10 must-sip Delaware drinks
There are some restaurants in Delaware where the specialty is nearly impossible to pass up.
Good luck going to Nicola Pizza in Rehoboth Beach and not ending up face down in its trademark Nic-o-Boli or turning a blind eye to the prime rib at Harry's Savoy Grill.
The same can be said about the you-gotta-have-one drinks at some of Delaware's watering holes, whether it's a Swamp Water at Boondocks in Smyrna or a brain-freeze-in-waiting Dewey Devil at northbeach in Dewey Beach.
We canvassed the state's watering holes for 10 signature bar drinks in Delaware, stretching from Wilmington to Bethany Beach. It's a hard job, but someone has to do it. Burp.
Illustrations by Dan Garrow/The News Journal.
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Columbus Inn's Moscow Mule. If you want to break out the velvet elbows, try saddling up to Columbus Inn's bar and blast back to 1950s America. The Inn's Moscow Mule – vodka, lime juice, ginger simple syrup and seltzer – is not served in a traditional copper mug, but rather in a highball glass. 2216 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington. www.columbusinn.net.
Grotto Pizza's Big Beer. Even though the size of Grotto's Big Beer has shrunk to 22 ounces over the years (except for Newark and Dewey Beach where it still stands strong at 25 ounces), it's still the iconic drink order at Delaware's most iconic pizza joint. Drinking oversized beers using a mug with a handle in Delaware means one thing: Grotto. www.grottopizza.
Iron Hill's Ironbound Ale. 147 E. Main St., Newark. It's been nearly 20 years since Iron Hill opened its first location in Newark and it now boasts 10 locations in Delaware and surrounding states. An old standby at the brewery is the Ironbound Ale, a hoppy, medium-bodied pale ale that clocks in at 5.1% ABV. www.ironhillbrewery.com.
The Boondocks' Swamp Water. 825 Lighthouse Rd., Smyrna. It almost glows bright green, but it's not radioactive. If you're brave enough to order one, Boondocks' Swamp Water comes in handy mason jar. Expect something close to a "traditional" Swamp Water drink found in drink recipe books: a mix that usually includes flavored brandy and vodka. 653-6962.
The Back Porch Café's Dark and Stormy. 59 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach. Tucked away off Rehoboth Avenue, you'll find a drink that will make you feel like Christopher Columbus if you discover it. The café's signature drink is made with homemade ginger beer and dark rum, of course. If that's not enough Dark and Stormy for you, try their Dark and Stormy crème brûlée biscotti as dessert. www.backporchcafe.com.
Agave Mexican Restaurant's margarita. 137 Second St., Lewes. People wait outside in the heat on summer nights not only for Agave's mouth-watering Mexican dishes and gulp-able salsa, but also for the stone cold margaritas. An hour wait for a drink? It happens on Second Street in Lewes. They are just that good. 645-1232.
The Starboard's Bullshark. 2009 Del. 1, Dewey Beach. Sure, the Orange Crush sells better than the Bullshark ever can in the alcohol-soaked wonderland known as The Starboard. But the bar's trademark drink has more of a kick, mixing orange and raspberry vodkas, champagne, Red Bull and orange and cranberry juices. www.thestarboard.com.
Bottle & Cork's Big Guy. 1807 Del. 1, Dewey Beach. A relic of sorts, The Big Guy was on the drink menu at the Cork for years, but it was eventually taken off when people started getting too drunk. If you find a veteran bartender in a good mood and you're feeling spry, they'll mix one up for you: Captain Morgan rum, vodka, creme de almond and Grenadine mixed with with orange and pineapple juices. www.deweybeachlife.com.
northbeach's Dewey Devil. 125 McKinley St., Dewey Beach. You know the Dewey Devil has done its job when you put the drink down and grab your head like it's exploding. The frozen pink drink may result in brain freeze, but it gets the job done just like it has for generations of real life Dewey devils. Light rum, 151-proof rum, blackberry brandy, orange juice, strawberries and cream is what makes the Dewey Devil just so devilish. www.deweybeachlife.com.
Mango Mikes' Shark Attack. 97 Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach. With a view of Bethany Beach's Boardwalk and dolphins leaping out of the Atlantic Ocean, it almost makes drinking alcohol out of a fishbowl seem not so weird. You'll want to share this one with a friend or four: 64 ounces of rum, blue curacao, fruit juices in a fishbowl swimming with plastic sharks. www.mangomikes.com.
Contact Ryan Cormier at (302) 324-2863 or rcormier@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryancormier or subscribe at www.facebook.com/ryancormier.