Booze News: valkyries and cowboys unite

Successful Cocktail Roulette challenge results in drink with egg whites, bourbon

Blake+Preston+makes+a+drink+for+Cocktail+Roulette+at+Etsi+Bravo+on+Tuesday.

JOSEPH GARDNER | THE DAILY EVERGREEN

Blake Preston makes a drink for Cocktail Roulette at Etsi Bravo on Tuesday.

CHRIS WEST, Evergreen columnist

Greetings, you drunken bastards, and welcome back to Booze News.

This was a productive week in the hunt for good things to drink and good people to drink it with. It was during my time wandering the streets of downtown Pullman that I had an epiphany.

The King of Booze is mighty and all, but what does every leader of a kingdom need? A court or an entourage. Therefore, I took it upon myself to search among the Coug population for the finest and knowledgeable bar flies Pullman has to offer because no one should drink alone.

I stumbled into Etsi Bravo and took a part in one of the most holy and fun alcoholic challenges: Cocktail Roulette.

Firstly, one must choose a random spirit from behind the bar. Then the bartender must make a drink from scratch off the top of their head that’s not on the menu. Thanks to Blake “The Valkyrie” Preston, I tasted a wonderful concoction.

Preston accepted the challenge and had to use the fine bourbon Woodford Reserve. As an added challenge, she had to incorporate an egg white in it, and Preston succeeded with gusto.

One and a half shots of bourbon, a half shot of pamplemousse liqueur (that’s fancy talk for grapefruit), lemon juice, cinnamon clove cordial and an egg white went into a shaker.

The result of these ingredients was an autumn-breathing dragon of a drink that would seduce every UGG boot-wearing gal into thinking it’s fall all year round. It was delicious, and with some angostura bitters on top it looked aesthetic too.

Preston, by the honor of Zeus’s chest hair, I christen you the first winner of Cocktail Roulette this year. Valhalla would be proud.

Since fall and pumpkin spice are just around the corner, I felt that the dwindling days of summer needed a kick in the ass, so I crafted a very tasty concoction for the occasion. The “Hop, Skip, Go Naked” is a simple drink you can make at home.

Grab yourself a shot of vodka, lemon juice, some dark cane sugar and muddle it down in a pint glass until the sugar dissolves. Add some ice cubes, a lemon slice and then fill the rest of the glass with your favorite summer ale.

There you go: summer in a glass. You can enjoy it while wearing clothing or as the name implies, naked. You do you.

With autumn rapidly approaching, new wines are coming out of the woodwork. With that being said, maybe you should just set the beer down and drink something classy for once, twice or forever.

As always, stay safe out there, you derelicts, and bottoms up!