Nothing says the word “man” better than drinking a good, heavy stout in the wintertime. But what if that stout is served in a coupe glass and topped with creamy pink foam?
Well, that would be “Man on a Bearskin Rug.” The beer-based cocktail is still masculine, but in a retro, Burt Reynolds ladykiller sort of way. In other words, it’s the perfect drink for someone sitting at the newish R Bar downtown, watching live concert videos from the 1970s projected onto a wall.
The Rialto Theatre’s hip alleyway cocktail lounge, 350 E. Congress St., has taken the reins of the dear-departed Red Room at Grill. For one, the bar is literally red. With its vinyl DJ night and saucy cocktail list served till the late hours of the morning, R Bar has attracted critical mass of Tucson hipsters.
Its Man on a Bearskin Rug is funkier than you’d think — almost fruity. The silky oatmeal stout from Ninkasi brewery in Oregon is freshened up with a dose of 7 ½-year-old apple brandy, earthy Italian Carpano Antica vermouth, and a house-made grenadine made from pomegranate juice and turbinado sugar. A nice dash of Angostura bitters also lends an herbaceous note, making the drink so complex my friend said it reminded her of a special brand of vintage French cologne. (But, I’m sure, with better flavor …)
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After the boozy base is shaken, the bartender pours the stout on top, making sure to get a good head on the beer to activate the foam. Although I couldn’t really see it in the low-lit room, the bartender told me it mixes with the other ingredients and forms pinkish rings, almost like a bulls-eye.
Let’s just say, a couple of these is infinitely more fun than winning a game of darts. …
