Last drink?

Terence Miller, of Megu Midtown

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We'd never make a new year's resolution to stop drinking, unless there was something physically wrong with us that demanded it, but it's fun to pretend. And so we asked a bunch of bartenders and industry insiders to pretend with us: If, hypothetically, you were giving up booze as your new year's resolution, what would be the last drink to pass your lips?

Eben Freeman, bartender at Tailor
"An Old Fashioned. Just brown and stirred. And in a classic Old Fashioned there wouldn't be any fruit or rind—just a glass of cold booze. A lot of old purists used to say ‘Don't put any garbage in it,' as in, you can grind some zest over it, but don't put the rind in the drink."

Don Lee, bartender at PDT
"A 'Staggerac'—a Sazerac made with George T. Stagg bourbon instead of rye. George T. Stagg is part of Buffalo Trace's annual Antique Collection and my favorite bourbon. It's bottled at barrel strength, and last year it was 144.4 proof. It's the most intense concentration of flavors you can imagine—like a kick in the face if you're not expecting it. Because of its limited supply, many bartenders and whiskey aficionados collect it and often gift each other bottles. Some would consider using it in a cocktail to be sacrilege, but I think it makes a beautiful (albeit decadent) Sazerac."

Justin Philips, bartender and owner of Beer Table
"My last drink would be a J.W. Lees Harvest Ale from 1997. It's the most delicious nectar imaginable—intoxicating in both flavor and strength. It's brewed only one day out of the year (Dec. 1st), and is made using only Maris Otter barley. I think this beer has a real sense of place, almost a sense of 'terroir,' which is really exciting. I visited JW Lees in Manchester a couple weeks ago to make my yearly pilgrimage."
 
Jason Cobb, bartender at the Brandy Library
"My favorite whiskey is one of the richest and most powerful whiskeys in Scotland—Lagavulin 16-year-old. And while that's an amazing bottle, it's the Lagavulin Distiller's Edition from 2007 that keeps me wanting. It was finished in a Pedro Jimenez cask, which mellows out its salty flavor and gives it an almost charcoal dry note that at first and last interaction I fell head over heels with. I don't think there's a place I know of that still carries it, but if I every do find it or a suitable rival, I hope it's the last thing to pass my lips."

Ari Form, bartender/bar owner at The JakeWalk
"My last drink would be a Springbank 21-year single malt scotch. It's overpriced because it's rare and it's full, sweet and salty all together. Why ruin your last drink by mixing it?"

Sean Josephs, bartender/owner of Char No. 4
"My last drink would be a Jacques Selosse NV Champagne Brut. It's made in a rich, oaky, opulent style, but it's balanced by the terrific minerality that characterizes great champagne. Definitely a final drink you'd be able to look back on with fondness as you endured the drudgery of sobriety. It's pricey, but I guess if you're quitting drinking you'd have more disposable income."

Mike Wiley, bartender and co-owner of Bar Great Harry
"Jameson neat. My last drink wouldn't be a Russian River sour or some Belgian IPA, though I would certainly drink one of those if I had to choose something to drink every day for the rest of my life. I own a beer bar and very rarely drink hard alcohol, so for my last drink I would need something very straightforward with high sentimental value. Jameson neat fits the bill."

Paul Tanguay, beverage consultant with the Tippling Bros.
"An Pilsner Urquell and a shot of Jameson's Irish Whiskey. Simplicity at its best."

Terence Miller, sommelier and beverage director at Megu Midtown
"If held at gunpoint, I would choose wine over hard liquor. My final bottle of wine would be champagne—like a Krug or a Charles Heidseick or a Bollinger from a stellar year like 1985. Richness, vibrancy, complexity, minerality, the fun of bubbles dancing on the palate. Vintage champagne is an amazing glimpse into the past."

Anthony Settecase, bartender at Allen & Delancey
A Manhattan, with Rittenhouse rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, a dash of angostura bitters, a maraschino cherry, three ice cubes and a twist of orange peel. It's a classic. Rub the cut edge of orange peel over the rim of the glass and twist it over the drink to release the oils. Do not drop it in the drink."

Tad Carducci, beverage consultant with the Tippling Bros.
"I'd invite all of my bartender friends from around the country to Apothecary Bar & Lounge in Philadelphia (on their dime, not mine). I'd ask that they each bring a bottle of their favorite spirit and a bathing suit. I'd then contract a glassblower to fashion the world's largest punch bowl, into which would be poured the collective liquid and a little fresh lime juice, as well as a splash of champagne. We would all then get into said vessel and imbibe till there were no more liquid to be had. Hopefully everyone would have the decency to wash their feet first."

Photo by Sam Horine