Oak & Ivy
707 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV
oakandivy.com
RV Trip 2018 - Part 1: Kabuto Edomae Sushi
RV Trip 2018 - Part 2: Misc. Dining
RV Trip 2018 - Part 3: Camping Food
RV Trip 2018 - Part 5: é by José Andrés
RV Trip 2018 - Part 6: Emeril's Delmonico Steakhouse
Container park is an awesome little space in downtown Las Vegas, with lots of fun shops constructed from reclaimed shipping containers.
While there are some tables outside, the interior space spans no more or less than the length of the shipping container in which it's built. It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed sitting at the bar and chatting with our bartender.
First Round
Sazerac: High West Double Rye, Peychaud's Bitters, Absinthe Mist
Senator: Barrel-Aged Templeton Rye, Ruby Port, Fruitlab Ginger, Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
Our first two drinks. I love the Sazerac, and often order it as a sort of "test" of a bar's technique. This one was particularly well-made, as was Leah's delicious Senator, made with barrel-aged rye whisky.
James F. C. Hyde Sorgho Whiskey
Drip-Infused through Tea Bags, Lemon Peel, Dried Fruit, Nuts & Spices
As we enjoyed our first round, we watched the bartender continuously fuss with a cool-looking drip apparatus behind the bar. We asked him about it and he told us that it was sorghum whiskey infusing through a variety of aromatics. I ordered a glass, which he prepared with a few dashes of bitter, before asking, "Would you like that smoked?" The correct answer was, of course, "yes!"
Manhattan
Barrel-Aged Angel's Envy, Carpano Antica, Angostura Bitters
Leah ordered another cocktail with barrel-aged spirit (Angel's Envy, one of our favorite bourbons), this time the classic Manhattan.
Dealer's Choice
Angostura Bitters, Laphroaig 10-Year, Lime, Orgeat
After establishing a rapport, I enjoy asking a bartender to make me something or their own choosing. This particular gentleman decided to sort of haze me, which was fun. He started to pour out drops of Angostura bitters and just kept going. He laughed and made a joke about whether I regretted trusting him. He said when he was first starting, it was traditional for new bartenders to have to drink a shot of straight bitters, and this drink came out of that.
In the end, it actually tasted quite delicious, despite containing a full ounce of bitters! The addition of Scotch, lime juice, and orgeat syrup made it tasted kind of like an adult Shirley Temple.
Navy Grog
Leah also asked for a custom cocktail, and received something much more traditional - a fine variant on classic Navy Grog, topped with freshly grated nutmeg. Yum.
Apple Pie Harvest
Clyde Mays, Allspice Dram, Bar Keep Apple Bitters, Butter, Caramelized Brown Sugar, Becherovka
This incredible sweet cocktail involved a lot of setup. After mixing and pouring the drink itself, the bartender topped an apple slice with butter and brown sugar, then torched it. Finally, he added a pipette of Becherovka, a classic Czech herbal spirit. He instructed me to enjoy by taking a sip of the cocktail, followed by a bite of the apple, and then chasing it all with the Becherovka.
The whole experience was a total blast and tasted amazing too!
Old-Fashioned
Leah loves a good Old-Fashioned, so she ordered one for her final drink. Nothing fancy here, just a perfectly prepared classic made the correct way (with NO muddled fruit, just an orange twist).
Springbank 12-Year Cask Strength
Seeing the extensive whisky selection, I decided to conclude the visit with a nice Scotch. I asked for a recommendation and received this fantastic 12-year cask strength variety from Springbank.
Hazelburn 10-Year
We were all set, but the bartender offered me one more Scotch on the house which he insisted I taste. I was pleasantly surprised by the complexity of this young (for Scotch) 10-year product from Hazelburn. There are few things I enjoy more than digging in at a great bar with a capable bartender, and this was a perfect way to close out the afternoon!
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