For a shot-and-a-beer kind of place, the Roll’N Saloon (4200 San Felipe, 713-622-7487) goes through a hell of a lot of Grey Goose vodka. Of course, on any given night, they go through quite a bit of everything. A Roll’N tradition is the “train shot.” When the all-too-frequent freight trains roll on past the bar, you can hear the slow rumble of the tracks right outside the front door. The bartender rings a bell, and train shots are offered for a buck. Otherwise known as trash shots, they’re essentially the dregs from the bottles behind the bar, mixed with a little cranberry juice to mask the taste, and served in old test tubes. Better than that (it doesn’t take much) is a drink they call a Water Moccasin. Initially created as a shot, it was so enjoyable that we improvised and turned it into a full-fledged cocktail. By the way, the crazy guy wearing the floppy chef’s hat on football Sundays is none other than bartender Mark, making everyone feel welcome. Whether he’s feeding the jukebox for the bar’s favorite tunes or dancing by himself in the aisles to jump-start the place, he’s the most animated and sincere dude in the business. As he likes to say, “Our motto is roll in, crawl out — with a taxi waiting for you, of course.”
The Roll’N’s Water Moccasin:
1 1/2 ounces Crown Royal
3/4 ounce peach schnapps
Splash of cranberry juice
Pour ingredients over ice. Do you need more instruction than that?
This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2002.