Sip and Shoot
Better than any mall frenzy: Benjy's new dessert cocktails bring early holidaycheer
The Tiramisu martini is garnished with a chocolate-dipped lady finger, steamedmilk and cinnamon.Photo by Eric Hester
Benjy's PB&J Martini, with peanut-infused vodka and dewberry preservePhoto by Eric Hester
If you'd rather drink your dinner than eat it, head to either Benjy's for two new dessert cocktail creations by mixologist Mason Hogue. The sweet after-dinner martinis are a PB&J martini made with peanut-infused vodka, and a Tiramisu martini garnished with steamed milk and cinnamon.
We tried both confectionary concoctions at Benjy's Washington and have to say we had a clear favorite. The Tiramisu easily trumped the PB&J — although the idea (complete with a honey roasted peanut-crusted rim) was truly original. With Hogue absent the dewberry preserve that's meant to be mixed with the vodka was replaced with a strawberry puree, which just didn't work. It tasted fine (if not like a PB&J), but the resulting Pepto-Bismol pink put us off.
In contrast, the Tiramisu martini was something we could get used to. The cinnamon immediately won us over, sprinkled atop steamed milk over white rum, Bailey's and Amaretto. We hear it's sometimes also garnished with a chocolate-dipped lady finger, which would've been divine. We could also see this served warm, though that might veer into too-familiar Irish coffee territory.
The Tiramisu was created for the holiday season, and both drinks are part of a new dessert cocktail program at Benjy's, so expect a rotation of new creations.
Might we suggest toying with pecan fudge flavors?
