Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Cocktail Showdown Week Three

Cocktail Showdown | February 13th, 2019

Hot buttered rum - photograph by Raul Gomez

After a day of checking the weather updates and keeping an eye on any closing announcements from this week’s entrants, our judges ordered up a ride share service and headed out to the western side of town for two stops in West Fargo. The fact that these establishments are located directly across the street from each other made it seem like such an easy trek between the two but the piles of snow covering every sidewalk corner made the short walk across 9th street east in West Fargo a memorable and laughter filled spectacle. After a few drinks and some great hospitality, we began to feel a nice warm glow and were all glad we took on the adventure of the third week of the Cocktail Showdown.

Blarney Stone is an Irish pub in West Fargo with incredible attention to authentic details both with the decor, and with their drink and food menus. Those looking to get away from the downtown madness that is St. Patrick’s Day weekend would do well to make a stop out to Blarney Stone for some bangers and mash, corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew or other great Irish staples. Their breakfast specials would be a great way to start your weekend celebration if you are heading down to the parade but are almost a necessity for those intended to make it through the day-long event. Their Irish whiskey selection is unmatched and of course, they know how to pour a perfect pint of Guinness.

The Drink: Blarney Stone’s Hot Buttered Rum
Presented by: Maggie Green

Maggie welcomed us to Blarney Stone with a steaming hot cup of their house recipe Hot Buttered Rum with an ounce and a half of Captain Morgan spiced rum in it. The recipe is a fairly standard mixture of brown and white sugar, multiple creams, butter, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg and while it may not look fancy on paper, the flavor and feeling that we got from drinking this mug of goodness was certainly something to savor. When I raised the mug to my face, before even taking a sip, I was filled with aromas of perfectly blended winter spices and an immediate warmth that made me think of mittens, boots, and scarves being taken off and exchanged for a cup of Hot Buttered Rum by a cozy fireplace. Sabrina called it “an oatmeal cookie in a cup” and to that, I would have to add “given to you by your Grandma and followed by a hug”. A perfect example of how the right pre-batched beverage on the right night can be so much more than it appears on paper.

Lucky Charm - photograph by Raul Gomez

The shot: Lucky Charm
Created by: Maggie Green

Maggie brought together Bacardi Limon, Sour Apple Pucker, melon liqueur and a squeeze of lime in a shaker with ice. After shaking, the drink was strained into a sugar rimmed shot glass and presented. For a sugar rimmed shot, it was surprisingly well balanced and a great reminder of how just the right amount of freshly squeezed citrus can really tie a drink together. Another fine example of Maggie’s understanding of flavors and how to use commonly available ingredients to create a tasty drink that certainly satisfies their customers over and over again.

Throughout their first year in the rapidly expanding city of West Fargo, Tru Blu Social Club has received a significant amount of praise and all of it is well deserved. Out of town visitors that are staying in a nearby hotel frequently give them excellent ratings for perfectly cooked duck and steaks and their exemplary service is also earning them great marks. The decor is stylish and romantic with lots of rich wood but somehow all the pretense of what could be a very fine dining establishment is removed in a way that makes farmers with mesh caps and families with children feel just as comfortable as a meeting of businessmen in full suits.

Erindring Drink - photograph by Raul Gomez

The drink: Erindring Drink
The creator: David Jørgensen

David created this drink as a nod to the first 20+ years he spent in his home country of Norway and the name roughly translates to “a vague memory that is more of a feeling or sensation than a visual memory.” The vague memory, in this case, refers to his first experiences with the traditional Scandinavian spirit, Akvavit or Aquavit. This cocktail, however, is quite different from those initial experiences of swallowing the bitter, botanically enhanced spirit (he remembers his Mother preferring to chase it with her favorite beer) and presents a very delicate, palatable drink.

Linie Aquavit was added to Tattersall Orange Crema, honey, and a couple dashes of Peychaud’s bitters before being stirred and strained into a coupe glass and garnished with an orange twist. I’ve had numerous Aquavit cocktails over the last few years and most of the time they are mixed with a bit of honey but the balance that David achieved in this drink really kept me coming back to discover not only the individual ingredients that made up the cocktail but helped the caraway and dill in the Aquavit really stand out and shine without overpowering.

Peaches and Cream - photograph by Raul Gomez

The after-dinner drink: Peaches and Cream
The creator: David Jørgensen

As he prepped this drink, he told us of another fond memory of his childhood in Norway that also involved his Mother and in particular, the simple dessert of peaches, sugar, and half and half that she would make for them on certain Saturdays. This immediately grabbed my attention and made me think of my dearly departed mother who would also sometimes treat us to this simple but delicious dessert.David brought together Ciroc peach vodka, St Germain elderflower liqueur, and orange juice before adding to a rocks glass and topping with half and half and then a topping of a special whipped cream that he infused with peach schnapps. If not the story that preceded the presentation, the intense peach and cream flavor really touched at my heart through my taste buds and the way the elderflower would peek out from amongst the peachy flavor really surprised me. 

RECENTLY IN

Cocktail Showdown

Tracker Pixel for Entry TheatreB Tracker Pixel for Entry Outcast Tracker Pixel for Entry FMVA Tracker Pixel for Entry EmpireAUG2021 Tracker Pixel for Entry Bismarck1 Tracker Pixel for Entry Aquarium

Recently in:

By Maddie Robinson  maddierobi.mr@gmail.comIn order to get affordable child care for her son, Paulina Erbele has to drive from her work in Gackle,…

By John Showalter  john.d.showalter@gmail.comphoto by Logan MacraeAnyone who lives in the Fargo-Moorhead area knows that its yearly weather is a sequence of…

Saturday, December 2, 20231st seating: 3:30pm, 2nd seating: 6pmSons of Norway, 722 2nd Ave N, FargoCelebrate the holidays with a four-course plated sit-down dinner and hosted by the one and only Frode Tilden. “If you love…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comRemember the legacy of the NPL.Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting and dinner hosted by the Dakota Resource Council in Bismarck. I came in feeling a little defeated,…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comHow Many of Napoleon’s Hats Will Save Planet Earth for Homo Sapiens?Before I get into this week’s subject of why we need to double the number of college majors in English and Humanities if we…

We are looking for 55-gallon plastic food grade barrels, do you have ideas or connections?We use these barrels to teach our resilient yard workshop series including Make Your Own Rain Barrel and Make Your Own Compost Tumbler. If…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comThe temperatures have dropped and so have the leaves in the Upper Midwest. That means it's now the holiday season. Part of the joy of this special season for me is eating. But first things first.…

Dropkick Murphys Put Music to the Words of Woody GuthrieBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Dave StaubleWith the release of 2022’s “This Machine Still Kills Fascists” and 2023’s “Okemah Rising.” The Dropkick…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com“Saltburn,” the highly anticipated follow-up to “Promising Young Woman” – which earned Oscar gold for Best Original Screenplay – doesn’t quite equal the bite and sting of…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comA trio of Burleigh County artists are making their mark in Wing, North Dakota, to promote local foods and are quite literally painting the town, or at least the newly acquired Wing City Government…

By Eric Dallmanericd@hpr1.comWe recently watched “The PROM” at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and it was an experience that left a lasting impact on us. The story, a heartwarming yet familiar one, follows a group of Broadway stars…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By John Showalter  john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…

JANUARY 19, 1967– MARCH 8, 2023 Brittney Leigh Goodman, 56, of Fargo, N.D., passed away unexpectedly at her home on March 8, 2023. Brittney was born January 19, 1967, to Ruth Wilson Pollock and Donald Ray Goodman, in Hardinsburg,…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com On the first day of the month I ask people to thank a journalist they know or someone who contributes to papers in some meaningful way. When I grew up, my best friend's father was a journalist…