THE MASH
Falling out of love
The drink: Bitter Fall.
Where: Eat Street Social, 18 W. 26th St., Mpls.
Kris Gigstad was in a committed relationship with a real "sweetheart," so he decided to take the plunge. Just not the one you're thinking.
Unfortunately, they broke up and the Eat Street Social bartender went for a cathartic, coffee-binging skydive (nothing like free-falling thousands of feet for closure) with some ESS buds. You'll have to belly up and hound Gigs for the entire fear-of-pants-crapping account. But the ordeal inspired his Bitter Fall cocktail, a coffee-laced riff on a classic Boulevardier.
It starts with Eat Street's selected Knob Creek single barrel bourbon and a metaphorical trio of vermouths — bitter and sweet Italians and one dry American. Then comes a surprisingly delicate coffee-infused Campari and two deal-sealing dashes of Bittercube's barrel-aged Trifecta bitters.
Just like a love wound, this drink gets better with time, as a little ice melt opens up the subtle coffee notes and harmonizes this chorus of bold flavors. Terminated romance never tasted so good.
