Lisa Jeffries Nobling – Raleigh, NC

Tag: bars

  • Cherry Bounce

    What a true Raleigh-kid tradition!

    If you’re not a big Downtowner, here’s what you’ve missed the past few weeks (err… months) in the blogosphere:

    Drink Cherry Bounce at Deep South (The Raleigh Connoisseur)
    The drink that started it all (Raleigh Philosophical Society)

    “Cherry” is alraedy a major part of my drink and dessert vocabularies… can’t wait to give this a try at Deep South the Bar, soon! Here’s a list of 6 different recipes for Cherry Bounce from cooks.com – be sure to report back if you give any a try!

    Could be an interesting fall cocktail experiment for me to take on, as well…

    11/10 Update: I’ve had the Deep South cocktail… it was yummy. (Skip the martini glass, ask for a rocks or pint glass. It’s my own little trick to not spilling red drink all down a white top.)

    Aaaaand Leo’s back with his own success story – which includes another save-worthy recipe from a commenter!

  • There is Some Good News…

    Wow, that game was truly heartbreaking. Especially sitting in the back bar/billiards room at Buckhead with 50 other Wolfpack fanatics.

    Luckily for us, there was something to get us through that embarrassing game…

    I can’t believe I was able to keep it a blog secret since Monday of this week when I found out we would have our hands on it this week… I am also SO proud of our awesome GM for buying every single case that was available – we are the only bar that will be serving Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka in Wake County until later this month.

    COME AND GET IT!!!

    PS – If you have three “sweet tea vodkas” during the last half of the game… be sure to potty before leaving the bar. That was quite the excruciating 8 minute ride home tonight!

    PS #2 – We will DEFINITELY be doing quite the southern tailgate at Buckhead to celebrate the launch of Firefly Sweet Tea vodka (which even our yankee regulars love!) soon… I’ll be sure to make sure ALL of you awesome readers get an invite here!

  • NC ABC(C)

    Since my previous post on FireFly Sweet Tea Vodka has inspired so much interest, I thought I’d offer some clarification based on the easy to find info on the NC Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission website.

    (I also did this because there’s always so much adult beverage industry gossip and 9 times out of 10… it’s just people who *think* they know the law… but don’t.)

    1. This was new to me: You CAN actually buy FireFly from your local liquor store… it just takes a little bit of work. It takes a while though and you’ve got to order a lot (no worries here!).

    “The Commission will approve special orders of products not on the approved price list when a local ABC board has a request from a customer. This merchandise must be purchased in full case allotments and be paid for in advance. After the product is paid for the Commission will order it from the proper vendor and when received at the state warehouse ship it to the local board where the order originated. The special order process normally takes 6-8 weeks.”
    2. If the product is actually approved for sale in the state, it will only be added on a quarterly basis. The earliest it would be considered (it it has not been this past year) is in February ’09.“The ABC Commission at its annual meeting each year in February considers product(s) for listing. New companies, who wish to sell distilled spirits in the State of North Carolina, must be represented by a resident North Carolina Broker . The broker (chosen by you) will make the presentation of your product(s).”So read up on the site a little – I was amazed at how well it’s written to provide info to the general public.

    I expected lots of legalese and no clarity, but I believe if I started bottling something today, I could have it on the shelves next spring because the commission has done a excellent job of providing clear and complete information for buyers and businesses alike.

  • Sweet Tea Vodka

    You heard it here first folks.

    I’d like to thank my dear e-friend, Antoine, for returning from Charleston to tell me about this wonderful phenomenon that has taken over the bars in the Low Country (who, by the way, I finally got the chance to meet in person for the first time at the Triangle Entertainment Industry Professionals Mixer last week at Deep South).

    Little did I know that the drink that I knew would be a hit here too, had already been smuggled back into NC for an engagement party the following Saturday for the BFF and her husband-to-be for our party’s enjoyment. It bewildered me to no end that you cannot legally buy this in the state of NC… yet. I’ll see what I can do.

    Ok, enough anticipation… here’s what you’ll all be driving to SC to purchase until it’s available in our closed-state liquor stores:

    By itself, cut with a typical bar beverage, or my personal favorite: added to a bit of Simply Lemonade, it is the most amazing thing to grace our southern drinking habits since… well, maybe sweet tea itself.

    I will be venturing south to round up a few (cases) of their newest addition – handles – before the first official football tailgate of the season that is quickly approaching. Hmmm… how much can you buy in SC without needing a permit?

    Let me call in Brandon for a definitive answer on this one…

    Trust me – I will figure out a way to get this into this state so that I can sell a “Little Lisa’s Firefly Sweet Tea” at Buckhead Saloon for $6.00(?) each.

    PS – Check out my 8/22 post on how to special order this at your NC liquor store!

  • Like I Said… Everyone Has a Cause

    If you have a motorcycle, or a friend who does, please send them out to this fundraiser!

    Donation Bike Wash
    for Matthew Baldwin

    Sunday – August 17th

    Locked & Loaded Grill
    1125 US Highway 70 W
    Garner, NC 27529

    Starting at 12pm!
    Hosted by 96 Rock’s Mandi
    All proceeds will go to Matthew for hospital bills

    Come enjoy live music and great food while getting your bike washed for a great cause!
    Sponsored by Carey Kidd, The Office, La Piazza Italian Restaurant, and Ideal Entertainment

    Matthew is SO adorable.

    There’s also a bar night fundraiser for those of you who may not be able to make the donation bike wash. (I can’t find the facebook event… if anyone wants to link it in the comments… please do!)

    This flyer from Carey Kidd describes a little more about the accident that Matthew was in and why he and his family could use our support. This flyer is for the fundraiser bike event itself!

  • Kenny Chesney’s Next Big Star…

    at my bar… tomorrow! How sweet is that?


    Join 94.7 WQDR at Buckhead Saloon THIS THURSDAY NIGHT at 9pm to help decide who our next big star will be!

    See the 4 finalists – Holland Marie and the Johnston County Line, The Johnny Orr Band, Kevin Lee and Jason Marks – work the stage to win the chance to be Kenny’s opening act here plus compete for $25,000 and an audition with Kenny’s label… plus a slot on his Poets’ and Pirates tour.

    Admission is free and is 21 and up only.

    Kenny’s Next Big Star – be a part of history in the making!

    Ok, the last line is uber-cheesy… but don’t look at me… I didn’t write the copy for this promo… but I’ll still be there with my cowgirl boots on!

    PS – I’m sorry for not having more advance notice for you all, but I do hope those of you who are free can make it!

  • Congrats and More…

    First things first, I have to say congratulations to Allison Davis, owner of Sandfoot Photography (I highly, HIGHLY recommend her beautiful work), on her engagement this weekend in quite a fabulous fashion!!

    Her darling fiancé surprised her with a backstage proposal at the Brad Paisley meet-n-greet in Charlotte… HOW COOL! Check out the picture and a bit of the story online – Brad’s face is priceless as Allison got the surprise of her life! (There is also a great story about how Brad and his team managed to make another young girl’s night very special – he truly makes me very proud to be a Brad fan today.)

    Also, a big thank you goes out to Dave and Andy at Deep South the Bar for having Parmalee’s “Carolina” playing on their homepage… I am now ADDICTED to the song and hope that you all will enjoy it as much as I do!

    PS – Don’t forget to sign up for your membership and stop in and say hello to the Deep South folks soon, too.

  • Finally! Something Useful from UNC…

    Har, har, har. Had to jump at the opportunity to pick on the silly hue of blue down the road.

    I do love this article though from TBJ… more reason for me to return to 4-a-weeks at Buckhead (ie: hanging out all on each of the four nights Buckhead is open each week). Lace up those drinkin’ boots Renee!

    UNC study links alcohol abstinence with depressionCheers!

    PS – $5 says Ashton can use this in her daily email/blog tomorrow and that it’ll be the most popular link of the day. Sign of the impending apocalypse too possibly?

  • Local Legend Finally Officially Closes

    For anyone who follows my MySpace blog on truly random stuff… this shouldn’t be surprising.

    Longbranch Saloon shuts down in bankruptcy messWhile I rallied behind them in their first attempt to recover, the fact that they still employed the use of stiff cover charges, no acceptance of any kind of credit/debit cards, and maintained a staff with an attitude worse than any DMV office is still something I’ve yet to be able comprehend.

    I guarantee you I run up a much higher bar tab when I’ve opened a tab with a card than when I’m paying with cash.

    (Actually, while on the phone with a Nashville booking agent a few weeks ago, I mentioned to said agent that “the Longbranch still to this day doesn’t take any type of credit card” and he laughed hysterically louder than I’ve ever heard any grown man laugh in my life. Ouch.)

    PS – Bartenders that smile and say “you’re welcome” when guests thank them for their drink and leave a tip usually help, too. I’m just sayin’…

    PPS – Also via MySpace (and trust me, I cringe writing that… I truly do detest MySpace), the “artist formerly known as the Longbranch DJ” writes that the newest place in the Triangle for country music is… Sinners and Saints Saloon?

    While I think the name is quite nice, I don’t see it being on constant repeat in my calendar. For one, it’s in Clayton. I’m all for visiting my Johnston Co. folks for a hell-raisin’ good time… but not for a $10 membership fee with a $10 annual renewal.

    City Limits and Buckhead Saloon can go after the country music market all they want and have me along for the ride any day over that crap. (Ok, excuse my crabbiness as I will probably possess said membership if they book enough country acts so that the fee is off-set by a member-price savings at each event… but in all honesty… I’m very skeptical. We’ll have to see what happens.)