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The Polar Bar at The Arctic Club Bar – Seattle

We stayed at the The Arctic Club in Seattle because it was only a bit away from the stadiums and we were surprised at how awesome the bar was! Mike, the bartender, who's been a staple at the Polar Bar for decades was one of the friendliest, most knowledgable bartenders you'll ever meet and he's created some great cocktails. The first one I had to try was "I Am the Walrus" with our little friend on top. It's Rye, Campari, Sweet Vermouth all smoked.

Next up was the Arctic Club Old Fashioned with Rye Whiskey, Angostura Bitters, Orange Bitters, Sugar Cube and a Cherry.

Other great drinks on the menu were the Smoke and Mirrors, the Arctic Club Manhattan, Pioneer Sour, Seattle Regrade and Mike does spectacular Sazerac which I love! Lastly... the Polar Bear... ROAR!

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The 5 Spot – Nashville

The 5 Spot is an awesome little music venue located in East Nashville. Known locally for it's great staff, moderately priced drinks and most importantly in Nashville... it's live music! And all is made even better if the Smokey White Devils are playin'!

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Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 – New Orleans

Ahhhh New Orleans! The land of Sazeracs, great music and great food! Normally when we're in New Orleans I am all about bourbon and the great classic cocktails discovered and made there. Not that Bourbon St. crap, the ones at great watering holes. Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29 is a different stop though. With a huge drink list mostly full of rums, you'll have to hunt a little for bourbon.

At least that's what I thought! Low and behold, the 3rd drink was there.... the Paniolo. Kentucky bourbon, Hawaiian macadamia nut liquor shaken with lime, cranberry syrup and mole bitters. Mmmmmmm Mmmmmm!

That's it on the left with a side of and Old-Fashioned done with rum, which was awesome by the way!

So... If you're in New Orleans and need a break for something different or you just need to get out of the heat and cool off, I highly recommend Latitude 29. Check them out at 321 N. Peters Street New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130.

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Peach Simple Syrup

Craving and Old Fashioned but wanting it to be a little more summery? Well... You're in luck! Peach Simple Syrup is here to help. If you're like me, simple syrup, although really easy, was something I shied away from for years. Once I really tried it I was like "Damn! What have I been missing out on and why haven't I tried this? Simple is in the damn name!" Once you start making it next step is to try other things. For this one, we're doing peach!

First, rinse and cut up 3-4 peaches, depending on how "Peachy" you want it. Put the peaches in a pot with 2 cups of water, 1 cup of brown sugar and 4-5 allspice berries. Bring it all to a boil and then let simmer for 15-25 minutes. When finished, mush the peaches up to get all of the juice out, strain and store in the fridge. It will last 2-3 weeks. I like to leave mine a little pulpy but that's a personal taste.

Now for the extra fun... Take the soft, sugary peaches and throw them over some ice cream t…

Peach Infused Bourbon Recipe

It's summertime and that mean's fresh peaches that this sentence means that I now have "Peaches" from the Presidents of the Unites States of America ringing inside my head. But I digress... Peaches means it's time to go down to the farmers market for a visit to the Peach Truck where a version of this recipe originally appeared.

Now that we have the delicious, yummy peaches it's time to slice them up and throw them into a jar with some other ingredient. I normally use 4-5 peaches per batch, it all just depends on how peachy you want it.

From there it's time for the sugar, I like to use brown sugar. Sure... you can use regular white sugar but it just doesn't blend as nicely in my opinion. then throw in a couple of star anise and 4-5 all spice berries. I then like to top it off with a little bit of honey.

next up... After trying several different versions, I like to use a nice a bottle of Buffalo Trace bourbon. Not too expensive so that you …

Chocolate Sazerac

I don't know which came first, falling in love with New Orleans or the Sazerac. Actually... I think it was at the same time. A Sazerac, to me, is a simple drink that is so easy to mess up but when it's right... Mmmmmm Mmmmm! When I thought about a chocolate one, well... why? Why mess with a perfect drink? Well, it's because we can and it worked out nicely. Don't worry, it's still bone forward, not a sweet martini. One large deviation I made from a traditional Sazerac recipe is that I didn't use the sugar cube, instead, the sweetness comes from switching out Rye Whiskey with Bourbon and Ballotin Chocolate Whiskey. I found that using the sugar cube made it too sweet. So... here's the recipe: Chill an Old-Fashioned or Coupe Cocktail Glass (Your choice depending on how fancy you want to feel) that has been rinsed with Absinthe or Herbsaint. You can also use a dropper at the end of the recipe if you like. In another glass full of ice, pour 2.5 ounces of bourbon and 1 ounce …

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The Polar Bar at The Arctic Club Bar – Seattle

The 5 Spot – Nashville

Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 – New Orleans

Latest Whiskey/Bourbon Stops

Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 – New Orleans

The Polar Bar at The Arctic Club Bar – Seattle

Copperworks Distilling Company – Seattle

The Whiskey Bar – Seattle

Navy Strength – Seattle

Westland Distillery – Seattle

Whiskey - Bourbon Reviews and Other Ramblings

Peach Simple Syrup

Peach Infused Bourbon Recipe

Chocolate Sazerac