Can you start at the top and work your way down, lol? They all sound good, except maybe the bourbon ones. Bourbon is my last choice. Except gin, I have never had gin, so I don't know what is like. I usually go for vodka or tequila.

A little heavy on the foo-foo for me but if pressed to order from these choices, I'd probably go with Razzule or Benjito.

I've had many enjoyable meals, including several brunches, at the White Dog that's in the old row house across from UPenn's law school. Great atmosphere. A bustling place but good food and fun.

Can't say I like any of them. No white wines?

I am woefully ignorant when it comes to fancy cocktails these days. I'd pick the Sazarac because Absinthe sounds so exotic - "la fée verte" and forbidden.

I'd probably go with the margarita, as tequila will always be my first choice...and with a little chili heat too! Watermelon would not be my first choice of flavors but sounds interesting.

After tequila comes vodka so the Razzule would be option #2.

All except the last two sound interesting. Spicy brine and pickled green beans -- no thanks. I'd go for the Razzule because I like all those flavors.

Here are some additional beverages. There’s also a long list of reds and whites. I drink wine all the time, so I am jonesing for a cocktail.

Absinthe is an unusual substance. It was banned at one point because of the fear or finding (I forget which) that there was a dangerous chemical contained in it. I don't remember the whole story.

It or a form of it is available now. It has an odd characteristic. When poured into a glass, it's clear and often green in color. When water is added, it gets cloudy. The flavor is licorice-like. Very good.

Elmer, I used to work for Penn and ate at that White Dog frequently. My only complaint was the front doors were so narrow only the skinniest could fit through without turning sideways! That restaurant was my go-to along with the Inn at Penn for business lunches.

Okay, I'll have a Summer Bellini too.

It's a wonderful, wonderful school and a very nice city to visit. One of my kids has two degrees from there which provided a fast upward rocket trip to a rewarding and very satisfying career helping others. That's what brought us to Philly, twice a year or more visits over many years.

What did you do at Penn?

(I remember all the wonderful restaurants in Center City. It's quite a town for good food of all kinds. I remember Stephen Starr's Morimoto, Buddakan, and others, another that used to be a bank, and a little Belgian restaurant that was down there too. Plus all the BYOs in Passyunk and elsewhere. Makes me want to go back)

ded_tired, you're going to be about a mile from my house. :-) We have so far not ventured out to eat - please let me know how it is dining in that parking lot. The weather has cleared up nicely for you!

I think the margarita sounds fabulous.

First, what alcohol is your favorite? Mine is either vodka or tequila. Then pick something a little off from your safe, always pick. To me wine is not a cocktail, it is what I pick to go WITH the meal. I will have a cocktail to start, then pick a glass of wine for the meal or water and if we are being really out there, one to go with dessert. Or champagne for the dessert.

Dirty Dog or Baysil Bloody. As you might guess, I don't like drinks very sweet so I'm not the one to advise you. Although I do like something with cream once in a while, like a White Russian.

I had a Blood Orange Cosmopolitan at one of the last dinners where we ate out before 'virus' that was great. I hope your dinner tonight is good, I've certainly missed those occasional dinners out, the service, atmosphere not found with 'carry home and eat at the kitchen table'.

I'd order off menu. I'm old. Let me have a properly made vodka gimlet, blended or for something sweet a fuzzy navel. I also enjoy good sipping tequila or a cold beer. But I don't drink often anyway.

In reality I don't don't cocktails before dinner. Just like I don't do dessert often after dinner. I have drinks or sweets when I want them, They are seldom part of a meal.

Ded, what is your usual go to for a cocktail?

I once had a pear ginger martini and it was fabulous. Went nice with my lobster dinner.

Oh the decisions! But I can no longer drink alcohol.

Joe Nicolas wrote a song for me regarding tequila! (In my alternate universe!)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj2700em-JQ

I can’t say I have a favorite. I usually go for wine. There is a whisky bar near me and they have fantastic cocktails. It’s amazing I’m not an alcoholic now that they offer cocktails to go. I like a good Cosmo.

Wild child, I love a Fuzzy Navel but it’s like having candy. Also they go down so easy it’s not hard to overdo.

bookwoman, about a mile from my house, but in the opposite direction I think.

I'd opt for a glass of the Cab Franc - which is my favorite red wine at the moment. If forced into a cocktail, I'd have the Razzule, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

I would have to know what the food menu options are or if they are a set menu. I love Cynar and you so seldom see it on a menu. However being artichoke based for some people it increases the sweetness in later food.

Since I like a Vodka martini, I'd probably try the Razzule. I like Watermelon but don't think I'd care for watermelon in a martini, although it might be worthy of a sip to try, especially with 3 olives, lime and mint. And the Dirty Dog sounds interesting too.

Well, I'm no help, but I did narrow it down.

eld Three Olives is a brand name so no worries about actual olives in a sweet drink.

I'm old, too. I'd have a very dry gin martini on the rocks or a Manhattan on the rocks. Foo foo stuff.... much too sweet for my taste.

They all look so sweet (well, except for the the Dirty Dog). I do like a margarita, so I’d probably go for that. Or, depending on my mood and food choices, maybe one of those local drafts!

AND...let us know which one (or more) that you ordered.

I'll have a bloody mary please! None of that sounds like anything I'd care to drink...why such strange drinks?

Makers and water. sip, sip, sip

I would love to try the Watermelon Margarita. Have had watermelon kamakazi’s before and they were excellent!

Spicy Watermelon Margarita, second choice is the Bloody Mary

They all look too exotic for me but I would try any of them happily! If I HAD to pick one, I'd go with Three Dog Night because it seems like it would be super sweet.

Enjoy and what a nice diversion you gave us!

I'm not much for cocktails. I'd have a glass of the Inglenook Cabernet, as I know it's excellent.

Home from dinner already. Feels weird to be home by 8:30. I ordered the watermelon mint martini and it was perfection. I could easily have had a couple more but had to drive myself home. Forgot my phone, so no pictures.

My dinner was deconstructed crab chowder. It was all the ingredients for chowder but separated with the crab cake on top. Very yummy but a bit heavy. I didn’t eat the potatoes.

Bookwoman, it was delightful eating under the tent. It turned out to be a beautiful evening. I did have the setting sun in my eyes so I switched to the other side of the table. The tables were well spread out. They have heaters ready to go for chillier weather. Everyone was masked up except the diners. They allowed people to bring their dogs under the tent and the table near us had a tiny French Bulldog puppy that was as sweet as could be.

Altogether a nice evening.

Thanks for the report - it sounds like you had a lovely meal. And it's good to know that people are masked. My husband and I have a big anniversary coming up soon, so we might celebrate there.

Razzule for me.

The Redhook for sure!

Your dinner sounds lovely. Nice that they put this dinner together this way.

Reigning Cats and Dogs or the Redhook. My normal "poison" is a Manhattan (rocks, Makers 46), but I don't do gin at all, so I'll skip the one on this menu.

From the above menu - Reigning Cats and Dogs or a Summer Bellini with peach. My favorites, depending on what I'm eating, are a gin&tonic or a screwdriver or a tequila sunrise. We almost never drink at home; if we do, these days it's almost always red wine, often merlot.

Sable

McGruff Manhattan or Redhook. I'll drink a gin martini or gimlet. I don't want anything 'on the rocks'; 'up' for me. I have water (and ice) at home...no charge.

Glad you had a nice dinner and good weather. The crab sounds delicious.

Given the small amount of alcohol in most mixed drinks anymore I look at the multiple alcohol ones with sadness. In reading this my dessert last night was maple nut ice-cream and bourbon poured into a glass then mixed together.

Ded_Tired. I looked up “Deconstructed Crab Chowder.” Oh my gracious! I hope to find something similar out here on the Great American Prairie, although “fresh” seafood is actually “frozen” seafood. Maybe by Spring I can go to Winnipeg.

Thank you for introducing me to this idea!

maifleur -- A flight attendant on AA urged me to pour my airline bottle of Jack Daniel's over their signature chocolate sundae dessert. I hadn't tried that before. Yum.

Too late, but Red Hook would have been my choice also. The rest look too sweet for me, although I do like daiquiris and piña coladas. I used to drink rum and Coke in New Orleans, with 151 rum. That way I only needed one drink. In Canada, I drank Bloody Caesars (and still do) plus hard cider (which I don't any more).

I am so with colleen. I look on these sorts of cocktails as a catfight in a glass. I cant imagine mixing a high end alcohol with such conflicting flavors. Still if it appeals why not? I like a good gin and tonic with lots of lime myself.

too late, but i would have Peach Please. or better yet an Old Fashioned, my fav!

love that area and before COVID, visited that section monthly! Love Baby Blue BBQ and for something quick and easy New Deck Tavern. White Dog is great as well. don't forget Federal Donuts!! killer block !!!

we have not been in the city since our shutdown in March. We so missed our summer Saturday nights in the city. dinner, beer gardens, corn hole, ping pong games. hopefully Summer 2021 we will be back to normal.

ded_tired: glad u had a wonderful dinner!!

Sprt, this was one of the White Dogs in the burbs. I have not been down to Penn for a couple years. Many, many years ago I lived at 48th and Baltimore. That neighborhood is amazing now. Remember the Gold Standard at Penn? Now it has moved to my old neighborhood, along with many other great restaurants.

I went in town for a doctor‘s appointment and felt perfectly safe. Everyone was wearing masks. I’m having lunch at the Union League this week. I’m not worried about it. I wear my mask and wash my hands a lot.

Truthfully none of the drinks appeal to me. They all sound like strange combinations simply for the sake of being strange. If someone said "Pick one, I'm buying" I'd probably get the Redhook. On my own choice I'd probably get the first of the canned beers.

I think the reason Absinthe was banned was that it was made with wormwood, which IIRC has mild hallucinogenic properties. Someone brought a bottle to one of our big Halloween parties years ago, that claimed on its label to actually have wormwood. After trying some I did see a giant dancing banana but that was me in my costume.