My friend Jean was visiting from Maine, doing a little house- and dog-sitting in the highlands of Leeds. We decided to catch up over cocktails at The BrewMaster’s Tavern at 4 Main St. in Williamsburg.
As it was mid-afternoon, between the lunch and dinner hours, we were able to park right out front. We pulled up a pair of bar stools and Cher greeted us as she handed us our menus. We weren’t very hungry, but decided to split a Rueben sandwich and an order of grilled shrimp.
Jean ordered a Sundrop Martini made with Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, Campari, grapefruit juice and fresh-squeezed lemon juice, served straight up in a sugar-rimmed martini glass. I ordered the Jameson Lime Crush, which is your classic whiskey sour with the addition of lime.
My cocktail was well-balanced, not too sweet, not too sour. As Goldilocks famously said, “It was just right.”
Of course, I took a taste of Jean’s cocktail: the bitter orange flavor of the Campari blended well with the sour of the grapefruit and lemon.
The food, cocktails and atmosphere, along with the conversation, lent themselves to a relaxed afternoon — hanging out with a friend.
Tim Driscoll is a bartender, a former bar owner and a perpetual student of mixology.
1½ ounces Jameson Irish whiskey
1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup
Splash of sour mix
Shake and strain over rocks into a double rocks glass
Garnish with a cherry and a slice of lime