Jamaica Gleaner
Published: Thursday | July 23, 2009
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The wonders of Medusa
Grace-Ann Black, Gleaner Intern


The 'Port Antonio' is actually a triple-layer cocktail.

Behind the Cooyah store on Hope Road lies the last hiding place of the big boys. Medusa, which was opened in 2007, was built from scratch (the roof was the only thing already there when the lot was purchased), entirely out of thick, rustic wooden planks, and resembles a combination of a treehouse, a cabana and a pirate ship.

Climb upstairs on a Friday evening and you'll find yourself wondering if you have somehow been transported to a backyard party. Cool breeze greets you behind the high, pepper-lit walls of the deck; no sound from the nearby traffic. Instead, be enveloped by infectious laughter from vibrant 20-something's and the young-at-heart, casually dressed, kicking back with a beer and food, running endless jokes.

You can watch Beverly Hills light up around you at night. Relaxed, inviting and private, from five to midnight on Wednesdays, it's all-you-can-drink for $1,000, while feasting on jerk chicken, salads or burgers, Latin nights are held every other Saturday. However, the real gem of the bar is their mixologist, Philip Lovejoy, who is always coming up with exciting mixes at Medusa. The Gleaner-sponsored Bar Week will include a number of crowd-pleasers on the third day.


Mixologist Phillip Lovejoy makes his 'Port Antonio' cocktail creation.

Lovejoy's MG (More Growth)

Ingredients

11/2oz Strawberry mix with fresh

berries

11/2 piņa colada mix

1oz fresh orange juice

1oz fruit punch

Top up with ginger ale

The drink has a complex blend of flavours - tangy, sweet, citrusy - but this seashell pink drink is a lively blend certain to make you go 'Mmm!'.

Port Antonio

1/2 tsp grenadine (strawberry) syrup

11/2 oz white rum

1/4 oz lime juice

1/2 oz pineapple juice

Top up with soda water

Actually a triple-layered cocktail, comprised of grenadine at the bottom, gold and white rum, then gold, white and pineapple juice at the top. Have fun exploring the flavours.

Florida Skies

Ingredients

3oz white rum or golden rum

1/4 fresh lime juice

Garnish with lime and cucumber slices in drink

Sounds kooky, I know, but if a drink were like a person, this one would be an entrepreneur - sharp, smartly presented and bursting with creativity. The taste of the cucumber balances out the tangy bite of the lime.

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