can be either fruit juice or vinegar. Additionally, some shrub recipes are prepared using alcohol that steeps with the fruit, acid, and sugar …  In any case, the sugar, acid, and optional alcohol preserve the fruit juice, and in fact that was one original purpose of the shrub. Prior to the invention of refrigeration, a shrub syrup was a means of preserving fruit long past its picking. Shrubs were popular in Colonial America, mixed with cool water to provide a pick-me-up on hot summer days.” – seriouseats.com

RSVP by commenting on this post or emailing [email protected].  The first 20 guests who RSVP and show at BBC on January 3 will get a round of drinks and appetizers on BBC!

RECIPE: Apple Pie Bourbon

I got a wild hair about a month ago and decided that this year’s holiday gift would be homemade infusions.  I decided to make jalapeño vodka, lavender gin, and (wait for it) apple pie bourbon.

The bourbon was very easy to make.  I began with Jack Daniels, a middle-of-the-road liquor without any wild flavors in it.  I began with a recipe for small batch infusions and ended with the proportions below.

APPLE PIE BOURBON
1.75L bourbon
3-4 Golden Delicious apples, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 sticks of cinnamon (roughly 3-inch sticks)
roughly 1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup simple syrup

Place apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg in an airtight container.  Pour bourbon over ingredients, ensuring the ingredients are covered by the bourbon.  Seal the container and let sit at room temperature for three days.  Shake or stir periodically to agitate the ingredients.

After three days, take a sip to test your infusion (it’ll be a bit bitter).  Add more ingredients if necessary, and seal for another day.  Test one more time after four days (total).  Some infusions may take up to five days.

When you’ve achieved the desired flavor, strain the solid ingredients out of the bourbon using a colander.   To remove the small sediment, strain the mixture using a cheesecloth.  Add the simple syrup and stir for at least thirty seconds.

Bottle your mixture in an airtight container.  I ordered swing-top bottles from specialtybottle.com and painted them using chalkboard paint.  For gifts, I added a tag with recipes to use the bourbon.  Your apple pie bourbon can be stored for up to two months in the refrigerator.

December 5th marks the 79th anniversary since the Repeal of the Volstead Act which ended Prohibition. The Standard Pour will be hosting a party with classic libations, champagne fountain, music from the era, and more. Festivities begin around 9pm.

Dave & Busters Opens in Dallas

The new Dave and Busters opens to the public on Sunday, December 2!

Get into the VIP party on Saturday night by RSVPing to [email protected] to get on the list (space is limited).

There’s a new kid in town.  Well, not so much a new kid as a clone of a kid that goes to school across town.  The owner of Pour House in Fort Worth, Eric Tschetter, brought his sports bar concept to Oak Cliff for the cliff dwellers and Kessler Theater goers.  It’s the perfect place for you southies to hang out and watch a game on one of the many TVs while snacking and … well, drinking.

PhD is deceptively large with a patio, bar, and restaurant area.  The patio has a lot of promise.  It’s: a) huge, b) decked out with TVs, and c) going to be screened in.  I can already imagine all of the great summer brunches I’ll be spending there with $1 mimosas in-hand.

The food (which we got to try a nice sampling of tonight), was great for bar food.  I’d recommend the Red Pepper Penne Pasta, Baja Fish Tacos (oh muh guh), and the buffalo wings.  Everything we had tasted like real food, not frozen fried things like most sports bars serve.

PhD’s drink options include local beers (think Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Rahr, and the brand new 4 Corners), the usual suspects (Bud, Blue Moon, etc.), a handful of wine options, and a full bar.  I enjoyed a couple Jacks on the rocks and the pours were quite generous.  Their cocktail menu hasn’t been finished yet, so stay tuned to hear about drink options.

Expect an update when their cocktail menu gets sussed out … but for now, head on down to Oak Cliff to catch a game if you’re tired of the crowded Uptown sports bars (because sometimes it’s nice to be able to order a beer and actually get it when you want it and not 20 minutes later).

OCHO Kitchen + Cocktails is the new Southwest restaurant in Preston Center. I made it in last week to try some of their offerings with some other media folks (I felt fancy).  The vibe is somewhat unexpected.  The hostess didn’t seem interested in speaking to us when we walked in which put a bad taste in our mouths from the start.  Luckily, once we met the amazing Michael (our waiter for the evening), we felt a completely attended to in terms of service.  

There are two floors, the main floor is a more traditional dining area, and the second has a giant bar, gorgeous private room, sumptuous leather sofas, and expansive patio seating area overlooking Preston, dubbed 8-Bar.  Our only complaint about the second floor was the high noise level.  Odd art adorned the walls and the decor of the entire place was quite eclectic.

A variety of appetizers were paraded out to us, from lobster shooters to ancho roasted chicken flautas to shrimp ceviche.  Everything we tasted was delicious.  I had an edge over some of the other taste testers because my sister recently moved to Albuquerque, so I’ve tried and enjoyed many of the flavors that were showcased in Ocho’s food.

The drinks that our amazing waiter, Michael, kept on a’bringin’ were unique and potent.  I started with a jalapeño margarita (note: I hate margaritas, but love spicy drinks) and actually enjoyed it.  Some of the other guests said it wasn’t spicy enough, but I thought it had just enough bite.

Oh Hey Dallas joined me at the event, and ordered a Berry Woodie Smash (Woodford Reserve, simple syrup, blackberries, lemon, mint), and lucky me, didn’t realize it was bourbon based, so I got to drink it.  It was very good, but could have used a bit more sweetness since that’s what it’s trying to go for with the berries and syrup.

Another drink we tried was the Cosmo “Drank” (gin, peach liqueur, white peach cranberry juice, lemon juice) which was tasty, but nothing incredibly memorable.  The Skinny Cougar (vodka, watermelon juice, lime juice, grenadine, soda water) was a recommendation from our water, but I’d rather splurge on the other delicious normal-calorie drinks.

Overall, I enjoyed my time at Ocho (the company helped!) and am looking forward to visiting again soon to try the Hatch Chile Smoke Tequila Cocktail (tequila, lemon juice, agave nectar, green chile powder).

Notes:

  • Specialty cocktails are around $10
  • Complimentary valet (make sure you’re going south on Preston to get in the parking lot)
  • Green chile is delicious
  • Ask for Michael
  • 8Bar opens at 3pm daily
  • They stock around 50 tequilas for your tasting pleasure

Ocho Kitchen + Cocktails
8411 Preston Road Suite 132 | (214) 217-0888
www.och8.com | facebook.com/likeocho | @ocho_dallas

Young Variety, an organization that raises money and awareness for kids with special needs, is hosting a BYOB outdoor movie at The Shops at Park Lane on Oct. 30.  $10 at the “door”