An evening with Erik Adkins

President's day, Noelle got pretty pumped upon learning that Erik Adkins–of Bourbon and Branch, Heaven's Dog, and Wu Hing General Store fame–was creating the cocktail menu for a new restaurant/bar. She got so pumped, in fact, that she decided we had trot down to the Ferry Building and try to see the man himself. Slanted Door, which we've written about before, is a swanky Vietnamese restaurant/bar combo right on the water. It's always jam packed, so Noelle and I were surprised to see open spaces at the bar. Even better, the seats were right in front of Mr. Adkins. Noelle will explain the situation with the new restaurant/bar opening up. Suffice to say that the drink menu will rely in on this book:



In other words, the bar will serve lots of New Orleans style stirred drinks. We asked to sample and a few drinks of that style, and, holy moly, are we excited for this place to open up.

De La Louisiane
3/4 ounce Rye, Sweet Vermouth, and Benedictine
Dash absinthe
Dash simple



Stir stir stir, garnish with Luxardo Cherry.


I loved this drink. It was quite rich, syrupy and sweet as it first hits your tongue. Once the benedictine passes, though, the herbs from the vermouth and absinthe kick in, leaving a strong finish of rye and a lingering taste of herbs. This is a very rich, slow drink. Order it if you want to sit and enjoy the conversation for awhile, not if you're in a rush. It's best enjoyed slowly.

Dixie Cocktail

Erik described the Dixie cocktail as essentially a whiskey cocktail but with the addition of creme de menthe. This creme de menthe:



This drink really took us by surprise. It was lighter in texture and slightly brighter than the De La Louisiane but no less flavorful. Look how beautiful this drink is, especially with the perfect piece of ice: