RON SWARNER: HAVING A COUPLE DRINKS AT THE CROWN BAR >>>

My plan for dinner was a quick in and out at The Crown Bar. Grab my typical zihua mushroom quesadilla with Serrano tomato salsa and bartender Dino’s drink of the day then call it good. A solid outing every time.

The quesadilla’s earthy goodness drew a smile as always. Dino’s Refresher â€" Tanqueray Rangpur Gin, Cointreau, ruby red grapefruit juice and soda water â€" was, well refreshing. Keep it on the list, Dino.

Then something went pleasantly awry. Favorite server Chelsea placed six colorful drinks in front of me.

“Dino wants your opinion on these,” she said with a smile.

Snug.

After tasting and re-tasting each drink (and re-tasting again), I rank the Metaxa Sidecar, Basil Gin Gimlet, Grape Nehi, Pink Lady with Rangpur Gin, Blood Orange Vodka concoction and a Sunset with Belvedere Vodka in descending order of goodness.

The Metaxa Sidecar is rumored to have been Hemingway’s favorite cocktail, but so are 10 to 30 other drinks, depending on what part of the world you find yourself. Good old Ernest was also a big fan of absinthe. Anybody who likes greenish blue hallucination inducing junk is cool in my book. (Yes, I’m glorifying alcohol as an avenue to being cool. So sue me.)

The Crown’s Sidecar features Metaxa Greek brandy, orange flavored Cointreau and a splash of sweet and sour with muddled Meyer lemons to create what could be an incredible base for a devastating margarita if you wanted to take it that far, but it also does just fine as is. Real fine.

By the way, four separate groups of mid-30-year-old MILFs came and went, each delivering scathing glances at the seven drinks followed by hushed one-liners and roars of laughter.

Nice.

[The Crown Bar, 2705 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.4177]