Welcome to Day Drinking, our new series in which we'll be celebrating just that—the age-old tradition of getting tipsy during the daytime. We'll be spotlighting cocktails, bars and their respective bartenders every Friday—think of it as your digital pre-drink for the weekend ahead.
For our inaugural adventure in Day Drinking, we're taking things over to Atlanta—sorry, the ATL—where bartender Kevin Bragg of Midtown's Grain, serves up delicious artisanal cocktails alongside equally delicious charcuterie and oysters. Here, he breaks down the steps to recreating their pisco-heavy Red Dragon and talks perfect hangover cures and drinking with his ancestors.
Red Dragon
1.25 oz PISCO PORTON
.25 oz RUBY PORT
.75 oz LIME JUICE
.75 oz SIMPLE SYRUP
one > Add three sprigs of tarragon to shaker and muddle.
two > Add all other ingredients add ice and shake.
three > Double strain over ice in rocks glass.
four > Garnish with a sprig of tarragon.
ON HIS FAVORITE DRINKING SOUNDTRACK:
"I've really been enjoying the Soul Coughing channel on Pandora. A really nice mix that I can groove to."
ON HIS FAVORITE TOM CRUISE-STYLE COCKTAIL TRICK:
"I was never much of a flare guy, but did use fire from time to time."
ON HIS FAVORITE COCKTAIL (OR LACK THEREOF):
"I don't have a favorite cocktail. It really depends on the mood, weather, etc. I do tend to go for boozy Rye or Mezcal cocktails though."
ON HIS LIQUOR OF CHOICE:
"Fernet Branca."
ON HIS MOST MEMORABLE COCKTAIL EVER:
"It was more an overall experience than one particular cocktail. I went to Angel's Share in New York with some friends. Shingo Gokan had just dropped a new menu and brought us every cocktail. It was amazing."
ON THE VERY BEST HANGOVER CURE:
"Corpse Revive #2. It's light and refreshing. It's perfect for reviving you when you feel like a corpse."
ON HIS DREAM DRINKING BUDDY:
"I'm a descendant of John Adams so that's an easy one for me. He was a big cider drinker, so I'd probably make a cocktail with that."
