New York City’s well-known cocktail bar, The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, made an impromptu visit to Charleston last night to share their delicious custom cocktails and we were lucky enough to get a seat at the table. Dead Rabbit’s Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry partnered with Prohibition’s chef Stephen Thompson for an amazing four-course dinner and cocktail pairing that invoked a wide variety of flavors.

The first course was a spicy rabbit stew of red potatoes, carrots, onion and local braised lamb rib. Chef garnished the broth with shaved duck yolk that was aged inProhibition’s  kitchen for super month! This added a complexity to the dish that set the tone for the entire dinner. Dead Rabbit’s “National Anthem” cocktail featuring Green Spot Irish Whiskey, fresh carrot juice, lemon juice, dill syrup and fresh nutmeg. This was a fantastic combination because the savoriness from the carrot juice complimented the carrot slices in the stew. The second course consisted of gourmet fish and chips topped with a creamy parsley/merlot sauce accented with dill flakes. This course was paired with the Dead Rabbit’s “Doppelänger” cocktail, featuring Power’s John’s Lane Irish Whiskey, yellow chartreuse, dry vermouth and 2 dashes of celery bitters which complimented the fresh flavor provided by the parsley sauce. Next, perfectly pink bacon wrapped beef Wellington with a side of mushrooms resting in Irish gravy. Prohibition’s “Cashel” cocktail, named after the town in Ireland included tea-infused Jameson Irish Whiskey, fig and celery bitters.

Lastly, we were treated to a butter crust bread pudding, topped with 100% Maple Syrup, Housemade Jameson Whiskey ice cream and candied pecans.The southern classic was complimented by the Dead Rabbit’s “Head of Steam” cocktail featuring Redbreast 12 yr Irish Whiskey, Sherry and spice bitters. The last cocktail reminded us of a Manhattan which balanced the sweetness of the pudding and brought the meal to a lovely conclusion.  The gentlemen of Dead Rabbit gave us a sample of what they offer at their six floor bar in New York City and Prohibition reminded us why it’s one of the best restaurants in Charleston.