Just a Swingin’

Just a Swingin’

PHOTO BY LORI EANES

The bourbon-inspired Porch Swing carries into other seasons.


East End takes Alameda down South with The Porch Swing.

We found it: the perfect Sunday afternoon. It hails from the Deep South, but lives right here in Alameda. It’s a double-proof bourbon cocktail inspired by traditional sweet tea, and when you take that first sip, you’ll believe you’re in Georgia on the laziest of lazy days to hang out in the best place possible: the porch swing. That’s what this creative combination of refreshing ingredients is called and exactly what you can expect to get when you order it at East End, a spacious, all-brick Park Street restaurant. This ingenious original looks, smells, and tastes as relaxing as a day spent lounging in the warmth of the Southern sun.

PHOTO BY LORI EANES

Created by co-owner and “spirit-ual” leader Michele Manousos and her team, The Porch Swing beckons images of friends sharing drinks to pass carefree, beautiful hours together. Why so ideal for March? Manousos explained, “Our March in California is a little tricky, because it can be rainy and cold and windy. But I think it’s the idea that it’s fresh and a little spring-like, so you get the little hints of sun and the flowers popping up. It’s like, ‘I’m gonna sit on my porch.’ And it stays into summer because that feeling lasts.”That’s the truth, too. The cocktail has gained such popularity that it’s what Manousos called “a two-season drink” that patrons ask for until the beginning of fall. Now in its third run, The Porch Swing is set to delight patrons again and bring on dreams of swaying back-and-forth on a comfy outdoor two-person seat. And, of course, it invokes memories of every cozy outside moment when the breeze cooled us off just enough or when the stars showed up to call an end to a heaven-sent day. After you leave the restaurant, maybe go home and look up the Dolly Parton song “Sittin’ on the Front Porch Swing.” Then you can hear the beauty of the cocktail while you re-create it with the directions below. Perfect Sunday.East End, 1650 Park St., Alameda, 510-263-9630, EastEndAlameda.com

 

The Porch Swing

1.5 ounces of Medley Brothers Double-Proof bourbon

.75 ounce of Earl Gray simple syrup

.75 ounce of lemon

3 dashes of orange-sherry bitters

splash of club soda

 

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain over fresh ice in a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

 

Published online on March 17, 2017 at 8:00 a.m.