It begins as a typical margarita – tequila, Cointreau and lime. But then things get a bit weird.
The cocktail has an orange hue and resembles citrus on the palate, somehow a contribution of passionfruit and guava puree. The fruit is dense, with a drifting smokiness and an unexpected bite as the jalapeño kicks in.
The Dock Ellis No No is a fitting tribute-in-a-glass to one of baseball’s most notorious tales. In 1970, the Pittsburgh Pirates hurler supposedly dropped acid and then threw a no-hitter. Some doubt the story, although Ellis did manage to walk eight batters and thinks he might have hit a few, as well – he claims that his catcher faded in and out of view. No No is a margarita on a good trip.
It’s one of two baseball-themed cocktails on the Brophy’s Tavern menu. While the No No is more scandalous, the vodka-based Say Hey Kid celebrates one of the game’s greats. Like Willie Mays, the concoction is good-natured and brisk. An herbal note, like baseball when the grass was real, emerges from the tart citrus, as well as a fresh notion of cucumber. Yet it remains sharp and refreshing.
Both cocktails share complexities that are reluctant to emerge from the simple first impression. Yet as they do, you begin to realize what the team at Brophy’s has accomplished. These are easy to enjoy while distracted by, say, the World Series, but they also welcome craft cocktail scrutiny.
As a contemporary of Mays once said, “Let’s play two.”