Drink of the Week: The Fortress of Solitude, Superman's Punch

Last weekend at the ever-popular South Boston watering hole Drink, Bostonist had a cocktail that made us feel like we could see Marlon Brando. And he was our dad.

It was the Fortress of Solitude, Drink's latest homegrown punch. The Fortress was born on a slow night when bartender Ben Sandrof sat at Drink's bar, brainstorming. He wanted to create a "Superman punch." Only problem? Drink is a no-nonsense cocktail bar; it's not so big on adding deep reds and blues to its drinks. Hence the solution: Why not create a cocktail dedicated to where Superman lives?

The Fortress of Solitude had to be clear or white and it had to evoke the iciness of Superman's Arctic retreat. The cocktail, which was a collaboration involving Sandrof, Sam Treadway and John Gertsen, features a tantalizing blend of genever (Holland gin), crème de menthe, and crème de cacao. But the coup de grâce, the stroke that makes the drink work, is the huge shards of ice that the bartenders add from the giant ice blocks in the back of the bar. The Fortress of Solitude looks and tastes like the frozen north.

But in essence, it's still a punch. Treadway said, "We would suggest the cocktail be served in a punch bowl with huge shards of ice poking out." Bostonist had our Fortress of Solitude in, well, solitude, and it was perfectly serviceable. The punch version is a birthday party waiting to happen.

We couldn't help but notice the glasses that bartenders use to serve the Fortress. They are unusual vintage jobs, stout and heavy. Treadway admitted that Drink's bartenders rarely use the glasses, but added that they'd be great in a bar fight.

"Do you have many bar fights at Drink?" we asked.

"No, but if we ever do, I've got my St. Germain bottle and one of those glasses, so bring it on!" he replied.

Photo by C. Fernsebner.