Kuf's Coogan & Benders

I headed into Kuf's on a dark Tuesday evening just when the snowflakes started to fall, so I didn't get a good look at their outside or their main sign. However, one thing I noticed was the horseshoe pits outside! How fun! I paid special attention to the inside of this joint as (fingers crossed!) this could be one of my best friend's future corner bar, as she is looking at a house in the neighborhood. 

The bar had a surprising number of people (over 5) for a Tuesday night. The place was VERY clean and had a long bar. Kuf's is a long building, but not very deep. They had 4 or so slot machines, dart boards and a new age digital juke box. My future homeowner friends and I bellied up to the bar and took a peak at their limited, but delicious looking menu. I particularly enjoyed the note at the bottom:

It was happy hour, but the special only offered $2 bottles. I ordered the typical--brandy old fashioned sour with olives. The friendly bartender grabbed a glass and added several dashes of bitters and asked if I wanted Aristocrat or Korbel. I chose Aristocrat as the holiday bills are piling up and every dollar saved counts. While I was distracted, I didn't see him add any sugar, but next added the brandy, then ice and soda. Topped it with olives.

"Did he add sugar?" I remember whispering to my friends. Neither noticed. I pondered that thought while grabbing a picture of the drink.

I took a sip. Hmm.. then I took a good size taste. Strong, bitter and sour. Yum, but definitely no sugar. At first, I didn't mind the tartness but the more I drank, the more I began to miss it. This was definitely a brandy sour, but a couple dashes of bitters doesn't turn it into an old fashioned. The drink was only $2.50, which makes this VERY reasonably priced. One of the best priced drinks I had in awhile. There was also definitely a shot & half of brandy in the drink, so I was quickly warming up. With the friendly bartender, cleanliness, good food (per friends, I did not partake) and very reasonable priced drink, I was going to give this place a 4 olive rating, but since I was later charged a $1 for the club soda I ordered and that the drink was really more of a brandy sour instead of a brandy old fashioned, I have to go with 3 olives. Despite that, I would definitely come back, but wouldn't order a brandy old fashioned.

Rating (out of 5)

Kuf's Coogan & Benders
2126 Algoma Blvd
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