The Turf Restaurant and Pub may be an Irish bar, but Jameson and Guinness are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to The Turf's list o' libations. No matter what yer poison, The Turf's bartenders can make it--and they don't need a bevy of "house cocktails" to fall back on. As expert bartender Brian Barnes attests, no one's a novice at this pub.
"Everyone who bartends here has done so for at least five years and has hands-down, high-volume experience," says Barnes. "I would consider them all excellent, stand-up bartenders."
Experience is valuable in learning to recognize when someone's had enough (i.e way too much) to drink. While Barnes has to kick belligerents out occasionally, he usually allows the plastered patrons to redeem themselves.
"You don't know how many times I can count, in the last 11 years I've done this, that people have come back sober the next day to get their credit card that they left after making a total ass of themselves, saying 'My god, I'm sorry. Here, you fill out the tip. I feel like a dickhead.' Some people get liquid courage," he says.
Some tomfoolery is expected at a popular watering hole like The Turf, where various sporting events on TV, live music and comedy get the crowd revved up on any given night of the week.
The Turf draws a diverse downtown crowd, where drink requests go well beyond traditional pub fare. Barnes makes a good number of martinis nightly as well as fancy shots a la Jolly Ranchers, Washington Apples and Lemon Drops. As you can tell by today's recipe, however, he's got some lesser-known zingers up his sleeve as well.
After disclosing the name of this drink Barnes added, "Because if you have enough of these you probably will."
If you find out exactly how much is "enough," please let us know.
The Run and Come F#@k me:
1/2 oz. Malibu rum 1/2 oz. Creme de Banana 1/2 oz. Watermelon Pucker 1 1/2 oz. cranberry juice 1 oz. pineapple juice Splash of Sprite
Sugar the rim of the martini glass. Combine liqueurs and juices in a martini shaker with ice. Shake! Pour it into the martini glass, drop a cherry in there and garnish with a lemon slice.
Be cautious if ordering this without a designated bodyguard (unless waking up in a stranger's bed is the goal).
