Each week, we order the same cocktail at two different bars for a friendly head-to-head battle. Go to the bars, taste them both and tell us what you like about each by tagging @pghcitypaper on Twitter or Instagram and using #CPBoozeBattles. If you want to be a part of Booze Battles, send an email to food-and-beverage writer Celine Roberts, at [email protected].
Maggie’s Farm Rum Distillery
3212A Smallman St., The Strip
Drink: Daiquiris
Maggie’s Farm had too many tasty daiquiris to choose just one, so this week they face off against themselves.
Drink: Fassionola Daiquiri
Ingredients: Maggie’s Farm White Rum, Queen’s Share Unaged Rum, lime juice, house-made fassionola syrup
Our take: Fassionola syrup is back from the annals of tiki cocktailing history with all the red fruit flavors preserved and bright. Floral notes from the hibiscus balance the sweetness of the syrup and the whole drink tastes like a sip of strawberry pie. The texture is almost buttery and the cocktail lacks the astringency of a classic daiquiri.
Vs.
Drink: Queen’s Share Daiquiri
Ingredients: Queen’s Share Unaged Rum, lime juice, simple syrup
Our take: This classic daiquiri requires nothing extra to make it a deliciously drinkable summer cocktail. As my companion said, “I could have about 10 of these.” The rum and simple syrup lends a sweetness that is cut delicately by the acidity of the lime. The freshness of the freshly squeezed lime is strong on the nose, with the rum mellowly at the finish.