Collegiate Times

Courtney Robertson uses mint flavoring in Poor Billy's "Irish Dream Martini."

Poor Billy’s “Irish Dream Martini”

Poor Billy’s certainly has unique decorations. Atop the back bar, a wire-framed lighted moose glows while sporting flowers, beads and a hat themed for St. Patrick’s Day. Bartender Courtney Robertson said the mammal slips into new gear for each holiday.

It watched over Robertson as she used chocolate syrup to carefully draw a four-leaf clover in a martini glass. The decor was a playful base to a drink that recalled childhood fundraising.

Ingredients:

Vodka

Creme de menthe

Godiva liqueur

Thoughts:

Arnold: It’s a Thin Mint with attitude. I imagined a Girl Scout mother unwinding with the Irish Dream Martini after enduring her daughter’s cookie sales all day.

Chamberlain: It’s a great beverage to sip on — probably even better for a drink with dessert. The “mixologist” for this one definitely got the taste of a Thin Mint
spot on.

Watson: It smelled and tasted exactly like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie. They are my favorite, so naturally I was a big fan of this drink. The drink was a perfect mix of mint flavor, chocolate and liquor.

Grade:

4.5

Big Al’s “Irish Trashcan”

Try to frown at a bar whose employees serenade each other with late ’90s hits like “All My Life” by R&B artists K-Ci and JoJo. The soundtrack also included acts as polarized as Guns N’ Roses and Montell Jordan. It was an eclectic mix, not unlike the drink that bartender Yuki Nakame whipped together.

Manager Andrea Weddle said Red Bull provided the recipe, a partnership that makes sense when you notice the tables made of giant Red Bull cans.

Ingredients:

Vodka

Rum

Gin

Triple sec

Blue Curacao

Peach schnapps

Red Bull

Arnold: The Red Bull disguised all the other devious ingredients that could send you to a literal trashcan. Proceed with caution.

Chamberlain: I’m not the biggest Red Bull fan, and it was definitely the dominant flavor. It masked the plethora of alcohol in the drink though, so if all you’re looking for is to stumble home, a few of these should do the trick.

Watson: I don’t really like Red Bull. (Man, I’m making myself seem like a very picky drinker.) This drink was sweet — but not too sweet — and dangerous. Despite an abundance of liquor, it was smooth and had a great finish. Also, the “trashcan” presentation was clever.

Grade:

3.75

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A version of this article appeared in the Mar 17 issue of the Collegiate Times.