Wellingtonpista

File under: drink, nightlife, Wellington

This Friday a few of us are planning a gruelling practical research expedition to test our theories about the perfect Wellington cocktail list. As it happens, the good folks over at Wellingtonista have started a competition to devise the signature Wellingtonista cocktail. Not only must it taste good, but it must represent all that we love (and love to hate) about our city.

Here's my humble suggestion (incorporating some of the excellent ideas already submitted):

• a double shot of espresso (to provide the black half of our regional colours, to represent the jitterati and their obsession with the evil bean, and to give us the "vibrancy" that we're always claiming)
• a shot of ambrosia mead liqueur (to sweeten the coffee, represent the Beehive via honey, and add real gold for our "black and gold" colours)
• a generous helping of 42 Below vodka (I know it's not made here any more, but it nearly gets our latitude right, and there's still a special place for it in our hearts and livers)
• a dash of passionfruit pulp to represent the Welly music scene (why? because it's full of Black Seeds)
  
• shake vigorously with ice to put it through the experience of a good-old-fashioned southerly
  
• serve in a Martini glass (representing both an inside-out umbrella and Ath's nikau palms in Civic Square). Unless of course someone happens to have a miniature working model of the bucket fountain: that would be perfect.

Please add your suggestions, either here or at Wellingtonista.