Properly Sauced: Root Beer and Ri (1)

By Anthony Todd in Food on Jun 12, 2009 6:00PM

We’ve written about our love of root beer many times, so when we last visited The Gage and saw this drink on their menu, we just had to order it. The Gage does lots of nice things with root beer (including a decadent dessert) but this is our favorite so far. Unfortunately, the drink was seasonal and is no longer on the menu - but they were nice enough to give us the recipe, so we can drink to our heart’s content. And we will. Oh yes.

Despite the sweet ingredients, the drink has a sophisticated taste. The sweetness of the root beer syrup is tempered by the herbal taste of the rosemary, and the 92-proof whiskey certainly packs a punch. Don’t think that this is a drink for “wimps” - you might not taste it, but you’ll be feeling it for sure.

Root Beer and Ri (1)
Adapted from a recipe from The Gage

3 1/4 oz Ri Whiskey
3/4 oz Root Beer Syrup
4 Dashes Angostura Bitters
1 sprig of rosemary

Combine the whiskey, root beer syrup and bitters in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Shake well to combine. Strain into a martini glass. Using your fingers, bruise the leaves of the rosemary sprig to release the flavor oils. Give the drink a stir with the sprig, and then leave it in as a garnish.

This drink uses root beer syrup, rather than root beer, and the difference is important - it allows for a concentrated, short drink rather than a highball. It’s not expensive or hard to find, though you may have to order it online. We got ours on Amazon. One bottle will make enough drinks for 10 parties.