Photography by Donovan Roberts Witmer
Nearly every brunch enthusiast falls into one of two groups: the mimosa crowd, or the Bloody Mary set. With a drink dubbed the Vampire Kiss, the folks at The Left Bank Restaurant & Bar are making a convincing argument to ditch the sweet and opt for the savory. Owner and chef David Albright creates his own pepper vodka by steeping a combination of vegetables, herbs and spices in alcohol for a minimum of two weeks before pureeing and straining the mixture. This fresh tincture creates the base of several signature cocktails at The Left Bank. To mix the Vampire Kiss, bartender Ryan Mapes shakes the pepper vodka with dry vermouth and house made Bloody Mary mix, then strains it into a glass garnished with vegetables pickled on site, as well as locally made spicy string beans by Epic Pickles. For a perfect brunch bite, pair with another Left Bank specialty, white cheddar and scallion “tater tots” in homemade onion jam, served with candied peppered bacon and truffle aioli.
The Left Bank Restaurant & Bar 120 N. George St., York. 717-843-8010 | www.leftbankyork.com
Vampire Kiss
Serves 1
4 ounces pepper vodka
¼ ounce dry vermouth
1 ounce Bloody Mary mix
ice
pickled vegetables
Shake pepper vodka, vermouth and Bloody Mary mix with ice and strain into glass garnished with pickled vegetables.
For The Left Bank’s pepper vodka: Refrigerate carrot, cucumber, jalapeño, onion, scallion, tomato, parsley, basil and peppercorn in vodka for at least two weeks. Remove carrot, then puree mixture and strain liquid.
BONUS RECIPE
The Left Bank Restaurant & Bar’s Hot and Dirty Martini:
Ingredients:
3 ounces pepper vodka
¼ ounce dry vermouth
1 ounce olive juice
1 ounce Epic Pickles spicy green bean juice
Combine all ingredients with ice, strain into martini glass and garnish with pickled vegetables
