For those of you who like to drink your dessert, Benjy's has added two new sweet cocktails to its fall drink menu. Created by mixologist Mason Houge, these drinks go beyond the typical chocolate or green-apple sweet "tini" versions.
For a grown-up version of a nostalgic treat, Houge mixed up a PB&J Martini. As strange as this may sound, it's actually really, really good.
Houge starts by infusing Sobieski vodka with raw peanuts for 72 hours. I got a whiff of the stuff and it is pure nutty goodness. The peanut vodka is then paired with fresh jam created from available seasonal produce purchased at a local farmers' market and a splash of half and half.
The mixture is shaken and served in a martini glass rimmed with crushed honey-roasted peanuts. The end result is a creamy drink that is surprisingly light, very peanut-y, and not overly sweet.
His other creation, the Tiramisu Martini, was pure decadence in a glass. White rum, Kahlua, Bailey's and amaretto is shaken and poured into a martini glass, then topped off with a dollop of steamed milk and garnished with a chocolate dipped ladyfinger. It's the kind of drink you want to sip on a cold winter's night, preferably with a roaring fire and someone to snuggle with nearby. It warms you from the inside.
A word of warning: These are the kind of drinks that make people around you point and whisper until they finally muster the courage to ask what you're drinking and then subsequently order one for themselves. The yummy martini spin-offs sell for $9.50 each and are available at both Benjy's locations. So save up some calories, put on a friendly smile, and go ahead and indulge in a deliciously different kind of cocktail.