Each week, we order the same cocktail at two different bars for a friendly head-to-head battle. Go to the bars, taste both drinks 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].
Muddy Waters Oyster Bar
130 S. Highland Ave., East Liberty
Drink: Death in the Afternoon
Ingredients: Cava, demerara sugar, absinthe foam
Our take: A somewhat more demure and elegant take on a drink designed to get you sloshed, Muddy Waters’ version is a creamy treat that comes across as a decadent trifle. Cava is dry and serves as a good component to wring out the palate after tasting the absinthe foam.
The Pines
5972 Baum Blvd., East Liberty
Drink: Death in the Afternoon
Ingredients: Prosecco, Pernod absinthe
Our take: Ernest Hemingway liked his drinks strong, and he wouldn’t have been disappointed with this iteration of his cocktail creation. Pernod is bold, herbal and punchy, while the prosecco drives it straight to your head with its light fizz and slight sweetness.
