The Wobbly Olive has been fighting a craft-centric, locally minded fight on Powers Boulevard (next to the movie theater) for a while now, and there’s no surrender in sight. The restaurant just released a huge winter cocktail menu, with some 60 percent of the over 80 selections brand new to the list.
On it, you’ll find local distilleries like Lee Spirits Co., as well as classics like Pimm’s No. 1. The list is the work of owners Sean and Inez Fitzgerald, with bartenders Phil Arana, Jade Yasmine and Ryan Scoville.
“Being surrounded by so many extremely successful corporate restaurants, we tasked ourselves with a challenge: ease the east side into flavor profiles typically found outside of our big box neighbor’s cocktail programs,” Sean says in an email to the Report. “After 18 months we felt that it was time to unleash our collective creativities and present a proper craft cocktail menu. The inspiration behind the cocktail menu was to present a balanced program consisting of classics, originals, rare flavors, and bridging cocktails.
“An example of rare flavors is Inez’s Green Yoshi: It mixes gin, Leopold’s apple liqueur, and a house-made Match Apple Tea — think along the lines of an updated Appletini. An example of a bridge cocktail is Phil Arana’s Violet Hour: It is extremely simple by combining elderflower, lavender, and gin. He created it to introduce gin to drinkers whom previously stayed away. It takes them from vodka tonics to more complex flavors and ingredients.
“So far the most popular original has been Sean’s Jump the Shark: Kentucky bourbon, Oloroso sherry, Genuine Curaçao, and vanilla bitters.”
The restaurant is holding a private tasting on December 2, by reservation only. Email sean@wobblyolive.com for more information, and check out the list below:
