What a long, strange trip it’s been… to 1022 South.
Wow, it seems like forever since I’ve thrown a post up. Somehow, sitting in a cafe in Tacoma, ingesting large amounts of the tastiest, french-press caffeine inspires me to hop on WordPress.
I have really forgotten just how awesome Tacoma is. I knew I missed it, but I had no idea how much. There seems to be so much going on that is new and amazing since I left 7 months ago.
Fresh sea-food a grocery store… being able to wear a t-shirt and a collared shirt outdoors in January, the mist, the sound. Pretty damn perfect place to live. As a enthusiast of all things epicurean, Tacoma is fantastic… and to my great surprise, my favorite bar (which was out of business when I left) has sort of resurrected itself. The cocktails at the Monsoon Room were beautiful works of art, and it was the place that I really had a chance to experience true mixology. 1022 South… in the same building blew me away last night.
I have always been a supporter of the classic cocktail, and many have seen a revival in recent years. 1022 South has an entire section of their menu dedicated to the classics… Old Fashioneds (my personal favorite) Sazarec (now that absinthe is fair-game in the states) and many others… including my favorite drink of the night The Aviation (a take on the classic Aviator). Creme de Violette is what makes this drink… a liqueur made from violet flowers… notoriously difficult to find, but killer. The drink isn’t particularly “wintery”, but it knocked me out.
The bartender… (whose name I unfortunately didn’t catch) is incredibly knowledgeable. The guy is a veritable encyclopedia… and my foodie-perked ears basically exploded when he started describing the merits of kava kava and indian holy basil that goes in the drinks. I love the combination of obscure ingredients, that have cultural significance, great cocktails and brilliant combinations.
Truly, this place is one of Tacoma’s finest, and in my opinion, tops what I thought was un-toppable… the Monsoon Room.
If you’re in T-Town, go here. Seriously. Go right now. Amazing.
Another SPEW article on 1022 South
