Hero of the Night

"My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquiri in El Floridito"
Ernest Hemmingway

As anyone who has been hanging out at the Harem knows -- it's a great place to dance, but maybe not always the best place to get a drink... However, the ever resourceful Sky Mambo team decided to do something about that and last Thursday they brought in a secret weapon. I had no idea what I was in for.

After dancing to a good number of salsas they played a merengue -- my cue to go get a drink. So, I went up to the bar scanning to see if they had a "box" of wine (yes that's the standard container). No box in sight. Immediately there was a voice asking me what I wanted. It took me by suprise -- it usually takes some time getting the attention of a bartender there. I knew this guy looked familiar -- and his enthusiasm seemed completely out of place... Within a momement, he was offering me a choice of Mojitos. Traditional or Rasberry? I had to ask "You don't normally work here do you?" Naturally the answer was "No" accompanied by a big smile as he went about grabbing a glass.

Now I remembered who he was: Lamar, one of the top notch salseros around Detroit. Obviously somewhere between Jamin, Samer, Shekyla and Cat they had decided that they needed the to pull out all the stops. Yes, at first glance, this may seem like a story about a sugary drink. But, keep in mind that this drink and the request of such a drink is the lifeblood of a salsa night at a club.

Lamar went about fixing my drink like an artist. Not one or two sprigs of mint -- a fist full with each one carefully selected from the bunch. A mash with a muddler to bring out the mint flavor. An extremely vigorous overhead shake after a generous pour of rum. Pop it in a glass and there it was. My first great drink at Harem. A new day had come. Thank you.

Your vote:

No votes yet