Friday, May 10, 2013

Spirit of Albany: The Kennedy Sour


Editor’s note: We asked Albany's best mixologists to create an original cocktail recipe that embodies the true Spirit of Albany. Today, we highlight The Kennedy Sour, created by Robert Mack of Yono’s/dp, using product from the nearby Albany Distilling Company.

What do you get when you mix Bourbon, grapefruit juice, and some bitters? Something truly delicious, of course. Not overpowering in the least, the Kennedy Sour is a balanced and delightful concoction that is pleasing to even the non- or not-so-often bourbon drinker.

Though simple in construction, the result seems the product of hard labor and careful execution on behalf of the bartender. That’s the art of this drink.

The Kennedy Sour is a tribute to Albany native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, William Kennedy, who has written such novels as Legs, Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game, Ironweed (the namesake of the Bourbon used to create this cocktail), and O Albany!, a non-fictional account of Albany.

The Kennedy Sour
Take a tour of the Albany Distilling Company to learn how the Ironweed Bourbon is created, then walk to the nearby dp’s/Yono’s and order up the Kennedy Sour. Sip slowly, and be transported back in time to when legendary gangster Jack ‘Legs’ Diamond (also known as Gentleman Jack) was bootlegging and gambling around Albany back in the 1920s. And if you’re really getting into the story, walk up to 67 Dove Street in the Center Square neighborhood for a look at the house in which he was murdered.

When you've finished your stroll, head to www.albany.org/spiritofalbany for the full recipe and other Spirit of Albany drinks. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite recipe, which may earn the title of the 2013 Spirit of Albany.

Remember to have fun, but be smart. Designate a driver!

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