The Pink Squirrel
Mandy Huffaker, Sly's bar manager
The third and final drink of the chocolate laced trilogy that I want to let you know a bit more about is the Pink Squirrel. It is another excellent example of a drink of declining popularity being revived by the AMC television serious, "Mad Men". I have spoken to so many bartenders whose traditional cocktail business has picked up greatly since the advent of the show...we should send them a fruit basket (or at least some olives, cherries and lemon twists). The Pink Squirrel is based on the model of the Grasshopper, only instead of green creme de menthe, the flavoring liqueur is creme de noyeaux, a bright red almond-flavored liqueur. With the noyeaux and cream mixed and carefully shaken, the drink is a lovely, true, and frankly wild pink.
I've been doing a lot of research on the origins of the Pink Squirrel, but like so many of the cocktails whose origins we've searched, no one seems to really know where it comes from. There are a full five hotels in New York that take credit, (There's never a shortage of "originators" of a good drink) but all five hotel stories are unsubstantiated.
I did find two different sources that actually say the drink was created in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at a tavern called Bryant's Cocktail Lounge. Personally, I like to think that this was a drink created in Wisconsin rather than New York. It seems so uncynical and rather cheerful, with it's chocolate-covered almond flavor and it's happy pink hue. It's impossible to be blue while drinking a Pink Squirrel. Like the Brandy Alexander and Grasshopper we've talked about recently, this is a charming drink that remains agelessly attractive - and like them, we're ready to shake 'em up for you at Sly's.
The next time you're in for dinner with us at Sly's, and a port, Cognac, or Armagnac seems to much for after dinner, I challenge you to try one of these chocolaty cocktail treats...even if you think you don't have room for "dessert". Wishing you a Happy New Year from all of us at Sly's...cheers!
Mandy Huffaker, Sly's bar manager
The third and final drink of the chocolate laced trilogy that I want to let you know a bit more about is the Pink Squirrel. It is another excellent example of a drink of declining popularity being revived by the AMC television serious, "Mad Men". I have spoken to so many bartenders whose traditional cocktail business has picked up greatly since the advent of the show...we should send them a fruit basket (or at least some olives, cherries and lemon twists). The Pink Squirrel is based on the model of the Grasshopper, only instead of green creme de menthe, the flavoring liqueur is creme de noyeaux, a bright red almond-flavored liqueur. With the noyeaux and cream mixed and carefully shaken, the drink is a lovely, true, and frankly wild pink.
I've been doing a lot of research on the origins of the Pink Squirrel, but like so many of the cocktails whose origins we've searched, no one seems to really know where it comes from. There are a full five hotels in New York that take credit, (There's never a shortage of "originators" of a good drink) but all five hotel stories are unsubstantiated.
I did find two different sources that actually say the drink was created in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at a tavern called Bryant's Cocktail Lounge. Personally, I like to think that this was a drink created in Wisconsin rather than New York. It seems so uncynical and rather cheerful, with it's chocolate-covered almond flavor and it's happy pink hue. It's impossible to be blue while drinking a Pink Squirrel. Like the Brandy Alexander and Grasshopper we've talked about recently, this is a charming drink that remains agelessly attractive - and like them, we're ready to shake 'em up for you at Sly's.
The next time you're in for dinner with us at Sly's, and a port, Cognac, or Armagnac seems to much for after dinner, I challenge you to try one of these chocolaty cocktail treats...even if you think you don't have room for "dessert". Wishing you a Happy New Year from all of us at Sly's...cheers!
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