Experiencing Jakewalk

May 15

Matt DeVriendt, owner/operator of The JakeWalk says that while they have a large selection of wines people seem to pay more attention to their cocktail list. "We were serving wine for five dollars a glass. I thought that'd be what got people's attentions."

In fact, if you go to The JakeWalk, you can order a flight of three wines or spirits for half price of the usual glass you'd order.

Not that the cocktail list is an afterthought, it's just not the sole focus or main focus. Matt just wanted people to know that the place does offer a wide variety of other beverage choices.

So though the event was featuring a new cocktail on the menu created by Dave Wondrich, the whole thing was planned out as a sort of mini tour of what you could The restaurant space was dotted with stations serving food and wine. Guests could grab a glass at table and wind their way around the place. Want to try some Jamon Iberico? Hold out your glass and have some Alvear's Fino from Montilla, Spain as well. Or how about trying several cheeses like Essex Street Comte and Stichelton blue cheese? That particular station had on hand the Commanderie de Peyrassol 2007 Cotes de Provence Rose and the Coppo, Brachetto d'Acqui "Passione" DOC, 2006.

If you were in the mood to do a bit of whiskey tasting you could mosey over to one side of the bar that had a hunk of Montgomery's Cheddar you could sample pieces off of and you could get a taste of McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt Whiskey, Springbank 10 Year Single Malt and...and a third one that I seemed to have barely scribbled down that I cannot read. Not surprising I suppose.

Dave Wondrich was behind the bar for a bit and mixed the Jakewalk punch that he'd created for the place that was equal parts fresh lime juice, St. Germain, Resposado tequila, rhum agricole and two dashes of Peychuad's bitters.

If anything, Dave Wondrich taught me a valuable lesson that sometimes solutions in drink making need not be complicated with some sort of deep rhyme or reason. I noticed the cubes of candied ginger sitting in the bottom of the glasses and had to ask why they were sitting at the bottom of the glass. Dave simply answered, "Because if they're already in the drink they won't fall in there."