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Lake Tahoe Drink of the Week: The Lucky Beaver’s Queen B Martini

The Lucky Beaver’s Queen B Martini consists of Empress gin, rosemary garnish, St. Germaine elderflower liqueur, lemon and simple syrup, with an olive oil necklace floated on the top.
Rob Galloway / Lake Tahoe Action

One of the largest components of Tahoe’s nightlife is the mix of countless breweries, bars and restaurants that offer unique drinks difficult to find outside the basin.

In our Drink of the Week segment, we’ll showcase one type of beer, wine, cocktail — you name it — to try around the basin.

It’s quite fitting that the main ingredient in a drink named Queen B is Empress gin. It’s that gin, combined with the fresh rosemary garnish, that gives it its earthy notes. It’s like Girls Gone Wild: Garden Edition.



Added to the fray is St. Germaine elderflower liqueur, lemon and simple syrup. And for the true belle of the ball, an olive oil necklace is floated on the top. At first, you might think that sounds strange to add olive oil to a cocktail, but I can tell you the silkiness it adds to this drink is like gulping down 1,000-thread count silk sheets.

The cocktail is equal parts sweet, tart and savory. Like Philippe Petit walking across the Twin Towers, it all balances out perfectly. In fact, each leg of the tasting stool is in such a perfect position, this would be the sitting-place preference of Norm from “Cheers.”



While I know martinis aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, you may want to suspend that thinking for this drink. The Empress gin is so unique that non-gin lovers will want to give the alcohol a second chance.

Hey, if it’s good enough to be called royalty, it should be worth a trip down the old gag hole. Besides, you can’t hit a royal flush without the Queen.

The Lucky Beaver Bar and Burger is located at 31 U.S. 50 #104 in Stateline, Nevada. They are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For information, you can visit it online at http://www.luckybeaver.com or by phone at 775-580-7770.


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