It was only a matter of time before the Restaurant Eugene barkeeps would shake up a liquid allusion to Tom Robbins’ classic novel, Jitterbug Perfume. In the book, the protagonists travel through time and space in a quest for immortality and the perfect fragrance. Said fragrance is designed to mask the musk of a stinky goat, the demi-god, Pan. Restaurant Eugene's K23 – the technical name of the book's perfume – vies for olfactory attention with goat cheese.
Like a good jazz combo that flies on brass and anchors on bass, good perfumes consist equally of bright floral notes and warm earth tones. If this also sounds like the mix of a distinctive, delightful drink, that’s exactly what Gabe Bowen was thinking when he developed the K23. He knew he wanted to make a beet cocktail, so the challenge became figuring out what other elements would be necessary for an alluring potion, especially one that has to stand up to pungent cheese.
Roasted, muddled beets take a dip in an ounce of Bulleit bourbon; a splash of orange juice lends acidity and evokes orange-glazed beets; a dash of smoked-onion sorghum gives piquant sweetness; Strega, a classic Italian liqeur, hints at caraway and toasted fennel. All are shaken and strained into a flute with an orange peel, then topped with prosecco. Voila! This is the K23, a drink that’ll make you want to dance the jitterbug. Stop by Restaurant Eugene soon to try the K23 with some of our favorite goat cheeses from around the southeast, including Atlanta's own Decimal Place Farm.
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