chronic iced tea

1 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac
1 oz Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3-4 oz Bergamot Iced Tea

Shake all but the tea in a pint glass with ice. Take off the shaker tin and top pint glass with ice tea; garnish with a lemon wheel and straw.

Sometime in the middle of my first cocktail, I gained another glass in front of my Blue Skies and Kentucky Breakfast Stout -- a glass of sparkling wine! That Sunday was the eve of Green Street owner Dylan Black's birthday, and it was nearing midnight so the surprise party began with a sabering of a Champagne bottle to open it! This feat was matched by an amazing happy birthday song sung by someone at the bar with a classically trained voice. It felt rather decadent to have three glasses of booze in front of me, but Dylan would approve.
Once my collection of glassware was drained, I ordered my second cocktail off of the small menu -- Chronic Iced Tea -- from bartender Derric Crothers. This tall drink was a B-Side original, perhaps named after the Notorious B.I.G. song that featured Snoop Dogg, and it can be found at a few other B-Side disciple bars like the Highland Kitchen. The drink's nose was strong with an Earl Grey tea aroma that preceded a rather classy drink despite the name (it is a reference to tea brewed with marijuana leaves). The bergamot-flavored black tea was complemented by lemon and hints of honey. Indeed, with a lower proportion of tea in the mix, the Chronic Ice Tea would fall into the category of a classic Punch. Instead, it falls into the category of easy and refreshing drinking.