You may have sipped one of Katie Rose’s thought-provoking, palate-caressing cocktails at Bay View’s Goodkind. Rose, who first landed on the cocktail scene working at the Bay View bar Burnhearts, calls the ability to “change somebody’s day” with a beautifully made drink and some conversation, “a powerful thing.”
It’s that “power” that, in a way, brought the cocktail My Darling Amadeus into being. It was early into her relationship with her partner, Christopher. At some point, he mentions to her that he loves pisco sours. And one night, they’re at the now-shuttered bar Circle A in Riverwest, and Christopher tells her that of all unlikely places to have a great pisco sour, it’s Circle A, more of a shot and a beer bar. They order it and it’s, yes, absolutely delicious. Unbeknownst to Christopher, Rose – by this point co-owner of Goodkind and creator of the bar program there – is working on a pisco drink for Goodkind. It’s showtime – the cocktail is ready, Rose has titled it and put it on the menu. The name, My Darling Amadeus, is an affectionate nod to her partner, whose middle name is Amadeus. How he learns about it is the best part of the story. He and Rose are talking on the phone, he’s telling her what a terrible day he’s had. Rose tells him to come to Goodkind and have a drink. So he does, takes a seat at the bar, and she hands him a menu. And – surprise and delight, shaken not stirred – Christopher sees the drink for which he plays the muse, and of course he orders it. And, of course, his day is then completely turned around. Since then, that drink has struck a chord with many people, and “as much as I would love to change it or take it off the menu, I think people would be really upset!” Rose says.
