It’s Sunday afternoon and after another wild night, I can barely move. I know, I know — same old story right? Wrong. This time, I have a great excuse. It’s the day after my 25th birthday.
Even though every text, picture and Like on Facebook and Instagram is a reminder of the amount of drinking I did the night before, I can’t help but review the love being sent my way. And I must say, while at this moment it feels like little has changed about my drinking habits, all in all, I feel like a more mature human.
For one, I don’t just drink whatever someone hands me. I have standards now. Hence, why I sought specialty shots for my celebration. My plan was to take 25 unique shots around the Queen City. A shot crawl, if you will.
It sounded like a great idea at first, but looking back, 25 shots, even across 25 days, was ambitious. So I’m going to share seven — that’s the sum of the 2 and the 5 in 25.
The biggest challenge to creating this list was that a lot of people don’t take specialty shots. I’d ask someone, “Hey, have you ever had a unique shot at a bar in Charlotte?” And nine times out of 10, the response was, “Ehh, I normally just take a straight shot of whiskey.” Be adventurous people, geez.
The other challenge? Having to recall each shot and realizing you’ve mixed way too many types of liquors.
• Hickory Tavern, Ballantyne: The Schmekle. I had this one after work at a happy hour get-together. A Hickory Tavern specialty, it included Bacardi 151, vodka, Blue Curaçao and Red Bull. And let me tell you, this one was a doozie. I’m not going to lie; I had them add a tad more Red Bull.
• Gin Mill, South End: Bend Me Over. I loved the bartender here. She was really nice and had a lot of bar experience, so she filled me in on a classic shot that included Crown Royal, pineapple juice and amaretto. Not the best idea to take this one right after a Cloud 9 shot. I wanted to bend over, and not in the way that the name suggests.
• Tavern on the Tracks, South End: Blueberry Pancake. Here, I had breakfast for dinner. Our cute redheaded bartender (whose name escapes me) suggested we try a blueberry pancake shot. This was the first pancake I considered putting back. Don’t get me wrong: It was delicious and tasted exactly like a blueberry pancake, but I had been rallying for a while. For this one, you shoot Knob Creek Maple Bourbon mixed with butterscotch schnapps and then chase with blueberry Red Bull.
• All American, South End: Cheerwine. Here we got a Southern staple.Living in the South, if you haven’t had Cheerwine, you haven’t lived. The first place I tried one was at Jeff’s Bucket Shop, and I tossed it under the bar (shhh ... don’t tell)! And believe it or not, there actually isn’t any Cheerwine in it, which is pretty awesome. Instead, it’s made of Captain Morgan, amaretto, grenadine and a splash of sour.
• Whiskey Warehouse, Plaza Midwood: Mt. Dew. This is another staple you can get anywhere, but my first exposure was here. This is a bomb, a mixture of Southern Comfort, Grand Marnier and Midori that you drop into a cup of Sprite.
• Thirsty Beaver, Plaza Midwood: Whiskey Pickleback. Tread lightly with this one. All it consists of is a shot of whiskey (your choice) that you chase with pickle juice. The major difference? They use pickles/pickle juice from a local pickle lady that are absolutely amazing.
• L4 Lounge, Plaza Midwood: The Aerin Shot. Of course, I saved the best for last. This is a signature shot that Jan, my fave bartender, whipped up for me. I simply asked her to make me a shot that was unique to me, and she hit the nail on the head. It consisted of peach vodka, Grand Marnier, Razzmatazz, a splash of sour, a splash of cranberry and a splash of Sprite. If you’re at L4 Lounge and want to know what I taste like, ask for The Aerin Shot!
Now that I’ve officially tortured myself while hungover the day after my 25th birthday, I pass the baton to you. Where have you been in the Queen City that offers a tasty specialty shot? I may not have hit 25 shots this weekend, but this is definitely a worthy goal over the next year.
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