Today’s LAST CALL Dive Bar Jukebox is free to all readers thanks to the generous support of See the Elephant Amaro.
Produced in Agropoli near Salerno, See the Elephant Amaro di Rucola is made using local herbs and botanicals—including wild rucola (“arugula”)—and is considered a “zero kilometer,” farm-to-bottle amaro with all the key ingredients sourced from the Cilento Coast region of southern Italy. It’s an ideal “gateway” amaro for those just starting to explore the amari category—flavorful, sweet, bold, and complex, with just a touch of bitterness.
In a new ongoing series with LAST CALL and See the Elephant Amaro, we’ll be journeying around the country to spotlight talented bartenders with a passion for amaro and ask them to share the recipe for their original cocktail made with See the Elephant Amaro.
Today we welcome Amanda Phelps, the Beverage Manager at Frannie & the Fox—a wood-fired restaurant with Italian sensibilities and an epic courtyard perfect for al fresco aperitivo—located in the Hotel Emeline in Charleston, South Carolina, to learn more about her Aereo Elefante cocktail.
How would you describe your personal style or point of view as a bartender?
Phelps: My view as a bartender is "open." Whether it’s classic drinks or newer trends, I’m always growing my education on all spirits—and non-alcoholic spirits—because it’s important to never stop learning.
How do you generally approach using amaro in cocktails?
Phelps: I love using amari like See the Elephant, Nonino, or Montenegro as a sweetener, and for aromatics when they are more on the bitter side.
Do you find that most of your guests are quite familiar with the amaro category these days? If not, how do you help demystify their approach to appreciating amaro?
Phelps: Where we are located in Charleston we don’t see many guests well-educated on amaro, but my bar team loves amari so it makes it easy to guide guests through their first amaro experience. We do a lot of staff education on amaro at Frannie as well since we have an extensive amari selection.
Do you have any bartender pro tips when it comes to amaro?
Phelps: Keep them up front so your guests can ask about them!
What sets See the Elephant Amaro apart from other amari bottles on the backbar and how do you approach using it?
Phelps: The label, first and foremost—it really stands out. It’s like looking at the fun candy wallpaper in Willy Wonka. Before approaching a new cocktail concept, I always taste spirits alone, side by side, and then together to see how the complement each other.
What was the inspiration for your Aereo Elefante cocktail, and what does See the Elephant Amaro bring to the drink?
Phelps: The Paper Plane was my inspiration for the Aereo Elefante. See The Elephant really brings out the grapefruit from the pamplemousse and the bubblegum notes shine without being overly sweet. The basil adds herbaceous notes and complements the arugula in the amaro.
Any tips for people making the Aereo Elefante at home?
Phelps: Always chill your glass and always use fresh juice. You’ll thank me later!
Recipe: Aereo Elefante
Amanda Phelps, Frannie & The Fox | Charleston, South Carolina
3/4 ounce See the Elephant Amaro di Rucola
3/4 ounce bourbon
3/4 ounce Giffard Pamplemousse Liqueur
3/4 ounce lemon juice
8 fresh basil leaves
Garnish: fresh basil leaf
Combine the See the Elephant Amaro di Rucola, bourbon, pamplemousse liqueur, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Tear each of the 8 pieces of basil in half and add to the shaker. Fill with ice and shake hard for 15-20 seconds to incorporate the basil into the cocktail. Double strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf.
As See the Elephant Amaro di Rucola continues to expand their distribution, you can find it at select bottle shops, bars, and restaurants in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama,
You can also order a bottle online. Shipping is available to 46 states through the See the Elephant website.
Dive Bar Jukebox
Welcome to Dive Bar Jukebox, where bartenders, writers, chefs, musicians, and a cast of cool characters answer the question: If we were hanging out together at a bar and I put ten credits on the jukebox, what songs would you punch in and why? Their responses reveal thoughts on their favorite dive bars along with a hand-picked, annotated playlist for your weekend listening pleasure.
Please join me in welcoming today’s very special guest…
Emmett Burke
Take it from me, Emmett Burke is a great guy. I always love running into him at one of the two popular New York city restaurants he founded and owns, Emmett’s and Emmett’s on Grove. He’s affable, approachable, down to earth, and passionate about a number of pursuits—whether it’s collecting 1980s movies on VHS, the finer points of deep-dish and thin-crust Chicago-style pizza, frequenting dive bars, or reciting lyrics from the songs by his favorite ‘80s bands (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, The Tubes, and A Flock of Seagulls, to name a few).
The Chicago-born entrepreneur opened his namesake tavern in 2013 just south of Houston on MacDougal Street, specializing in deep-dish pizza, an overlooked regional style in a city with a pizzeria on every corner. “Yeah, that’s my baby. It’s my first. It’s like a band’s debut album,” says Burke. Specialized pies include the Magnum P Eye with ham and pineapple and the Gabe Froman, with half-pepperoni, half-sausage, and spinach. You’ll find other Chicago foodways classics like Italian Beef and a Chicago-Style Hot Dog, but the thin-crust tavern-style pies (the type of pizza most Chicagoans favor) cut into small squares like a cheesy jigsaw puzzle have proven to be the the runaway hit.
It’s all thin-crust pizza at Emmett’s on Grove, the popular supper club-style restaurant in the West Village that also has a full-service bar—the $9 Happy Hour & a Half Martinis and a sidecar of Pigs in a Blanket is one of the best deals in town. The roster of thin-crust pies there include the bestselling Hot Papi (pepperoni, jalapeño, red onion, ranch) and the Pegg O’ (grana padano, Parmesan, pecorino Romano, fresh basil) along with mains like Baby Back Ribs, Chicken Parmesan, and Shrimp Scampi. The place is always packed—there’s an electric buzz of the crowded bar, Emmett’s curated playlists are coming from the speakers, and everyone is having a great time.
Last November I had the chance to interview Emmett for LAST CALL on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the original Emmett’s and we covered a lot of topics, including the philosophy of taking the unexpected left turns in life and the story of how he got Bill Murray to guest-bartender at the opening night of Emmett’s on Grove (It turns out Murray dated Emmett’s mother when they were in high school together and surprised her by stopping by her son’s bar to help celebrate and pour some beers).
This is one of my favorite quotes from that interview:
“Pizza is the ultimate equalizer. Everyone likes pizza. And the cool thing about that is pizza brings everyone together, right? We get celebs in here from the neighborhood and people who come in from all over and they want to eat our pizza because it’s good.
But it’s also accessible for anyone who just wants to have a good time. That’s been the super-fun thing for me—that people also appreciate us for a well-made Martini, a nice bottle of wine, or a piece of art on the wall.
I hate to use the word elevated because everyone does that. Like an “elevated” dive bar? Fuck that. But everything we do we try to have an intention behind it. But there’s no airs to anything we do because, hey, I grew up delivering pizzas. And that’s still what I kind of do for a living.”
—Emmett Burke
Read on as Emmett philosophizes on the bar in the movie The Wrestler, what makes a dive bar a dive bar, his love of jukeboxes at bars, and an eclectic playlist that seamlessly cuts between Buddy Holly and Tom Petty to The Velvet Underground and The Cars.
Talking Dives with Emmett Burke
What is your favorite dive bar and why do you love it?
Burke: Any dive bar I'm at with cold beer, a snarky bartender, and a jukebox.
What makes a dive bar a dive bar?
Burke: Limited food, kitschy decor, no frills, a jukebox, a cigarette vending machine, wine you wouldn’t even serve at church, a random group of misfits—the kind of place where you know you’re not a regular and with proper etiquette, perhaps some drinks, and some good deep-cuts selections, you are getting along by the end of the night.
When thinking about this I was reminded of the scene in the movie The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke and Marissa Tomei. “Round and Round” by Ratt comes on the speakers. Mickey goes “Whoa… Hell yeah. All right. Dance with me.” It strikes a chord with both of them and they both sing along. It’s a great scene in a great movie and even better example of why Darren Aronfksy is a genius.
What is the strangest or most interesting thing you ever witnessed go down at a dive bar?
Burke: What’s the rating on Dive Bar Jukebox?
Do you have a favorite bar jukebox and what makes it special?
Burke: So many, but in recent memory is Snyder’s Tavern in West Shokan, New York. I went there with my mom a couple summers ago. We were greeted by a bunch of strangers smoking cigarettes who looked at us like we must be lost when we walked in. We jammed the jukebox with credits, bought a bunch of beers, and played darts for an afternoon.
What is your go-to drink at a dive bar?
Burke: Beer and shots of tequila.
Dive Bar Jukebox: Emmett Burke
For my Dive Bar Jukebox playlist I hope to capture a night of discovery or reconnection with a romantic interest. I think there is a certain arc of the night—almost like a well constructed play. A nice slow build up then after awhile, if the mood and libations are working together, something upbeat to get you dancing—maybe the rest of the bar starts to feel it—then a closing with slow songs.
Since I opened Emmett’s it’s been me or my brother Dillon that picked all the music. We have playlists for different parts of night. It’s still, to this day, something that I hold very sacred. I see three prongs. Songs or artists that you may not have ever heard, songs you haven’t heard in a long time, and songs you know and love. We try to mix and deliver that to this day.
—Emmett Burke
“Marinade” by Dope Lemon
This is such a dope song. I like how raw it feels and sounds.“Art Lover” by The Kinks
I love The Kinks. For some reason I don’t feel their body of work is appreciated as much it should be. They’re such a fun bar band. This song is often misunderstood as a creepy old man song, but it’s actually not about that at all.”Surrender” by Suicide
It’s such a vibe. Not everyone loved their high school dances, but they would if they got to slow dance to this with their crush.“The Hula Hula Boys” by Warren Zevon
Getting to know more about Warren through the book I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead really gave me an appreciation for all his music, but especially this song. He had a certain depth to his writing and really lived this hard rock and roll life. This is by no means a feel-good song, but there is something beautiful about it and I enjoy playing it for people who may not have heard it before.“Wildflowers” by Tom Petty
Wildflowers was the first CD I ever bought. It’s something that is truly timeless. So many moments and times in my life I connect with this album. I listen to Tom Petty Radio quite often and remember Tom saying in an interview how proud of he was of the Wildflowers album. Not that it needed any further validation in my book, but I thought it was cool that before he died he wanted to do a tour focusing solely on that album and its songs.“Real Bad Looking (Live)” by Alex Cameron
I started listening to Alex Cameron a few years ago, and really enjoy a lot of his work. His lyrics and delivery are quite special, and I enjoy playing his music for people who have never heard it before.“(Ummmm, Oh Yeah) Dearest (Overdubbed)” by Buddy Holly
I really love this song. Buddy Holly is a mythical force in rock and roll. I think it’s a perfect song. Short and sweet, and just keeps you wanting more.“I Don’t Like the Man I Am“ by Pete Molinari
There’s a certain cadence and depth to this song that works for any type of night at a bar. It has a versatility that could have been at home on the soundtrack to the movie Urban Cowboy. I believe that’s what makes this such a good dive bar song. There are so many interpolations of what a good dive bar is, but you would probably see a lot of overlap in songs people enjoy listening to at them. This checks a lot those boxes.“Bobby” by Youth Lagoon
I started listening to Youth Lagoon when i was building out the original Emmett’s I found the melodic nature of the songs so beautiful. “Bobby” is one of my favorite songs on this album.“Roll Me Away” by Bob Seger
Its not a dive bar if doesn’t have Bob Seger on the jukebox. This song lifts people’s spirits and out their chairs.”Electricity” by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
This song gets every leg moving in the bar. For anyone who didn’t get up for “Roll Me Away” this will get anyone remaining in their seats up and dancing.“Messages” by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
For the sole purpose of sticking with two bands back to back. And this OMD favorite of mine has an equally fun and upbeat energy.“Drive” by The Cars
I love this song. I grew up listening to The Cars a lot and rank them amongst the better bands of the 1980s. This song is the musical chairs part of the night—where you realize you are with the person you want to be with, or you are not.“Ride into the Sun - “1969”” by the Velvet Underground
Not many songs can capture the essence of a last call or postlude like this one.
Our thanks to See the Elephant Amaro for underwriting today’s LAST CALL Dive Bar Jukebox.
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LAST CALL logo and design by Ed Anderson.
Ooooh, this is a great mix! And now I want pizza.
I agree, great playlist and I am scrambling around for some pizza RIGHT NOW, lol