Meet the Street bartender who created best drink in Exeter: Davy Jones’ Party Boat

Aqeel Hisham, Portsmouth Herald
·3 min read

EXETER — Liz Hallahan vigorously shook a ruby-red concoction in a cocktail shaker and slowly poured it into a martini glass. She garnished it with a dried lime and smiled proudly.

“It’s my baby,” she said.

The bartender at Street restaurant in Exeter recently won the inaugural Great Cocktail Challenge with her drink named Davy Jones’ Party Boat.

Street bartender Liz Hallahan shakes the drink she created, Davy Jones’ Party Boat, which won the Exeter Chamber of Commerce cocktail challenge last week.
Street bartender Liz Hallahan shakes the drink she created, Davy Jones’ Party Boat, which won the Exeter Chamber of Commerce cocktail challenge last week.

The week-long contest by the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Dr. Gregory Biron of Exeter Dental Implant & Oral Surgery pitted 17 restaurants against each other in a friendly contest to determine the best drink as voted by the people from Nov. 3-12. Participating restaurants included Hagan’s Grill in Hampton, Riverworks in Newmarket, and Railpenny Tavern in Epping.

Renee Weiland, the event and program coordinator for the Exeter Area Chamber, said the contest was a “huge success" and they plan to make it an annual event.

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So what’s in Davy Jones’ Party Boat?

The winning cocktail features beet-infused black rum (hence, the red color), orange liqueur, rosemary, simple syrup, lime, and muddled serrano pepper for “a little bit of a kick.”

“It’s honestly deceivingly simple … it’s almost like daiquiri-ish,” Hallahan said. “It has a little bit of the beet’s earthiness, definitely some kick from the serrano, rosemary … it’s a tropical vibe.”

Davy Jones’ Party Boat, a prize-winning cocktail at Street in Exeter, features beet-infused black rum, orange liqueur, rosemary, simple syrup, lime, and muddled serrano pepper for “a little bit of a kick.”
Davy Jones’ Party Boat, a prize-winning cocktail at Street in Exeter, features beet-infused black rum, orange liqueur, rosemary, simple syrup, lime, and muddled serrano pepper for “a little bit of a kick.”

Hallahan came up with the concoction this past summer.

The drink's name, she said, is a play on "Davy Jones's locker," a metaphor for the oceanic abyss.

Hallahan said she wanted to use the "seafaring term" for the tropical cocktail.

"I'm better at creating cocktails than naming them," she joked.

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Hallahan has been in the restaurant industry for more than a decade, but only bartending since 2015.

“I kinda fell in love with the industry,” she said. “I wanted to work my way up, and bartending was the goal, and that’s where my happy place was, and I wanted to stay.”

Bartender Liz Hallahan of Street shakes the drink she created, “Davy Jones’ Party Boat,” which won the Exeter Chamber of Commerce cocktail challenge last week.
Bartender Liz Hallahan of Street shakes the drink she created, “Davy Jones’ Party Boat,” which won the Exeter Chamber of Commerce cocktail challenge last week.

Hallahan has been with Exeter’s Street restaurant since it opened in 2022.

When she first heard about the cocktail challenge, Hallahan said she was nervous “to put myself out there.”

“I’m really passionate about what I do,” she said.

She added that she is also “very competitive.”

“I don’t want to lose,” she joked.

But support and encouragement from the restaurant’s general manager, Jackie Bradley, and her coworkers gave Hallahan the confidence she needed to participate.

Hallahan said each bartender has their strengths and preferences in creating new drinks. She leans towards savory flavor profiles “that would push somebody out of their comfort zone.”

“I really like to play with food in my drinks,” she said. “I was inspired by beets – especially for the season – and I knew I wanted to use black rum and beet together for the color… I always try to bring a flavor that makes sense and then a flavor that’s going to make it unique.”

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Davy Jones’ Party Boat a hit with customers

Bradley, the restaurant’s general manager, said orders for Davy Jones’ Party Boat spiked during the challenge. She hopes the restaurant will get more recognition for winning the award.

“We really try to make sure we are hitting our customers’ palette,” she said. “We use very good quality spirits… we do really take pride in our cocktails.”

Davy Jones' Party Boat is currently on its second menu rotation. Hallahan said the drink menu at Street restaurant changes every season, adding, "nothing is permanent."

The Exeter Chamber of Commerce announced Street restaurant won the Great Cocktail Challenge contest with the drink “Davy Jones Party Boat.” From left: Kira O'Donnell, Liz Hallahan, Jackie Bradley and Megan Fedorowicz.
The Exeter Chamber of Commerce announced Street restaurant won the Great Cocktail Challenge contest with the drink “Davy Jones Party Boat.” From left: Kira O'Donnell, Liz Hallahan, Jackie Bradley and Megan Fedorowicz.

Hallahan said she appreciates everyone who came out to try her creation.

“Of course, I was really excited,” she said of winning the award. “We’ve had so many people who came out and love this bar, love what we do, and sing our praises … It’s validating everything that I’ve learned and accomplished.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter Street bartender Liz Hallahan wins Great Cocktail Challenge