A few months ago I found myself in Seattle, and in the spirit of the Summer of Gin, I made my way to the greatest bar I've ever been to (yes, even better than Absinthe)
It's a booze paradise: the Zig Zag Cafe. I'd heard about it from various sources, and I was not disappointed. It's tucked away below Pike Place Market, near two of my other favorite Seattle destinations, the Spanish Table, and World Spice.
My plan was to settle in for some serious drinking, and luckily one of the bartenders (named Eric) came to our table, and helped direct my exploration (once I mentioned a couple of cocktails I'd made at home but never had at a bar).
So here's a report on the drinks, with links to the recipes from Drink Boy's excellent site (one of the sources that sent me to Zig Zag in the first place).
Aviation
An excellent drink, and my starting place into the world of classic forgotten cocktails.
Last Word
This is an amazing cocktail that deserves a comeback. The herbal notes that might scare you off are in fact perfectly balanced. This is the only mixed cocktail that I would use Old Raj gin in--counter-intuitive since Old Raj is so subtle, but the saffron and other herbs marry well with the Chartreuse and maraschino (not to be confused with the day-glo cocktail cherries, maraschino is a wonderful dry liqueur).
AuntEmily
The link goes to Bols, but if I remember correctly, Zig Zag was using this drink to show off some great apricot brandy and calvados (apple brandy).
Corpse Reviver #2
A pity this one has such a weird name, because it's just wonderful. I'm not sure what recipe Zig Zag uses, but I think it's closer to Dr. Cocktail's than the one I link to here (the book I just linked to is a must-have if you want to explore forgotten cocktails).
Fin de Sicle He uses equal parts gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and lemon juice (and just one drop of pastis).
Blue Moon
Follow that link--this is really a wonderful cocktail that has returned to the world now that violet liqueur is available again in the United States. Of course, Zig Zag used a different one that they had someone get for them in Japan.
And, yes, I shared the cocktails with a coworker, so I was able to stumble back to the hotel without too much difficulty. The food at Zig Zag was excellent too, but this is a serious booze destination and I highly recommend it.