The Monarch

The Monarch is a top notch restaurant, and its bar matches the high standard of dining.  Set on the corner of Manchester and Sutton in downtown Maplewood, Monarch provides a bartending staff well suited for the creation of, well, whatever you want.  At $10 for every cocktail on their menu, Monarch becomes a special occasion bar for most.  It wouldn’t be the best idea to order a Jack and Coke here, so if you are looking for simplicity, this is not your place.  If, however, you are looking for upscale, you have found your heaven.

Upon first arrival, the bartender presented us with a great menu of cocktails.  The menu was divided into classic cocktails, seasonal cocktails, dessert cocktails, and the Monarch’s own recipes.  The time-sensitive nature of the seasonal cocktails enticed me to select from that portion of the menu.  I noticed a drink called “K-T Flip.”  Here is where everything gets a bit hairy.  The ingredients are as follows: 

Four Roses bourbon, Tuscany red wine, simple syrup, bitters, and one whole egg  
(A whole egg?  Why in the world would you put an egg in a cocktail, other than a dire need for protein?  I’ll address the concept of “flips” in a future post.)

The drink is shaken together with ice and served in a Chardonnay glass.  It looks like latte; after the egg is shaken, the drink creates a foam layer that floats on the rest of the coffee colored drink.  Bitters are added on the top of the foam as an aromatic.  After asking the bartender about the drink, he informed me that it was a version of a coffee cocktail, which is also available at The Monarch.

Coffee Cocktail

1 ½ ounce port

1 ½ ounce brandy

1 teaspoon simple syrup

1 whole egg

Shake hard with ice and strain into a wine glass.  Garnish with grated nutmeg.

The texture of the K-T Flip is slightly deceptive, as the foamy head implies a creamy consistency.  However, none of the ingredients add this creaminess, and the drink goes down similarly to a chilled glass of wine.  As the glass is tilted, the foamy head moves aside, allowing the rest of the drink to pass to the lips.  The drink is quite smooth, and there is enough bourbon in the cocktail to prevent it from being overly sweet.  There is not an alcohol bite, which makes this drink suitable as a dessert drink.

Have you ever been to the Monarch?  Have you ever tried a coffee cocktail?  Let me know what you think of both in the comments.