Losing minds at The Brass Monkey with Sammy

Losing minds at The Brass Monkey with Sammy - Music

Shaking up a refreshing root beer “Mind Eraser” at The Brass Monkey, Gary Leo, who is known to locals as the lovable Sammy, shares his insight on why this shot is a crowd favorite.

In a regular-sized cup and made with vanilla vodka, root beer schnapps, a splash of Coke, then topped with ice — a mind eraser isn’t a typical shot. This isn’t a dainty shot glass one imbibes with a gentle tap on the table and one smooth swoop down the chute; this one is shared with friends. After adding two to four straws to the drink, a group of people then race to the end, which is how the Mind Eraser’s moniker came to be.

“People really love this drink, because it’s sharable,” Sammy said. “I don’t know how many people probably don’t pull their weight when drinking a Mind Eraser, but maybe that’s why it’s liked so much, since you can have as little or as much as you want, as long as the group finishes it.”

Sammy left the cold winters of Michigan and started driving south, when he hit Marathon, he thought it looked like a good place to stop. He started working for Judy Sorensen seven years ago. He says she is one of the main reasons he likes working there so much, plus he gets to listen to Freddie Bye every night. “It’s a family here, everyone from the staff to the patrons,” he said. Locals tip: try some of homemade beef jerky available at the bar.

 

Kristen Livengood is a Marathon High School and University of South Florida grad, mom of two beautiful little girls, and wife to some cute guy she met in a bar. She enjoys red wine, Tito's, Jameson, running (very, very slowly), and spearfishing.