Fox’s Den has become one of my favorite restaurants and bars. Located on Main Street in Downtown Annapolis, Fox’s Den is warm and inviting with wood and exposed brick interior. They play great music, have amazing drinks and serve a very impressive food menu. This month, I had the pleasure of meeting up with part-owner and General Manager, Tommy Burns. Tommy has been in the bartending business for 15 years. After residing in Wyoming for 10 years, he moved back to Maryland just in time for the Fox’s Den opening on June 21, 2015.

FOR FOX SAKE

Being that it’s Bourbon Heritage Month, I requested to cover my personal favorite cocktail, For Fox Sakes: Old Forester bourbon, fresh lemon, house ginger & mint foam. Doesn’t it sound delicious?!? It is! This cocktail is both refreshing and strong. All of the ingredients play so well together that not one overpowers the other. Though this drink is made in about 30 seconds, the work that goes into it isn’t lost. You can taste the freshness and the care that go into this recipe.

Pair this cocktail with the Merguz Pizza: merguez sausage harissa tomato, manchego, provolone, caramelized onion, roasted red pepper, mint. The bourbon and mint in For Fox Sake pair well with the mint and manchego cheese of the Merguz Pizza.

SNEAKY RUSSIAN NEIGHBOR

When asked which other Fox’s Den cocktail Tommy would recommend, he suggested the Sneaky Russian Neighbor: vanilla- and cinnamon-infused breck vodka, peach blackberry vinegar shrub, soda – made in house.

This was a fun cocktail to learn about! The work that goes into the ingredients is amazing. When I asked what Tommy’s favorite part of working at Fox’s Den is, he says “the staff and then the creativity of the menu and freedom to create”.  The Sneaky Russian Neighbor is a perfect example of this. Sous-vide is a is a method of cooking in which food is sealed in airtight plastic bags then placed in a water bath or in a temperature-controlled steam environment for longer-than-normal cooking times (source: Wikipedia). Using this method creates the vanilla- and cinnamon-infused Breck vodka. The flavor is evenly distributed and is much better than any shelf flavored vodka I’ve tasted.

Match this with house-made soda and the peach blackberry shrub—peach, blackberries, white wine vinegar and raw cane sugar—mixed together and mingling for an entire week, and you’ve got yourself a beautifully crafted and custom cocktail. Garnished with peach slices and vanilla bean, this cocktail is both pretty and refreshingly tasty.

Pair this cocktail with the Brick Oven Oysters: local oysters, fennel buerre blanc, fennel oil, crispy bacon.

TOMMY’S FAVS

Fav Bourbon: Elmer T Lee Single Barrel - neat Fav Cocktail: spicy carrot Margarita Fav Cocktail at Fox’s Den: Barrel Aged Boulevardie 35 Days / 12 Buffalo Trace, Aperol, Vya sweet vermouth, orange bitters

 

Photos courtesy of Darin Gilliam