Bandit the bicycle bar is here to steal your heart—and your tastebuds. Cocktail Caravan has a new way to imbibe with their latest addition, Bandit, which will join Lolita (the original vintage-travel-trailer-turned-bar) in their growing thirst-quenching fleet. Bandit was hand-built in Portland and is not only a fully functional adult-sized tricycle but also comes equipped with an insulated cedar box to store beer, wine and beverages, and has nifty shelving that folds out, so there’s plenty of space to get shaking. Bandit is perfect for all things backyard with its size and mobility, including parties, weddings and happy hour to golden hour celebrations.
Cocktail Caravan is once again doing in-person events (you read that right!), including making guest appearances at the Boulder Farmers Market; hosting virtual cocktail classes to empower the at-home barkeep; and will continue to give back to local nonprofits—like Sophie’s Neighborhood and There With Care— with the return of Community Support Cocktails.
We took Bandit on a test ride with two seasonal cocktail recipes to kick off the summer season. So grab some just-sprouting rhubarb and farm-fresh spinach and your shaker, and get ready to take back 2020’s stolen summer.
Salud!
Ollin’s Oasis
.25 ounces Grapefruit
.5 ounces Rhubarb
.75 ounces Lemon
1 ounce Simple
Dash Cardamom
1 Egg White or Aquafaba
1.5 ounces Suerte Reposado
The name of this cocktail is derived from our favorite place to get fresh rhubarb, Ollin Farms in Longmont. To make this cocktail, start by prepping all ingredients. Make the simple by combining equal parts by volume hot water and sugar, stirring until dissolved (allow to cool before using). Juice a grapefruit and lemon by hand, and run rhubarb stalks through a juicer. Next, combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker WITHOUT ice. Shake hard for ten seconds, allowing the egg white to incorporate with the other ingredients, which will create a foam. Add ice and shake again to chill. Strain into a coupe glass and enjoy!
The Fix
3-4 Slices of Green Apple
6-8 Mint Leaves
4-6 Spinach Leaves
.75 ounces Lemon
.75 ounces Simple
1.5 ounces Spirit of Choice
We’ve tried this drink with so many different spirits and just can’t decide on our favorite, so we like to leave it open to interpretation. To make, add apple, mint, spinach, lemon, and simple into a cocktail shaker (Make sure you’re using fresh lemon!) and muddle until the apples are pulp. Don’t be scared about the spinach— it doesn’t have a huge effect on the flavor but makes it a beautiful vibrant green color. Next, add ice and spirit and shake. Finally, double strain (with a Hawthorne strainer and fine mesh strainer to catch small bits of pulp) over fresh ice and enjoy!