The "Herbal" at Jüs

I felt like I had to stir it a lot before drinking

An impromptu shopping trip lead my mother and I to Jüs on Damonte Ranch.  Because one of my rules is that it doesn't have to have alcoholic, I thought that we should give it a try.

 The location is really cute, with lots of (reclaimed looking) dark wood and fun furniture.  The employees were a couple of very nice girls that asked us if we had any questions about the menu.  They were super sweet the whole time we were there, great customer service.  I appreciate that, considering that in other establishments it is a dying art.

My mom got an Orangesicle smoothie, and I decided I should go for an original juice (jus?).  I'm not a big fan of kale or....well, other things on the menu.  I decided the safe bet was to go for the "Herbal" under the "For Your Brain" portion of the menu.  It stated there was apple, carrot, lemon, cilantro, parsley, and mint.

I'm a huge fan of lemon, cilantro, and mint.  However, these things just don't make me happy together.  It tasted like it was 50% carrot and 50% Cilantro.  If I concentrated really hard, I could taste the parsley a little.  I only got about 1/3 of the way down before I couldn't really take it anymore and I had to throw it away.

I guess I'm not quite made for clean living.  Now where did I put my double stuffed Oreos?

jüs

Damonte Ranch (South Reno)
Monday-Sunday 7am-7pm
191 Damonte Ranch Parkway, Unit B
Reno, Nevada 89521

775-852-1401

Bee's Knees @1864Tavern

Yes, this is my third drink at 1864 I've reviewed.  It really is my favorite place to drink.  If KJ from Z Bar worked there I wouldn't drink anywhere else again.

Not that the bartenders aren't super awesome at 1864, they are.  While I was there with Stand Up Comedian/BFF Amanda Alvey, she told me that he was in a conversation with some other patrons saying "Caaampo or Campo? Is the food good? Then who cares??"

In fact, I actually did a stupid thing and went to the bathroom instead of writing down what was in my Bee's Knees.  Since the drink isn't listed on their online menu, I sent them a tweet asking, but it looks like they don't check it that often so I ended up sending them an email to ask. Awesomely they answered right away, and the post was saved!

Shawn emailed "The "Bee's Knees" is a classic cocktail that dates back to prohibition. It consists of Gin, Honey, and Fresh Lemon Juice.  (2oz, 3/4oz, 3/4oz ratio). Sometimes, at the customers/bartenders preference, we will sometimes substitute Elderflower water for the honey.  It gives it a slightly different sweetness, but still super good."

It was a little thin but sweet. I love that it had crushed ice, almost as much as I love their old school square cubes.  I just love a bar with different kinds of ice. It came with an elegant lemon peel garnish, so no eating for me again.

In the end it wasn't my cup of tea, but I'll always come back to 1864 Tavern.

1864 Tavern
290 California Ave, Reno, NV 89509
(775) 329-1864

Monday	3:00 – 11:00 pm
Tuesday	3:00 – 11:00 pm
Wednesday	3:00 – 11:00 pm
Thursday	3:00 – 11:00 pm
Friday	3:00 pm – 2:00 am
Saturday	3:00 pm – 2:00 am
Sunday	3:00 – 11:00 pm

"Nevadas" at Death and Taxes

I have to say, I'm a bit miffed that Death and Taxes doesn't have a Twitter account.  I guess they might have found it too "mainstream" and decided that just a Facebook page would be enough.

I've heard a lot of talk about this bar, and visually it is a great space.  I love that the bathrooms say "office" on the door and it looks like an honest to blog speakeasy/tax office.

Sadly that means the clientele are a little too hipster for their own good.  While we were there we encountered a documentary filmmaker and his crew that thought they were doing the world a favor by arriving on the scene.  A few of them went outside to smoke and didn't bother closing the door.

The bartender was very nice, and I couldn't find fault in the bar itself.  However sometimes the bar is only as good as the clientele, and they were the fatal flaw.  Since I figured I wouldn't be allowed back to this bar, I thought I'd go straight for the one that might make the short list for Official Drink of Nevada.  I ordered the "Nevadas," which is Plymouth navy gin, Orleans sherry, mandarin kaffir syrup, and lime. 

The citrus hit my taste buds right off, and comes with sage garnish. You know I love a garnish I can eat, so I was a little sad that I didn't have a snack with my drink.   It was slushy, like a drink on the strip. It was tiny, unlike a drink on the strip. In the end it sort of tasted like the margarita at Pancho and Willies.  I'd rather have a 99 cent margarita at P & W's frankly.

Because I don't have enough hipster factor to return, this might be it for Death and Taxes.  Unless American Apparel opens up a location in Northern Nevada.

Death & Taxes
26 Cheney St, Reno, NV 89501
(775) 324-2630

Monday	5:00 pm – 12:00 am
Tuesday	5:00 pm – 12:00 am
Wednesday	5:00 pm – 12:00 am
Thursday	3:00 pm – 12:00 am
Friday	3:00 pm – 1:00 am
Saturday	3:00 pm – 1:00 am
Sunday	11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Margarita at Pancho and Willie's @WVSparksCasino

I hadn't been to Pancho and Willie's since I was about 15 years old, so it was fun to go back and see that literally nothing inside the restaurant has changed.  It was oddly comforting, considering that the Peppermill coffee shop has been remodeled and no longer really looks like itself.

The chips still maintain their structural integrity, and their salsa is still pretty darn good.  They also have 99 cent margaritas, something that I wasn't able to partake in before.

When I was younger, margaritas were my favorite.  I'm still down with tequila, but since I've been relegated to a low-carb diet it has fallen out of favor with me.  I'd like to think my tastes have evolved, but really I think it just comes with age.

It is an excellent margarita for the price.  It's more fruity tasting than I was expecting, which is a good thing.  It's got a great salt rim, and the frozen version is great.  The only thing that I wasn't expecting was that the lime inside was frozen.  I would have liked to squeeze it for a little more flavor, but that was really the only complaint that I had while drinking it.

Afterwards I felt really sluggish, so I'm guessing there is way more sugar in it than you could really taste.  I'm not a fan of sugar crashes, so I don't think I'll be partaking of it again anytime soon.

Pancho & Willies at Western Village
775-331-1069
815 Nichols Blvd, Sparks, NV 89434
Open 24 Hours