Tag Archive for: brunch cocktails

AJC: 3 must-try brunch cocktails in metro Atlanta

Sometimes, mimosas and bloody marys simply won’t do at brunch. That’s why the “morning cocktail” was invented, and we think you should give these three a try the next time you have a hankering for coffee, scotch and eggs Benedict.

Scottish Breakfast

Scottish Breakfast is an iced coffee brunch cocktail containing scotch and cold-brewed nitro, available during brunch at Ration and Dram.

Brunch at Ration and Dram should contain three things: a chicken biscuit, a seat at the bar and an iced coffee cocktail containing scotch and cold-brewed nitro. Bank Note’s smoky blended scotch and nitro coffee form a solid base. Oat milk, vanilla and honey syrup are swirled together to create a creamy cold sipper to perk you up and settle the stomach after a night of overindulging. The drink is neither too sweet nor too bitter, but instead is a perfect balance of both, with a hint of smoky coffee remaining to the very last drop.

Ration and Dram, 130 Arizona Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 678-974-8380, rationanddram.com.

Brunch cocktail hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, 12:30 p.m.-4 p.m. Sundays.

Thrillist: Where to Find Atlanta’s Best Biscuits

A lot of food crazes have hit Atlanta over the past 10 years. And yet, most of them were about eating things that weren’t quite native Southeastern delicacies. Now, as you rise and shine each morning, more and more local restaurants are making biscuits of all sorts, and they all want you to believe that theirs are “just like Mama used to make.” However, even Mama can’t compete with some of ATL’s best biscuit-making establishments. Feast your eyes on the greatest biscuits our fair city has to offer in 2016.

Ration and Dram

Kirkwood

Recently, after realizing R&D’s “drop biscuit” (a biscuit baked in a muffin pan instead of on a cookie sheet) was too doughy, partner Caitlin Crawford decided it was time to remix the restaurant’s biscuit. She recreated her grandmother’s version, using White Lily flour, buttermilk, and butter, mixing and folding it into layers gently by hand (because the more your biscuit dough mixes, the more dense, and less good, your biscuits will be, home-biscuiteers). The result is what you see above — a fluffy, yet fortified, bread-layered treat for the Southern-fried soul. Eat several.

See the full post here.

CW Atlanta: Top ATL Brunch Cocktails-Kait’s 8 Edition

So ever since I hit the whopping age of 23 (2 years ago) I have noticed that the lovely people of Atlanta, GA love them some brunch on a patio with a great drink by their side (a.k.a. a great excuse to start drinking early). So I realized, it is my duty as a proud brunch citizen [and beverage expert] to provide these patrons with a fantastic list of brunch cocktails that this city has to offer. Get ready!

#8 Rise N Shine
-Ration and Dram

-Troy and Sons White Whiskey, averna, nitro coffee, and vanilla syrup.

Read the full article here.

Creating Loafing: Best Bets: Perfectly paired Oscar cocktails

Your drinking guide to the 88th Annual Academy Awards (February 28, 2016, 5:30 PM) is here. We can’t all be at the ceremonies but we can honor the nominated while sipping around Atlanta. We found 8 cocktails that seem to have been made for highly acclaimed flicks. Celebrate the biggest night in Hollywood with a drink that matches the spirit of each Best Picture film. If none of these do the trick, make your own and take a drink every time the “wrap it up” music comes on. And the nominees are…

The Big Short is the story of hedge fund managers and bankers who capitalize on the bursting housing bubble during the financial crisis of 2008. They bet against (shorted) subprime mortgage bonds and waited for the eventual implosion. Time Invested ($11) at Tavernpointe is goes perfectly with the herbaceous tequila, pear, Aperol, lemon, green tea, and celery bartender Madison Burch stirs together. It’s better balanced than the sheets of those bankers. 1545 Peachtree St. NE. Midtown. 404-549-3954. www.tavernpointe.com.

The Courier ($10) at Ticonderoga Club is a suppressor much the silencers used on the CIA agents’ guns in Bridge of Spies. It’s an blend of Spanish red vermouth and sherry boosted by coffee liqueur and orange bitters. Garnished with a lovely and aromatic cardamom leaf, it is subtle and nuanced, like a courier of secret plans during the Cold War. 99 Krog St NE. Inman Park. 404-458-4534. www.ticonderogaclub.com.

There is a love triangle in Brooklyn with an Irish immigrant, an Italian plumber, and a local Irishman back home. Home is two places for Ellis Lacey. She could be the muse for Dual Citizenship ($10) at La Tavola with Hedura blanco tequila, Cappelletti Aperitivo, and grapefruit essence. 992 Virginia Ave. Virginia Highland. 404-873-5430. www.latavolatrattoria.com.

The only cocktail that could withstand the fury of Max and Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road is In the Wind ($10) at The Iberian Pig. What better way to go through a post-apocalyptic chase through wasteland than with a spicy and flavorful amalgam of rye whiskey, yellow chartreuse, Amaro Montenegro, Grand Marnier, and Angostura and Orange bitters. 121 Sycamore Street. Decatur. 404-371-8800. www.theiberianpigatl.com.

Left by his crew on the hostile planet of Mars, Matt Damon’s astronaut character in The Martian thrives by way of science and his sense of humor. Kellie Thornat Empire State South is equally as clever with spirit concoctions. Two World Hero ($12) mixes together tea-infused cognac, rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and red wine syrup. Sublime as space must be. 999 Peachtree Street NE. Midtown. 404-541-1105. www.empirestatesouth.com.

Fueled by grief and revenge, a frontiersman treks across the American wilderness of 1823 in The Revenant. The survival skills of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Hugh Glass, are the stuff of legend. Hunting Season ($12) at Kimball House is an equally fierce cocktail. The bitter elements of rye whiskey, cherry aperitif, absinthe, and earthy sassafras please a daring palate. 303 E. Howard Ave. Decatur. 404-378-3502. www.kimball-house.com.

In Room, five-year-old Jack and his mom are the whole world to each other after being held captive in a shed his entire life. The One and Only ($12) at Miller Union sums up their strong connection in a glass. Vodka, floral St. Germain, grapefruit bitters, and lemon conjure up the sunny flavors of the outside world.999 Brady Ave. NW. Westside. 678-733-8550. www.millerunion.com.

In 2001 a team of Boston Globe journalists go on a mission to uncover allegations of priests molesting boys within their churches in Spotlight. Offset such dark material in the fun atmosphere of Decatur’s S.O.S. Tiki Bar. We suggest The Reverend’s Fancy ($10), a boozy mix of pineapple rum, Reposado tequila, amaro, and a rim of coconut garnish. It’s cheeky, but delicious. 340 Church Street. Decatur. 404-377-9308.

Bonus: It’s not one of the eight candidates but if it were, we would match Star Wars: The Force Awakens with The Dark Side at Ration and Dram. Brandy, rum, porter beer syrup, and Angostura bitters are stirred to make you question where your loyalties lie. 130 Arizona Ave. NE. Kirkwood/Edgewood. 678-974-8380. www.rationanddram.com.

AJC: The Weekender: Food events in Atlanta Dec. 4 – 6

SEC Championship brunch. Beer tour. Gingerbread house party. This weekend, there’s lots of fun, food events happening around town for your and your children. Add one or all five of the following events to your calendar and be prepared to eat, drink and have a grand ole time. Cheers to the weekend!

Are you ready for football?: As two teams compete at the Georgia Dome for the SEC Championship game on December 5, Chef Duane Nutter of One Flew South and Chef Todd Richards of White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails will create a special menu for football fans and foodies. From 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 at White Oak, guests can cheer (or yell) for their favorite team on the big screen while eating Southern fare paired with bloody Marys and mimosas.

Beer, for lunch: Start with a brewery tour of Three Taverns Brewery then head to Ration & Dram for lunch—pulled pork, smoked chicken, sides, beer and more. The tour will kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. Tickets are $50; call 678-974-8380 to reserve a seat.

See the full article here.

Creative Loafing: What to drink with Thanksgiving dinner – Part I

Make these cocktails or drink these local beers on Thanksgiving, because they said so.

Still at a loss for what to drink with your Thanksgiving turkey cake and cherumple on Thursday? We asked Atlanta beer, wine, and cocktail experts to share a few of their recommendations. If you’re in need of some turkey-friendly, boozy inspiration, today is your lucky day.

This series comes to you into three parts. Part I covers beer and spirits starting with thoughtful cocktail recipes from talented barkeeps Julian Goglia (the Pinewood), Andy Minchow (Ration & Dram), and Bradford Tolleson (Restaurant Eugene). CL’s resident beer guy Austin L. Ray also chipped in with three fall seasonals from Atlanta breweries that opened in 2014. In parts II and III, we tap into Advanced Sommelier Tim Willard’s near-encyclopedic body of wine knowledge and hear from southern wine geek extraordinaire Steven Grubbs, respectively.

Andy Minchow, Ration & Dram

The Plymouth Rocktail
1 ounce Plymouth gin
1 ounce Dolin Blanc (any sweet white vermouth will work)
1 barspoon of cranberry sauce(yes I did. That and the name are the cheesy parts)
2 barspoons of lemon juice
Shake and double strain into a champagne flute or wine glass.
Top with 3 ounces of dry sparkling wine(rose if you have it)
Garnish with an orange twist.

This can also be done as a punch over ice. I think it will be a nice cocktail to start the drinking off and look funny in the hands of any men watching football.

Read the full article here.

The Crimson White: Six Things to do in Atlanta

It’s another lonely away-game weekend in Tuscaloosa, leaving many students hankering for a getaway. Tuscaloosa is situated in the middle of the South, making it easy to jump in the car for a road trip to any number of destinations. Birmingham, Memphis, New Orleans, Nashville and Atlanta are all in within five hours of T-Town. So if you’re not following the Crimson Tide to Starkville this weekend, plan a weekend trip to Atlanta, located just 2.5 hours away, and go beyond the malls, aquarium and the World of Coke to experience some of these local hot spots.

Sublime Donuts: College students get 15 percent off with their ID’s at this local donut sensation. Located in the heart of Atlanta, this restaurant offers a large collection of unique donut eats. Flavors range from s’mores to sweet potato cake and even maple bacon cheddar (only offered on Saturdays). They also offer specialty donut ice cream sandwiches, including flavors such as the Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Burger. Donut-lovers will rejoice at the chance to experience any of Sublime Donuts’ unusual flavors.

Ponce City Market: Located in the historic Sears, Roebuck & Co, building in Atlanta and developed by the owners of Chelsea Market in Manhattan, this lively market is perfect for checking out food and shopping. Locals love drinking and dining in the Central Food Hall, and PCM also includes Atlanta favorites such as Dancing Goats Coffee Bar and King of Pops. Visitors can also check out boutiques as well as popular shopping spots like Anthropologie and J. Crew.

The Beltline: The Atlanta Beltline is the perfect place to satisfy a need for outdoor adventure, and to explore the city at the same time. Twenty-two miles of pedestrian-friendly trails situated on an old railroad is the perfect way to see views of the city. Development of the Beltline is expected to continue until 2030, eventually connecting up to 45 Atlanta neighborhoods. But there is still much to enjoy as of now: shops and restaurants line the path, and bikes are also available for rental. Also along the way is Krog Street Market, which locals love for eats and beverages. For information about the Beltline, visit beltline.org.

Terminal West: Located on the West Side, this popular venue showcases music and acts almost every night of the week. The lineup for this weekend is as follows: Friday- Desert Dwellers; Saturday- The Electric Sons; Sunday- The English Beat. Restaurant Stationside is also located at Terminal West, serving refreshments during and after shows. For ticket information visit http://www.terminalwestatl.com/.

Little Trouble: Also located on the West Side is Little Trouble, a “Blade Runner” themed bar that greets visitors with neon lights and a lively atmosphere. Not only is it a bar, but it’s also a great place to grab snacks and appetizers. The menu offers a wide variety of cocktails, wine and beer, as well as Asian-inspired appetizers such as dumplings, buns, slaw and ramen. Be sure to try the $5 drink specials during happy hour, which is Monday-Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Ration and Dram: Check out this local joint for its popular $1 oyster nights on Mondays, or stop by any time for a culinary experience. They serve local food, and they offer an extensive menu for vegans and vegetarians. Try their popular oysters or one the other customer favorites from the menu, including the southern classic, chicken and dumplings, French dip or pan-seared Georgia trout.

 Read article here.

Tales of the Cocktail: Caffeinated Cocktails- Where Coffee and Booze Come Together

As brisk fall weather rolls in, tenders of the bar reach for subtle, warming elements to keep drinks comforting. And what elixir has the perfect balance to start a day or end a night? Coffee.

From the age old film tropes of a grizzled detective spilling some unidentifiable booze into their morning cup of joe to Irish coffees developed in a San Franciscan bar in the 1940s, coffee and cocktails have a long standing history as drinking companions. After all, mixology is all about finding that sweet spot of balance in a cocktail—one in which the flavors complement each other, build and meld together into a cohesive sip, and coffee offers complexity and craveability ideal for a cocktail input.

These days it’s not just bars experimenting with espresso shots, cold-brewed coffee and nitro on their menus. Coffee shops and bespoke roasters are getting in on the action, offering creative takes on everything from Irish coffee to Black Russians. So we sat down with innovative bars and coffee houses developing programs on both fronts that leverage the caffeine-laden potion in signature sips at their establishments.

Caffeine Come-up

Deeply understanding coffee as a flavor component is a difficult undertaking due to incalculable variations in bean roasts and regions from which the beans hail. Add this intricacy to the seasonally-inspired trends in the cocktail industry, and you’ve got a recipe for something special. “Coffee is such a unique ingredient — different roasts vary in respect to acidity, brightness, floridity, earthiness, I mean, there are a million different variations of different roasts and it’s up to the bartender to choose what in that roast they want to showcase and how to use it in an interesting way,” says Lozano.

Take the recent uptick in affinity for cold press and nitro coffee that has caffeine aficionados clamoring to experience the best. “There’s endless ways to derive flavor in liquid format, and most of those ways haven’t been explored in a coffee drink yet. I’m always interested in finding new ways to pull flavor that work in the context of coffee,” says Lee Carter of Five Watt Coffee in Minneapolis, MN. Carter goes on, “Cold press is a fantastic use of coffee in cocktail and can be used in various levels of strength as a perfect cocktail mixer.” Nitro coffee is also a hot number as seen at Atlanta, GA craft cocktail house, Ration & Dram. Bar manager Kysha Cyrus is proud that they were the first in the city to make nitro coffee in-house and to use it in their cocktail creations. “[Nitro] gives the drink the creamy texture people might look for without the addition of milk or cream. No shaking. The cocktails are about showcasing the nitro coffee and not losing the spirit,” says Cyrus.

There’s even a cadre of establishments that have nixed booze in favor of virgin plays on coffee-tails that leverage syrups, shrubs and bitters to add a level of complexity. “The coffee cocktails I make at the shop are non-alcoholic and built around the naturally occurring flavor notes in each coffee,” says Lindsey Pitman of The Daily Press in Charlotte, NC. Although they intend to add some alcoholic versions in the future, Pitman notes that, “The alcohol is a flavoring ingredient – not a main focus.”

Read full article here.

Thrillist: THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN ATLANTA FOR BRUNCH RIGHT NOW

While they make some of the city’s most solid small plates, entrees, drinks, etc., Ration & Dram’s brunch is truly the jam, especially the bone marrow breakfast, which comes with soft, buttery biscuits, eggs, a touch of broccoli rabe, and a hefty hunk of decadent bone marrow. It might be the most sophisticated hangover cure ever. Don’t worry, though, signature breakfast cocktails like the Rise ‘N’ Shine with white whiskey, Italian liqueur averna, vanilla syrup, and nitro coffee mean you can get started on your next one right away.

Read the full article here.

Food & Wine: GET YOUR MEAT, SCOTCH & MEAT WITH THE “RON SWANSON”

Where: Ration and Dram, Atlanta

What: Named for the oft-quoted character from Parks & Rec, the “Ron Swanson” is perhaps the most formidable brunch we’ve ever seen: a six-ounce steak grilled to order, four pieces of bacon, and three eggs on a bed of pepper and onion potato hash. All that served is beside a pour of Lagavulin 16. And you too can eat this all at the same time, because you are a free American.

Wash it down with: You mean something other than that single-malt? Ration and Dram offers a build-your-own “Brunch Punch,” too, customizable with a huge range of fruits and spirits.

Read the full article here

Eater: Impressive Cold Brew Cocktails and Where to Drink Them

Cold brew coffee—bottled, nitro on tap or built to order—is America’s hottest way to chill out. Unlike iced coffee, which is simply hot brewed coffee or espresso poured over ice, cold brew is made by steeping coffee grinds in room temperature to cold water for half a day or longer. Though a staple at third wave coffee shops for a couple of years now, the drink hit critical mass when Starbucks launched its own brew this past spring. Lauded for a flavorful, smooth and less acidic profile, it was only a matter of time before bartenders decided to get creative with the brew in place of standard coffee. Below, 22 awesome cold brew coffee-spiked libations, from a White Russian-inspired intoxicant to the perfect brunch potion.

RATION + DRAM

Location: 130 Arizona Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA
Bartender: Kysha Cyrus
Cocktail: Rise ‘N’ Shine ($8) with cold brew coffee, Troy & Sons Moonshine, Amaro Averna and vanilla syrup.
“We love a good, or bad, pun at Ration & Dram, and adding coffee into the mix seemed like a natural fit—the coffee being the ‘Rise’ and the moonshine being the ‘Shine’!” explains drink creator Kysha Cyrus. This cocktail drinks bold “with a subtle sweetness and robust flavor from the nitro coffee.”

Read the full article here.

Foursquare: The 11 Best Places for Egg Salad Sandwiches in Atlanta

Ration + Dram
130 Arizona Ave NE, Atlanta, GA
American Restaurant · Edgewood · 24 tips and reviews

Creative Loafing AtlantaCreative Loafing Atlanta: Their brunch menu includes breakfast dumplings, a vegetarian grit bowl, and an egg salad sandwich. Read more.

EaterEater: This casual Kirkwood spot offers a shady patio and a menu with everything from shareables like oysters and poutine to main plates such as chicken and dumplings and pot pie. Read more.

Robb L.Robb Lejuwaan: Love this place. Great food, cocktails and excellent service.

Full Article Here.

Peachtree Roadies: BEST ATLANTA BRUNCH COCKTAILS

For the Bookworm: Instead of “bottomless mimosas” or the typical brunch beverages, Ration & Dram is doing “Brunch Punch Cards.” The owners found a ton of these vintage library cards, and in the best example of repurposing we’ve ever come across, ever, they’ve printed a build-your-own brunch punch menu on them. The punch starts with Sparkling Brut, Rose, or Stiegl Grapefruit Radler, then in step two you can add Strawberry Puree, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, Ford’s Gin, Deep Eddy Vodka, Pimm’s, Cappeletti, and/or Campari. You make your selection on the card with a hole puncher (to further the punch theme). Bring your bookworm friends, your book club, your favorite librarian…and me to their patio this summer.

Barre to Bar Tip: Ration & Dram is in the Kirkwood area, not far from Decatur. 

Full article here.