It’s been awhile hasn’t it? If I look over the archives it tells me that the last time I updated the blog was in May of last year, Madeiran Scops Owl, for It Was Very Good my recollection of all the macrofauna that the World has lost. A project that was so depressing that I doubt if I’ll ever be able to finish it…
The last cocktail review was in the middle of last January, if you can recall that far back we were starting to hear things about “some sort of flu” that was going on in China. That “some sort of flu,” as we all know, was COVID-19 and it shortly made its way to America’s shores and everything went sideways. In the last few months of THIS year America had begun to right itself (though that seems a temporary development now.) and, I began thinking about reviving this project. I missed exploring new places in my community, meeting new people, and making friends. I missed inviting my friends and readers out to these places. T and I are both vaccinated and so taking a few precautions we planned at trip out to West Sacramento to try the drinks at Cheers. I made a post on Facebook and invited everyone I know out to join me. On the last day of July we met up at the bar and ordered some Whiskey Sours.
Scores and thoughts below.
The Review
Taste (5/10) – Not bad. Not great either. But, for using premade sour mix it could be worse. Pretty smooth. Whiskey doesn’t burn
Presentation (2/5) – No garnish. Incorrect class. Color is okay.
Balance (3/5) – I can taste the alcohol, I can taste some lemon. It’s sweet but not cloying so.
Correctness (1/5) – This is not a real Whiskey Sour sadly. No garnishes, used premix, no egg white, no bitters. Not shaken.
Delivery (2/x) – Asked what whiskey I wanted (I only recognized Jake Daniel behind the bar.) Not IBA. Didn’t ask about egg white or small chat. Some eye contact. No flourish. This was during the late afternoon, early evening. Our party was about half of the patrons of the bar.
Total – 13/25 This was hard. Not just because its been a year plus since we’ve gone out and enjoyed dining and drinking. It’s hard not to think about how thinks aren’t normal yet, how they probably won’t ever be normal again.
But, besides those existential thoughts and feelings. It’s been nearly two years since I did this last. I didn’t remember the criteria I had created. I don’t really remember the other whiskey sours I’ve had or the bars. I have this blog and my notes but those are poor substitutes for fresh recollections and memories.
My expectations for Cheers were low. The bar is located in an industrial/commercial row in West Sacramento, It is not a location bar, but rather a neighborhood spot. Despite those low expectations I was pleasantly surprised. Cheers won’t be knocking Broderick’s out of its current Best of West Sacramento spot, but I could see myself enjoying a beer here again.
