Por Dr. Ink

Gin and absinthe. What a powerful combination even when imbibing from a stemmed saucer glass used normally for sipping modest amounts of champagne.

The cocktail, called Corpse Reviver #2, is among 14 devious inebriants offered at S&M Sausage & Meat, where indulgences of the flesh and bottle occur throughout a sunny two-level space in eyeshot of a deli case stocked with gourmet sausages.

During happy hour, all drinks are $2 off, including wine, beer and various liquor flights. Better yet, with each drink purchase you get a free strip of house-cured bacon coated in sweet or savory flavors.

While sipping on my cocktail, which tasted bright from the additions of lemon juice, lillet (a Bordeaux aperitif) and triple sec, I polished off a slice of hickory bacon that arrived to my bar perch immediately after choosing it. The flavor was spot on, as though it was fried to order. The reason for its fast delivery, I was told, is that the bacon is kept warm in the smoker and then tossed onto a skillet for a few seconds before leaving the kitchen.

I should have purchased several more slices à la carte or sprung for a venison meatball sandwich or wild boar sausage link from the regular menu in order to revive from The Reviver, as the drink quickly sent my head toward the clouds.

Outside of happy hour, bacon slices sell in pairs for $3 and $4. When ducking in for a meal on past visits, I savored the agave mustard and sesame-soy flavors, but I wasn’t so nuts about the white-chocolate cashew strips, which were too cloying for my taste.

The cocktail list is divided into three sections: savory & salty, smoky & spicy and the classics in which the Corpse Reviver #2 is found. It’s a cocktail dating back to the 1930s with earlier versions made with brandy and vermouth instead of gin. Consume more than one in its modern incarnation and you’ll need a designated driver.

Patrons visiting for happy hour can spread out anywhere in the dining areas or the spacious bar lounge. The latter features big, open windows looking out to Park Boulevard as well as a stack of board games free for the playing such as Risk, Trivial Pursuit and others.

Underneath them is a sign reminding us of the etiquette that comes with playing games of any kind while drinking in a bar, but specific to S&M’s trendy swine theme: “The loser always buys the winner bacon. Always.”