Bardenay

610 Grove Street
www.bardenay.com

Stop 3 of Martini Mix-off 2009

I’d like to provide full disclosure from the beginning here. I’m not a huge fan of Bardenay. There vodka sucks…tastes like tequila which would be fine if I was ordering tequila but not when I’m ordering vodka. Plus the place is noisy and doesn’t have great energy flow. Ok, there I said it all, now moving on to Martinis!

This year they are mixing up:
Bardenay Bond
Bardenay Gin, Bardenay Vodka, and Lillet Blanc “shaken not stirred”

The Sixth Sense
Absolut Citron, Six traditional spices, and a house prepared juice blend of watermelon, honeydew, and lemon

Masala Martini
Absolut Peppar, Yellow Chartreuse, Yazi Ginger Vodka, Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, Starbuck’s Coffee Liqueur, Oregon Chai, a float of cream, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

The Bardenay Bond was served with one of our favorite garnishes- the bleu cheese stuffed olive. Yum! This martini had an in-your-face alcohol taste. There wasn’t much subtleness to it at all, much like the recent Bond films, so appropriately named. It might be better just made with the gin since the vodka sucks.

The Sixth Sense was a favorite of a few at the table. I found it to be a bit too fruity, or at least watermelon-y but I’m not a fan of watermelon. If you like sweet and you like fruity, you will like this one!

The Masala Martini was definitely unique. Upon the first sip, the chai flavor of the spices really comes out. Then suddenly the finish is this big spicy kick from the Absolut Peppar. Beautiful presentation of an Asian symbol made with a dusting of cinnamon on top. This is dessert in a glass.

Overall, we didn’t come to a unanimous choice at this location. Service was adequate. We did not order food. Not sure any of us would return specifically for any of the martini options.