T-BONE TOM'S SUNSET SHOT

It was my turn to pick up brother-in-law Bruce from Kemah. Our designated meeting point was T-Bone Tom's (707 Hwy. 146, Kemah, 281-334-2133), a honky-tonk that's been amusing customers since long before the pretentious boardwalk came into existence. Between the hell drive from Houston and Bruce being nowhere in sight, I was a bit cranky when I ordered my first beer. I looked around and realized we city dwellers sometimes forget that a totally different scene is less than an hour away. All tension melted away as I took in the enchanting Gulf breeze, the calm weathered faces of the local boat people and the band cranking up a Leon Russell song. I asked the perky Rachel to make me something special, and she had no problem coming up with the layered sunset shot. It seemed too big to be a shot, but I was instructed to consume this concoction in one gulp. That was no problem for a professional like me; however, the front of my shirt was a bit rum-soaked when Bruce finally arrived. Glad to see my designated driver, we slipped in an Otis Redding CD and headed back to H-town.

1 1/2 ounces Malibu Caribbean rum — mango flavor

Splash of orange juice

Splash pineapple juice

1/2 ounce grenadine

1/2 ounce Myers's dark rum

Mix first three ingredients in a shaker. Pour into a chilled glass. Drop the grenadine and float the Myers. Get out of town.