Scotch and soda? Never again. Not after CultureMap's Crafted bash at Mr. Peeples where four hot mixologists turned Cutty Sark's Prohibition brand into four amazing cocktails.
In the friendly competition with the slightly smoky Prohibition as the primary ingredient, Ryan Perry of Sundance Cinemas wowed the judges, and most of the guests, with his "Bahama Queen" concoction. Perry created the flavorful drink from a lemon, ginger and black pepper corn syrup, combined with egg white, chocolate bitters and fresh lemon juice. Don't cue up for Guardians of the Galaxy without one.
The cocktails delivered a taste-bud awakening for those not so fond of scotch.
While servers from Mr. Peeples circulated with appetizers from the downstairs restaurant, guests grooved to DJ spins and sampled the competing cocktails as well as Prohibition shots.
The dashing Ricardo Guzman-Venegas of Skinny Ritas Grille charmed with his "Carrie Nation's Dirty Little Secret," named for the queen of temperance. "I mean, this is not documented," he quipped, "but she might have been a boozer." If she had sampled his concoction of Prohibition, Averna Siciliano, lemon juice, honey syrup and Bar Keep Apple bitters, we're pretty sure she would've changed sides.
Priscilla Maldonado of The Refinery Burgers & Whiskey whipped up a brew of the scotch laced with Cherry Heering, Campari, bitters, blood orange soda and rhubarb syrup and dubbed it "Good Ol Ruby." Kristine Nguyen, representing Lei Low, presented "Maca Pequena" (little apple in Portuguese) comprised of apple brandy, cinnamon syrup, cider jelly and salt tincture.
The cocktails delivered a taste-bud awakening for those not so fond of scotch. As Ana Mae Holmes noted, "I'm not much of a whiskey drinker but throw some fruit in there . . ."
Giving a thumbs up to Prohibition and the cocktails were guests including Mary Bun, Shawn Bishop, Melissa Alford, Javier Sierra, Aarti Mallik, Adrian Bustamante, Sonu Gupta, Pedro Boitel, Ryan O. Harris, Shontelle Hunte, Kathy Baba and Maneesh Verma.
Ricardo Guzman-Venegas of Skinny Ritas Grille.
