O’Jung’s Tavern in South Philly Serves Up Dirty Spicy Caesar Martini
It’s not often you’re served a martini that resembles Thousand Island dressing with a grated Parmesan and skewered hot pepper garnish. This drink isn’t any ordinary martini, and the Philly…
It's not often you're served a martini that resembles Thousand Island dressing with a grated Parmesan and skewered hot pepper garnish. This drink isn't any ordinary martini, and the Philly bar that serves it isn't any ordinary bar.
The Dirty Spicy Caesar martini from O'Jung's Tavern is the cocktail creation that co-owner Michael Otto hopes will catapult this former South Philly dive bar into a sought-out destination for cocktail enthusiasts looking for the new and unusual.
“We've had influencers coming in. A picture is worth a million words,” Otto told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Otto said the idea for the Dirty Spicy Caesar martini concoction came from social media. There, he saw influencers like Alessandra Pizzorni develop “fully filthy” martini recipes, such as one for an Olive Garden-inspired cocktail garnished with soggy croutons and one that tastes like you're drinking in the foods of a seafood boil.
The trend in these pushing-the-envelope drinks comes as frothy espresso martinis are giving way to savory cocktails, such as the Waldorf Salad whiskey cocktail served at the former North America's Best Bar winner, Double Chicken Please, or the French onion-soup flavored Manhattan from the Barcelona bar Two Schmucks.
“It's definitely an acquired taste. If you're a Bloody Mary type of person, you'll probably like it,” said Otto, who said he actually prefers espresso martinis more.
The Dirty Spicy Martini is one of many new methods that Otto is using to reimagine O'Jung's, located at the corner of Second and Fernon streets in Pennsport since 2001. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Otto moved beyond the cheap beers and liquor shots and started adding hot sandwiches and select appetizers — such as Italian hoagie eggrolls and wings — to the menu.
Those efforts have transformed O'Jung's into a true gastropub. This fall, patrons will be able to order filet mignon sliders on pretzels with bagel seasoning or chicken parmigiana as they take in Otto's Halloween-themed decorations.
