Keeping Up with the Collins

I must be homesick for NYC...more specifically, my home in Red Hook, Fort Defiance.  Lately my former job and co-workers have been showing up in my dreams.  I figured out that when outside forces threaten me, my sub-conscious goes to my "safe place", The Fort, to work out the problems.

Enough with Psychology 101!  Get to some drinks!  

In honor of the Collins section we used to have at Fort Defiance, I have created my own Collins section at SoBou for our Spring Menu.  Entitled "Keeping up with the Collins", it is a list of refreshing twists on the classic Collins (gin and fizzy lemonade).  I also threw in our most popular cocktail, The Faubourg Tall Boy since it is a combination of a Tom Collins and a Kir Royal.  




Michael Collins
1 1/2 oz Powers Irish Whiskey
3/4 oz Lemon
3/4 oz Lavender syrup

Shake, stop with soda in a collins glass, garnish with fresh lavender



Cumberbatch Collins
1 1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz lemon
1/2 oz Benedictine
dash of simple
2 slices of cucumber

Shake, stop with soda in a collins glass, garnish with Cucumber



Joan Collins
1 1/2 oz Square One Basil Vodka
3/4 oz lemon
1/2 oz simple
muddled strawberry

Shake, stop with soda in a collins glass, garnish with basil



Phil Collins
1 1/2 oz Barrel aged Bols Gevever
3/4 oz Cointreau/simple
3/4 oz lemon

Shake, stop with soda in a collins glass, garnish with fresh thyme

Rock Stars

Rock Stars

One of the best things about my job is the delightful wonderful charming lovely people I get to meet.  Thanks to my dear friend Lorelei, and some positive Yelp reviews, some more of these people found me.  These guys were sweet enough to get some of us from the restaurant into their sold out show, hang out with us in the VIP room, and be generally awesome, kind and funny.  And they had the audacity to call ME the rockstar!  

Here is The Barnacle created for Aaron of Awol Nation last night.  Thanks guys!

The Barnacle
1 1/2 oz Johnny Drum Bourbon
1/2 oz Willett Reserve Rye
1/2  oz Apricot liqueur
1/2 oz lemon
dash of ginger syrup

shake serve up

Do Not Steal my Whiskey or My Man!

I live in Louisiana now, but this is KentuckyWhiskey in a  picture.


 



Super Pardi/Mardi Bowl!

We are in the middle of some fun times here in New Orleans!  The sun is shining, my bar is hoppin' and I sleep in a bed of glitter, feathers and body paint.  Its my first Carnival Season in New Orleans!

But wait...Time to take a break and through the biggest tailgating party of the year!!  Its the Super Bowl!  Though our beloved Saints were SABOTAGED this year from participation, we are very happy there will be no Dirty Birds in Nola, but the noble Ravens Vs the 49'ers...Forty Niners?  How does that go San Francisco?  I am just glad we don't have to deal with any teams that remind of of our genocidal past (I am looking at YOU DC!  Changer your logo to a Potato already!  The Fightin' Taters!  Your Cheer Leaders are the "Sweet Potatoes"...It will be GREAT!!)

So in honor of those two teams, I propose a shot for each of them. The Ravens get "The Edgar Allan Poe" (whose poem the team is named for since Poe is a son of Baltimore) Its Nola's own Toulouse Red Absinthe layered with a float of Guinness on top.

The 49ners get a shot of Fernet Branca...they love that stuff out on San Fran..sell more than any other place in the USA...even out sell Brooklyn!

So come into SoBou and visit me for some shots, chow and lets get ready for some Football!!!!!  

What do you say, Vincent Price?

or James Earl Jones?

Christopher Walken?

Save The Fort!

Buy Junk Bonds!

In a magical collaboration with Jill DeGroff and my former employer Fort Defiance, you can now see my beautiful portrait on Jill's site AND get some junk bonds from the Fort!

Go to the site here and get some Fort Defiance Junk Bonds!  They make great Holidaze presents for your friends and family in New York City!

Fort Sandy

Incredible Honor



Jill DeGroff sees me as this saucy minx!

On of the greatest honors you can have in our industry is to have your likeness drawn by the amazing incomparable Jill DeGroff.  Mrs. King Cocktail herself has for years been capturing the spirit and personality of the many characters on both sides of the bar.  She has published these works of art in her series of books. Lush Life, Portraits from the Bar.  And now she had done me the honor of drawing my likeness in front of my beautiful bar here at SoBou!  I love how she captured my crooked smile, my Fleur de lis and my bodacious ta ta's.  I even have a great Derby hat on!  Thank you so much Jill!  I am moved and so excited!  Whoo hoo!  I am a muse of the Saloon Artist!  Perfect, now that I have my own Saloon here in Nola!

So This Happened...



I'm on a bus!

 There is still a magic to living in New Orleans.  Just when I felt all used up.  Just when I started to feel the persistent battering ram of doubt, pity and self hate.  Then something wonderful happens.  Some boys came into town.  But not just any boys.  Lovely sweet boys with massive talent.  Genius talent some say...Boys that dedicated a song to ME in a crowded room filled with fans.

I am RyeGirl, after all.  Rye Whiskey is my jam.  LeSigh.  Thank you, oh goddess of Nola.

Oh. Em. Gee.

Yeah...i live in New Orleans now....

Creole Commando

One of my favorite drinks I learned during my time at The Beagle in NYC was the Commando.  Its a variation of the Sidecar, another favorite classic of mine.  And here at SoBou, when people ask for an off menu drink, I often guide them to the Commando.  Its refreshing and citrusy but has a nice Bourbon kick.  And the Absinthe rinse is pure New Orleans.  

The Commando was such a hit with a customer last night, that he asked for further variations of THAT drink!  Well, easily done as Creole Shubb makes an interesting, more Nola alternative to Cointreau and this blog is called RyeGirl, after all.  So I present the Creole Commando!  Reminds me of all my New Orleans friends who spent the recent hurricane with pistols and automatic weapons strapped to their sides (yikes!).





Creole Commando
1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
1 oz Rhum Clément Creole Shrubb
1/2 oz Lemon juice

Rinse coupe with Absinthe. Shake, strain up, no garnish.

Commando 

1/2 oz lemon,
1 oz Cointreau,
1 1/2 Elijah Craig 12yr.

Rinse coupe with Absinthe. Shake, strain up, no garnish.

Sidecar

3/4 oz Lemon

3/4 oz Cointreau

1 1/2 oz Brandy or Cognac (Lairds apple brandy is good!)

rim glass with lemon juice and sugar rim, shake, strain up.