Pavement on the Rocks
Featuring Two Pavement-Inspired Summer Cocktails and an Accompanying Playlist
After I recently shared some thoughts on the “honey-colored nostalgic glow” of the Pavement song “Gold Soundz” and why it means so much to me, the gang at Piazza Italian Market located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, reached out to me on Instagram to ask: “Is there a ‘Gold Soundz’ drink recipe?” While I haven’t (yet) concocted a cocktail that would live up to the spirit of the song itself, I was reminded that I did have two Pavement song-inspired drinks in my repertoire, and wanted to rip them from the pages of my book and share them there with you on LAST CALL. I also threw in a quick-and-dirty Pavement playlist (“A By No Means Comprehensive Yet Still Essential Not-in-Ranked Order Pavement Playlist For Your Listening Pleasure”) to help get you through the week, and through the end of summer. And with Alex Ross Perry’s PAVEMENTS, a quirky biopic/documentary mash-up about the band, making its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival on September 4, the Summer of Pavement is set to continue on into autumn.
Shady Lane
Brad Thomas Parsons, Bitters | Brooklyn, New York (2011)
“Blind date with a chancer, we had oysters and dry Lancers,” begins the Pavement classic “Shady Lane.” As far as this warm-weather cooler is concerned, the song’s refrain says it all: “A shady lane, everybody wants one.” Muddling the aromatic shiso leaves, which taste like a cross between mint and basil, lends a peppery element to this sweet-tart cocktail. If you can’t find shiso, mint or a combination of fresh mint and basil leaves will do.