… and all through the house, many were stirring, even the mice.

The Soft Parade (High Banks Distillery)

(High bank vodka, angostora amaro, berry syrup, lemon, aquafaba, bitters)

November 5, 2024 at 5:40 pm

John Fraim

A Typical Song on KCSM / McCoy Tyner “Fly With the Wind”

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I’m writing all of this early in the evening of November 5, 2024. Before the election results are in.

I didn’t listen to any media today except KCSM, my Bay Area jazz station I stream into my office all the time. It was a day to catch up on emails and write emails to friends. I learned one of my best friends just had brain surgery to cure a huge pain in his brain. My good friend Charlie wrote of the passing of his younger sister. Including one his sister’s favorites songs which he includes in his post.

Steph and I went down to High Banks Distillery in Ghana for an early dinner before watching the election returns. It’s one of our favorite places with a food and drink menu that raises the entire conception of food in a brewery or distillery being top notch. I especially wanted to order my favorite cocktail in the world, The Lavender Lady. (I had even posted a blog on The Lavender Lady on Midnight Oil). But also, the service and food were spectacular. Far above any other bar or pub food bars in Columbus. On a new level for sure. Perhaps starting a new category of restaurant? Upscale food in a distillery or brewery setting?

The Lavender Lady

We got a high top table near the bar, just below the CNN TV reporting early election results. I had been avoiding it all day but it was time to watch the results. We had both voted by mail about three weeks ago and I didn’t want to stress myself out by listening to everyone in media use the words “razor thin margins” over and over in reporting the news of the two campaigns. The words “razor thin” were stress-inducing. And, perhaps this was a particular media goal? To create stress around the election?

Our waiter came and asked if we wanted a drink to start out with.

“I’ll have a Lavender Lady,” I tell him.

Steph orders her usual Pinot Griot. The Lavender Lady was my favorite drink in the world and a strong draw for me to stopping at Highbanks.

“I’m sorry we no longer have the Lavender Lady on our menu,” the waiter says.

I looked at the menu for the first time. It was a new menu with new cocktails on it. There was no Lavender Lady on the menu. I could have argued with him or got upset but what was the point.

“Anything similar to the Lavender Lady?” I asked.

A woman had been listening to my conversation with our waiter.

“A lot of our customers like the Soft Parade,” she says.

She introduced herself as the Bar Manager.

“OK, I’ll try a Soft Parade,” I tell her.

“I think you’ll like it,” she says.

* * *

The drinks come. The Soft Parade is in a regular cocktail glass. It’s created from High Bank Vodka, angostora amaro, berry syrup, lemon, aquafaba and bitters. It’s very good.

But I still miss the Lady. She came in a large 16 oz. glass. The kind you usually get full of beer in a pub. The Lavender Lady was different. Starting with a darkness at her bottom to a lightness at her top. (Just look at the photo above). In the depth of her container, the Lady herself contained more depth than the Soft Parade’s container in a cocktail glass.

Stupid yet still important concerns somehow.

On the eve of a new four years for America.

For all of us, it is almost like Christmas. And that immortal poem about the night before Christmas seems appropriate.

Many will experience Christmas by tomorrow morning.

And many will experience a very bad day.

Not sure what side I will end up on. But it’s out of my hands.