A recent trip to Saint Louis, Missouri produced a world I was not accustomed to. Outside the winding dead-end roads and changing street names even a veteran could have issues getting around. Aside from that I hear St. Louis is a hub for the midwest gastropub and craft cocktail.... You have my attention.
After an evening with "the family" we decided to end the night at a local casino, which had an upscale bar near the top floor overlooking the East/West St. Louis divide. Four Season St. Louis showed me a bit of St. Louis I didn't know existed. Aside from all the "ghetto" areas I was surprised to find an upscale bar in the heart of the city; no wonder its attached to a hotel. This swank hotel bar, Cielo, offered much to the seasoned as well as the novice drinker. A variety of spirits not available in my area aroused my senses. Even more did the cocktail menu arouse my girlfriend's, a duck fat infused scotch cocktail, what are they thinking? Never saw that coming, even though in hindsight why wouldn't we progress from bacon- infused to duck fat infused liquor? Infused scotch mixed with pistachio liqueur, dry vermouth, Cointreau, and a house-made allspice dram, The Daffy's Nightmare sounds quiet intriguing. The initial sip led from scotch to a cloying artificial flavor to citrus and then finished with a rather intense allspice flavor. Lisa claimed the allspice was overpowering, but I interjected with the feeling of artificial flavoring and cloying duck-fat. Maybe my senses are off, but all in all the drink was okay, very interesting with a mystique of curiosity that reels me to come back.
Previous to the end we had had a tapas dinner at a place called Mosaic. The meal was an amazing presentation that had the taste buds flourishing. A definitive avant-garde restaurant, I was ready the moment I walked in the door. A plethora of flavor and sensation among each small plate drug me "through the garden," loving the journey. A debate among flavor profiles ensued and of course no one won that battle. Inviting newbies to the gastro experience was a delight that I relished to enlighten those less experienced than I or my girlfriend to indulge. Is that capsicum-infused melon? The quail egg salad was the most peculiar. Leading my girlfriend and I to debate among its character ingredients. Definitely a must try.
Drink wise I went with a "safe" Dark and Stormy as I didn't want to bother the waitstaff to retrieve the cocktail menu from the bar. Lisa loving the intricate flavors decided upon the Death From Above; a mixture of spiced rum, lime juice, cinnamon honey syrup, smoked scotch and tobacco bitters. Wow!, is all I can say. I am not a fan of spiced rum as any person who knows will tell you, but this drink is well rounded in all aspects. The lime juice, rum and spiced honey all bleed out at the appropriate times with a smoothing smoky scotch note and tobacco spiciness round this cocktail out. Looking at it on paper I would have never thought that I would like it so much .
All in all St. Louis threw me a curve ball I would have never swung for, but I am glad that I did. Inning for inning this town has alot to offer and I can't wait until I go back for more.
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