Indy.com
Today:
Local bartenders compete to create the perfect race-day drink
A victory lap for the... Drink of the Drive
Two parts motor oil, one part cheap sun block, a pinch of tire tread and a splash of sweat off a Brazilian brow. Mix in a chrome shaker and serve over ice in a pilsner glass; garnish with a checkered flag. There you have it: The spirit of the Indianapolis 500 in a glass. We here at Indy.com know -- and take seriously -- the fact that drinking and driving don't mix. But, drinking and motorsport-spectating? That's a different story. So we challenged five local bartenders (one blew us off) to create the quintessential racy cocktail. Because, we figured, if the Kentucky Derby can have the mint julep, then why shouldn't the 500 have a signature sipper, too?
The Winner: The Perfect Finish
An after-dinner dessert martini presented by: Mark Cocke, BLU general manager
Created by: Katelin Reeves, BLU bartender
Inspiration: "The Perfect Finish" starts with a hand-painted chocolate glass to represent the black squares in a finish flag. The actual finish is a blend of vanilla and coconut vodkas, along with white and dark chocolate liquors, to add flavor and color.
Judge's comments: "It's like an angel spit in my mouth."
Taste it: "The Perfect Finish" will appear on the menu this month for $15 at BLU, the bar that invented it. BLU is at 240 S. Meridian St. Details: (317) 955-8585.
After the liquors are poured, the mixing tin is topped off with a splash of cream, whipped cream, and a splash of Frangelico.
No perfect finish is complete without a trophy, so "The Perfect Finish" is topped off with a hand-painted marshmallow to add a tasty reward.
To prepare the glass and garnish
Glass
Fill a small icing bottle with melted, quickly-hardening chocolate. Line the glass in a pattern of a race flag. Once the outline is completed, fill in every other square with chocolate to complete the black square in a race flag. Chill the glass in a glass chiller or freezer to make the chocolate harden.
Garnish
Using the same technique described above, outline each marshmallow with a checkered outline, filling in every other square with chocolate. Leave the round ends free of chocolate so you can set the marshmallow on its end on wax paper in the fridge as the chocolate hardens.
Ingredients
3 parts vanilla vodka (Smirnoff preferred)
2 parts coconut vodka (Pearl Coconut preferred)
3 parts Godiva white chocolate liquor
2 parts Godiva Dark chocolate liquor
1 part Frangelico liquor
1 splash of half-and-half
Finish off the mixing tin (or shaker) with an outline of whipped cream along the rim of the tin.
Mix together with a few shakes and strain the chilled mixture into the prepared glass. Garnish the glass with the checkered marshmallow, using a martini olive spear to hold it in place.
The Runner-up: Pit Stop Punch
Created / presented by: Gloria Berry, Mike's Speedway Lounge,3701 W. 16th St. (317) 631-8807.
Inspiration: "Something light and easy to drink on a hot race day."
Judge's comments: "Looks like a sunrise, tastes like a day at the beach ..... without the sand. Fruity and free-spirited."
Ingredients
A half ounce Crown Royal
A half ounce peach schnapps
A half ounce Midori
A half ounce cherry vodka
Two and a half ounces Red Bull
Two and a half ounces orange juice
Mix in a shaker with ice; serve in a margarita-style glass with ice. Garnish with fruit and a checkered flag.
Got Milk?
Created / presented by: Jimmy King, Scholars Inn Gourmet Cafe & Wine Bar, 725 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 536-0707
Inspiration: "I wanted the drink to look like milk, since the winner of the race has that to drink at the end."
Judge's comments: "Cookies and milk and alcohol -- sign me up!"
Ingredients
1 and a half ounces Stoli vanilla vodka
1 ounce Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
A half ounce creme de cacao
Coat the rim of a martini glass with crushed Oreos (the chocolate sandwich part). Mix drink ingredients in a shaker with ice; strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an Oreo cookie.
Cotton Candy Alley
Created / presented by: Tasha Boehme, Blu Martini, 4705 E. 96th St. (317) 566-8650.
Inspiration: "I went with the concessions part of the race -- thought it was a little more fun. The only alcohol that I thought went directly with the race was beer!"
Judge's comments: "Very easy to drink. Maybe too easy to drink. I'll let you know tomorrow."
Ingredients
1.25 ounces Smirnoff blueberry vodka
A half ounce blue curacao
A quarter ounce creme de cacao
Splash of cream
Cotton candy garnish
Mix ingredients in a shaker with ice; strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a puff of cotton candy, using a toothpick or olive spear to hold it in place for presentation.
The Judges
We don't know where half these people are employed, but they took a long lunch one day to test our cocktails:
Daniel Cecil, aka "Drinky McGee"
Claim to fame: "I drink a lot."
Favorite all-time Indy 500 driver: "Don't really have one. Jim Nabors?"
Favorite drink while watching/listening to the race: "The kind with alcohol."
Joe Shearer
Claim to fame: Indy.com movie reviewer and cocktail contest organizer.
Favorite all-time Indy 500 driver: "Rick Mears."
Favorite drink while watching/listening to the race: "Live Wire Mountain Dew."
Jamaica Slicer
Claim to fame: "I killed a man in Reno ...."
Favorite all-time Indy 500 driver: "Ed Carpenter."
Favorite drink while watching/listening to the race: "PBR."
Matt Albro
Claim to fame: Champion thumb wrestler (also Oldies 101.9 jock)
Favorite all-time Indy 500 driver: "A.J. Foyt."
Favorite drink while watching/listening to the race: "Light beer -- it's hot at the track."
Erik Koch, mechanic
Claim to fame: "I can take a car apart in 5 seconds but take days to put it together."
Favorite all-time Indy 500 driver: "A.J. Foyt."
Favorite drink while watching/listening to the race: "Miller G/D."
I want to thank Indy.com for allowing me to drink for free. That triumphant concoction really was amazing.
Love the larger photos on indy.
I want to thank Indy.com for allowing me to drink for free. That triumphant concoction ...
Yes, it was lots of fun!
I want to reiterate too at all of the drinks were really fun and tasted great, and for me it was pretty tough to choose the best one.
And one more thing, just because it wasn't mentioned in the story: Eric Koch works for Tom Wood Pontiac's service department (2550 E. Washington St.). They're old pals of mine, and I worked most of my way through college there. So go there, get your oil changed or your car fixed, and give shop manager Ed Parker a hard time, and tell 'em it's from me.
wow, that winning drink really looks amazing. same with the cotton candy one!