Our Corporate Cocktail Program Manager and Assistant General Manager Brandon Eller went mad making all sorts of shrubs when we first started creating our craft cocktail menu. He had always wanted to create a balsamic shrub, so naturally we encouraged it. Brandon explains how the magic happened:
I took Sweet Cherries and pitted them then macerated them with sugar. While that sat for a few days, I combined Szechwan peppercorns, bourbon vanilla bean, balsamic vinegar and white wine vinegar, then shook for three days. Three days later, I combined all the ingredients in mason jars and continued to shake it for three weeks. I then poured everything through a filter and pressed on the cherries to get all the juice through the filter till I was left with my delicious shrub. Overproof Rye, Cherry Vanilla Balsamic Shrub, Lemon Juice, and Rich Syrup shaken with ice then strained into a coupe glass then garnished with a maraschino cherry. We had a delicious drink!! I mean super yummy!
We couldn’t think of a name for days for it. One day we got to talking about the old 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Steve Griffin, our Director of Operations, got the idea to name it after the Knights who say Ni. In the movie the Knights who say NI demand a shrubbery “one that looks nice and not too expensive” in order to pass through the woods. There you have it. The “Knights who say NI” was born.
-Brandon Eller, Corporate Cocktail Program Manager and Assistant General Manager, Pearls Oyster Bar
“Knights Who Say NI” can only be purchased at Pearls Oyster Bar in Oklahoma City. It’s $10.00 and worth every cent. Stop in and try one and let us know what you think.
