Smoke 'em if you got 'em

If you're up for watching ships and wandering through Canal Park, might we suggest our other favorite place for noms – the Northern Waters Smokehaus located in the DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace. The sandwiches never disappoint and you certainly won't leave hungry. The daily specials are worth waiting in line to get one, just know that you need to get there as close to 11:30 as possible because they can run out very quickly. Our go to favs from the regular menu – the DeWitt Seitzer with ham and the Italiensk. Simple, tasty, and broad appeal. 
We have lots of love for the Smokehaus, so much in fact that we save our frequent buyer punch card and bring it with us each time we pass through Duluth. Some good news for folks who can't get to the port city, the Smokehaus has $18 flat rate shipping! We could wax poetic about cured meats but we're going to let the pictures do the talking for us this time.

Enjoy!

A Day of Recovery

After a long hard night of Scotch tasting, the Hedonists headed over to a long time staple of visitors in Duluth - Fitger's. There is certainly plenty to do there from shopping to eating. The purpose of our visit was to get a little "day after" nourishment. We were craving beer battered fries, burgers, and fried fish. We ambled over to the Fitger's Brewhouse Brewery and Grille to satisfy our cravings. Admittedly, we did skip partaking in a frosty cold brew or two. After having such a rich night of whisky, we felt the prudent thing to do was to refresh ourselves with copious amounts of ice water.

The fish and chips at the brewhouse are awesome and the burgers are super yummy. As of right now, the brewhouse is using their own Scottish Highland cattle for some of the beef options on the menu. The plan is to use the local beef for more and more of the menu as time goes by and their herd increases. Raising their own cattle is not about being trendy, but really is more of a matter of practicality since the brewery sends the spent grain over to the farm to be used as feed. Beef that is mostly grass fed and then finished with spent grain from the brewery makes for some tasty eating.

Bottom line, if you find yourself wanting a burger and fries or fish and chips, we favor Fitger's Brewhouse.

Cheers!

On a Saturday Night

The bartenders at the Dubh Linn all agree that it's about what you enjoy and find pleasurable, not what people think is good by virtue of price or popularity. The staff is educated in the tap selection and fine spirits so they may assist even the most novice of persons in choosing a beverage to quench their thirst. The Dubh Linn is absolutely the place to be a Hedonist and find pleasure in what YOU enjoy and not what others think you should enjoy. To quote the owners, this is a place of "fine spirits, good company, and a comfortable atmosphere you only find in a pub."

We had the pleasure of sampling a variety of Scotch whiskies. We had the Highland Park 12 yr, Laphroaig 10 yr, Cragganmore 12 yr, Bunnahabhain 12 yr, and the Glenlivet Nadurra 16 yr. The sampling ran the gamut of smokey to peaty to stoney and dry. We must say that our two favorites were the Highland Park and the Cragganmore. The Highland was malty and caramel with a tinge of smoke that came at the end of the taste and lingered lightly on the tongue. The Cragganmore had neither peat nor strong smoke and was warming from mouth to tummy. The taste was dry with the most modest whisper of smoke, herbal notes reminding us of fresh cut grass and sweet caramel tones blending together in an overall pleasant scotch.

We also enjoyed the nibbles at the bar. One of the Hedonists prefers the Shepard's Pie over any other offering. The seasoning throughout the dish ties the richness of the lamb and sauce together well with the simple mash topping. A small side of cabbage, carrots and celery share space with a pie that is certainly enough to feed two – if the first person is willing to share. 
The rest of the menu has pub favorites like wings, artichoke dip, a cheese plate, bangers and mash, fish and chips, and a variety of sandwiches and burgers. The staff if affable and quick, so you'll certainly enjoy your time there. If you happen to skip over there on a Friday or Saturday we do suggest slipping into the comedy show. Be warned however that Friday is open mic night so you may be treated to some stellar routines or as we have sometimes found, middle aged men with artificially enthusiastic spouses cheering them on. But – you can certainly fortify your funny bone with one of the tap beers or Scotch whiskies.

The Hedonists agree that a stop over at the Dubh Linn is a must when you are in Duluth.

The Hedonists in Duluth

Hello friends! Yes, we have been absent for a few days but we promise it was for a very good reason - we left town on an adventure in Duluth. This northern port of call has been a long time favorite of the Hedonists. We'll have a few notes to share over the next couple of days about old haunts and a new point of compass discovered since our last trip there. As we share our stories, we hope some of you chime in and send us an email or leave comments about your favs in the north country.

Cheers!

Happy National Police Week

The Hedonistic Bar would like to take a moment to recognize all the men and women that work tirelessly to protect and serve us all. A DUI is not very hedonistic, it puts yourself, others on the roadways, and our friends in law enforcement in danger. Please imbibe responsibly!

 Here are two Hedonistic Bar originals created for our friends in law enforcement.

The Ginger Bear

2 oz. 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey

15 drops Bittercube Jamaican #2 bitters

10 drops Bittercube Lemon Tree bitters

ginger ale

Combine ingredients in a Collins glass with ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge

The County Mounty

2 oz. Pendelton Canadian Whiskey

1/2 oz. simple syrup

10 drops Angostura bitters

15 drops Bittercube Lemon Tree bitters

15 drops Bittercube Orange bitters

Combine ingredients with ice and stir gently to chill. Strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice chunk. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Cheers!

Try this classic cocktail

This is one all you flying aces will enjoy. The pale blue color beckoned us to take our taste buds on an adventure, much like a clear day and favorable tail wind calls a barnstormer. Aptly enough, this cocktail is named the Aviation. It is a seemingly long forgotten cocktail that we were pleasantly surprised to stumble upon.
We surmise that the lack of popularity was because many bars in the early twentieth century did not carry Marischino or Creme De Violette (essential ingredients in our humble opinion). And certainly it did not help that many recipe books omitted the Creme De Violette, which left us with a bastardized cocktail missing the beautiful pale blue color and lacking the floral notes of the violette liqueur. 
Fast forward to present time where we can once again obtain Marischino and even Creme De Viollete with a teeny bit of searching. Trust us, a little bit of effort is well worth it to make this classic cocktail.

Aviation

2 oz. Hayman's Old Tom Gin

1/2 oz. Marischino liquer

1/2 oz. Creme De Violette

1 oz. fresh lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice until well chilled.  Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an edible flower or twist of lemon if desired.

Cheers!

Happy National Nurses Week

In honor of National Nurses Week, we would like to share an original cocktail that we created. This was made in honor of a nurse whom is special to The Hedonistic Bar. This rich and sweet dessert cocktail is sure to please.

The Nurse Ratched

2 oz. Faretti Biscotti Liquer di Italia

1 oz. Kahlua Coffee Liqueur

1 oz. half and half or heavy cream

Combine ingredients in a shaker and dry shake vigorously. Add ice to shaker and shake until well chilled. Double strain into a chilled cocktail or sherbert glass. Garnish with dark chocolate curls and biscotti.

Cheers!

Screen your pleasure

Double Straining

We all have been told at one time or another that we need to filter our thoughts or screen our responses, but now we have truly found a use of strainers for something other than restricting ourselves! Recently The Hedonistic Bar was asked, “What’s this double straining thing you are talking about?” In this post we are going to talk about the different tools used for straining cocktails, as well as how to properly double strain a cocktail.

There are three basic types of strainers,

Hawthorn Strainer, this is the quintessential cocktail strainer with the metal spring around the outside. This strainer is most often used to remove ice from a cocktail as it is poured into the serving glass. To use a hawthorn strainer, simply place the strainer on top of your mixing tin or glass. The metal spring should fit inside of the rim of the mixing vessel.

Julep Strainer, a lesser known tool, but still important.  A julep strainer is a saucer shaped piece of metal punched full of holes and a small handle attached giving it the profile of an oddly shaped serving spoon.  The julep strainer is used in much the same way as a hawthorn strainer. Julep strainers are typically used in place of a hawthorn strainer, or when you are straining ingredients that would get stuck in the spring of a hawthorn strainer, such as the mint leaves in a Mint Julep.

Tea Strainer, This fine mesh sieve or strainer is used when double straining cocktails. Double straining is a technique that is used in cocktails that include fresh juices, muddled fruit or herbs, eggs, or small ice shards that you don’t wish to have in the finished cocktail.  Straining a cocktail twice filters out any pulp, seeds, egg shell, or other impurities leaving a cocktail that is crisp and clean in appearance and texture.

To double strain, place a hawthorn or julep strainer on top of your shaker tin, pour the contents from the shaker tin through the hawthorn or julep strainer and into a fine mesh or tea strainer that you are holding above the glass in which you are serving the cocktail, straining the cocktail twice.

Cheers!

Getting Social

Eat Street Social 

We started the evening off with The Iroquois.This lovely little cocktail is Buffalo Trace Bourbon, lemon, demerara, Creme de Flora, and birch

Those of you who know the Hedonists, know that we have a weakness for anything that involves bourbon. We've had the pleasure of sipping this cocktail quite awhile back and we're delighted to find the recipe gracing the pages of the seasonal menu once again. This is a tart, yet creamy cocktail that compliments the flavor of Buffalo Trace allowing the bourbon's character to still play on the palate. For folks who feel intimidated by the assertive reputation of bourbon, this is a nice way to ease yourself into the world of those beautiful brown spirits.

Our tummies were demanding something more substantial to quell our hunger so we ordered the perennial favorite, the Eat Street Burger - a half pound beef burger, smoked Gouda, onion marmalade, preserved tomato, and generous portion of fries.
This is definitely one of the best burgers the Hedonists have sunk their teeth in. We prefer our burgers medium to medium well and this was just right. The burger was juicy and not greasy with a thick slice of smoked Gouda, and greens so fresh and crispy... The onion marmalade was an excellent compliment of sweetness to top it off - no need for ketchup or other condiments on this burger! And the fries! Oh the fries! Salty, crispy goodness that makes you smile involuntarily..... swirl those in a little ketchup and you have a side worthy of the burger by which they sit.

After such a satisfying meal, we sought a closing act to our visit at ESS. The soda fountain was where we found it. Lynden's Cherry-Lime Rickey, made with Bittercube Tart Cherry Syrup and lime.

This soda was a refreshing blend of tart and sweet - reminding us of Spring as we longingly gaze out the window at the accumulating snow. What more is there to say about tasty cherry flavors? Seconds please! Sipping on the soda makes the Hedonists hope that Bittercube will make some of their house made syrups available for purchase to the general public soon. The Hedonistic Bar would love to experiment with its fresh, bright, cheery flavor. *hint, hint*

Get your Derby on!

This Saturday is the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. This is an exciting time for us because there is so much to enjoy - off track betting, parties, fancy hats and of course bourbon! Horse racing is called the "Sport of King's" and we at the Hedonistic Bar may not be aristocrats, but we can certainly drink like we are. We've looked around and dusted off a recipe for a simple Mint Julep.

20 fresh mint leaves
1/4 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. Old Heaven Hill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Place mint leaves and simple syrup in a julep cup or medium glass. Muddle mint and simple syrup until fragrant. Fill cup half way with crushed ice. Pour bourbon over top and fill cup to the top with more crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a straw cut so that your nose is just above the mint sprig.

Now isn't that pretty? A cup frosted on the sides from the ice and a sprig of mint on top.....mmmm.....tasty........

And while we are talking about Mint Juleps, we need to mention Kentucky Derby inspired nums from the folks at Maker's Mark. We attended a Maker's Mark event a week ago for Maker's Mark Ambassadors. The reps brought up a great idea to use mint chocolate ice cream doused in bourbon as an alternative to the traditional Mint Julep - and we liked it! True, there is nothing that compares to a well crafted Mint Julep but what do you do when you can't get fresh mint or your crushed ice is more like chunky shards because all you did was smash a bag of ice with a hammer? You improvise! This is a quick and easy way to get that cold, minty taste mixed with your bourbon. "Yeah, but there's chocolate chips" you say. And we say - everything's better with a little chocolate *wink*

Cheers!

Look what we found behind the bar

Just in time for the Kentucky Derby, we found a bottle of Maker's Mark Mint Julep.  This product was a limited edition offering from Maker's Mark several years ago, and we were fortunate enough to get our hands on a number of bottles. Other than making an authentic julep from scratch, this is the best tasting mint julep that we have tasted.