Blast From the Past Series: Survival Menu

BY: JOSHUA GANDEE
Beverage Director, Watershed Kitchen & Bar

The irony is not lost on me to be writing about a menu with the theme of ‘survival’ during a global pandemic and while the doors of Watershed Kitchen & Bar have been shuttered since March. When we first started this series, it was a way of recognizing the creativity that goes into each menu and the people that made it possible. Now, these blogs serve as more as a way for me to sit in those moments as the bar person I was when they launched and remember who was around as we made the memories. It is my hope that you enjoy these strolls down memory lane as much as I enjoy writing them. Now, onto the fun stuff and some recipes that you can make at home for an adventure of your own.

The survival menu to this day remains one of my favorites, as it was a gallery of efforts that both sent individuals off into their next chapter and welcomed new faces behind the bar who would help to solidify its identity. This menu, though nearly pocket sized, was a big launch that widened the eyes and palates of those perusing. From the artwork to the flavor combinations, this menu has a place in my heart, and, thanks to the brilliant talent of our designer Greg Davis, it has a place on my wall as well.

We wanted a menu that would look and feel as timeless as the art of survival itself. We wanted to include maps, tips and tricks, tools of the trade, and to share moments of freedom as explored in the great outdoors. With warm and calming colors, Greg laid out each drink based on its flavor profile and personality we attached to them in marvelous watercolor paintings. Each drink had its own canvas, some of which still hang in the room where our tours begin. Each painting unveiled a moment in time: that of leaping from a dock into unsuspecting waters, or scaling rock and yelling “belay, on!” Even if you weren’t here for the drinks, the images were certainly something to appreciate.

To accompany these snapshots of americana, we attributed tasting notes that were both helpful and amusing for those who needed a little extra boost of encouragement when it came to making their selection. These notes helped define the personality, tell the story, and let the guest know exactly what they were getting themselves into. Tasting notes read like, “If your cousin who read ‘On the Road’ made a Manhattan,” “Hammock Sipper,” or “Your dad hates it.” Our hope was, in reading the drink descriptions, the guest would learn about a drink but hopefully a little bit more about themselves.

The drinks featured in the Survival menu ran the gamut from simple flavors of apple and spice in the ‘14er’ featuring Watershed Apple Brandy, to nutty meringue that tasted like a melted candy bar in the ‘Feel Like a Nut’, and the velvety texture that was the Trust Fall. Bartender David Yee not only brought worldly and unexpected flavors to the table when he was constructing drinks for us, but he also had a knack for texture that made his drinks playful and well-rounded. The ‘Trust Fall’ was an excellent representation of Yee’s abilities and quickly became a crowd favorite. A lovely mix of pineapple rum, sherry, and creme de violette were accentuated by thai tea and cream as all ingredients were whipped together and strained over crushed ice in a julep cup. Garnished with thai basil, this cocktail lulled you in with earthy aromatics and finished as flavors of near-pineapple upside down cake found their way to your tongue.

This menu welcomed more drinks from bartender Lauren Noel, who recognized what she loved about the restaurant industry and did what she could day in and day out to support it in any way possible. She read books voraciously, she asked a million questions, and she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty during prep shifts. Lauren was responsible for ‘Belay On!,’ a drink that fit the bill for those open to the world of experimental Manhattan and Old Fashioned style cocktails. This drink helped guests step outside their classic cocktail comfort zone. In place of bourbon, they learned that drinking barrel aged gin and island rum could offer the same mellowed flavors rich with vanilla and expressive caramel. Finished with a cleverly disguised bitter vermouth that brought flavors of dark chocolate and a curacao that added a warming orange flavor, this cocktail quickly became one of the top sellers.

In the spirit of collaboration, there were also a few cocktails found in the Survival menu made collaboratively by myself and Alex Chien who would, just after this menu’s publishing, step away and leave me as bar manager. Creating a final set of drinks together was our way of presenting one last menu as a team before the changing of the guards. One such cocktail was the infinitely refreshing ‘Backyard Astronomer,’ our cosmic spin on the tiki favorite Saturn cocktail created by Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry.

Starting with a base of Watershed Four Peel gin, this citrusy concoction could only last in the glass through a couple of sips it seemed before the glass was empty, ice still intact, and an order for another was on its way. Balanced with silken orgeat, bright lemon, island spiced Angostura bitters, and bittersweet Genepy, this drink was made all the more special with the mix of POG, a favorite of mine and Alex’s from our separate trips to Hawaii, this blend of passionfruit, orange, and guava brings the island to your glass. In keeping with the fan favorite garnish from the baseball menu, this drink was adorned with a temporary tattoo as an homage to the original cocktail that bore the image of Saturn.

For those looking for a low-proof sipper that would impress your friends and make your dad upset at the same time, we recommended the ‘Teenage Dirtbag’. Starting with Averna, a bittersweet Italian amaro, this cocktail was matched with fresh citrus, orange ginger soda, and a sustainable citrus syrup made from already-juiced citrus husks. The real pièce de résistance, the icing on the cake, the leather jacket in the Camaro, was the garnish of this drink. When it hit your table or spot at this bar, you’d notice that the rim of the glass was smoking, all because part of our weekly prep was to roll tiny joints of rosemary (rosemary jane) so they could be clipped to the glass and lit aflame upon ordering. We highly encouraged a secondhand aromatic experience when you would take a sip.

If you’re looking to make one of the drinks from this menu at home, I can’t recommend the Ghost Story enough. For many people that pick up a bottle of our Nocino, they often think it needs to be stirred into a Manhattan or served with warm coffee. They aren’t wrong -- these things are delicious. But until you’ve had a Ghost Story you haven’t explored the full possibility of Nocino, our black walnut liqueur. When we make nocino we add vanilla bean, clove and cinnamon, which can be utilized as island spices and easily as they can baking spices. This black walnut-forward drink is matched with the backbone of bourbon and rounded out by a splash of Angostura bitters and lemon. Pick up a bottle of our bourbon and nocino and let us know what you think.

GHOST STORY

1.25oz Watershed Nocino

1oz Watershed Bourbon

.25oz Fresh Lemon Juice

3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker until well chilled, and strain over new ice in an Old Fashioned or rocks glass. Garnish with a fresh cut lemon wheel and enjoy.

For those looking to sip the very nature of this menu, look no further than the Trail Mix. Each ingredient was carefully chosen to mimic palming the perfect amount of salty, savory, and sweet from the bag when forging your trail on a nature hike. This cocktail features Watershed Apple Brandy which, on its own, sips in the same field as bourbon. When mixed with Cherry Heering that fulfills the role of dried fruit, Cynar that takes the role of the M&M, and creamy orgeat that takes place of the mixed nuts, this cocktail will delight as much as tipping that last bit of crunch from the corner of the Ziploc bag.

TRAIL MIX

1.25 oz. Watershed Apple Brandy

.75 oz. Cherry Heering

.25 oz. Cynar

.5 oz. Orgeat

.5 oz. Lemon

Shake a strain into a Nick and Nora glass, garnish with a cool leaf you found on your hike. Best enjoyed with a trail mix that includes some chocolate.

This menu also featured a wide array of classic cocktails, including some bold and bitter like the ‘Not a Corpse Reviver’, to the inimitable ‘Singapore Sling’. But none were as expressive and simple as the Bebbo cocktail, a close cousin to the Bee’s Knees. Our recommendation for this drink is to juice the orange juice yourself in lieu of the bottled stuff, and to use a local honey for your syrup. This recipe is easily scaled up for parties to account for the extra juice you’ll have if your oranges are really producing.

BEBBO

1.5oz Watershed Four Peel Gin

.75oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

.5oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

.5oz Local Honey Syrup*

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker until well chilled and strain into a coupe. For best results, keep your coupe in the freezer until you are ready to serve, and garnish with the oils of an orange peel.

*To create local honey syrup, simply bring 2c honey, and 1c water to a boil until dissolved, then remove from heat and let chill before using. Store in refrigerator once cooled.

If you were around for this time in Watershed’s history, you were around for something special. Though at the time I didn’t realize it, each menu brought forth so much change in us as we welcomed people in and as we said goodbye to others. We became balanced by the different techniques and ideas we all brought to the table. We pushed ourselves to grow, and to become something greater than ourselves, to create a program we were proud to display, and to start that interaction by laying a menu and some waters down before each guest with a greeting. While there is no certain date, month, or time when we’ll be back open and serving, we’ll hold in the wings until it’s time to write the next chapter. That is survival, after all.

Hammering a dent out of a bucket

a woodpecker

answers from the woods

-Gary Snyder