Somewhat quietly, on Valentine's Day, O'Shea's Irish Pub (956 Baxter Avenue) opened their historically restored bar (that little building you have to walk through a courtyard to get through, the one with a fireplace), and released a menu of “Carriage House” craft cocktails, ranging in price from $6 to $7.50 a pop. Now, if you even whisper the words “craft cocktails” in my vicinity I start to get all hot and bothered. There's nothing I love more than a fancy drink in a pretty glass with a silly name. Bonus points if there is some kind of weird garnish or twisty fun straw or teensy umbrella. I am a sucker for a teensy umbrella.
Looking at a menu of special cocktails for the Carriage House, this is not exactly mixology at its most complex, but the drinks sound good, and it might be the closest thing to an artisan cocktail you can find on Baxter Avenue or Bardstown Road in the middle of a weekend night. Just think: you want an artisan cocktail, your friends want to shake their stuff on a dance floor: O'Shea's! It's a much needed addition to the bar scene in the Highlands. I don't know about you, but after a few exhausting turns on the dance floor at O'Shea's, avidly avoiding the pressing masses gyrating to the Wobble and The Cupid Shuffle, I need a good cocktail.
A few drink choices I think sound toothsome: The Pink Pussycat, with Tanqueray gin, pineapple, grapefruit, grenadine and a cherry. Depending on the amount of gin they deign to pour in the little glass, this could be fruity with a good bite. I'm itching to try the rather obviously named Irish Chocolate Walnut with Jameson whiskey, crème de cacao, Kahlua, and cream, sprinkled with cocoa. A more classic cocktail combination on the menu is the Rob Roy, with Johnny Walker black, sweet vermouth, and Regan's orange bitters and a cherry. Snappy!
On a side note: seriously, can we please get rid of anything that ends with “ini” on a drink menu? Unless it's an actual real martini (with gin or vodka, vermouth, and olive juice of course, shaken) Flirtini, peachtini—not a fan. Find a better name for your cocktail please! That bit of snark aside, I can't wait to visit O'Shea's Carriage House!
