Brooklynites can’t vote on Super Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a little Santorum.
A Fourth Avenue watering hole is pouring a delightfully sinful drink named after Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum — and the dirty Google problem that has haunted him ever since he irked syndicated sex columnist Dan Savage.
“People really like it even though it’s named after something gross — both the person and the Dan Savage meaning,” said John Rauschenberg, co-owner of Pacific Standard. “It’ll be an election fixture at least until primary season is over.”
The duo behind the beer hole near St. Mark’s Place often put out cocktails with suggestive names, such as the Corn Holed Fashioned or Mike Gallego’s Cup.
But the Santorum, a milky mixture of Baileys, orange vodka, bitters and chocolate flakes, seems to be sticking.
We won’t explain how the drink matches up with an alternate definition of the word “Santorum,” as The Brooklyn Paper is a family publication — but the bar’s liberal proprietors are certain it’ll satisfy any boozy desires.
“When he was winning in the polls, I thought, ‘OK, I’ll do a Santorum,’” said Jon Stan, co-owner and creator of the scandalous social lubricant. “We’ll keep it around until he’s irrelevant. I hope he’s there the whole way.”
The other usage of the candidate’s name began spreading in 2003, when Savage, a popular sex writer and gay rights activist, mounted a campaign to shame the then-Senator for his comments linking homosexuality with bestiality.
The website promoting this prurient term spiraled to the top of Google’s search results, and it so rankled the social conservative and sweater-vest connoisseur that he demanded Google remove it from the company’s search engine index.
The filthy moniker was positioned at No. 1 until last month, when the Internet behemoth tweaked its algorithm and inadvertently dropped the not-safe-for-work hatchet job down the page.
Santorum’s camp didn’t respond to requests for comment, as the Republican candidate was likely preparing for his battle against Mitt Romney in primaries in Ohio and nine other states today.
Still, Stan and Rauschenberg — who helped raise money for President Obama last election and even poured a now defunct Obama ale — hope news of the drink reaches Santorum’s inner circle.
“I hope this drink makes Santorum want to throw up,” said Rauschenberg, referring to the contender’s comment that the idea of separating the church and state makes him want to hurl. “Everything makes that guy want to throw up.”
Pacific Standard [82 Fourth Ave. between St. Marks Place and Bergen Street in Park Slope, (718) 858-1951]. For info, visit pacificstandardbrooklyn.com.
Reach Kate Briquelet at kbriquelet@cnglocal.com or by calling her at (718) 260-2511.
