Category: Drink

Cinco de Mayo: Let’s Taco ‘Bout It!

Posted on May 3, 2023

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than at The Fennec in downtown Birmingham? Bring your friends and family to check out our delicious food and drink specials for everyone to enjoy!

Our food special of the day is Baja Fish Tacos. This flavorful, cooked-to-perfection fish lays atop a soft tortilla shell dressed with chipotle lime crème, blue corn grits, and Acapulco slaw.

What pairs better with a food special than thirst-quenching drink specials? The Fennec has three big ones to offer for this day of celebration!

$5 Cervezas including Corona, Modelo, Victoria, and Sol
$6 Altos Tequila
$6 Jarritos Palomas

Why not stay and party with us all night long?* Join us for Joe Breckenridge at 6:00pm, Deputy 5 at 9:00pm, and DJ Nano and DJ VNDRL at 11:30pm. There will be Altos merch giveaways from 10:00pm-12:00am and a Hangout Fest ticket giveaway at 11:00pm. You won’t want to miss this! *There will be a cover to enter between 8:30pm and 11:00pm.

Start the fun early and come play Thursday Night Trivia with us! There may even be a category on Cinco de Mayo… here’s a bit of holiday history to give you a leg up on the competition.

Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The battle was fought during the French intervention in Mexico, which lasted from 1861 to 1867. At the time, Mexico was in a state of financial crisis and unable to pay its foreign debts, which led France to invade and establish a monarchy under Maximilian I. The battle was a symbolic victory for Mexico, proving that a poorly equipped and outnumbered army could still win against a world power.

Cinco de Mayo is primarily celebrated in the United States as a day to honor Mexican culture and heritage. The holiday gained popularity in the U.S. during the 1960s, when Chicano activists began to use it as a way to celebrate their Mexican identity and promote civil rights. Today, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with parades, traditional Mexican music and dance performances, and, of course, delicious Mexican cuisine and drinks.

We hope to see you this weekend at The Fennec!

The History of Your (& Our) Favorite Cocktails

Posted on April 12, 2023

Have you ever been drinking your favorite cocktail and wondered how someone paired so perfectly together such delicious ingredients? Some of the most popular cocktails have incredibly interesting histories and origins. This is true for the drink menu at The Fennec in downtown Birmingham too! Each of our drinks came to be in very unique ways, and ended up way better than anyone could have ever expected.

Gin and Tonic

The Gin and Tonic is one of the oldest cocktails in the entire world. In the 1700s, sea travel began to grow and trade across the Indian ocean was prevalent. Malaria was a huge problem for these sailors and quinine tonic was widely known as a preventative for the disease. The quinine mixture was apparently horrible tasting. To make the drink more bearable, the sailors used their rations of gin and lime and mixed it into the tonic. The Gin and Tonic was born!

Vodka Cran

The Vodka Cran that we know and love today was nicknamed many different things throughout its history. The drink was originally created as the ‘Red Devil’ and became a marketing ploy by Ocean Spray Cranberries who first published the drink in the 1940s and 1950s. Since the name ‘Red Devil’ never took off, the company advertised the drink in the New Yorker as the ‘Cape Codder’ in 1965. This name ties the Vodka Cran with Massachusetts and the Cape, because of their large cranberry industry. This name makes it a signature drink in the Northeast. Eventually it would spread to the entire United States, being nicknamed the Bog-Fog in parts of Florida. There are also hundreds of variations of this drink. By adding club soda, it becomes the Rose Kennedy cocktail. One could also add orange juice and peach schnapps to make it a Sex on the Beach.

Tequila Sunrise

Did you know that Tequila Sunrise was Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stone’s favorite drink? They stumbled upon the drink after it had made its way into San Francisco in 1972 at a bar named The Trident. This drink had been experimented on in the Bay area since the 1930s, but the Trident had remade it using orange juice, grenadine, and tequila. The band instantly fell in love with the drink, and as they toured all of America for the rest of ‘72, they ordered it in every city they visited. Not soon after, The Eagles named one of their songs after the cocktail. The album that this song appeared on, Desperado, was a huge hit and the drink became even more popular.

Fennec’s Jolene

The Fennec’s Jolene is named after Dolly Parton’s fabulous hit Jolene. Parton’s lyrics are heart wrenching and strong. The song is about a woman that Parton knows is incredibly desirable and beautiful. She begs for Jolene to stay away from her man as he is the only man that she has ever loved. Perhaps the most iconic stanza from the song:

Your beauty is beyond compare

With flaming locks of auburn hair

With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green

Your smile is like a breath of spring

Your voice is soft like summer rain

And I cannot compete with you

Jolene

The Fennec’s Jolene mix of Stoli Vanil, White Cranberry, and Lime is exactly the kind of drink that Dolly describes. It is definitely like a breath of spring, and it is soft like summer rain. This drink is desirable and delicious. You may even talk about it in your sleep!

The Foxhole Lounge Annie Oakley

Annie Oakley was an iconic woman. Being a woman living in the late 1800s, she pushed outside of her zone and made a name for herself in a sport that was thought to be men only territory. She was a prodigy and at the age of 15 started showing talent with a rifle. She was an amazing sharpshooter and toured the country as a member of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. This drink encapsulates her history. The mix of Vodka, Honeysuckle, strawberry, basil, and lime was created to honor a female icon. It packs a mean punch but it is sweet and savory at the same time.

The Fennec’s Tupelo Honey

Van Morrison wrote the song Tupelo Honey in honor of his wife Janet. The song encapsulates the bliss that he has experienced in his life since marrying her. The lyrics describe how simple and natural love can be. It is a simple song about being in love. Morrison says it best:

She’s as sweet as tupelo honey

She’s an angel of the first degree, she’s an angel

She’s as sweet as tupelo honey

Just like honey, baby, from the bee

When mixing Jack Daniel’s Honey, Ginger Beer, Lime, and Honey Syrup, it conjures the same feeling that Morrison sings about in the song. It is a beautiful and affectionate love and you will definitely feel it when you take a sip of The Fennec’s Tupelo Honey.

Easter Brunch at The Fennec

Posted on April 5, 2023

Sundays are supposed to be for resting. And here at The Fennec, we think Easter is no different. After your church service or backyard Easter egg hunt, take a break and celebrate with the entire family at The Fennec. The Fennec chefs will be serving a delicious brunch with specialty cocktails. The weather for Easter Sunday in downtown Birmingham is forecasted to be warm and clear, and there’s really nothing like a great brunch and a refreshing mimosa on a beautiful day.

The Fennec will be open from 11am-4pm this upcoming Sunday, with some amazing eats for the entire family! For appetizers, one option is our gourmet Avocado and Crab toast on a local BHAM Breadworks slice of sourdough. The biscuit plate is also a scrumptious option with an assortment of jams to start out your brunch!

For entrees, there are many different possibilities. We can serve up some delicious traditional breakfast meals such as the Biscuits and Conecuh Gravy plate, the Fennec Frittata, and the fluffy Fennec pancakes. We also serve a full breakfast plate called The Whole Nine Yards, which comes with two fried eggs, Fennec hash or grits, Conecuh Sausage or bacon and a fresh baked biscuit. Furthermore, we have a delicious Brunch Patty Melt that customers rave about! Our Steak and Egg plate is also filling and mouthwatering.

If you’re still wanting more after your entrees, we have an enormous supply of inviting beignets that you won’t be able to resist! Our Apple Pie may make you reminisce about childhood Easter dinners at Grandma’s house as the aroma of cinnamon wafts from the kitchen, so you might have to indulge in a slice.

And to make that meal just a little bit more enjoyable, our specialty Brunch cocktails list is definitely unique. It’s usually a tough choice, but it always turns out to be worth it. The freshly squeezed mimosas of orange, pineapple, cranberry, white cranberry, or grapefruit are savory and match well with any of our meals. Lisa’s Coffee Negroni may also catch your eye with ingredients of tanqueray, campari, vermouth, cold brew. And there are so many more awesome cocktail options that will be available this Easter.

If any of this sounds delicious to you, stop by The Fennec for Easter Sunday brunch and enjoy any of the wonderful dishes on our menu before heading home for your Easter afternoon nap! We hope to see you soon!