Toast eclipse day with these speciality cocktails
Leave it to Josh Streetman of Motor Supply Co. Bistro to boldly go where few bartenders have gone before.
While Columbia readies itself for the rare total solar eclipse Monday, Aug. 21, Streetman is doing his part – creating a craft cocktail menu to celebrate the event.
“What I wanted to do with this menu was do something worldly in a way,” Streetman said. “People are driving and flying in from all over to check this eclipse out, so I wanted to use spirits that were from all over the world, but then throw in a splash of down home as well.”
One example on the menu is Shade of the Moon, made with Zamaca, a liqueur derived from Peruvian maca, a superfood known for its medicinal benefits.
In Darkside, Streetman uses Chivas, a scotch made in the oldest working distillery in Scotland’s Highlands.
Two Minutes to Sin (Best. Name. Ever.) features lemongrass, an herb native to Asia and India, and “Brian’s jam,” named for the executive chef at McCutchen House, Brian Hay, who makes his own jam.
And then there’s Sunglasses at Night, which is flavored and garnished with watermelon. You can’t get more down home than that.
“The idea was to be playful and fun, but also to have something that has a lot of heft to it as well,” Streetman said. “We don’t usually open on Mondays unless it’s an event that we think is really cool and fun. We’re going to have a good time.”
Eclipse beer
A sampling of some of the best suds on this side of the solar system:
Conquest Brewing
ECLIPSE DEAL: Will release two bottled barrel-aged sours – a plum sour and a blackberry plum sour. Once the eclipse starts, the tasting room will do a “blackout,” featuring nothing but dark beers. There also will be barrel-aged stouts, a coconut porter, a bourbon barrel-aged sour stout and even a vanilla cinnamon stout called Unicorn Tears.
947 S. Stadium Road. (803) 814-1992, www.conquestbrewing.com
The Whig’s Eclipse Ale
ECLIPSE DEAL: This is a partnership with Catawba Brewing Company for a session pale ale. They made enough to share around town and helped curate where it landed. A few places to find it include Bourbon, Lula Drake, Main Street Public House, Flying Saucer, Craft & Draft, War Mouth, Random Tap and Lowe’s Grocery.
The Whig, 1200 Main St. (803) 931-8852, www.thewhig.org
River Rat Brewery
ECLIPSE DEAL: River Rat created an India pale ale lager called The Moonraker. Its description notes it’s “aggressively hopped” with Citra and Mandarina Bavaria hops. It can be purchased by the pint or growler from the tap room.
1231 Shop Road. (803) 724-5712, www.riverratbrewery.com
Eclipse wine
Beer not your thing? Lets “wine” about it!
The Aristocrat
The Aristocrat wine bar will be serving Seven Moons Wine, a red blend of seven different grape varieties: syrah, merlot, petite sirah, zinfadel, cabernet, malbec and grenache. Sounds “totality” out of this world!
1001 Washington St. (803) 708-8004, www.facebook.com/TheAristocratSC
This story was originally published August 16, 2017 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Toast eclipse day with these speciality cocktails."