Let's talk about that great band The Rentals. There's this guy, Matt Sharp, who was the original bassist (and backup singer) for Weezer. He also had a band called The Rentals. They never found the level of success that Weezer enjoyed, but they had one hit single in 1995/6 called Friends of P. It's super catchy, and immediately transports me back to a great moment in my life (no, I will not go into detail). So, after hearing the song recently, I decided to craft a cocktail in honor of Matt Sharp...I call it the Bee Sharp.
Ingredients:
3 oz Bourbon - I used 2 oz Buffalo Trace & 1 oz Baker's
1 oz meyer lemon juice
1/2 to 1 tsp local honey (depending on the sweetness of the lemons)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (preferably homemade & tahitian)
Preparation:Add bourbon, lemon juice, honey and vanilla to a cocktail shaker. Stir well to mix. Add ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with a lemon twist, lemon 'navel', or vanilla bean.
Description:
The Bee Sharp is one of those kids that looks just like his dad. Born of the Hot Toddy and Whiskey Sour, it is a simple, balanced cocktail. As I've mentioned before, both vanilla and lemon are great accompaniments to bourbon, and this cocktail leans on each equally. The meyer lemon lends more sweetness and complexity than a sunkist would, while the tahitian vanilla is simply unmatched for it's floral, earthy complexity. Of course, the honey brings a key sweetness to balance the citric acid. It also plays the dance partner to the vanilla. Silly description? Try it, you'll see.
