Shadows of the Lost Lore: A Prelude to Chaos
💀 Before the Shadows
All right, let’s talk about Shadows of the Lost Lore. My first pop-up, and wow. The whole day was rush, rush, rush.
For context, I usually get home from work around 4:30 in the morning, sometimes later, and don’t get to bed until after five. So getting up at 11:30 doesn’t sound that early until you realize I basically just went to sleep.
Still forced myself through a quick full-body workout. Had to get a little pump before becoming a skeleton.
By 1:30, I was at the face painter’s house, and she absolutely killed it. Look at that makeup. Tell me I wasn’t one of the most badass-looking skeletons out there. She earned that tip.
🩸 A Prelude to Chaos
Then it was straight home for about two and a half hours of nonstop prep.
I made enough strawberry-hibiscus cordial with Fruitful Strawberry and balsamic fig glaze for roughly 40 syringes. Prepped my coconut, cardamom, vanilla, and pandan foam across three different iSi whippers. Juiced about four and a half cups of fresh lime juice. Filled cheater bottles, packed ingredients, and loaded up everything I thought we might need.
I brought my own dry curaçao and Saint James agricole rum because I wanted those flavors in the cocktail. Between the bottles, whippers, syringes, and everything else, I was basically hauling a small bar with me.
By the time I finished, I was dripping sweat. Jumped in the shower and completely forgot I had face paint on.
Yep. Rinsed off part of my neck and the top of my head. Nothing crazy, but come on, Kendall. 😂
🌙 Into the Dark at Sidecar
Somehow, I made it to Sidecar Social Club at 5:40 for our six o’clock start.
Sidecar is such a cool space. Dark, intimate, and stocked with some seriously rad bar tools. The bartender in me wanted to stop and check everything out. The other part of me was trying to find things and get set up without bumping into somebody.
And honestly, coordinating a pop-up with two other people was a challenge before we even got there. Different schedules, different lives, and me living way out in Verrado. Getting three bartenders together to create a cohesive menu sounds easier than it actually is.
But the Lost Chords pulled it together, and there was a story behind what we were serving.
🎻 The Lost Chords: Prelude, Interlude & Finale
Lost Lore plays classical music during fermentation, which is such a cool part of their process. We wanted to lean into that connection rather than just make three unrelated drinks. So we built our menu like a little musical journey: a prelude, an interlude, and a finale.
Ammon’s highball was the prelude. Beautiful, refreshing, with a little spice to wake up your senses and get things started.
Then came my interlude: The Devil’s Trill. A funky, dark Mai Tai. Black like my soul, obviously, but bright and tropical once you took a sip.
Lost Lore Mixta, Saint James agricole rum, dry curaçao, toasted black sesame orgeat, fresh lime, a touch of rich simple, and Angostura bitters. On top, that bright green coconut-cardamom-vanilla-pandan foam, with my strawberry-hibiscus cordial, Fruitful Strawberry, and balsamic fig glaze in a syringe on the side.
The move was to take a sip of the cocktail, then a little of the syringe, and let those flavors come together. A little tart, a little funky, a little theatrical. Pretty on-brand for me.
Jose brought the finale with his nightcap, a Black Manhattan riff using Lost Lore Mixta, coconut liqueur, Montenegro, and sherry. No extra syrup added, just letting those ingredients do their thing.
That was the idea: start refreshing, move into something bright and tropical, then finish with a nightcap. Three different bartenders, three different drinks, but one story tying it all together.
🖤 A Few Tricks During Service
Now, back to those syringes. Small lesson from service: check the caps.
In the rush and the dark, a few went out still capped. Some of our first guests went to push the plunger and got more of a splash than the intended experience. Oops. Definitely something we’ll be checking next time.
Our six o’clock slot started a little quieter. Honestly, six is early for a lot of bartenders. By the time the later teams went on, more people were coming through. We made the most of our time, wrapped up around 7:45, and finally got to enjoy everybody else’s drinks.
🥂 After the Final Pour
And that ended up being one of my favorite parts.
I rarely get a chance to go out. Hanging with Jose and his girlfriend, seeing people in the industry I normally miss, and actually being part of the community felt really good. It was nice to stop rushing for a minute and just enjoy being there.
We didn’t take the win. Camp Lost Lore did, and they came prepared. Matching shirts, costumes, s’mores kits on the table. They put a lot into the whole experience, and it showed. Respect.
Was our day stressful? Absolutely. A little last-minute and chaotic? Yep.
But we all left happy. We had fun, learned a lot, and got to come together with people who love this stuff. For my first pop-up, that means a lot.
Mission accomplished. And yes, I was definitely feeling it the next morning. Lol.
Would I do it again? Hell yeah.
Stay tuned for the next competition, and come show some love for your boy. I want to see you there.
🕯️ Join the Community
And don’t forget to join my cult. I mean, my community. 😂 Follow along for new recipes, R&D, pivots, challenges, and whatever I get myself into next.
🍸 Hire Saints & Spirits
Planning a party? Contact Saints & Spirits and let me bring that competitive edge and speakeasy experience to your next event.
Comments