Losing the weight

Kennesaw empty-nester sheds 100 pounds

Hop City Beer and Wine,

99 Krog St., Atlanta. 470-355-2534. hopcitybeer.com

I received some black strap rum as a gift but after tasting it assumed that it might have been designed for cooking. However, seeing it posted on Hop City’s board at Krog Street Market as part of the “Stubborn Mule” drink, I ordered it and was surprised to find it very refreshing. Obviously, they know a good trick with it that I don’t. Just how do they create that drink? Thanks. — Larry Dugan, Decatur

Mina Holliday who has the wonderful title of “Raconteur of Refreshment” for Hop City Beer and Wine sent us this recipe and some very complete notes.

“Hop City’s Bar Manager Justin Camp works with Katie DeCantillion,

Hop City Mixing Maenad Extraordinaire, to create new and seasonal cocktails for our rotating menu. The Stubborn Mule has been a great addition to our spring and summer menu. It’s a lighter, friendlier Dark and Stormy. The Cruzan Blackstrap Rum is perfect as it is a naval rum, traditional in a Dark and Stormy, but is a cleaner, lighter version. It pairs well with our choice of syrup and ginger soda. We like the ginger soda instead of the traditional ginger beer because ginger beer has a sharper flavor and needs a sharper rum to match. Cruzan Blackstrap Rum would also work in tiki cocktails like a Mai Tai and is wonderful in a rum cake.”

Hop City uses Monday Night Brewing’s draft-only ginger soda. Check with growler shops to see if they have it on draft. Hop City frequently has it on draft but when we tested this recipe, it wasn’t available so we picked it up at My Friend’s Growler Shop on Memorial Drive. If you can’t get your hands on this particular ginger soda, they suggest substituting ginger ale and not ginger beer. The spicy ginger syrup is from 18.21 Bitters and is available at their shop at Ponce City Market as well as in some local package stores.

If you buy a bottle of this rum and want to take it into fall and winter, Holliday suggests it would work well with 18.21’s Tiki syrup or with a homemade chili-persimmon or cranberry-cinnamon syrup. Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of ” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.