Jones Long of Lounge Here has been a bartender for seven and a half years. Although she’s only been working in East Dallas since August 2018, her fresh take on the neighborhood led her to create cocktails inspired by the people and places of East Dallas. Long concocted two drinks. One from the bar’s upcoming spring menu is a tribute to Lounge Here owner Julie Doyle. The other, made especially for the Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate, encapsulates the difference Long sees between Lakewood and her home turf of Oak Cliff.
Photography by Kathy Tran.
The “Tripping Daisy”
.75 oz Fresh squeezed lime juice
.5 oz Falernum
.5 oz Domaine de Canton
1.5 oz Arette tequila
Wasabi to taste
Garnish with a dehydrated pineapple wheel, a pineapple leaf and a buzz button (AKA a Szechuan button).
This cocktail was originally inspired by Lounge Here owner Julie Doyle and her time with the band Tripping Daisy. Although the musical influence is reminiscent of Lakewood, it is a perfect picture of White Rock Lake. The margarita looks pretty and floral. Imagine a well-designed exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden in a glass. The wasabi packs surprising heat, like when an aggressive biker cuts you off.
Photography by Kathy Tran.
The “Barely Even Friends”
.5 oz Routin blanc vermouth
.5 oz Malört
.75 oz St. Germain
1.5 oz Botanist gin
Garnish with balsamic-soaked Castelvetrano olives stuffed with pickled lemon rind.
Although the name and the drink may not be too sweet, it captures the stereotype of the Lakewood lawyer or politician — refined and elegant with a fabulous-looking life, but whose face reveals the stress of high-profile jobs and everyday struggles. The martini is sweet and refined at first sip and then finishes with a lingering bitterness. While not everyone in Lakewood fits this picture, Long sees a few neighbors of this type come through the bar.
