Joe @ Octane Coffee

Friday, June 29, 2012 Posted in Cocktail, coffee, Drink, General

Are y’all still here? I apologize for any absence, and I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I’ve been present in this space. I’ve been working on a project or two, and believe it or not, snapping photos here and there for the blog.

Last week after a delayed shoot, found me at one of my favorite hangouts in the city, Octane Coffee on the Westside. I find myself here often when I’m in the mood for a jolt of caffeine, a cold beer or a well-made cocktail. They haven’t always had alcohol on the menu but when they made the jump, they’ve done it with class. It’s also one of the few bars where I can get some juice from my constantly dying iPhone.

Even when there’s a lull in the postings here on the blog, I’m constantly gabbing on one social media platform or another — twitter and instagram being the main culprits. Increasingly you can get more information on what’s going on in a bar or restaurant on Instagram than you will from press releases, traditional media, and yes on blogs.

If memory serves me right, Instagram is where I first “met” Joe who was behind the bar this afternoon, and like all friendly specialty coffee folks in this city remembered my go-to coffee drink and we talked a bit on his upcoming plans. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to grab a cocktail from him in Atlanta because he’s planning a move and served his last drink on Thursday.

I don’t have a recipe to share with you, but I’ll give you a gist of the drink. There will be plenty of cocktails on the blog in the next few months if everything I’ve got planned works out. I love getting Manhattans at Octane and Joe served up a cocktail inspired by one. Some Bulleit Bourbon, a bit of Old Overholt rye, both sweet and dry Dolin vermouth, bitters & of course, a cherry. The Overholt is nice & spicy and pretty strong on its own. I also sampled some of the E.H. Taylor tornado bourbon which was excellent and I’d highly recommend it.

I wish Joe the best in his new endeavors and hope to get a cocktail from him in the fall. The Grant Park Octane location also has a great beverage program and the excellent Little Tart Bake Shop during the day. If you haven’t been, definitely check out both shops on your side of town.