Drinks, Pitch

The return of the Jack Rose cocktail

Charles Ferruzza — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:16:00 -0500

At the new Port Fonda restaurant in Westport, there are currently 13 imaginative craft cocktails on the drink menu, including a Technicolor pink Roselle Margarita (made with house-made hibiscus syrup and Solerno blood orange liqueur). The unexpected offering on the list is a classic cocktail that dates back to the early days of the 1900s, if not before.…

Today is National Daiquiri Day

Charles Ferruzza — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:44:55 -0500

"The 1980s ruined the reputation of the daiquiri," says veteran bartender Shawn Moriarty, currently the featured mixologist at the Majestic Restaurant. "Before they became known as a fruity blender drink, the original daiquiri was a very light, simple cocktail of sugar, rum and lime juice.…

The Top Five Lemonades in Kansas City

Charles Ferruzza — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:20:47 -0500

When life hands you lemons, make something. Lemonade will do, particularly as a way of cooling down during the blistering hot afternoons we've been experiencing lately.…

No Liquor? No Problem. Order a Mocktail.

Abbie Stutzer — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:45:00 -0600

That first cocktail of the night is the best. Your senses are still collecting data, and your taste buds have yet to be muddled.…

Boulevard offers refunds for bad batches of Chocolate Ale

Justin Kendall — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:45:00 -0600

Boulevard brewmaster Stephen Pauwels and founder John McDonald announce in this YouTube video that some batches of its popular Chocolate Ale had flavors that were not anticipated. So they're offering refunds on batches 2011-01, 2011-02 and 2011-03.…

Need to fight a bear? Try Succotash's Little Richard

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:30:00 -0600

The server at Succotash (2601 Holmes) brought over the Little Richard — a shot of Oddly Correct espresso dropped into an ice-cold glass of Mexican Coke — with a warning.

"Pour it slowly," he said, gesturing to the remaining cola in the bottle.…

A great night for Kansas City's top bartenders

Charles Ferruzza — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:30:22 -0500

Fat City's sister blog, the Wayward Blog, has some terrific Brooke Vandever photographs from last night's Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition held at the Uptown Theater. There was drama, excitement and potent raw talent.…

Twice the brain freeze: Dual-chamber Slurpee coming to 7-Eleven

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 09:00:48 -0500

You probably thought you left behind the evil genius at the soda fountain when you turned 12 and recognized that though it was fun to push the dispenser, your drink tasted awful. Now 7-Eleven is aiming to rekindle that poor-decision-making part of your adolescent brain.…

Dr Pepper 10 suggests we're getting bored with diet soda

Jonathan Bender — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:15:03 -0500

Back in my day, it was just enough that a diet soda didn't taste like hot copper. It was a bonus if the taste actually resembled the full-calorie version.…

Fat Tuesday in Kansas City: It's worth getting dressed all weird for these five Mardi Gras events

Emily Johnson — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:14:52 -0600

The season of Lent, a time for fasting and purification, is approaching more quickly than your excuses to avoid it. And the chaos of Mardi Gras is coming with it.

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Beer Kitchen No. 1: Westport's hoppin' new restaurant is this week's review

Emily Johnson — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:38:31 -0600

In this week's Pitch, Charles Ferruzza fills up on truffle-parmesan fries and pretzel twists at Westport's new Beer Kitchen No. 1, a relaxed version of the space's former inhabitant, One80.

Sample Angela C. Bond's photographs, read Charles' review and save room for dessert.

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Teahouse & Coffeepot proves: Great hot chocolate doesn't come from a mix

Charles Ferruzza — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:26:59 -0600

As the temperatures continue to drop, there's no question that one of the best ways to warm up on a bone-chilling afternoon is with a cup of hot chocolate. But Keith Buchanan, the British-born operator of Westport's Teahouse & Coffeepot, is concerned that too many Americans are too accustomed to the processed cocoa-and-sugar beverage made from a mix and stirred with hot water.…

Give your lungs a break and drink your drugs

Mandy Mendon — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:15:44 -0500

By now most people know that it's not just burn-out teenagers who enjoy a little THC-induced high. But some of us still don't like constantly smelling like we just left a 311 concert.…

Bitters are making a sweet comeback

Charles Ferruzza — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:36:08 -0500

Bitters aren't just for Old Fashioneds anymore

"There are certain classic cocktails -- a Manhattan, for example, or an Old Fashioned -- that absolutely require a dash or two of bitters," says Ryan Maybee, Kansas City's celebrity bartender.

Anyone who has done a stint behind the bar knows that little bottle of Angostura bitters -- or one of the newer versions of flavored bitters -- is a staple of a well-stocked bar.…

Chai Shai's Pakistani lemonade

Charles Ferruzza — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:53 -0500

Chai Shai, the combination tea shop and restaurant operated by Pakistani-born brothers Abdul and Kashif Tufial, is finally open at 59th and Holmes. Among its cold drinks are a thick and refreshing mango milkshake, an iced chai tea, regular iced tea and a beverage the Tufials call skun-jabeen.

It's made with fresh lemon juice, crushed black salt, water and a splash of sparkling water, usually Perrier.…

Peace out to Peace Tea

Jonathan Bender — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:00:23 -0500

Hansen wants you to give Peace Tea a chance. I'm suggesting we "must think for ourselves," as the graphic suggests on the Razzleberry can.…

McDonald's tells the world to 'Get Quenched'

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:00:30 -0500

Good for McDonald's. At a time when fast-food franchises are trying to look like something they're not so they can jump on the healthy bandwagon, the chain is giving a 32-ounce raspberry to everybody.…

Taco Bell unveils Limeade Sparklers

Jonathan Bender — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:00:40 -0500

I'll give Taco Bell credit -- it takes guts to introduce a new limeade to a town that already has versions from Topsy's, Winstead's and Sonic firmly entrenched. But courage and a busy food science lab doesn't mean that the classic limeade and cherry limeade sparklers are worth your $1.69.…

Sunkist Solar Fusion: Don't get lured in

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:00:25 -0500

The orange-and-black packaging on the Sunkist Solar Fusion tricked me into adding the two-liter to my shopping cart this week. But like the brightly colored clown fish, it was just a setup for the harsh sting of the anemone inside.

This beverage is an unfortunate blend of energy drink and soft drink -- I'll call it a soft energy drink.…

Jason Burton: KC tastemaker

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:30:46 -0500

Mad scientists have historically received a bad rap, but Jason Burton -- one of the most accomplished drink tinkerers in Kansas City -- could help change people's minds when it comes to trying new coffee and cocktail recipes.

Burton is the product designer cum brand manager behind Lab 5702, which provides beverage consultation, package design and flavoring advice for individuals and corporations around the country.

"My house is a lab," says Burton.…

Down the hatch: The good, the bad and the Grass Jelly

Jonathan Bender — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:00:08 -0600

While at the 888 International Market this weekend, I was tempted by an array of beverage flavors in aluminum cans. I grabbed three at 79 cents a pop, in order to find out whether I was missing anything or it's best to stick with cherry or vanilla syrup as the way to spice up a soda.…

Soda a larger part of our lives than we think?

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:16:23 -0500

The number of calories that soda contributes to our daily intake is a hotly debated topic. Soft-drink manufacturers don't believe that soda should be singled out in relation to the nation's obesity, and critics argue that Americans are slowly drinking themselves into a world of motorized scooters.…

Thai truck drivers and energy drinks

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:15:29 -0500

If it seems like energy drinks have taken over the world, that's because they have. But one place where the growth of energy drinks has stalled is Thailand.…

Down the hatch: Lychee Ramune drink

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:30:04 -0500

I had never enjoyed a drink that requires me to perform five steps before I can even raise it to my lips. But this is the fun of Shirakiku's carbonated Lychee Ramune drink -- a Japanese soda in a codd bottle.

In order to get at the carbonated drink inside the glass bottle, you must first remove the seal from the top and detach the plunger from the center of the cap.

Once the plunger's been removed from the center, you place it in a

small depression at the top of the bottle.…

The war on soda

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:10:04 -0500

Health and public officials have found their villain in the war against obesity. Satan, thy name is cola.…