Though "closing down the bar" isn't really my style ( I prefer to be already seated in a particular late-nite eatery when last call comes) I have been known to shut the place down from time-to-time. However, I can't remember the last time I did so literally. The Sunday before last, one of my favorite hangouts had a closing party. Halcyon coffee shop/bar is not actually closing permanently, they are just closing down for significant remodelling. But they were giving away the house last weekend in a fashion that I am not acustomeded to. Eric the bartender had been instructed to pour for friends and family until the bottles ran out; once something was empty a new bottle would not be opened. The owner had stashed away a few select single malts but left a rather generous selection behind the bar.

We had a beer, a few Tres Generaciones margaritas (liberally portioned in appropriate closing night generosity), and some water for good behavior. We actually had some work to do since I am their coffee supplier and had been asked to be on location to unhook all the coffee equipment once the bar closed. We had been noticing that the selection of available offerings had been diminishing, and had been thinking about what our ultimate cocktail for the evening would be.Not wanting to give the impression that we were simply schnorrers taking advantage of closing night generosity, we excercised restraint in our tippling. However we became caught up in the spirit of the evening and when Eric called "Last Call," we knew what we wanted: Hennessy VSOP Sidecars, with Grand Marnier. Eric filled a shaker with ice, poured the Cognac, then the Grand Marnier, and then looked around and seemed surprised when he said,
"oops, there's no simple syrup...well, and there's no lemon juice...here's your Sidecars!" And he gave us the Cognac & Grandma on the rocks.
And damn was it good.
We were expecting a bitchin super Sidecar, and got something we weren't even expecting.
For several days I thought about it, and finally I succumbed to the weakness and went to the liqour store last Friday to procure the ingredients. I went to Fino with friends for drinks and we were unanimously underwhelmed with our first round of $10 cocktails, so we went back to the house to mix. (I will comment more on Fino's drinks after I have had a chance to go try them at happy hour prices; they have put some creativity into the menu and I have heard good things, but the drinks we had were not memorable.) I remembered that I had these two ingredients in my car, and a memory on my palette. So we set about mixing what my friend Jenny has dubbed The Sun King, after Cognac the booze of Kings, and Grandma, with her sun-kissed flavor and image.

The Sun King
1 1/2 oz. Hennessy V.S.O.P.
3/4 oz. Grand Marnier
Stir with ice to chill. Strain over one giant rock in a cute 60's mod thrift store glass. Garnish with a flamed lemon peel (a la Dale Degroff), or twist a lemon curl over the drink to express the oil, but don't drop. Toast the Sun King with this deconstructed postmodern Sidecar.