Bar Belle_Sum22_Ed-final.qxp_Road Trip_Cinci.qxd 5/30/22 11:05 AM Page 12
liquids | the bar belle
Belle B elle
The
Bar
The wonderfully weird ways of
Gin
ver since Darling’s opened last year, I’ve got-
E
ten reacquainted with gin and all the crazy places it takes me without ever leaving the
bar stool. Gin by definition is a distilled spirit that
derives its flavor from juniper berries. But what Mr. Webster doesn’t tell you is that it’s also an elixir — a
magical potion that summons the inner desires of the
id. Gin steals time. Gin makes you say things that make
your inside voice blush. Gin skips school and goes to
weird mask parties like the ones in “Eyes Wide Shut.”
Gin drives you off a cliff while holding your hand.
OK, maybe I’m getting carried away. Because I actually like gin and have enjoyed my fair share of G&Ts in the hot summer sun — when the spirit is at its best. I don’t mean to knock gin, but things can and do get a little freaky when you cross the line from, say, the two-tothree-drink threshold. And if you haven’t tried Darling’s homemade sugar-free tonic, you really need to put that on top of your to-do list. Proof and Garage Bar also make their own tonics, but I can’t recall if they also have a sugar-free version or not. Who cares? Try them anyway. Gin made me say that. Many people dismiss gin because they say it tastes like a Christmas tree. Clearly they haven’t tried more than one brand, because, like whiskey, there are all sorts of styles and expressions. There might be a little pine note in its overall DNA, but that’s just one of many boun12 Summer 2022 www.foodanddine.com
BY SARA HAVENS AKA THE BAR BELLE
tiful botanicals that bounce on your tastebuds as you imbibe. Also, gin dates back to the 11th century and was concocted by Italian monks, so it literally can’t be canceled. Gin was here before White Claw, and it’ll be here after. Gin made me say that as well.
The Only Gin Bar in Bourbon Country
I recently caught up with Darling’s co-owner and head mixologist Marie Zahn to discuss her own love affair with the spirit and why she decided to open the only gin bar in Bourbon Country. Marie has worked at countless bars, clubs and music venues in town, and as the leading lady behind the bar, she says gin simply makes some of the best cocktails out there. “I’m a saucy booze hound, so there’s not really a spirit out there I’m not drawn toward,” she notes. “That being said, I do prefer the use of gin specifically in cocktails over other spirits.” Marie says she wasn’t hesitant at all opening a place dedicated to gin rather than the brown spirits, because she knows Louisville likes variety (there are bourbon cocktails at Darling’s as well). “I’d almost be more nervous to produce another bourbon bar in this city,” she adds. “It surely would be even harder to find that special niche that would set your bar apart from the rest.” Point taken. Marie shared the secret to the sugar-free tonic with me, and it involves a monk fruit sweetener. That’s all I’ll say. And as far as the bizarre buzz some people experience from gin, Marie says it might have more to do with what mixers you’re using: “I wouldn’t say gin itself gives me a different buzz, but how I’m drinking it does. It’s got to be hard to stay in a miserable mood when imbibing a zippy and refreshing gin sour. For me, it’s instant dopamine.” Darling’s is located in the Highlands at 1765 Bardstown Road.
The Not-So-Noble Experiment
Back in my crazy LEO days, I came up with a hypothesis that different spirits evoke different emotions from people. I always heard that